Track Listing

1. Perfect Skin
2. Speedboat
3. Rattlesnakes
4. Down On Mission Street
5. Forest Fire
6. Charlotte Street
7. 2cv
8. Four Flights Up
9. Patience
10. Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?
11. Sweetness
12. Andy S Babies
13. The Sea And The Sand
14. You Will Never Be No Good

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5144 in Music
• Released on: 1992-05-12
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 47 minutes

CD Description
Arguably one of the finest British pop albums of the '80s, 1984's RATTLESNAKES is the brilliant debut of one of the finest singer-songwriters of the decade. Coming right at a point when synth-pop's domination of the UK charts was ending and a new breed of guitar-based pop bands led by the Smiths and Aztec Camera were the new British wave, RATTLESNAKES had the force of a major new work, and still holds up better thanmost of its contemporaries.
Cole's literate--at times self-consciously so--lyrics, and chiming, folk-rocky tunes areoutstanding, and his terrific voice and lead guitarist NeilClark's exceptional instrumental work put over the songs brilliantly. Fully half of these songs, including the Dylanesque "Perfect Skin" and the moody, romantic "Forest Fire", with Clark's remarkable ending solo, are all-time Britpop classics. Cole would do standout work after this, but RATTLESNAKES is simply perfect.

Customer Reviews

she's got cheekbones like geometry and eyes like sin...
'I might come to a conclusion other than that which is absolutely necessary...'

It is hard to believe that this classic debut album was originally released over 20 years ago in 1984. At that time Lloyd Cole was labeled part of the so called 'college rock' scene (and later cruelly labeled as glum rock) this album in retrospect goes way beyond being included in any such 'movement' and stands high as one the finest albums of the 80's, by any artist. The production has not dated, probably as a result of the combination of a clean sound and the classic intelligently composed songs laced with smart, ironic lyrics formed around folk-rock-melody patterns, a style which remains eternally popular. This classic album kicks off (after an odd 2 second delay on the CD - half expected to hear some crackles) with the impossibly wordy track 'perfect skin' (a trick repeated on a later commotions album 'mainstream' and the opening track 'my bag') which really sets the tone for the whole album with Intelligent lyrics and quality musicianship painting pictures and images, full of observations and commentary of young university life and the confusion, loves and conflicting social circumstances that occur among the overeducated and underemployed.

Lloyd Cole's key skill (which he also carries over with varying success into his solo career) is to be smart and accurate with observation and commentary, but also retain a certain degree of self mocking wit and humour about proceedings, which prevents Lloyd Cole coming across as self indulgent or pretentious. This album and its songs are literally littered with statements, questions and self answered queries, many of which have more than one angle to approach them from, for example how many songwriters dare to pair up the words sin and cosmopolitan in a verse? Or end a song stating that there isn't a moral to what you have just been listening to?

Very rarely, there isn't really a weak track on the album, but highlights for me are: Perfect Skin, Rattlesnakes, Forest Fire, 2CV, Patience and a real gem hidden at the back of the CD Are you ready to heartbroken?

Like many of my favourite albums of all time (and this being one of them) it is the subtlety that appeals here with the outstanding lyrical content and musicianship that does the talking. Along with 'Mainstream' and Lloyd Cole solo album 'Lovestory', Rattlesnakes represents Lloyd Cole at his very best. If you enjoy artists such as Prefab sprout, Aztec camera or the bible you will also enjoy this. This album is full of lyrical and musical interplay that more recent bands or artists such as Coldplay or KT Tunstall can only dream of.

One of the best records ever made
It's good to see that the other reviews give this album 5 stars. If you know this album and you can appreciate talent then you will know that anything less would be absurd. Some of the comments of the other reviews worry me a little though. For example, comments such as "This is an album that probably is Lloyd's definitive piece" and "Certainly ranks...alongside Cole's first solo album..." Surprised to say the least. I like Lloyd Cole's work and I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings but without doubt this was his definitive moment. THIS IS IT. As happens when we fall in love with an album by an artist we always hope for more. So we buy the next release the day it comes out. We get it home, put it on and despite temporarily denying it to ourselves we soon realise that it's not quite what we had hoped for. But no matter, maybe the next one. So we buy that one, and the next and so on until we can finally admit to ourselves that 'Revolver' isn't coming. Apart from the odd miracle workers who follow an upward path (Beatles, Radiohead, others) we never quite get what we're looking for. And that's how the artist must feel too. Because they all realise how transient artistic genius is. It's all to do with space and time and your place in it. And true works of art come from the mix like Frankenteins, uncontrolled and daunting. That's why so many bands who hit the heights at the first attempt get stifled by their own creation and fade with the genius in them (take the Roses, Embrace, Suede, etc). You may argue that other bands work up to their best. I would say there is still only one peak in every mountain range.

So back to Rattlesnakes. The record on which Lloyd Cole's genius shone brightest. I can't express how much I like this album lyrically. All I can say is the the songs make you say "I wish I could write like that" in the same way that Dylan does. The subject matter is mostly from the viewpoint of someone innocent and trying to deal with all of the stuff you're not prepared for when you first leave home. For example, the opening lines to the album "I choose my friends only far too well/I'm up on the pavement and they're all down in the sell with they're govenment grants/And my IQ they brought me down to size...Academical blues" tell of someone having difficulty with the fact he's not the only bright kid in town. There's some irony in that notion becuase listening to this album can often make you feel the same way. Many other lines like "Oh must you tell me all your secrets when it's hard enough to love you knowing nothing" capture the essence of feelings that we mortals struggle to express but are sure to have been shared by most reading this. And Cole still finds room for plenty of cynicism too in lines such as "I belive in love/I'll belive in anything/If it's gonna get me what I want" if that's what you like.

Musically, this album is beautifully arranged and has a low-key production that gives a slight 60s hint and a lot of honesty. The melodies are fantastic and have excelled in that illusive trick of augmenting the emotions of the lyrics. When lyrics and melody combine like this you get 'Blood on the Tracks'.

I highly recommend, in fact I emplore you to buy this album if you don't already own it. It's stood the test of time with me (16 yrs). Some of my other favourite albums are Abbey Road (Beatles), What's Going On (Marvin Gaye), The Stone Roses (The Stone Roses), The Good Will Out (Embrace), OX4 The best of... (Ride) to give you an indication of my tastes in case that gives you more of an idea on whether or not to take my advice.

I hope I haven't offended anyone with my original observations. I understand that everyone's perspective is different. Lastly, I would like to say well done to Lloyd Cole and his Commotions for giving us this masterpiece.

Great pop poetry from one of Britain's underrated artists
This is one of the classic albums of the last 30 years and is certainly an 80s classic, all the more so because it is 'against type' and does not reflect the awful 80s. Instead it is much more typical of early 60s short pop pieces or 90s pop/rock with each song pure pop poetry from the delicious 'Perfect Skin' to the wonderfully spine tingling 'Are you ready to be Heartbroken'. Certainly ranks above the Commotions' 'Easy Pieces' and alongside Cole's first solo album 'Lloyd Cole'. It's one of the few albums that I've just continued to come back to and play again and again since its 80s release. The question remains: why is this artist so underrated? Probably because he was ahead of his time.