The Charlatans - Forever - The Singles

are one of those bands. Those bands who’ve always been around, remained relatively popular, but never reached the dizzy heights of superstardom. So, listening to ‘Forever - The Singles’, there’s many moments where something slots in to place, and you’re talking to yourself: ‘The Charlatans did that song, did they?!’. And yes, they’ve already released a ‘best of’ before, but ‘Forever’ is different. It’s a collection of singles.

The ‘collection’ starts with ‘Indian Rope’, a song never actually on a full album, Rob Collins’ Hammond organ ringing out wonderfully in a recognisably dated song. A great piece of nostalgia for Charlatans fans. Next up comes ‘The Only One I Know’, again epitomising the early years of the band. Echoed vocals, that same organ and some decent riffs result in dancefloor classics anyone growing up in the ’90s would recognise.

‘One To Another’, ‘North Country Boy’, ‘How High’ and ‘Tellin’ Stories’ see the band coming more up to date; all taken from the mid-90s ‘Tellin’ Stories’ album, released in what was arguably The Charlatans’ heyday. Each have merit in the consistency and good construction, but obviously noted in the absence of the late Collins’ organ work. ‘One To Another’, the band’s biggest hit to date, in particular sees a more hard-edged style; the eerie, dreamy lyrical delivery is gone, and more evident are the guitars and Tim Burgess’ growling voice.

The organs weren’t entirely ditched, however, as the album version of ‘Forever’ conveys. The next few tracks signal The Charlatans beginning to run out of ideas and transformations. Though ‘Love Is The Key’ had enough of a modern siound to make it a hit, ‘A Man Needs To Be Told’ is a misadventure in melancholy. ‘Up At The Lake’ and ‘Try Again Today’ are two mediocre tracks, the latter even having a rather confusing sway towards pop-punk.

However, the final two tracks are a sign that The Charlatans may be able to recover themselves. ‘Blackened Blue Eyes’ sees them take a modern stance on their ’90s classics, with a return to keyboard and guitar dominance. The new version of ‘You’re So Pretty, We’re So Pretty’ attempts to turn it in to a dancefloor tune, a decent effort, albeit one with more than a hint of Liberty X…

‘Forever - The Singles’ is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a rollercoaster ride through The Charlatans’ collection, slowly building up to their 1990s peak, before troughs gradually slip in, culminating in the efforts from the ‘Up At The Lake’ album. A steady rise to the station ends the ride, but leaves one feeling slightly disorientated. Nevertheless, with a generous helping of tracks, it’s a good buy for anyone with a taste for The Charlatans.