Most interesting part of this song for me is the short guitar solo that hits the open low strings to drone over the melody.
Also, thanks for reminding me that the cover of "There She Goes" by Sixpence None The Richer was my favorite song in like, third grade because it was in the movie 'Snow Day'.
Love The La’s! (“There She Goes” was one of the opening songs at my wedding performed by powerhouse pop group, The Glad Machine.) Great post for a Friday morning!
Thanks for highlighting this song - I remember hearing "There She Goes" way back then and enjoying it. I wonder if The Las made other music in the interim and simply didn't release it. It raises an interesting and tough question: at what point, as an artist, do you accept what you're hearing from other people (in this case, "that is really good, run with it") as opposed to relying solely on your own instincts? And how many other people are enough to trigger that override?
I enjoyed the song, Kevin, and I know you know I'm one of those who are embarrassed to admit I really only paid attention to "There She Goes"! I knew better than that, even back in the day! It's really hard not to feel sorry for Lee. Either from an earlier On Repeat post, or maybe just casual research on my part, I remember recently reading (for the first time) about the elder Mavers' emotional (?) malady (OCD? perfectionism? ADHD?) that seemed to throw a wrench into the band's work.
I think, over time, you'll eventually have me listen to the entire debut album....and, I thank you whole-heartedly in advance!! Bring it on, yo!💪
I loved your connection of Brian's "I just wasn't made..." to Lee. We never got enough product from Lee to really know if his likely genius was at all "troubled," and the debut album isn't much of a sample from which to really judge!
Lee has an interesting family, though...his younger bro, Gary, and niece, Abby, are both popular UK TV (mostly BBC, I guess) actors. I'm heartened to hear (according to the all-knowing Wiki), that Lee is apparently friends with Liam and Noel Gallagher, Pete Doherty, Johnny Marr, and Paul Weller.
I trust they've taken him under their respective wings, so to speak, and even made music together, a notion that I'm gonna guess soothes his soul without having to undergo the emotional and psychic rigors and pressures an "official recording" might otherwise confer!
"Love and Mercy" brought home the importance of Melinda in Brian's life (God bless her!); I'm hoping Lee has a special someone, too, to soothe his soul!
As I was putting this together, it was nice to see pictures/clips/etc. of him out and about and with other people. I'd had this vision if him being a sort of recluse, and it was nice to be proven (at least partly) wrong.
Yep, I remember the band well. As they were new to the scene back in the early 90s and as a writer covering alternative music, I sat in on a sound check at The Paradise in Boston. ‘There She Goes’ was THE song being pushed and live, that was THE song that garnered the best audience reaction that night. And they were from Liverpool 😀
I love these jaunts onto musical roads that I have not travelled before now. It's a shame that there was only one studio album. That album, however, is gold. I've gone 33 years that I could have been listening to this, wasted days and wasted nights.
I didn’t actually know the band or the song but my jaw dropped when you mentioned, if I read correctly, that this was released in 1990.
I mean, Oasis, Blur, The Verve, and so many others owe them a A LOT. It is so timeless (if you’ll pardon the pun), that if you had shown me this and told me it was released in the late seventies, or even a couple of years ago, I would have believed you. Crazy how some tunes manage to defy time.
Most interesting part of this song for me is the short guitar solo that hits the open low strings to drone over the melody.
Also, thanks for reminding me that the cover of "There She Goes" by Sixpence None The Richer was my favorite song in like, third grade because it was in the movie 'Snow Day'.
I, too, thought the solo (mainly its tone) was the most striking element about the song!
Love The La’s! (“There She Goes” was one of the opening songs at my wedding performed by powerhouse pop group, The Glad Machine.) Great post for a Friday morning!
Finally! A wedding I'd-a loved to have been invited to!!!😉👍As the kids, say, Jessica, you da bomb!
Ha! I wish you’d been at SNUGFEST, too! And seriously, this post brought a big smile to my face this am in a world otherwise not so cheery.
This sounds like my kinda reception! I'm glad this sent you into the weekend on a good note!
Thanks for highlighting this song - I remember hearing "There She Goes" way back then and enjoying it. I wonder if The Las made other music in the interim and simply didn't release it. It raises an interesting and tough question: at what point, as an artist, do you accept what you're hearing from other people (in this case, "that is really good, run with it") as opposed to relying solely on your own instincts? And how many other people are enough to trigger that override?
I enjoyed the song, Kevin, and I know you know I'm one of those who are embarrassed to admit I really only paid attention to "There She Goes"! I knew better than that, even back in the day! It's really hard not to feel sorry for Lee. Either from an earlier On Repeat post, or maybe just casual research on my part, I remember recently reading (for the first time) about the elder Mavers' emotional (?) malady (OCD? perfectionism? ADHD?) that seemed to throw a wrench into the band's work.
I think, over time, you'll eventually have me listen to the entire debut album....and, I thank you whole-heartedly in advance!! Bring it on, yo!💪
I loved your connection of Brian's "I just wasn't made..." to Lee. We never got enough product from Lee to really know if his likely genius was at all "troubled," and the debut album isn't much of a sample from which to really judge!
Lee has an interesting family, though...his younger bro, Gary, and niece, Abby, are both popular UK TV (mostly BBC, I guess) actors. I'm heartened to hear (according to the all-knowing Wiki), that Lee is apparently friends with Liam and Noel Gallagher, Pete Doherty, Johnny Marr, and Paul Weller.
I trust they've taken him under their respective wings, so to speak, and even made music together, a notion that I'm gonna guess soothes his soul without having to undergo the emotional and psychic rigors and pressures an "official recording" might otherwise confer!
"Love and Mercy" brought home the importance of Melinda in Brian's life (God bless her!); I'm hoping Lee has a special someone, too, to soothe his soul!
As I was putting this together, it was nice to see pictures/clips/etc. of him out and about and with other people. I'd had this vision if him being a sort of recluse, and it was nice to be proven (at least partly) wrong.
Yep, I remember the band well. As they were new to the scene back in the early 90s and as a writer covering alternative music, I sat in on a sound check at The Paradise in Boston. ‘There She Goes’ was THE song being pushed and live, that was THE song that garnered the best audience reaction that night. And they were from Liverpool 😀
I'd love to hear more about your time as a writer in those days!
I have been toying around with writing bits and pieces of that here on Substack. Oh yeah… the stories I could tell lol
Please keep us posted if you decide to start sharing them!
I love these jaunts onto musical roads that I have not travelled before now. It's a shame that there was only one studio album. That album, however, is gold. I've gone 33 years that I could have been listening to this, wasted days and wasted nights.
That's why I'm here! :)
Classic.
I didn’t actually know the band or the song but my jaw dropped when you mentioned, if I read correctly, that this was released in 1990.
I mean, Oasis, Blur, The Verve, and so many others owe them a A LOT. It is so timeless (if you’ll pardon the pun), that if you had shown me this and told me it was released in the late seventies, or even a couple of years ago, I would have believed you. Crazy how some tunes manage to defy time.
Love The La’s. Best version of Timeless Melody available online is where Mavers and Powers play this song on Canadian television.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FswF_rTlkrY