Title: Weirdo
Format: 12" Single
Label: Situation Two
Catalogue Number: SIT88T
Year of Release: 1992
Tracklisting
A1 Weirdo 3:38
A2 Theme From "The Wish" 3:31
B1 Sproston Green (U.S. Version) 6:01
B2 Weirdo (Alternate Take) 3:24
Weirdo is still a corking tune, from the opening organ stabs to its all-too-soon winding up. A perfect piece of pop, where it really doesn't matter what the song is about, you just want to get up and dance to it. Which I did in 1992, a lot.
And it's a good job you don't need to know what Tim Burgess is on about, because one thing I've noticed when reviewing these early Charlatans singles is that he's one of the vaguest lyricists I know. I think one of the things that makes a great songwriter is taking a particular experience, and, to some extent, universalising it. But taken too far, and you end up with a meaningless, rather than a meaningful song.
When the music is this great though, who cares?
Theme From "The Wish" is a pointless instrumental that could have been done by any band knocking about at the time.
The "U.S. Version" of Sproston Green is another Flood remix, but one showing he can do stuff with guitars too. Why it's the U.S. Version in particular I don't know, maybe because they invented the thing? In contrast to Weirdo, is goes on a bit.
The "Alternate Take" of Weirdo takes the formula from Then, and repeats it. Best ignored, in favour of the original.
12" single comes with what you might call a "limited edition art print", otherwise known as "picture of a naked woman in a see-through chair". Made me glad the band stopped using pictures of themselves on their records.
