TweeNet Bands | Labels | Lists | More | Search
The Brilliant Corners
(England) Bristol
Bristol pop band consisting of Bob Morris (drums), Chris Galvin (bass) and David Woodward (vocals and guitars) plus various others during their ten years of existence. David is Experimental Pop Group nowadays.

Many of the oldies on this list would probably tell you the band was often brilliant ("Somebody Up There Likes Me" is regarded by at least a few of us as one of the best indiepop albums ever made), but had their moments of poo-wallowing as well (1990's "Hooked" LP is surely one of the worst, full of *big* guitars stolen, I've always assumed, from the shoegazer crowd). For a time, which I guess has passed now--with all the youngsters busy listening to lame late Heavenly records and whatnot--the Brilliant Corners were one of the bigger names in the indiepop world, a band that hovered for years on the verge of "breakthrough."

Brilliant Corners history, in a nutshell: The band was from Bristol, led by songwriter Davey Woodward, started up around 1984 or so, and released its last LP in 1993 (although there have been unconfirmed rumors, on this very list, of newer Brilliant Corners product). The Brilliant Corners sound, in a nutshell: The very earliest singles were a litle swampabilly-ish, but the band quickly developed a more jangly, trumpet-driven sound that is, in my book at least, a touchstone of classic indiepop (that's '80s-style, kids, not the overly rock stuff out there these days). The band's best stuff (from the mid to late '80s) is desperate, breathless, and catchy, catchy, catchy. Later work was inconsistent, hitting bottom with "Hooked", but rising again with swansong LP "A History of White Trash", which, though not great overall, recaptured some of the jangle, catchiness, excitement of yore (not enough trumpets, though...). Recommendations, in a nutshell: All of the LPs but "Hooked" are fine by me, but "Somebody", "What's in a Word", "Creamy Stuff" (a singles compilation), and "Everything I Ever Wanted" (a compilation of early stuff) are probably the best choices for beginners. 'Do You Like Ponies?' is a rare Belgium only compilation, more for the hardcore fan.

And don't go spending tons of money on Brilliant Corners records on eBay (an evil device that any record hunter would do well to avoid). Like every other '80s also-ran, their stuff is for sale all over Britain for dirt-cheap prices, if you look in the right places. You can even find some of it in America. Maybe not in Kansas, but, you know, you've got the entire Web to search...

