Julian Cope’s second post Teardrops album, with its cover featuring the artist naked beneath a large turtle shell, might be thought to have taken its name, Fried, from the state of Cope’s brain at this time.
This review also points to the disorder of the CD shelves, since it should be its predecessor, World Shut Your Mouth, appearing now. But Fried is in my ears now, so let’s call it serendipity.
I’m expecting a couple of great tracks and much filler, but after the opening tracks, Reynard The Fox (with its manic middle section), and the jaunty Bill Drummond Said, I’m pleasantly surprised. Laughing Boy, and Me Singing are quietly pleasant, without being Cope classics, but we’re soon into the lovely Sunspots ( a song still in the Cope live set when I saw him in 2020 ). The Bloody Assizes opens up the second half loudly and energetically before the very minimalist arrangements in Search Party and King Of Chaos. The main album ends with the beautifully upbeat Holy Love, then strangely the very downbeat organ accompanied Torpedo. But that’s not quite the end - the CD adds three B sides (only one of which, Mik Mak Mok, is worth its place on the album) for completists. It would be a harsh reviewer that would let those extras affect his judgement, so it’s…
4* - a lovely quirky album of songs from Cope
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