Precious (Dino Entertainment, 1992)

Review
June 1992: I had just moved back home and was looking forward to the summer. An plan for staging an indie disco had been brewing for some time and eventually became a reality later on that month. The Old Rectory. Bumper to bumper. And to coincide with that seminal evening, Dino Entertainment released a compilation called Precious which mixes tunes from the late 1991 / early 1992 period along a trio of 1990 classics. A snapshot of long-gone era and a timestamp of youthful energy; it ranks alongside Rave, Happy Daze, Happy Daze 2, Rave I and Loaded. Also seek out Indie Top 20 Volumes 13 and 14.

Madchester raves on during the opening trio. Inspiral Carpets are on fire with the intense Dragging Me Down; later to burn up Féile ’92 with a searingly good Saturday afternoon gig. The Charlatans frenzied organ sound reached its pinnacle on Weirdo while The Stone Roses reissued Fools Gold to modest indifference in May ’92. 4:15 – taut. March saw Ride’s spring tide; Going Blank Again was an adventurous follow-up to Nowhere. And Twisterella was perfectly pitched pop, throwaway on the outside with a steely melody therein. 11 May 1992: Fugazi, Chumbawamba and In Motion play the SFX. And Suede release their debut single, The Drowners. A stormer with a swagger and amazing guitar.

Loaded hangs heavy. Originally released in March 1990, its associated LP Screamadelica was still a party favourite all through ’92. The version hear is 5:14, like a shortened take of the full Weatherall version. Also from the early months of the decade are The House Of Love’s TOTP debut, Shine On [not as muscular as the 1987 debut] and Jesus Jones’ driving Real Real Real. On either side are Blur and James banging gongs on There’s No Other Way and Sit Down. You also get an alternate vocal of The Shamen’s Make It Mine. And The Sugarcubes return after a two year hiatus with the wry Hit. Stick around for joy. . .

. . . In the form of Lush’s sweeping superblaster For Love. Cut some rug to Voice Of The Beehive’s peace / rage Monsters And Angels. Next comes the fiddly Wonder Stuff’s buoyant Size Of A Cow. National Stadium double bill: Pixies and Pale Saints. We get the metallic clatter of Planet Of Sound followed by a honeyed cover of Nancy Sinatra’s Kinky Love, originally included on the Flesh Balloon EP. We now encounter two ugly sisters: Spaghetti Head’s Glad and Daisy Chainsaw’s Love Your Money. But the meat in the sandwich is the otherworldly Soon from My Bloody Valentine which is build on a house beat, some evocative textures and a messed-up rhythm track. Originally on April 1990’s Glider EP and now the final track on the Loveless album. Heaven. Black Box Alternative.

Favourite tracks
Ride – Twisterella

My Bloody Valentine – Soon

Suede – The Drowners

Lest we forget
Pale Saints – Kinky Love