Leonard (Is a Squeel) Roberge for the Shalala Mailing-list in February 2000

Edit this biography
Releases:
She's Got Fever (7") Feb 1984
on SS20 Records - SS21
- She's Got Fever
- Black Water
Big Hip (7") May 1984
on SS20 Records - SS22
- Big Hip
- Tangled Up In Blue
Growing Up Absurd (LP) Sep 1985
on SS20 Records - SS24
- Rambling Rose
- A Girl Called Property
- Growing Up Absurd
- Southern Mystery
- One Of There Days
- Mary
My Baby In Black (12") 1985
on SS20 Records - SS23
- My Baby In Black
- Sixteen Years
- Rope In My Hand
The Fruit Machine EP (12") Mar 1986
on SS20 Records - SS25
- Meet Me On Tuesdays
- Jim's Room
- The Funniest Thing
- Everything I Ever Wanted
What's In A Word (LP) Oct 1986
on SS20 Records - SS26
Original in Blue colour
- Laugh I Could Have Cried
- Brian Rix
- I Never Said That
- Delirious
- A Very Easy Death
- Sweet Brandan
- Egostistical Me
- Boy And The Cloud
Delilah Sands (7"+12") Oct 1987
on SS20 Records - SS28
- Delilah Sands
- Is There Anybody Home
- Please Please Please (12" only)
Brian Rix (7") 1987 - More details
on SS20 Records - SS27
- Brian Rix
- Trudy Is A Squeel
Teenage (7"+12") Mar 1988
on McQueen Records - MCQ 1
- Teenage
- I Don't Want To Talk To You
- How Embarrassing To Dance Like That (12" only)
Somebody Up There Likes Me (LP+CD) 25-Apr-1988
on McQueen Records - MCQLP 2
- Somebody Up There Likes Me
- Teenage
- Friday Saturday Sunday Monday
- She's Dead
- Never A Young Girl
- Oh!
- Your Feet Never Touch The Ground
- Like Father Like Sun
- Trust Me
- Forever
- I Can't Wait That Long
- With A Kiss
- I Don't Want To Talk To You (CD only)
- How Embarrassing To Dance Like That (CD only)
- All For The Good (CD only)
What's In A Word (LP) Jun 1988
on McQueen Records - MCQLP 1
reissued in red sleeve
- Laugh I Could Have Cried
- Brian Rix
- I Never Said That
- Delirious
- A Very Easy Death
- Sweet Brandan
- Egostistical Me
- Boy And The Cloud
Everything I Ever Wanted (LP) 24.Oct 1988
on McQueen Records - MCQLP 3
- Rambling Rose
- A Girl Called Property
- Growing Up Absurd
- Southern Mystery
- One Of There Days
- Mary
- Meet Me On Tuesdays
- Jim's Room
- The Funniest Thing
- Everything I Ever Wanted
- Under The Bridge
- Trudy Is A Squeel
Why Do You Have To Go Out With Him... (7"+12") 10.Oct 1988 - More details
on McQueen Records - MCQ 2
- Why Do You Have To Go Out With Him When You Could Go Out With Me
- Shangri La
- Things Will Get Better (12" only)
- Goodbye (12" only)
Joy Ride (LP+CD) 15.May 1989
on McQueen Records - MCQLP 4
- You Don't Konw How Lucky You Are
- Emily
- This Girl
- Nothing
- Grow Cold
- Hemingway's Back
- I Didn't See You
- Accused By The Angels
Love It I Lost It (12") 5.Mar 1990
on McQueen Records - MCQ 3
- Love It I Lost It
- White Gates
- I Cried
- Loves Like This
The Pope The Monkey And The Queen (7"+12") 2.Sep 1990
on McQueen Records - MCQ 4
- The Pope The Monkey And The Queen
- Ghost Of A Yound Man
- When The Blossom Falls (12" only)
- Silias (12" only)
Hooked (LP+CD) 8.Oct 1990
on McQueen Records - MCQLP 5
- Long Long Way To Go
- Where Are The Supremes Tonight
- The Pope The Monkey And The Queen
- Sandy Knows
- Gone
- Positively Lips
- Sam
- Desperate Situation Blues Song
- Heaven Inside Her
- Take The Gun
- Subtle As The Bomb
- Love Is Over
Creamy Stuff:The Singles 84-90 (LP+CD) 1991
on McQueen Records - MCQ 6
A History Of White Trash (LP+CD) Mar 1993
on Cheesy Records
- Get It Up
- Around The Bend
- You Make The Day Seem Longer
- Death Of A Protest Singer
- I Like It Here
- Gushing
- Electric Slam
- La
- Jukebox Junk
- He Looks To Be With You
- Closer
- Always On A Sunday
- Electric Slam No.6
BBC Sessions (CD) Oct 2000
on Vinyl Japan - ASK 117
- What Can I Do?
- Sweet Brendan
- I Never Said That
- Happy Capital
- Arlington Villas
- Would It Be Sad?
- Anticipation
- Trust Me
- Oh!
- Please Please Please
- I'll Never Be The One To Break Your Heart
- Teenage
- Honey Whispers None
- Across The Border
- Nine Out Of Ten Unbelievers
- Hidden Snakes
- Tangled Up In Blue
- Sixteen Years
- My Baby's In Black
- Trash
Growing Up Absurd plus What's In A Word (CD) 16-Oct-2009 - More details
on Cherry Red Records - RED 425
- Rambling Rose
- A Girl Called Property
- Growing Up Absurd
- Southern Mystery
- One Of These Days
- Mary
- Meet Me On Tuesdays
- Jims Room
- The Funniest Thing
- Everything I Ever Wanted
- Laugh I Could Have Cried
- Brian Rix
- I Never Said That
- Delirious
- A Very Easy Death
- Sweet Brendan
- Egotistical Me
- Boy And The Cloud.
On compilations:
Imminent 4  (LP) 1986
on Food Records
- Trudy Is A Squeel
Airspace II - The Sequel  (LP) 14.May 1990
on Breaking Down Records - BREAK LP 3
- Where Are The Supremes Tonight ?
Mind The Gap - The Tape  (K7) 21.Dec 1990
on Mind The Gap - MTG 2
- Not The Boy (live)
Revolution No.9  (CD) Dec 1991
on Pax Records
- Drive My Car
on EMI - tba
- I Bet She's Gonna Go
on Cherry Red Records - CRCDBOX10
- Delilah Sands
Last updated: 22-Oct-2010 © 1994-2024 TweeNet Creative Commons License