just as it was somewhat strange that James Blunt’s 1973 should be, in my humble opinion, the single of the year (still not topped), it is curious that the best album of 2007 should be Uncle Dysfunktional by the Happy Mondays. i finally got around to playing the new album from the (yet again) reformed Mondays this morning on my drive to work, and it blew me away. “reformed” is an unusual way of describing them, there be only 3 of the original line-up as i recall, and one of those is dancer-“vibes” guider Bez. but then again one of them is Shaun William Ryder, and essentially he is the Happy Mondays.
so, how did we get to this fine album? many, many years ago, the Happy Mondays released two killer albums, Bummed and the classic Pills n Thrills n Bellyaches. the latter was defining in terms of the band and the era of the early 90’s. with respect to The Stone Roses debut album, which is timeless, perhaps only Primal Scream’s Screamadelica could challenge the status of PTB as the record of the era of one generation under the same groove.
it then all went a bit pear shaped, to say the least. Yes, Please is a qualified bad record, making Second Coming by The Stone Roses look like an accomplished and polished follow-up to a classic record. the one classic track, Hallelujah, would have made more sense coming from the messiah-like PTB era Shaun Ryder, on Yes, Please it was symptomatic of overblown egos and self-indulgence.
the first instance of the indestructable ways of Shaun Ryder came in the comeback from the mess of Yes, Please, namely It’s Great When You’re Straight.....Yeah in the form of Black Grape. every track produced in respect of this first album was of the highest quality, and the album still stands up pretty well today. alas, Black Grape’s second and final album, Stupid Stupid Stupid, is easily one of the worst ever recorded and released, and it is of little surprise that the “band”, if i can call them that, dissolved not too long after it.
and so, after a few years of guest appearances here, reality tv shows there and legal actions stopping him entering a recording studio, Shaun Ryder is back under the name which made him and he made. in the light of the somewhat dubious history of the above, i was needless to say a bit reluctant to play Uncle Dysfunktional, but am now pleased, to say the least, that i did give it a spin.
considering that Shaun Ryder looks and acts something akin to an extra from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest of late, the funked up, dance experience of Uncle Dysfunktional is breathtaking to say the least. on the basis of this album, to quasi-quote the late great Tony Wilson as credited in the excellent 24 Hour Party People, even the white man gets up to dance with this record. the slurring, brain muddled Shaun Ryder of interviews becomes the husky, dirty old man vocalist alluded to on PTB tracks like Bob’s Yer Uncle. whatever instruments that Bez is not playing are clearly endorsed by Bez vibe, and the vibe is good.
there is little or no point in highlighting any particular track as the whole thing merges into one long festival of funk indulgence. if you must have standout tracks, maybe to sample them before going and experiencing the whole album, C***** Disco and Jellybean has the saucy charm and wit Ryder is known and celebrated for, whereas In The Blood is just a general, all around awesome track.
the entity known as the Happy Mondays probably have no right to release a record of this astonishing excellence, and Shaun Ryder certainly should not be coherent or “with it” enough to produce yet more moments of genius. they have done and he is would be the answer to those two comments. my earnest recommendation is to grab this record, revel in it and enjoy it – there is a strong likelihood that, at the next chance they get, they will blow it all once again, and who knows when the luck that lets them bounce back will elude them once and for all?
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