REVIEW: Gene, Rising For Sunset (Contra)
- Wilson Neate
On the strength of early singles like "For the Dead" (1994) and "Be My Light, Be My Guide" (1994), as well as their debut album Olympian (1995), Gene were heavily touted for stardom in the British guitar-pop stakes. Through no real fault of their own, however, they've never really attained the kind of success for which they seemed destined. They've been dogged in equal measure by the standard fickleness of the British music press, by the mysterious ways of the pop gods (who reward no-marks with success and thwart the talented) and by the all too obvious workings of the entertainment industry.
Having won an oh-so-prestigious NME Brat award for Best New Band of 1995, they've spent much of the last five years being dismissed in some quarters as workmanly, one-dimensional Smiths plagiarists. Despite having the songs, the frontman, the guitarist, a great live show and a loyal fan base, they somehow managed to get lost in the shuffle of post-Oasis and Blur Britpop. The unkindest cut of all was inflicted last April as Gene became another casualty of the purges endemic to the mega-merger culture of media empires (in this case, the takeover of PolyGram by Universal). Following "disappointing" sales of what some considered their strongest album to date -- Revelations -- they parted company with their UK label, Polydor. The label, of course, hung onto cutting-edge acts like Boyzone and S Club 7 -- confirming Gene vocalist Martin Rossiter's recent observation that "stockbroking is the new rock 'n' roll."
But rather than give up, Gene threw themselves back into the fray, their sold-out gig at the Kentish Town Forum earlier this year showing that, while they might not have a contract, they still have a dedicated following and are far from defeated. Indeed, Rossiter prefers to see their current, label-less status as a blessing in disguise insofar as it's granted Gene a refreshing degree of autonomy. "One of the joys of being independent again," he says, "is the fact that there are so many things that you are told you just simply can't do, like doing a show and having it as a live album three weeks later." That's precisely what Gene have done with Rising For Sunset, an album recorded live at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, simulcast over the web to 120,000 people and then released less than a month later.
Things get off to a dodgy start as the band are introduced by the whingeing Los Angeles music scene "legend" Rodney Bingenheimer, who promises those crazy kids that, boy, they're in for a real treat tonight (thanks grandad). Still, he soon makes himself scarce and Gene charge into their ode to the drinking life, "Fill Her Up," from Revelations. Although it lacks Roddy Lorimer's trumpet work that punctuates the album version so memorably, this rendering sets the tone for an energized and passionate set that wholly justifies the hype that has always surrounded their performances.
Gene's first album is well-represented here by melancholy old faves such as "Olympian," "Your Love, It Lies" and "London, Can You Wait?" Rossiter's plaintive, economical vibrato (a la Morrissey or Stipe) ably oversees their guitar- and Hammond-fueled flourishes. Also noteworthy are the live versions of the first two singles that put Gene on the map: "For the Dead," which stands as a timeless piece of crisp guitar pop; and "Be My Light, Be My Guide," which nicely captures the interplay of the keyboards with Steve Mason's guitar -- alternately melodic and searing -- that is characteristic of Gene at their best.
Although the earlier material foregrounds Gene's talked-about-to-death musical, vocal and lyrical debt to the Smiths, the live performances on Rising emphasize the fact that there has always been much more to Gene's music than the jangle and moan of Marr and Morrissey. This album also illustrates how they have matured significantly over the years. It showcases Gene's progress toward a fuller, more textured and soulful sound, intelligently and respectfully crafted -- not copied -- from other influences that were always there if critics had taken the time to listen: later period Jam, The Spencer Davis Group and the Small Faces, among others.
All of this is underscored by the tracks from Revelations -- still unreleased on this side of the Atlantic -- such as the driving "The British Disease," the epic "You'll Never Walk Again" and the harder-edged "Mayday" and "As Good as it Gets." The latter two are anthemic numbers that encapsulate the overtly oppositional politics of the last album, thus marking a welcome shift away from the self-absorbed tenor of much of Rossiter's prior lyrical output and a transition to a more collectively oriented sensibility. "As Good as it Gets" -- Rossiter's expression of anger at New Labour's selling out of the Left -- is one of the stand-out tracks, combining Mason's lush guitar and a chiming piano line.
Rising For Sunset also features two new songs. On the title track, a new wave synth is soon -- mercifully -- pushed into the background of a dreamy, textured sound which is enhanced by Rossiter's melodic musings about Ibiza and some soaring and evocative guitar. More downbeat is the set closer, "Somewhere in the World," with its country-tinged guitar and vaguely hymnal vocal feel.
Of course, the effect of this CD will be largely that of preaching to the converted. At the same time, this live sampling of some of Gene's best material offers the unconverted a perfect introduction to the band. Hopefully, this DIY outing will initiate a new chapter in their career that sees their arguably under-recognized talents ultimately rewarded. For more information check out http://www.genenet.co.uk
