....was actually one of the songs that got me into indie. I saw the video on Super Channel and thought "Wow, what a nice song, a bit noisy, but cool!". I also decided straight away that I wanted to have hair like the singer, and after one year it was shoulder length, but since my hair is very wavy it looked more like an afro than a proper shoegazing haircut.
It also took me quite long to find the album, "Whirlpool", here in Vienna, but when I finally did, I loved it. It didn´t get good reviews though, most of them said it was too short (only 9 songs) and sounded a bit patchy. Best track is definitely "Pearl", one of the best songs from 1991.
They took a bit time off, but returned (like many other Shoegazing bands) in 1993 with their second album "Blood Music", which was a bit more dance-orientated (the limited edition CD came with a whole remix-album). It took me a bit to get into it, but it´s a real grower. Best track is "Love Forever".
about Blood Music, Select, October 1993: "Whirlpool" was a fine album, effete at times but beautifully so and powerful by turns. But Blood Music finds Chapterhouse shifting their musical tack to follow the dance-orientated path of Pearl and Falling Down. Up come the vocals, the guitars are sharpened to delineate more space and it all sits on programmed dance rythms. ... They´ve been away for two years but have come up with an hour´s worth of quality stuff. Shoes? Never looked at them." 3 out of 5
Live Review, October 1991, MM: "... The band amble stagewards with a ferocity of intent that suggests they´re about to warm up in front of their aunts and uncles. ... Then, suddenly, loads of good reasons for their continued existence begin tumbling through your mind, and Chapterhouse start looking like a great band. ... Have Chapterhouse gone mad?"
Chapterhouse records I own:
A really good Chapterhouse site
