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 Good Thing Jul 05, 2008
Another great find by the boys at Rough Trade, the Woodentops were a band that projected uniqueness while simulataneously epitomizing the sound of acoustic pop England so effortlessly churned out in the mid-eighties. Some will make comparisons to The Smiths or even The Housemartins, but the simple truth is that the Woodentops had a sound all too their own, one clearly driven by the nervous, straight-ahead, foot-tapping energy of Rolo, the band's lead singer and chief songwriter whose insightful lyrics on love and friendship will keep you coming back for more.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Nothing wooden here, and definitely Giant Jan 18, 2008
This a rarity, an album that sounded quirky at the time, remains quirky, and still sounds very good. They have a laid-back, hyper-kinetic energy and sound that reminds me a little of Fairground Attraction, but even that's a stretch. I also like the harder sound of 'Wooden Foot Cops...', especially tracks like 'Maybe it won't last', but this first album is their best.
Oh, and if anyone can confirm the name of the band came from the BBC childrens show, let me know!
11 of 11 found the following review helpful:
The Sound of 1986 Jan 29, 2006
I put some thought into the best way to describe the general vibe of "Giant", The Woodentops' 1986 debut LP. What suddenly popped into my head was this: had Ferris Bueller been a real person, "Giant" would have been his favorite album. Ferris, Sloane, and Cameron could easily have had The Woodentops in the tape player of the Ferrari 250 GT California as they escaped on the eponymous day off. It is probably no coincidence that this film and "Giant" were released in the same year-- it might just be that both works share a recognizable feel that captures their year of 1986. (Side note: an official soundtrack for Ferris Bueller's Day Off was, lamentably, never released.)
In fact it was 1986 when I first saw an add for "Giant" in one of the music mags. (It was probably Spin.) I looked for the record, bought it, then took it home to the turntable.
I loved it immediately.
I remember bringing the LP to friends so that they could hear it too. (Sharing music in those days required real effort, no iPods for us.) This record remained on my playlist for as long as I had a turntable, which, unfortunately, turned out to be not that much longer. As the '80s ended, "Giant" and The Woodentops became part of a vinyl collection that I would never hear again.
For some reason, The Woodentops were never reintroduced into my collection in CD form. That changed yesterday when the CD of "Giant" arrived from Amazon. Has this CD always been available, I wonder?
I had never completely forgotton this record. From time to time over the years I would remember it, usually a snippet from "Good Thing" or "Love Affair With Everyday Living", and remind myself to see if there was a CD. When I put the disc in the player, though, it was like I had last heard the album only yesterday, and could sing along as if it had been fifteen hours instead of fifteen years.
Here's the thing you need to know about "Giant": it is an album of twelve consecutive bona fide radio hits that never were-- an album that could have been The Woodentops' "The Queen is Dead" or "Black Celebration" but wasn't. (I understand the album did achieve a modest degree of commercial success, but the only time I ever heard The Woodentops was on my turntable. Strange, for an album with so much commercial potential.)
"Who do they sound like?" Well, if you insist on an answer to that question, a rough approximation off the top of my head would be Strangeways-era Smiths with a little Dexy's Midnight Runners thrown in. If that sounds like a bizzare melange to you, well, you asked. The truth is that The Woodentops sound like themselves and sound great doing it.
The production on "Giant" is very clean and crisp, which appeals to me. Vocals and intrumentals are clear and sonically separated. From what little I have read, I have the impression that the band look back on this record and wish it were more raw, less musical. You see this sort of nonsense from artists all the time; they are unable to see past their artistic goals and expectations and appreciate their creation for what it really is on its own terms. In the case of "Giant", what it really is is A Classic.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Big Splash Feb 09, 2005
Their first major album made a huge splash and caught the ear of the mainstream listeners that would become die-hard Woodie fans even still. A blend of really good tracks like "Love Affair with everyday living" & "Good Thing" and club favorites like "Love Train" & "get it on". Infectious feel-the-love groove that seems timeless unlike so many albums from the 80's.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Love Affair With A Modern Day Classic !! Feb 20, 2004
"Giant" is a real, genuine, bona fide shiny pop classic. Released back in 1986 (the age of Yuppies, The Smiths (at their best), perestroika/glasnost, the Reagan/Thatcher love-in and generally insipid, uninspiring over-coiffured pop chart trash) it has not dated - unlike so much of that eras music. Stunning production; crazy songs; groovy tunes - Giant has it all. My favourites? "Love Affair With Modern Day Living", "Good Thing" and the thoughtful "History". Don't take my word for it, buy it and judge for yourself. Shout to the top!!!
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