4. Britpop

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ENGLAND'S CULTURE: BRITPOP

Britpop is a British alternative rock movement from the middle 90s, characterised with the appearance of bands who borrowed many influences from 60s and 70s while creating big and catchy hooks, as well as the glamour of earlier pop stardom and the sense that they were creating the soundtrack to the lives of a new generation of British youth. Although incredibly popular from about 1994-1996, it has been criticised for its lack of innovation.

ORIGINS

 

Britpop evolved in the early 90s as a response to the American grunge, new wave and punk revival movements. Britpop groups were primarily influenced by the music of the 60s and 70s, particularly British Invasion cornerstones like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Classic Mod bands like The Who, The Kinks and The Small Faces were also cited as influences.

Another source were 70s' glam idols such as David Bowie, T. Rex, Roxy Music, and punk and new wave artists like The Sex Pistols, Talking Heads, The Clash, The Jam, Madness, XTC, and Elvis Costello. The Indie rock outfits of the 80s exemplified by The Smiths, Depeche Mode, U2, Duran Duran, The Cure and R.E.M. were cited too.

It should also be noted that late 80s and early 90s acts like The Stone Roses and ex-Jam frontman Paul Weller, with their referencing of 70s rock music, were big influences on the Britpop sound, which in the case of bands like Kula Shaker moved towards psychedelia.

PAUL WELLER (1991-1993)

 

Weller in particular is praised as the founder and initiator of the movement. His records Paul Weller (1991) and Wild Wood (1993) are considered seminal forces for the movements of the following years. His influence over the Britpop, coupled with his love of Mod music, had earned him the nickname "The Modfather". As well as guiding Blur, Oasis and Ocean Colour Scene through his recordings, Weller has also performed with the bands, including playing guitar on Oasis' "Champagne Supernova".

BRITPOP AND COOL BRITANNIA (1994- MIDDLE 1996)

 

Fans of the Britpop are divided which album kick-started the movement. Oasis’ breakthrough debut Definitely Maybe, Blur's bombastic third album Parklife and Suede's self-titled debut are all contenders. These albums defined the movement and paved the way for many other acts. The Britpop movement rapidly gained huge media and fan attention in Britain, Western Europe and some parts of the US.

In 1995 the Britpop movement reached its zenith. The famous “Battle of the Bands” found Blur and Oasis as prime contenders for the title “Kings of Britpop”. Spurred on by the media, the "Battle" was headed by two groups - Oasis' brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher representing the North of England, and from Blur, Damon Albarn and Alex James representing the South. This "Battle" was epitomised when, after some back-handed marketing, Oasis' Single "Roll With It" and Blur's "Country House" were released in the same week. The event caught the public's imagination and gained mass media attention - even featuring on the BBC News. In the end, Blur won, selling 274,000 copies to Oasis' 216,000 - the songs charting at number 1 and number 2 respectively. However, in the long-run, Oasis' album (What's the Story) Morning Glory won the popular vote over Blur’s The Great Escape, although Blur's album received more critical acclaim.

In the UK, What's the Story spent over three times as long on the charts (a total of three years) and outsold Blur's album over four to one, selling over eighteen million copies. Oasis' second album is widely considered to be the definitive Britpop album capturing the essence of the attitude and the Cool Britannia movement.

Although the majority of the bands associated with Britpop were English, there were exceptions. Super Furry Animals, Manic Street Preachers and Stereophonics were Welsh. Others like Travis and Belle and Sebastian were Scottish. There were also Irish acts and not to mention the infamous Gallagher brothers, who were Irish descendants. Thus the movement and Britpop hysteria engulfed not just one province or city; it wrapped the entire region and was established as a definitive British movement in musical and spiritual way.

BRITPOP WEAKENS (LATE 1996 - 1998)

 

In late 1996, the movement and hysteria started to subside due to high expectations, burnout and drug fuelled lives - common traits from the inspiring bands of the 60s and 70s. It received some late impetus from Radiohead and The Verve, who weren't previously considered to be Britpop acts with their respective 1997 albums OK Computer and Urban Hymns, both of which were widely acclaimed.

Other acts including Suede, Pulp, Supergrass and Cornershop made some challenging records, but Britpop was on the way out. Initiators like Oasis and Blur turned their backs on the movement scene. Be Here Now, Oasis' third album, although selling strongly to a still loyal fanbase, attracted strong criticism from critics and record-buyers. Blur's self-titled fifth effort was better received but departed from the familiar style of Parklife and The Great Escape.

DEATH OF THE MOVEMENT (1998-1999)

By the late 90s, Britpop was largely considered to be a spent force musically. Blur continued to move away from the movement with their subsequent releases, parting company with longtime producer Stephen Street and guitarist Graham Coxon in the process. Ironically a couple of years after Coxon left, the latter realigned with Street to record his solo records. Oasis remained popular amongst their fans although their later albums failed to achieve the heights previously set, and they also suffered the loss of longterm members Bonehead, Guigsy and Alan White. Suede soldiered on, releasing two more albums, but eventually called it quits in 2003. Pulp entered in a big hiatus, while The Verve, after losing key guitarist Nick McCabe, also split, although their frontman Richard Ashcroft subsequently forged a successful solo career. Radiohead, never the most strongly associated band with the movement, radically changed their sound with Kid A and abandoned all pretence of being a Britpop style band.

SECOND WAVE OF SIMILAR ACTS (2000 - PRESENT)

 

After the initial wave died in late 90s, new groups started to appear in the early 2000s. Bands such as Muse, Travis and Coldplay drew inspiration from the earlier sound. Albums such as Showbiz and Absolution (Muse), Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head (Coldplay), and The Man Who and The Invisible Band (Travis) showed lesser or greater Britpop influences. In 2003 and 2004 bigger influx happened of more new acts. Bands such as Doves, Franz Ferdinand and Kasabian showed Britpop influences in their work. The last couple of years other acts like Elbow, The Libertines and Keane have also come to the fore, with music, influenced by Oasis and Radiohead.

SOURCE:http://www.anglobilia.com/culture/britpop.html