Bandwagonesque by Teenage Fanclub (1991, Creation Records)

 WHY I NEVER GOT AROUND TO LISTENING TO THIS ARTIST/ALBUM

• Don't ask me why, but I had always (erroneously) thought of Teenage Fanclub as a shoegazer band, a sub-genre which, as far as I was concerned, was bereft of any soul or sex appeal whatsoever, and therefore they were to be avoided like the plague.
• Perhaps it's no surprise that I never got into this Scottish band – and specifically to Bandwagonesque, their landmark third studio album – because at the time of the record's release, critics were citing1970s American band Big Star as a major influence, which like Teenage Fanclub at the time, was a band I never listened to.
• The main reason I never listened to Bandwagonesque, and subsequently Teenage Fanclub, was because in 1991, when I was 19 years old, Spin Magazine selected it as their album of the year, beating out Nirvana's classic recording Nevermind. Two things: (1) I loved the Nevermind album (2) Spin is a shit-rag.

WHAT I KNEW ABOUT THE ALBUM BEFORE THIS PROJECT

• I would hear the single “What you do to Me” at alternative music nights at bars and clubs during the 1990s. I remember thinking it was a catchy tune, but I was never sure who did the song (for the longest time, I thought it was a Sloan song). I also dug the fast bit at the end of the track.
• I recognized the first few lines of “The Concept”, but can't really pinpoint why or how.

AFTER A WEEK OF DIGESTING THIS ALBUM

• Considering my misconception of Teenage Fanclub being a shoe gazer band, I was pleasantly surprised with their nifty guitar riffs and catchy hooks. The songs are decently written, however they never really deviate from the power pop idioms of the time, and for me, do not differentiate themselves from the slew of the era's power pop fare.
• The lyrics lack depth for my liking, mostly about boy and girl relationships that would appeal to a mass audience of young adults who were at the time immersed in Beverly Hills 90210.
• Listening to the album removed from the context of being voted the record of 1991 and how all my friends went ape-shit over it back-in-the-day, Bandwagonesque is a fun record. Based on cohesiveness of songs as a complete recording, as well as the quality of songwriting, and standing the test of time, I can see why I still prefer the aforementioned Nirvana record.