Primal Scream and “Madchester”?

[Tortuga]

I’ve been reading a few articles on the Internet about “Madchester,” and apparently Primal Scream’s 1991 album Screamadelica is considered a touchstone of the scene. Just based on the music itself, it certainly fits that description - rock crossed with dance and psychedelica. But wait a second. Primal Scream isn’t from Manchester. They’re not even from England; they’re from Scotland! Isn’t it a little strange to call them “Madchester” then? I know this isn’t super important but still.

[spiritualized]

mmm You are right
Although I do recall a lot of bands from Manchester were part of that "scene". Thinking Inspiral Carpets, Stone Roses, Charlatans, Happy Mondays...all from Manchester. Even New Order tagged along.

I think Screamadelica fitted in that category by the musical style, not its geographical origin.
And to be fair, with the exception of the Roses' debut, Screamadelica stands a full head above the rest !

Finally, Primal Scream always have been chameleons of sorts. Blues Rock with Give Out but don't Give Up, Psychedelic Rock on Vanishing Point, Heavy Electronic Rock on XTRMNTR...

[Brad]

Side note - "24 Hour Party People" is a fun film to watch (about the Manchester scene). Mark E. Smith even has a cameo!

[Harold]

Side note - "24 Hour Party People" is a fun film to watch (about the Manchester scene). Mark E. Smith even has a cameo!

Howard Devoto (Buzzcocks, Magazine) also has a cameo, and it's brilliant: there's a scene depicting a fictionalized Devoto having a quickie in a nightclub bathroom with the wife of protagonist Tony Wilson, after which a janitor in the bathroom turns to the camera, revealing himself as the real Devoto, and says, "I do not remember this happening."

[Nick]

You're entirely correct, but it sounds enough like Madchester that I'm willing to let this one slide.

The real question to me is: Would I let a perfect britpop album from an American band still be called "britpop"? Probably not, but I'm not sure why I feel one way but not the other. Maybe because Scotland is closer to Manchester than England is to America. But still...

[Rob]

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The real question to me is: Would I let a perfect britpop album from an American band still be called "britpop"? Probably not, but I'm not sure why I feel one way but not the other. Maybe because Scotland is closer to Manchester than England is to America. But still...

Makes me wonder what you think of the 7th greatest britpop album according to Rate Your Music:
https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album ... opkultury/

[Krurze]

For some reason I always saw Primal Scream as distinctively disparate from the Madchester movement, and not just geographically. But after relistening to a bit of Screamadelica to find reasoning for my point I have to agree that it's pretty Madchester, probably even more so than The Stone Roses, who have only one real Madchester song (Fool's Gold).

Well, yeah. But I mainly made this post to chime in on the praise of 24 Hour Party People. It's a minor masterpiece and anybody with even the slightest interest in the Manchester music scene of the 70's and 80's (i.e. Joy Divison, New Order, Happy Mondays) should watch it.

[Nick]

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The real question to me is: Would I let a perfect britpop album from an American band still be called "britpop"? Probably not, but I'm not sure why I feel one way but not the other. Maybe because Scotland is closer to Manchester than England is to America. But still...

Makes me wonder what you think of the 7th greatest britpop album according to Rate Your Music:
https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album ... opkultury/

This ain't britpop.

[TheLastEnemy]

I think Screamadelica's Madchester connection is probably down to its producer Andrew Weatherall, who had also worked with New Order and the Happy Mondays around that time.

[Jackson]

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The real question to me is: Would I let a perfect britpop album from an American band still be called "britpop"? Probably not, but I'm not sure why I feel one way but not the other. Maybe because Scotland is closer to Manchester than England is to America. But still...

Makes me wonder what you think of the 7th greatest britpop album according to Rate Your Music:
https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album ... opkultury/

This ain't britpop.

Britpop is more of a scene than a real genre. The main bands associated with it (Blur, Pulp, Oasis) sound quite different from each other.