この時期の青いメロディーを奏でるバンドを語る上で
Mega City Fourと並んで最重要バンドの1つであるSenseless Things。
音源の殆どは既に廃盤となっており、新品では入手が難しいかもしれません。
中古では後述する音楽性の変化もあってか、パンクのコーナーよりも
むしろロックのコーナーに置いてある事の方が多いのかも。
さて、Senseless Thingsが最も輝いていた時期は何と言っても
メジャーからデビューする前の一連のシングルを中心とした音源にあります。
そんな訳で、Decoyからリリースしたシングルをまとめた「Gokigenyo Dudes！」か、
「Postcard C.V」が必然的に自分のオススメという事となりましょう。
Travis Cutもカバーした「Too Much Kissing」など、名曲が盛り沢山。
逆に、自分が一番苦手な音源はメジャーでの1stとなる「First Of Too Many」ですかねぇ。
何と言うか、この音源からは非常に中途半端な印象を受けるのです。
曲によっては、節々にベースのスラップ奏法が盛り込まれていたりするのですが、
Senseless Thingsに求められていたのは、決してそんな事ではないと
果たして彼等は気付いていたのでしょうか。気付いてなかったんだろうなぁ。
まだオルタナに傾倒していった2nd「Empire Of Senseless」以降の方が聴ける感じがします。
いや、オルタナをネガティブな視点で捉えないとするなら、
2nd「Empire Of Senseless」は結構な良作とも言えるのです。
ラストの曲「Runaways」は、初期のSenseless Thingsにも劣らぬ青い曲。
以下の音源以外でも、V.Aに多くの曲で参加しておりますが、
何と言っても、まず真っ先に挙げなければならないのは、
「Underground Rockers Vol.2」に収録の「Bus Load To Bingo」でありましょう。
彼等の真髄とも言える線の細いボーカルが織り成すメロディーの素晴らしい事と言ったら。
その他にも単独音源に未収録の曲が含まれているV.Aは多数存在し、
各種メディアのためのプロモ盤などもあるようですが、こちらは省略させていただきます。
(2005年12月18日)
Album
Postcard C.V.(CD&LP:Way Cool/CD:Toshiba EMI)
01.Trevor
02.Come Together
03.Sneaking Kisses
04.Laura Lamorna
05.Shoplifting
06.Drunk And Soppy
07.Back To Nowhere
08.Teenage
09.Someone In You
10.Too Much Kissing
Toshiba EMI Version Bonus Track
11.Girlfriend
12.Standing In The Rain
13.Where The Secret Lies
14.I Want To Go Back
15.You Don't Want Me
16.When You Let Me Down
First Of Too Many(CD&LP:Epic)
01.Everybody's Gone
02.Best Friend
03.Ex Teenager
04.It's Cool To Hang Out With Your Ex
05.19 Blue
06.Should I Feel It
07.Lip Radio
08.In Love Again
09.Got It At the Delmar
10.American Dad
11.Radio Spiteful
12.Chicken
13.Wrong Number
14.Different Tongues
15.Fishing At Tescos
Japanese Version Bonus Track
16.Beat To Blondie
17.Mystery Train
Gokigenyo Dudes!(CD:Toshiba EMI)
01.Is It Too Late?
02.Tricia Don't Belong
03.Celebrity
04.Andi In A Karmann
05.Pony Boy
06.Leo
07.Can't Do Anything
08.Can't Emplain
09.Tangles Lines
Empire Of Senseless(CD&LP:Epic)
01.Homophobic Asshole
02.Keepsake
03.Tempting Kate
04.Hold It Down
05.Counting Friends
06.Just One Reason
07.Cruel Moon
08.Primary Instinct
09.Rise (Song For Dean And Gene)
10.Ice Skating At the Milky Way
11.Say What You Will
12.Runaways
Empire Of Senseless/Postcard C.V.(CD&LP:Epic)
Disc1
01.Homophobic Asshole
02.Keepsake
03.Tempting Kate
04.Hold It Down
05.Counting Friends
06.Just One Reason
07.Cruel Moon
08.Primary Instinct
09.Rise (Song For Dean And Gene)
10.Ice Skating At the Milky Way
11.Say What You Will
12.Runaways
Disc2
01.Trevor
02.Come Together
03.Sneaking Kisses
04.Laura Lamorna
05.Shoplifting
06.Drunk And Soppy
07.Back To Nowhere
08.Teenage
09.Someone In You
10.Too Much Kissing
11.Girlfriend
12.Standing In The Rain
13.Where The Secret Lies
14.I Want To Go Back
15.You Don't Want Me
16.When You Let Me Down
Peel Sessions(CD:Strange Fruit)
01.Passions Out Of Town
02.I've Lost My Train
03.When You Let Me Down
04.The Only One
05.Tangled Lines
06.Leo/Is It Too Late?
