Track Listing

1. Typical Time 2
2. 5Rebbeccas
3. One Off Pretender
4. Unexpected
5. Temptation Dice
6. Glass Smash
7. Distant Doubloon
8. Jimmy's Crazy Conspiracy
9. Covers
10. Double Yellow Lines
11. Shock Horror
12. Realisation
13. Give Back The Sun
14. Gem Of A Bird

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5195 in Music
• Released on: 2009-02-02
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Always the tatty ASBO-wielding pageboy, never the groom. Or perhaps more pertinently always Northern Uproar, never Oasis. Always bassist John Hassell, never Pete Doherty. The View were never scene leaders or headline grabbers, they didn’t have it in them (they barely had it in them to walk in a straight line), but then that was the appeal; allowing them to skid recklessly along the post-Libertines slipstream, churning out whatever in the way of juvenile rock ‘n’ roll hedonism they could muster. Such a scattergun approach served them reasonably well on debut Hats Off To The Buskers, amassing clumps of moreish melody and a 6-pack of holler-along choruses beneath a generous covering of raucousness. The regrettably titled follow up, Which Bitch?, however does see The View lose a good deal of their beginners luck, some of which is entirely of their own doing as they make awkward and unnecessary attempts at maturity--the perplexing Twang-esque baggy rap of “One Off Pretender” and sub-Verve string-laden balladry of “Unexpected” really bring nothing but embarrassment. Thankfully they’ve still got some diesel in the tank and crank out carefree, wind-in-yer-hair, jaunty breezers like the La’s-esque “Temptation Dice”, feedback-drenched size-10 stomper “5Rebeccas”, Fratellis-aping “Jimmy’s Crazy Conspiracy” and accordingly explosive (if unsurprising) “Shock Horror”, which just keep the album back from the brink. --James Berry

CD Description
This second album from the Scottish scamps follows 2007's 'Hats Off To The Buskers'. Produced once again by Owen Morris(Oasis, Ash, The Verve) and recorded in rural Wales, this is a big leap forward for the band and adds the newfound grandeur of string arrangements to their raw 70s pop and pub rock influenced tunes, delivered as ever in thick, near-impenetrable Dundonian accents. Features a guest appearance by fellow Scot Paolo Nutini and includes the singles 'Shock Horror'and '5 Rebbecca's' (sic).

Customer Reviews

The return with a broader horizon...
The young lads from Scotland with a talent for a tune return with their follow up to their critically acclaimed first album with 'Which Bitch', which to be very blunt, is much the same and yet it isn't. How can this be you may ask?

Here is a band who knows who they are. Jolly, rock orientated numbers are what The View is already known for, with lyrics ranging from youth partying in the same pair of jeans for days on end, to becoming a superstar within any profession. Yet, with 'Which Bitch', it is pleasantly surprising that they have found new areas to their music without comprising their old sound (which seems to be happening to too many bands as of late). Lead single '5 Rebecca's' tells the story of the band meeting 5 girls called Rebecca on a night out, and its a rocky powerful number which sets up proceedings very productively. Current single 'Shock Horror' finds the band in familar territory as well, but still it has such charm and power to have even the most reserved bouncing up in rave glory, and the lyric 'I feel sorry for you man/you've forgotten to clap your hands' should soon be a live staple.

That aside, there are new sides found here. Most predominantly a duet with Paolo Nutini on 'Covers', a terrifically sped balled incorporating sharp lyrics with a soothing yet playful tune, talking about getting their girl out of bed in the morning in a nutshell. Equally impressive is the slightly rap inspired 'One Off Pretender', with witty rap spoken lyrics spoken over a fast beat, which will remind fans of 'Skag Trendy' from the first offering.

Some ideas do not work so well, mainly the dreary and tiresome final two songs which never lead anywhere beyond scratchy acoustics and dreamy lyrics. Beyond that, the ideas new and old incorporate well into a final piece of work worthy of The View.

Still sounding quite unique and still great. Recommended.

Hats, Bonnets, Bowlers and Stetsons Off
The second album from Dundee's finest sees a more expansive sound with the introduction of none other than brass and strings. For me personally this has been a revelation. Whilst I enjoyed 'Hats off..', their sound now is more rounded whilst still not deserting the foundations of the first album. The lighter moments on the album, particularly Unexpected and Distant Doubloon (with it's oompah backbeat) are an absolute joy. Unreseverdly recommended.

3 J's, 2 teams and The View
I have to take my hat off to The View. They have really delivered with their 2nd album. I've got used to countless recent bands breaking through with a great debut and struggling with the 2nd album. The Fratelli's and Razorlight among others spring to mind. The View slipped off the radar after touring their debut and I assumed that they had either burned themselves out with their well known appetite for partying or had just ran out of steam/ideas.

Thankfully, they seem to have been honing their craft and have unexpectedly come up with a remarkably assured collection of songs. Their sound has moved on from the clear guitar sound of the debut with the introduction of strings and a much subtler overall soundscape with a couple of duets thrown in. The songs are excellent as well. These range from punky indie rockers like "5 Rebbecca's" to sing along acoustic orchestral pieces like "Covers". All the things that made the debut memorable are all here but in a different kind of way. They have actually moved on and appear to have done it with remarkable ease. Credit must be given to them for sticking with producer Owen Morris who certainly seems to have a genuine affection for the band. He even co-writes one song as well as plays on a few of the songs. There's a lot of humour in these songs and it sounds as they're all having fun which can only be a good thing in the current climate.

If this is it for The View they can be proud of the two pieces of work they've produced. I've a feeling that there's more to come as they certainly have a bit more going for them than they're usually given credit for.