Vinny Peculiar

It’s becoming a refrain around these parts, but the fact Manchester-based singer/ songwriter VINNY PECULIAR still hasn’t impinged on the wider consciousness seems increasingly ridiculous. In the past few years, he’s crafted an idiosyncratically-brilliant body of work across four studio albums and a greatest-hits-that-never-were compilation called ‘Whatever Happened To Vinny Peculiar?’ which is surely the finest collection of British pop songs never to have been heard on the radio.

Now backed by a band befitting his talents (including ex-Smiths Mike Joyce and Craig Gannon), Vinny has made the record we all knew he was capable of with the Reggie Perrin-bothering ‘The Fall And Rise Of Vinny Peculiar’. Produced with clarity by Joe Fossard in Blackburn after previous sessions in Sweden and Rochdale fell through, the enforced hiatus caused by the change of studios and the departure of former bassist (and third ex-Smith) Andy Rourke has worked creatively in the new band’s favour as ‘The Fall And Rise…’ is a neatly-observed and powerfully-executed collection of songs crammed full of magic and melancholy.

The album opens strongly with arguably its’ most immediate moment thanks to the tremendous ‘Man About The House’: a great song of domestic disharmony written from a woman’s point of view, propelled along beautifully by Mike Joyce’s terrific drumming, riffs that come full circle and great Jarvis Cocker-style lyrical observations (“In the time it takes him to think, he could have painted the fence”) which – in a fairer world – would be stencilling itself all over the charts.

It’s not the only time the band succumb to the lure of great pop, either. The deceptively jaunty and partially autobiographical ‘Song To Bring Back A Girl’ (“I joined the God squad, but not for too long/ converted my cause to the popular song”) is catchy, skiffly indie with proud, chiming chords and a dramatic sunburst of a chorus, while the fine-tuned quintessentially English ‘The Greedy Scorpios’ is nudge-nudge, wink-wink pop at its’ best with fanfare trumpets on and hints of everyone from Pulp to Ray Davies. Superficially, the edgy ‘My Place’ could also pass for single material, were its’ obsessive lyrical content (“Like you did for all the other men/ just give me what you give to them”) not so bitter, desperate and gripping.

Of course, this is the first time Vinny has entered the studio with a committed, full-time band and their contributions are telling throughout the course of the album. I never doubted Mike Joyce would be anything less than his usual consummate self anyway, but both keyboard player Ben Knott and guitarist/ bassist Craig Gannon are little short of a revelation. Having heard Gannon play with the likes of Blue Orchids and Adult Net, I’d always known he was talented, but not only does he add terrific guitar lines all over the shop, but he also works up the brass arrangements on tunes like ‘The Greedy Scorpios’ and the epic, six-minute ‘Revolt Into Style’: Vinny’s address on the chronic state of the artifice-heavy, celeb-obsessed pop sewer most of us wade helplessly through these days.

They all pull it together on arguably this writer’s favourite track ‘Sorry God’: Vinny’s open letter of rebellion to the Man Upstairs, and this time it’s not restricted to The Big Man simply nicking Vinny’s bird neither. Couched in ringing guitars, it’s a diatribe Luke Haines would be proud of (“the ways you ignore the plight of the poor/ the sadness and the madness and the one-sided door/ that leads to salvation and sanctuary, it’s all so wasted on me”) and accelerates to one of Vinny’s best choruses yet. Like I say, it’s perhaps your correspondent’s favourite tune, though it’s given a run for its’ money by the great ‘Playing On The Pier’: a snapshot of an ennui-stricken ‘50s seaside Britain which might have disappeared physically, but remains etched on our consciousness. The poignant lyrics (spoken by Vinny) were supplied by VP’s recently-deceased Uncle Jim and if he wrote more along these lines he should certainly be read on a wider scale.