07.Tell Me What's On Your Mind
08.Someone's Talking 'bout You
09.Touch Me On The Heath
10.Jerk
11.Role Models
12.Christian Killer
Taking Care Of Business(CD&LP:Epic)
01.Christine Keeler
02.Something To Miss
03.Page 3 Valentine
04.Any Which Way
05.Marlene
06.Role Models
07.Watching The Pictures Go
08.Scapegoats
09.16.18.21
10.Touch Me On The Heath
11.Wanted
12.Too Late
13.Dead Sun
14.The Way To The Drugstore
Japanese Version Bonus Track
15.Jerk
16.The Revivalist
17.Answering Machine
18.Where Does Fucking End?
The Singles(CD:Epic)
01.Everybody's Gone
02.Got It At The Delmar
03.Best Friend
04.Fishing At Tescos
05.Easy To Smile
06.Hold It Down
07.Homophobic Asshole
08.Primary Instinct
09.Ice Skating At The Milky Way
10.Keepsake
11.Come Together
12.Shoplifting
13.Too Much Kissing
14.Christine Keeler
15.Something To Miss
16.Jerk
17.Page Three Valentine
18.The Way To The Drugstore
Single
Up And Coming(CD&12":Way Cool)
01.Where the Secret Lies
02.I Want To Go Back
03.I Don't Want To Talk About It
04.You Don't Want Me
05.When You Let Me Down
Ressiue Version
01.Where The Secret Lies
02.I Want To Go Back
03.I Don't Want To Talk About It
04.You Don't Want Me
05.Girlfriend
06.Standing In The Rain
07.When You Let Me Down
Split With Crazyhead(7":Sniffin' Rock/Came Free With Fanzine)
01.All Over You (Senseless Things)
02.So Amazing Baby (Crazyhead)
I'm Moving(Flexi:Moving Target/Yo Yo Jo)
01.I'm Moving
02.Low Time
03.(All You've Got To Do) Is Stay Together
Reharsals(7":Boot)
01.Can't Stop Loving You
02.I'm Leaving
03.No One Knows Everything
04.I Don't Wanna Go
Girlfriend(7":Way Cool)
01.Girlfriend
02.Standing In The Rain
Too Much Kissing(7":Way Cool)
01.Too Much Kissing
02.Trevor
Andi In A Karmann(12":What Goes On)
01.Andi In A Karmann
02.Is It Too Late?
03.Tricia Don't Belong
04.Ponyboy
05.You Owe Me
06.You Will Never Know Why
Is It Too Late?(CD&7"&12":Decoy)
CD&12" Version
01.Is It Too Late?
02.Tricia Don't Belong
03.Celebrity
04.Leo
05.Andi In A Karmann
06.Ponyboy
7" Version
01.Is It Too Late?
02.Leo
Can't Do Anything(CD&12":Decoy)
01.Can't Do Anything
02.Can't Explain
03.Tangled Lines
Everybody's Gone(CD&7"&12":Epic)
CD&12" Version
01.Everybody's Gone
02.Mystery Train
03.I'm On Black And White
7" Version
01.Everybody's Gone
02.Mystery Train
Got It At The Delmar(CD&7"&12":Epic)
CD&12" Version
01.Got It At The Delmar
02.Beat To Blondie
03.Fishing At Tescos
04.Can't Remember
7" Version
01.Got It At The Delmar
02.Fishing At Tescos
Easy To Smile(CD&7"&12":Epic)
CD&12" Version
01.Easy To Smile
02.Hazel
03.Mollylove
04.Easy To Smile (Edit)
7" Version
01.Easy To Smile
02.Hazel
CD Japanese Version
01.Easy To Smile
02.Hold It Down
03.Got It At The Delmar (Extended Version)
04.Mollylove
05.Hazel
06.Can't Remember
Hold It Down(CD&7"&12":Epic)
CD&12" Version
01.Hold It Down
02.Crucial Juvenilia
03.Splitting Hairs
7" Version
01.Hold It Down
02.Crucial Juvenilia
Homophobic Asshole(CD&7"&12":Epic)
CD&12" Version
01.Homophobic Asshole
02.Body Bag
03.Just Flirting
04.Homophobic Asshole (Clean Edit)
7" Version
01.Homophobic Asshole
02.Body Bag
Primary Instinct(CD&7"&12":Epic)
CD&12" Version
01.Primary Instinct
02.Runaways (Version)
03.Too Much Like I Know You
7" Version
01.Primary Instinct
02.Runaways (Version)
Too Much Kissing '93(CD&7":Epic)
CD Version
01.Too Much Kissing '93
02.Keepsake
03.Cruel Dub
04.Too Much Kissing (Original Version)
7" Version
01.Too Much Kissing '93
02.Keepsake
03.Say What You Will (Demo Version)
Christine Keeler(CD&7"&12":Epic)
CD Version
01.Christine Keeler
02.Jerk
03.Revivalist
04.Driving On The Right
12" Version
01.Christine Keeler
02.Jerk
03.Revivalist
04.Can't Go Back
7" Version
01.Christine Keeler
02.High Enough
Something To Miss(CD&7"&12":Epic)
CD&12" Version
01.Something To Miss
02.16.18.21
03.Never Haunted
04.Answering Machine
7" Version
01.Something To Miss
02.16.18.21