Grant Lee Buffalo

The re-issue of the first and third Grant Lee Buffalo albums, has given me a chance to look back on this band.

When I first heard Fuzzy (9.3) I thought it was one of the best albums I had ever heard. It got quite a lot of attention at the time too and there was a lot of talk about it's 'cinematic' sound. The mix of acoustic and electric guitars and Grant's style of vocals which made him sound like he was narrating a state of the nation address made the record sound unique. It still sounds great now and has aged really well, the mix of angry political songs and touching balladry is just as appropriate as it ever was.

Their second album, which strangely has not been included in the re-issue series, Mighty Joe Moon (9.6) was even better but got less attention from critics. It is a kind of concept album about the state of the USA at the time (1994) with topics such as the Waco siege and the death of Kurt Cobain. It is also a beautiful, heartfelt album and the sound of a band at the top of their game. It is timeless and if you have never heard this record, you should go out and buy it now. 'Mockingbirds' remains one of TracksandGigs' favourite songs of all time.

If they were ever going to make it big, MJM would have been the time, but it never happened. Grant Lee Buffalo were in many ways a band out of time. It would be interesting to see how they would have done now, at a time when a band like Arcade Fire have made it so big on the back of word of mouth. Their next album Copperopolis (8.7) veered into more traditional alt.rock territory, moving away from the cinematic sound. It still had some wonderful moments but was a sign that GLB could not quite keep to the amazing standards they had set themselves. After that, the end was in sight. Paul Kimble left and the final album Jubilee (7.9) was made under strict record company instructions to find a radio-friendly hit single. They found several candidates including the catchy 'Truly Truly' but typically radio was not interested and the group disbanded.

Grant Lee Phillips' solo career has been patchy. After a beautiful acoustic EP Ladies Love Oracle (8.8), the first album proper Mobilize (7.5) suffered from the lack of a band, Grant played all the instruments himself and there was a synthetic sound to the record that didn't suit his voice. The critically acclaimed Virginia Creeper was a step into alt.country territory and it delighed fans of that genre but it had no edge or passion, to these ears anyway, hence (4.5).

The latest LP Strangelet (8.0) is a very nice album indeed. The passion and anger of the past are gone but the songs remain strong and the album is extremely listenable.

Incidentally, Tracksandgigs saw Grant Lee Phillips play live at Shepherds Bush Empire in 2002 and a wonderful show it was too. Grant is a fine performer and always puts on a good show whether solo or with a band......which is why TracksandGigs is so disappointed that Grant's Dingwalls show in August sold out before I managed to get a ticket!