Originally written by James Westfox · 19 November 2001
The Charlatans
A Man Needs To Be Told
Label: Release Date: 19/11/2001
"A man needs to be told there's a war going on"
And of course there is. The Charlatans release a prophetic single? Whatever next?
This, the second release from their typically excellent "Wonderland" album is a country tinged, beautifully lilting song, it swoops and sweeps and convinces you to like it. Tim Burgess' falsetto is still incredible, and slightly feminine. Not that's a bad thing. Unless you like ‘real’ men to sing yer songs….
Take a moment, if you will, to compare this to "Step On My Old Size Nines" by those masters of the "classic" song, the Sterophonics. Both are mid-paced, countrified, acoustic, Gram Parsons/Eagles type tunes. So which band tarnish their reputation by releasing a quite terrible, backward-looking, poisonous single?
Answers on a Charlatans postcard please.....
• 9 James Westfox's Score