SOTD: The House of Love - 'Never' from Live At The BBC (2009)

Bbc
Living in the past isn't always a bad thing. Sure, it can be counterproductive to moving forward in certain situations, but when it comes to The House of Love living in the past is definitely appropriate. This UK band was one of the great casualties of the late '80s/early '90s music scene. While they achieved early success (debut album went to #1 and single of the year in 1988 with 'Destroy the Heart') the band was soon lost among the Manchester club scene with the Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, and Charlatans, then obliterated by the rise of the grunge revolution with Nirvana and company. The House of Love had a core of devoted fans but never achieved the widespread success many thought obtainable.

Fortunately, the band recorded several John Peel sessions while they were together. Those have been previously collected and released in various configurations, but we fans now have a compilation of live BBC concerts to enjoy as well. Live At The BBC collects tracks from four venues from 1990-1992 (though Middlesborough is only represented once in the 19 tracks). The band is presented as they were, warts and all. Guy Chadwick sounds a bit flat at times, though the band is always tight. Chadwick never had the strongest voice but was a superb songwriter. In spite of band strife, record company issues, and a largely indifferent public, The House of Love persevered and for that we are the ones rewarded.

'Never' captures everything I loved about the band: ringing and chiming guitars, great percussion, and Chadwick's signature snarly delivery.

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'The Girl With The Loneliest Eyes' was one of those songs I wish I could've written. I remember putting it on mixtapes (yes, those ancient relics) for various friends and especially girls upon whom I may have had crushes.

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When I first heard 'Feel' I was a bit ambivalent about it. It's a House of Love catalog favorite today.

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It's hard to go wrong with The House of Love, but if one was to explore the band further I would definitely recommend finding a copy of what is commonly called "The Butterfly Album" as it was second untitled album the band released. A close second choice would be the 1992 album Babe Rainbow.

The House of Love didn't last as long as I may have wished. Regardless, I can take a day to live in the past and revel in the glory of what they offered.

Tagged BBC Music Song of the Day The House of Love
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