Milo here.
Thought today would be a good day to brush off the ol’ MMM mantle for this piece of punk-pop classic. Of course, this is as tribute to Pete Shelley who sadly died yesterday at 63 — leaving behind, with Buzzcocks, a legacy that not many bands can be attributed to. So, today, we’re looking at their signature calling card, Ever Fallen in Love? from their second album Love Bites. Check the video below:
There are many covers of this song — ya bois Fine Young Cannibals giving it a go, as well some dingus on Shrek 2 (big up Shrek 2 tho) — but you just can’t replicate the pokey power-pop practices that Buzzcocks employ here. It’s a faultless piece of composition. The lyrics are as above gender as they can be, relating to practically everyone and being one of the earliest representations of bisexuality in music, with Shelley’s charmingly abrasive vocals spitting over the mix. The mile-a-minute guitar melodies loop through and around each other while also keeping the pace those *fackin* drums rattle on like a machine gun operated by the human embodiment of methamphetamine.
Barely touched on in the paragraph above, the bands, genres and movements Buzzcocks influenced is endless. Without them, punk rock, indie rock, power-pop, the Manchester scene and guitar music in general would look a lot different — and the existence of everyone from The Smiths to The Strokes would be a lot more questionable. All down to Pete Shelley and songs like this.
Lots of hugs, kisses and lacerations
Milo.
Stuff and That. 