For all the band’s input, though, two of the most memorable songs here feature an unadorned Vinny with merely acoustic guitar for company. Of these, ‘A Man Afraid’ – basically a litany of things VP (and most of us) is scared of on a day-to-day basis – is naked and vulnerable and one of the most affecting things he’s ever written, while the wistful and wryly humorous ‘London Train’ is a neat and gentle vignette to finish on with our hero admitting “I always seem to fall asleep somewhere before we get to Milton Keynes”: something that’s happened to this writer on more than one occasion too.

Of course, Vinny’s past reputation seems to have pegged him as something of an idiosyncratic genius, but not only is ‘The Fall And Rise…’ his best album yet, but it’s also one with plenty for fans of great English pop to get their teeth into. Vinny himself addresses the issue of being passed over on the frustrated ‘Living In The Past’ when he declares “destiny won’t speak to me anymore.” Well, if destiny continues to blank him, this writer for one will be waiting for it behind the bike sheds with an especially heavy cricket bat.

I HOPE our Vinny had in mind that wonderful old sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin when this album was titled.

Because these songs certainly hint at the blighted romanticism and exasperated Englishness of Leonard Rossiter's second-best comic creation.

Though while we are on great British funnymen, the tired domesticity of Man About The House, the misanthropic sideswipe at popular culture in Revolt Into Style and the misty-eyed reverie for childhood seaside expeditions in Playing On The Pier all have the combination of comedy and tragedy which justifies that lovely description of Peculiar as "the Tony Hancock of pop".

Thesis charming men

On the question, why Vinny Peculiar called its album “The case and rise OF Vinny Peculiar” and not “The rise and case OF Vinny Peculiar”, one will here unfortunately find no answer. Which is quite also important however: Vinny Peculiar and the most secret Supergroup, since there is the term, have a outstanding album to create, which re-activates the good old Britpop not only again and it on the legs help, no. Instead we have to do it here with an album, which leads it to new gloss and all between three-chord reef and gossip press back under the coat brings dead-believed the long to the time and the embarrassingness to the daylight. Whether that is hochtrabend all not much too for so young volume?

Evenly not. Because like it for a Supergroup belonged, all members that passed themselves volume the level of the first level long. Well well, with such names as with this album Vinny Peculiar was allowed to make music probably not yet together. But this time it has these production under its own name Mike Joyce (The Smiths, PIL, The Buzzcocks), Craig Gannon (among other things The Smiths, Aztec Camera), to unite Marcus Williams (among other things Might Lemon drop) and Ben Knott (among other things World OF Twist) as volume and go together with them into the Studio. The findige reader already noticed it: Hoppla! With volume, in which played, the all no more cannot be so young. Completely correctly, are also not they. And if already. Who stated that the Spirit OF Britpop in passing can be carried forward?

None. And therefore “The case and became also so wonderful rise OF Vinny Peculiar”. Many realizations played thereby a role. For example that well thing wants to have while, a Song like “Playing on the jetty” as it is accurately as functioned, if one gives him time and listens, or that despite inflationary use of all locating also a saxophone can miss actually still another tremendous goose skin. And also that it does not need always a major it is impressively proven here. Flogged themselves many around the volume, but were signed and produced with a university label operated by students named on Song. Praising value, very even.

It harms however that this album in the autumn publish becomes. These melodies, tendencies and feelings, them all belong into the summer, if not into spring. Because the songs act of the most important one to be experienced without working thereby kitschig or prätentiös, but the gentlemen are already much: naturally the genuine love in “one about the house”. Or the confession in “A one afraid” to have simply times fear. Fear. Here us someone really divides with: “I at afraid the OF dying young/I at afraid the OF having fun/I at afraid the OF writing songs/Afraid that each and every one wants forgotten when I'm of gone.” And in addition only one guitar. And a little later still another smile. And then comfort. And then the autumn is perhaps nevertheless the correct time. Somewhat completely different one is it with “Sorry God”. As Morrissey, which let down itself nevertheless to forgive Jesus Vinny Peculiar does not become as impudent. No, many more badly. “NO I don't mean tons off-end you/I just can't pretend tons/and-purchased you/Although I'd like ton”. And also still the Mozzer kriegt a little later its fat away.

