Album: A Catholic Education
Year: 1990
. . .
In some point in 1992, after that band had their major-label-debut break through the clatter of 1991 — which is still my favorite year for music ever — and sell way better than the indie debut, not to mention topping critics polls, tons of folks went back to that indie debut to see if the magic was their on the debut.
Which, of course, it was and it wasn’t.
Of course, far far far more people went back and checked out Nirvana’s Sub Pop debut, 1989’s Bleach than went back and checked out Teenage Fanclub’s 1990 Matador debut, A Catholic Education. But, of course, I did both, and while I think that A Catholic Education only hints at the wonders of their DGC debut, 1991’s Bandwagonesque, the bones are definitely there, especially on A Catholic Education’s lead single, “Everything Flows.”
“Everything Flows” is chock fully of the noisy/pretty/intertwiney guitars played by Norman Blake & Raymond McGinley, and while the vocals and harmonies they start showing off soon aren’t quite there yet, the hook on the Blake-led chorus absolutely is.
I’ll never know which way to flow
Set a course that I don’t know
I’ll never know which way to flow
Set a course that I don’t know
Of course, Blake’s vocals are pretty buried in all of the guitars, which also basically dominate the back half of the song, as well. Good start, not quite there yet. Nor was the culture: “Everything Flows” was released as a single and went nowhere anywhere.
,
“Everything Flows”
“Everything Flows” Live at Reading, 1992
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFz_8RltNLY&t=8m14s
“Everything Flows” Live in NYC, 1994
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