Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 130 - Half Man Half Biscuit

Half Man Half Biscuit  have been on the go since 1984 and are one of the great Indie discoveries from Birkenhead, Merseyside. They have been on the same record label (Probe Plus) ever since their debut release in 1985 entitled Back in the D.H.S.S. (for non-residents of the United Kingdom that stands for the Department of Health and Social Security). Geoff Davies (founder of the label) signed the group on the basis of a tape they gave to him, saying "I thought that if the tape was half as good as the titles then I'd want to record this group". The band's debut album sold over 50,000 copies!

Geoff Davies was of course correct. The song titles are the things that totally grab you and make you WANT to listen to the band.

With that in mind here's a little playlist to listen and indluge in the seminial whit and wisdom of Nigel and the lads. There's 24 songs in no particular order of preference:

My Favourite Half Man Half Biscuit Tunes

On The Playlist

 99% Of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd.
The Len Ganley Stance.
The Trumpton Riots.
All I Want For Christmas is a Dukla Prague Away Kit.
I Was a Teenage Armchair Honved Fan.

Outbreak Of Vitas Gerulaitis.
4AD3DCD.
Tour Jackets With Detachable Sleeves.
Dead Men Don't Need Season Tickets.
Four Skinny Indie Kids.
Split Single With Happy Lounge Labelmates.
Gubba Look-a-Likes.
Twenty Four Hour Garage People.
Corgi Registered Friends.
Mate of the Bloke.
We Built This Village On A Trad. Arr. Tune.
Took Problem Chimp To Ideal Home Show.
Give Us Bubblewrap.
Left Lyrics in the Practice Room.
Rock And Roll Is Full Of Bad Wools.
Adam Boyle Has Cast Lad Rock Aside.
I Left My Heart In Papworth General.
Lock Up Your Mountain Bikes.
On Finding The Studio Banjo (Trumpton Riots on Banjos!).

   
Dedicated to the memory of the late great John Peel who was a champion for Half Man Half Biscuit.

Also to my 'Boro loving friend Coxy.


Oh and why not throw a complete album into the mix as well?

Cammell Laird Social Club - Half Man Half Biscuit

Probe Plus

Produced by Mark Walker

Released September 2002

 01. The Light At The End Of The Tunnel (Is The Light Of An Oncoming Train)     02:32
02. When The Evening Sun Goes Down     03:32
03. San Antonio Foam Party     03:25
04. Them's The Vagaries     03:28
05. If I Had Possession Over Pancake Day     02:14
06. The Referee's Alphabet     04:32
07. She's In Broadstairs     03:38
08. Tyrolean Knockabout     03:24
09. Breaking News     03:07
10. 27 Yards Of Dental Floss     02:36
11. Paradise Lost (You're The Reason Why)     02:28
12. Thy Damnation Slumbereth Not     06:23
13. Stavanger Töestub     00:25

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

The S4L Top Ten: Half Man Half Biscuit

This one's for Coxy

It's always hard picking a Top Ten and especially for a band like Half Man Half Biscuit because there are just way too many great songs and there's always another ten you didn't add!

I have loved this band since way back when I first heard Trumpton Riots in the mid-80's. They are still making great music as well with last year's Urge For Offal being the latest album. Have a listen to Adam Boyle Has Cast Lad Rock Aside from the album (such a funny title!).

10. Four Skinny Indie Kids.

09. Paintball's Coming Home.

08. Took Problem Chimp To The Ideal Home Show.

07. Outbreak of Vitas Gerulaitis.

06. Corgi Registered Friends.

05. 99% of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd.

04. Left Lyrics in the Practice Room.

03. 24 Hour Garage People.

02. All I Want For Christmas is a Dulka Prague Away Kit.

01. Trumpton Riots

 

8 Days of Christmas #1: Half Man Half Biscuit

I know it's meant to be the 12 Days of Christmas but as I have an aversion to Christmas Music anytime before at least a week before the event I have decided to start 8 Days before!

To me there's nothing worse than hearing Christmas Music in October and that's when it all begins for shops etc (though some have been known to start earlier). Some of the songs I actually quite like but if I've had to hear them constantly for two months prior to the day then I find I'm a bit of a grump and don't end up enjoying any Christmas Music at all!

So for the next 8 Days you'll be getting some known and not so well known Christmas Songs.

First tip of the hat goes to Half Man Half Biscuit and their little ditty It's Clichéd to be Cynical at Christmas.

 

They have another Christmas tune as well that is worth checking out: All I Want For Christmas is a Dulka Prague Away Kit.

Half Man Half Biscuit - Urge For Offal (October 2014)

When it comes to the release of a brand new Half Man Half Biscuit album you can be certain of a few things:

They haven't aligned themselves to a major label. They are still on Probe Plus Records, with whom they have rested since day one of their recording history.

Their album was released without any fanfare at all. No adverts in the music press, no forerunning single paving the way for the full album, no interviews in the press, no placing of the album in a brown paper bag and shoved through every letter box in the country along with the latest offers from Lidel and DFS Furnishings and not even a tour of the dressings rooms at Tranmere Rovers let alone a World Tour to promote the 13th album! Okay they did one show at the Manchester Ritz on the 28th November ('Old Age Killed My Teenage Bride' and 'Trumpton Riots'  from that show can be viewed by clicking the links). Oh wait, there's also two gigs announced for next year: 31st January at The Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh and 12th June at The Apex in Bury St.Edmunds - not quite the O2!! (Though saying that they did play at the O2 in Bristol earlier this year! And they did manage a massive 9 dates all year!).

And thirdly you can be quite certain that Half Man Half Biscuit are going to provide an album full of songs regarding obscure themes and possessing fantastic titles ('Baguette Dilemma for the Booker Prize Guy', 'Old Age Killed My Teenage Bride', Adam Boyle Has Cast Lads Rock Aside' and 'Milege Chart' to name but a few!).

So, to follow a kind of script set down by the band, without any more words from me, (there's little point in me talking endlessly about how good it is when you can listen to it for yourselves) I give you the brand new album from the best Indie band on Planet Earth (or possibly Birkenhead), Half Man Half Biscuit and the magnificent 'Urge For Offal' - though I confess I have never had an urge for it myself! Below is a complete Playlist for the album. Enjoy.