Product Description

It's hard for any sophomore album to escape the microscope,especially when the first was as explosive and distinct as 1995's I SHOULD COCO. With IN IT FOR THE MONEY, the Oxford, England punk-pop trio dashes expectations without disappointing a soul. Sophisticated structures, rich arrangements and an interesting variety of instrumentation propel this album into the realm of That-Which-Is-To-Be-Taken-Seriously. Immense-sounding brass passages give the album seriousness and swagger. Rob Coombes' keyboards pop up everywhere, providing both a solid musical foundation and wild-sounding embellishment. Then there's the Theremin on "Richard III". Lyrically, it's more serious and introspective, and less of a teen-age hassle with the cops. Honest and unpredictable, IN IT FOR THEMONEY manages to bring on the big time, horn sections and all, without losing an ounce of the commitment, intensity andsense of adventure that make Supergrass such an exhilarating joyride.

Track Listing

1. In It For The Money
2. Richard III
3. Tonight
4. Late In The Day
5. G Song
6. Sun Hits The Sky
7. Going Out
8. It's Not Me
9. Cheapskate
10. You Can See Me
11. Hollow Little Reign
12. Sometimes I Make You Sad

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7443 in Music
• Released on: 1997-04-21
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
They could only record at their Cornish studio when the tide was in, you know. "The acoustics", apparently. But what an investment that tide almanac was. From the vein-busting opener "In It For The Money" to the stoopid, human-beatbox closer of "Sometimes I Make You Sad", Supergrass's second album fairly defines the term "classic". "Going Out" swivels on an outrageous, 14-bar passage of Memphis brass and buzzes like the Beatles on the roof at Apple, while "Sun Hits The Sky" has all the furious bass-runs of the Who's "I Can See For Miles". And "Late In The Day" breaks into a guitar solo of such unindulgent homesick beauty it could cause pavements to weep. God would have to buy a Gibson and crib off John Lennon to top half of the songs on Money. --Caitlin Moran

Customer Reviews

A masterpiece
It truly is. While the first album 'I should coco' is effervescent adolescent mayhem, and the third album 'Supergrass' is much darker and gloomy, this one is the masterpiece album. With a good balance of vibrant fun (Sun hits the sky), soulful ballads (Late in the day), fast paced dark rock anthems (Richard III), silliness (Sometimes you make me sad), laziness (Hollow little reign), magic (It's not me), this CD has it all. The building up of energy in the opening track, 'In it for the money' is just infectious, as is the whole album.

This album is the best album I've listened to. Not only does it cover a wide variety of moods and styles, it's musical creativity and ingenuity is scarcely matched by any artist or album. These guys laugh in the face of user-friendly rock laid out on a plate for the mindless chart music listener, but never stray from creating a wierd and wonderful mix of styles, progressions, rhythms and melodies, and keeping the listener on their toes.

The perfect Supergrass album....
Rating: 9.5/10

Best tracks: "Sun Hits the Sky", "Late in the Day", "Richard III", "In it for the Money", "Hollow Little Reign", "It's Not Me", "G-Song", "Tonight"....okay, the whole album!

In it for the Money was one of the first albums I ever truly, truly loved, and as such will always remain one of my absolute all-time favourites. Yet, listening to it again proves that it's not just nostalgia that's the reason why I love Supergrass' second album so; the main reason is because it's a non-stop thriller of a pop masterpiece that's definitely one of the now-derided Britpop era's brightest moments. Less irrepressible and teenage-kicks oriented than its predecessor, there's a slightly more grown-up feel to proceedings here. That doesn't mean that the band got too old, too fast; it's just that if the debut sounded like it was fifteen, then this sounds like it's twenty-one years old....so, still young, just a little older, that's all! There's a weirder, slightly darker, introspective and even claustrophobic atmosphere in places, but that probably doesn't do justice and this is, for all its relatively darker directions, is one of the most FUN records I've ever heard. Every track's a monster, every track's a beauty, this is Supergrass' golden moment and it's frankly criminal that it wasn't the huge success it could have been. If all retro Britpop was this awash with thrills, kaleidoscopic energy and terrific hooks, then the era would have been truly as mighty as its ego imagined it was.

