Classic Review of the Month: Supergrass - "Life on Other Planets"

With the recent announcement that Supergrass will be calling it quits this June, I figured why not show a little love for them? Granted, I am disappointed that they have decided to do this, and I hope that they bring it back together a few years down the road, but until then, we have some great music left behind that, unfortunately, probably has not been given the attention that it deserves in the States. With that being said, lets take  look at my favorite Supergrass recording, 2002's "Life on Other Planets". A superb record that, in my opinion, is an excellent representation of what they were all about - fun, powerful, melodic, and magical. If you hung around me when this came out, you heard all my drunken accolades that I heaped upon this record, night after night. I wanted to marry it. Its easily in my top 10 of all time.



While not all that old in comparison to my usual "Classic Review", I strongly believe that time will eventually make this record a classic and people will elevate it to mythical stature. Its that good and while being severly underrated. With their 4th release, Supergrass seamlessly thread together the power of '90's Britpop with '70's glam, Beatles pop and Clash-like rhythms that sound fresh and exciting, alive and vibrant. They make you want to listen to the whole record without skipping a single tune - they pull you right in with the opener, "ZA", then to "Rush Hour Soul" and on and on. They mix it up better than most bands from that era, including Oasis, the Verve and Blur. I know some people will disagree with that statement, but take the time to listen to this record. Songs like "Grace" and "Never Done Nothing Like That Before" resonate with a passion and a precision that is seldom matched on most records. Supergrass are clever, cheeky and right on target for the entire record, and they sound like they are having a blast doing it.


If you've never heard them, take the time and listen to this album. I hate the hear that they are calling it quits, but to be honest, I thought there was a fall off after this record on the next releases, and maybe it means they peaked or that they just didn't know what to do next, but if they had decided to leave after "L.O.O.P", they would have left on top. As I stated previously, they are sadly overlooked in the States and its a real shame not to see them give it one more shot. But, thanks, Supergrass. You'll be missed.