Monday, September 24, 2007

Cole's Corner


I heard Lloyd Cole's Brand New Friend on the way into work this morning. With autumn in the air, it really took me right back to the start of the new university term in September 1985 when this was a hit. I was beginning my second year, doing a course I loathed, but loving every minute of all that being a student entailed.

I adored Lloyd Cole too, and ever since I first saw the video for Perfect Skin at HMV in Guildford the previous year, I'd been doing my best to model myself on him.

It was quite easy to get the look. Bit of gel to style that quiff, some black, lots of second-hand American suede and leather jackets, shirts and jeans from the many thrift stores that abounded in my university town, and you could cover off every look from Aztec Camera to The Smiths. Jangly guitar indie pop stars ruled.

Every time autumn comes around I'm reminded of those carefree days, and you can often find me slipping a check shirt into my capsule wardrobe for the season. No really.

Sadly Cole doesn't look so good these days, but then again, who am I kidding?

I also think of this period when I hear Trapped by Colonel Abrams, but I have no compunction to get into a grey and pink jumpsuit.

Or do I...

7 comments:

Clair said...

What a lovely post. I feel the same way about songs that remind me of going back to college - The The's Uncertain Smile, anything by The Pale Fountains and, weirdly, If This Is It by Huey Lewis and The News. I remember dancing to the Colonel in The Powerhouse nite-club in Birmingham around the same period, dressed in a Clock House at C&A boiler suit, stilettoes and fingerless gloves. Quite ridiculously happy days...

Valentine Suicide said...

I loved 'Perfect Skin', 'Rattlesnakes' and 'Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken'... That whole album in fact. It does take me back to good times. It irritates me slightly though today, as he shoehorns that many "I'm so well read me" literary references and the vocals are a tad weedy and reedy, it's lost a lot of appeal.

I remember I bought 'Rattlesnakes' and 'Fried' by Julian Cope on the same day....

Rob said...

i used to work at HMV in guildford!

Helen said...

I was once standing next to him in a taxi queue at King's Cross. I didn't recognise him, but was looking at him trying to work out if I knew him from somewhere else. He just looked at me and said, very coldly if i might add, 'Yeah, it is me'. When I replied with 'Who?' he just glared at me. Rather arrogant.

Jon Peake said...

I always thought he might be a bit rude and he was certainly pretentious. But I didn't want to be like, just look like him.

Andrew Collins said...

God it was so confusing being a student in the mid-80s. I wanted to look like Robert Smith some days, Morrissey on others. But Lloyd Cole certainly put me into a turtleneck jumper, which was an achievement.

I am in occasional email contact with the great man these days and I must say, it feels rather weird. (I only interviewed him once for the NME, in the solo days, but we got on very well - I think he detected that I was a big fan - and he recommended I read Raymond Carver, which I did, and now count him among my faves. What an uncommonly decent and intelligent pop star Lloyd Cole was.)

Jon Peake said...

Do they make them like that anymore? I doubt it.

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