Apropos Morrissey. One could read it somewhat further above already and now already again, because one actually does not come drum rum: This album reminds the-more frequent in its 53 minutes already of the Smiths Grosstaten. There is the typically Marr guitars or the kind and Couleur of the Refrains. The relationship, both the musical and personnel, is to be heard. But that is not hinderlich. In addition the Smiths may not be written anyway on the flags, they would be Urväter of this sound. One thinks only of the The Go-Betweens resting in peace, whose fan comes likewise completely at its expense. But in no nostalgic sense, not at all. Much rather it behaves in such a way that this album retrieves all, which was tried the entire nineties through on the island in addition wars, but only rarely so quite succeeded. The models actually even already came from the Achtzigern. Perhaps therefore “case” stands instead of “rise” at the beginning. It would have given for the responsible persons of this album no zero point for starting, it became today perhaps with Photoshootings from any Egogründen with Tommy Guns or violins posieren. Wär still more beautifully.

Definitely not Grot

It isn’t just the presence of Mike Joyce that belies a similarity to the Smiths, it is the fact that it relies on the same kind of cultural iconography, 1960’s British realist cinema, a black and white world forever peopled by underdogs struggling against the system with dignity and humour. That legacy continues with Vinny - the nostalgia is at its height with ‘Playing on the Pier,’ a spoken word piece describing a typical working class beach holiday - the domestic is the nexus of these songs. ‘A Man Afraid’ is articulated not through the supernatural but via household chores. The things that control our lives, the decisions we lock ourselves up with alongside gentle accompaniment is the very heart of these songs. The poetry and struggle of everyday life not the tortured artiste, that of Everyman, the greatest fear, ‘Afraid I won’t remember my daughters face’.

With a talented band of compadres (in addition to Mike Joyce there is Craig Gannon and Ben Knott) they are tight and completely without the arch knowingness and over dramatisation of the Divine Comedy - they are much more satisfying and anyone who makes a reference to the great Harry Dean Stanton in ‘Paris, Texas’ is pushing the right buttons for me. Musically they are also adventurous. ‘Mistakes’ build layers of guitars and keyboards celestially towards climax. They avoid the fey and the whimsical even if the subject seems to demand it - ‘London Train’ could be fluff but they somehow mange to avoid it, while ‘Man About the House’ manages a reference to 70’s comedy and indie jangle, which is about where we started.

SUBBA-CULTCHA review 13.11.06

Vinny Peculiar is the musical alias of singer songwriter Alan Wilkes, and The Fall and Rise... marks his fifth long player. Whilst Vinny Peculiar is very much a solo project, Wilkes certainly enlisted a fair amount of distinguished help, with assistance coming from the likes of Mike Joyce of The Smiths and PIL, Craig Gannon of The Smiths and Aztec Camera, and Ben Knott [JEEP].Whilst there are a few moments of wistful commentary on The Rise and Fall..., such as opening track Man About The House and the jaunty Greedy Scorpios, the album is largely a collection of introspective, personal songs that paint a picture of a man and an artist going through a stage of serious reflection. Revolt In Style is a down tempo, wizened glance at the sadly deflated notion of fighting against the powers that be, and Sorry God is a thoughtful apology for a lack of faith, whilst Playing On The Pier is a reminiscent look back at old times spent at the seaside and A Man Afraid is an admission of fears and insecurities. The possible cause of such reflection is perhaps evident within Living In The Past, with declarations such as 'Oh, how I long for the way things used to be' and 'I was living in the moment, and now the moment's gone' pointing towards a deep seated regret for the way things have changed.
It is clear that a lot of work went into making this album, and it shows through in the first class production, nicely crafted tunes and an engaging labyrinth of ideas and stories within the lyrics. You have to suspect that the world of Vinny Peculiar is a place not entirely habitable by anyone other than Vinny himself, but The Fall and Rise... suggests that it might be a nice place to visit.