- Hup (album)
Infobox Album
Name = Hup
Type =Album
Longtype =
Artist =The Wonder Stuff
Released = 1989
Recorded =
Genre = Indie
Length = 39:35
Label =Polydor
Producer =
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:54rz287c05oa link]
Last album = "The Eight Legged Groove Machine " (1988)
This album = "Hup" (1989)
Next album = "Never Loved Elvis " (1991)"Hup" is the second album by
The Wonder Stuff .The "Hup" album contains several references to the 1980s BBC sit-com "The Young Ones".
"30 Years In The Bathroom" features the rather morbid line: 'Now it's time to share the joke that the latch on the bathroom door was broke.' The song name is taken from an exchange between Neil and Rik after Neil has been waiting outside of the bathroom door for Rik to come out. Rik asks Neil 'How long have you been waiting there?' and Neil replies "30 years".
There is also another Young Ones reference in the song "Cartoon Boyfriend". In the episode called "Sick", Mike walks into a room and says to the other house mates "Whats this fish doing in my bed?" before walking back off set looking perplexed. In the song Miles sings the line "there's a worm in my head and a fish in my bed, she said. Confused? You will be..."
"Let's Be Other People" mentions the book by
Leonard Cohen calledBeautiful Losers ."Piece of Sky" was originally planned to be the next single after "Golden Green", but this plan was abandoned when Rob Jones left the band in December 1989. The promotional video originally filmed for "Piece Of Sky" was re-worked (notably with all shots of Rob Jones being removed) and ultimately used for their next single, "Circlesquare", which was written on the same day as "Can't Shape Up";
May 9 1989 ."Can't Shape Up" was originally much slower and played on acoustic guitar with
harmonica . One version featured references toRick Astley . The slower version was released on a live album."Good Night Though" refers to a line in a 1976 BBC play by
Mike Leigh called "Nuts in May ", featuring a group ofBrummie s going camping."Unfaithful" is the folksy ballad on the album, and does not feature percussion, only strings and acoustic guitar. "Golden Green" was originally a purely electric guitar and percussion song which had Martin Bell's fiddle and banjo skilfully added. There was an alternate chorus to "Golden Green" which was not included in the version on Hup. The final version with the fiddle had more finesse and harmony and sounded like a better-chiselled, more coherent song. It is perhaps a forerunner of the sort of music The Levellers from
Brighton would also adopt: a sincere charming melody with folksy guitar not forgetting poignant but slightly cheeky lyrics.Track listing
# "30 Years In The Bathroom"
# "Radio Ass Kiss"
# "Golden Green"
# "Let's Be Other People"
# "Piece Of Sky"
# "Can't Shape Up"
# "Don't Let Me Down, Gently"
# "Cartoon Boyfriend"
# "Good Night Though"
# "Unfaithful"
# "Them, Big Oak Trees"
# "Room 410"External links
* [http://www.thewonderstuff.co.uk/lyrics2.asp Lyrics to the album]
* [http://www.tabalorium.com/tabs/12427.html Chords and lyrics to 'Unfaithful']
* [http://www.room512.com/biography_pg3.htm Room 512's version of the Hup years.]
* [http://www.softshoe-slim.com/lists/w/wonder_stuff.html Discography]
* [http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/music-records/hup-the-wonder-stuff Review on DooYoo.]
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