The opening title track honestly blows the debut to bits; it's THAT good. I get goosebumps listening to that intro, which chants its way into a euphoric rock monster that brings together magnificent brass, fantastic rhythms, vocals and one hell of a chorus that could have gone for another few minutes and I wouldn't have got bored, but no- it's rudely interrupted by the amazing "Richard III", which is like the nasty twin of "Alright" and, if properly broken down and analysed, probably contains all you need to know on how to create a Great Pop Song, but I'm too busy having such a fantastic time to bother thinking about it; every second of this one is so damn good, so exciting that I'd consider putting it on repeat over and over, but why delay the impending rush of "Tonight" any longer? I love the slightly stop-start rhythm that eventually gives way to a soaring, mighty chorus (great brass on this one too!).

Now on I Should Coco, there were a few songs, like "Time" and "Sofa (Of My Lethargy)" that pointed to a relatively more grown-up sound to Supergrass; "Late in the Day" sees that sound even more fully realised and what a song it is; on an album full of classics, this might be the best one of the lot. Far dreamier and bittersweet than anything the band had ever done up until this point, it's painfully lovely, yet it breaks out into a joyous, delightful chorus that works so well and so beautifully....then there's a slightly eerie Theremin effect that leads into a heartbreakingly fantastic guitar solo that's one of the band's loveliest, most powerful moments....then that chorus again! Great, great song, and listening to it now, I'd forgotten just how much I adored it when I first heard this album. The groovy, extremely fine "G-Song" has a chunky riff that plays like a slower, more drunken "Lenny" from the debut; this song might not stand out as much on first listen, but it's a real grower....at one stage it even became my favourite on the album. A lot of it has to do with its ending, which in its own, innocuous way, is another truly classic moment on an album embarrassingly crammed to the limit with them.

A true classic arrives next with "Sun Hits the Sky", which was the song that made me double-take regarding this band; before this, I'd found their singles to be fun and charming but I didn't bother to investigate the I Should Coco album that they came from (something I did retrospectively on the strength of this album), but this one made me stand up and go "Hey....what's going on here?"; well, we have great bass (especially at the very groovy end), one start-stop bit that's pure genius (and it's used again later on), a chorus that's pure ecstasy, and a mid-section that's at once hilarious, preposterous, magnificent, epic, thrilling, wonderful.....what a band! The glorious "Going Out" lets rip with its brass-led majesty and proved to be a great single, while the autumnal, melancholic "It's Not Me" is extremely lovely and wracked with emotion, not to mention a so-silly yet so-right electronic effect during the first verse that's pure genius. Additionally, the link between the former's electronic pulse and the latter's evening-tinged acoustic beauty is one of the album's sweetest moments. The rambunctious choruses and slinky verses of "Cheapskate" and the slightly Beatles-ish stomp of "You Can See Me" keep this album's momentum going very strongly indeed. "Hollow Little Reign" is the album's most overlooked treasure, it being tucked away near the end of the album; it exudes smoky, bluesy atmosphere and there's a lovely guitar stretch near the end. The bonkers "Sometimes I Make You Sad" is like I Should Coco twisted and turned inside out in a hall of mirrors; it's got a bouncy, circus-esque feel that ends this magnificent album very appropriately.

It's difficult to convey just how fantastic this band were at this stage in their lifetime, and for me, as a 16 year old out to find the ultimate musical pop rush, Supergrass were definitely there at the right place and the right time. "If you like me, you can buy me and take me home" sings Gaz on "You Can See Me". Take his advice. Get this album.

One Of The Greats
This album is in my opinion not only the best Supergrass album but also one of the greatest albums of our times. It would most likely appeal to not only fans of Indie music but in addition, to classic rock fans and perhaps even many hard rockers who may be moved such is the level of songcraft and passionate intensity on display here. A great production complimets Gaz's fine vocals nicely and the rest of the band do some sterling work. Could this end up being one of the few Brit albums of the 90's that will go down in history? A classic with a capital C. Looking forward to the Hoo Ha!