Track Listing

1. I Hang Suspended
2. Upon 9th and Fairchild
3. Wish I Was Skinny
4. Leaves and Sand
5. Butterfly McQueen
6. Rodney King [Song for Jenny Bruce] [Song for Lenny Bruce]
7. Thinking of Ways
8. Barney (...and Me)
9. Spun Around
10. If You Want It, Take It
11. Best Lose the Fear
12. Take the Time Around
13. Lazarus
14. One Is For
15. Run My Way Runaway
16. I've Lost the Reason
17. White Noise Revisited

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29976 in Music
• Released on: 2001-01-15
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

CD Description
The Boo Radleys were never comfortable fitting into any of the easily defined categories that pigeonholed so many British bands in the early 1990s. Arriving on the scene as shoegazing My Bloody Valentine wannabes, they signed to Alan McGee's hip-to-the-times Creation Records, and after a pair of unremarkable albums, they surprised everyone by releasing GIANT STEPS in early '93. Living up to its title, the album is indeed a step above and away both from what their peers were doing and what was expected of the band themselves. A reference to John Coltrane's second album, the album is a mishmashof varying influences, from the Smiths-y jangle of "Wish I Was Skinny" to the lovely brass arrangement in "Lazarus". The album anticipates the Britpop of a year or two later, whenthe Boo Radleys would again intentionally challenge their audience and fly in the face of overt commercialism. GIANT STEPS is a mouthful, containing 17 songs, but it's also their definitive album. It gives much credence to the argument that Oasis maybe had a few Boo Radleys albums amongst their Beatles records. Its influence cannot be denied.

Customer Reviews

Just rediscovered this jam-packed classic!
Mention the Boo Radley to your average music listener and they'll say "Wake Up, it's a beautiful morning? Yeah, they were alright, I suppose". Now mention the Boo Radleys to anyone that has heard Giant Steps and they will say "Lazarus, I hang Suspended, Leaves and Sand, Barney...and me? Man, they were such a s..t-hot band!"

I Recently decided to give Giant Steps a spin for the first time in about 6 years. I've had it stuck in my head now all week and it's right back on my playlist. The entire album is a trip for me - not just down memory lane but back to listening to music, damn good music, LOUD! From the first song to the last, the Boo Radleys fire catchy guitars, lyrics, and rhythms at your ears, tune after tune. The Beatles and Beach Boy influences are clear but with more originality than the likes of Oasis.

The album is a journey and quite a long one at that. From the dub of 'Upon 9th and Fairchild', Butterfly McQueen and the seminal 'Lazarus' to the rampaging guitars in 'I hang suspended', 'Leaves and Sand', 'I've lost the reason' and again in 'Lazarus', the Boo Radleys soared me through my Sunday afternoon (and many trashed days and nights in the 90s). From take off till landing the in-flight entertainment is first class.

For me the album stands the test of time incredibly well (unlike so many other albums of the era) and I will keep on coming back to it while I still have my hearing somewhat in-tact. It's a shame the Boo's will be remembered for the mediocre stuff like 'Wake up' and not for this, their ultimate masterpiece.

Boo! Forever
Previously a decent, if run-of-the-mill, indie guitar band, the Boo Radleys suddenly upped the stakes with the release of their third LP. Giant Steps blew away all competition on its release, unparalleled in its ambition and, frankly, its cheek. Quite how such a kaleidoscopic mix of styles and sounds managed to hold together so cohesively is a mystery...the only explanation I can put forward is that Martin Carr is a genius. I doubt whether too many Boos fans would dispute that.

There is not a single weak moment here, but standout tracks...? The squalling, bass-heavy Upon 9th And Fairchild, the pure pop of Wish I Was Skinny and Barney (...And Me), the dreamy Best Lose The Fear, the simply epic Lazarus, the glum greatness of I've Lost The Reason, the acoustic trippery of The White Noise Revisited...well, let's face it, every track's a standout.

It's not going too far to say that Giant Steps changed my life, and it still sounds magnificent today. If you have but the slightest modicum of musical taste about you, you simply must own this LP.

carr powered
This is for me the greatest record by a British band from the nineties. Martin Carr was a great songwriter/songwriter and I´d love to know what he´s up to now.
The crunching riff on,"I hang suspended," is a great introduction to this record. "Wish I was skinny," is another great track and Sice´s vocal is smooth and eloquant.
"Best lose the fear," is another humming melody that skips along as though it can´t wait to finish, although you wish it would go on forever.
The standout track,"Lazarus,"is one of the songs of the decade. is notable for it´s pulsating introduction, a build up of towering trumpets.
This bands biggest weakness was vocalist Sice, he didn´t add anything musically and his singing isn´t that remarkable.
The lamentably weak follow up saw the band garner some commercial success but they disappeared off the map after that.
This record sounds like something worthy of The Beatles in the late sixites. This similarity probably lead to their downfall but this album remains head and shoulders above anything recorded during that decade and I´m baffled as to why it doesn´t command the respect it truly deserves. Essential listening for the nineties generation.