The catchy bass-led rhythm of Weakness (which appeared on the US-issue of Life) gives way to a full-throttle chorus calling to mind Reward by The Teardrop Explodes, though this is unmistakably Inspirals territory, with Boon’s swirling keyboard softening guitar and drum edges, even though the lyrics still point to life’s challenges: “Phone rings in an empty house, there’s no one there/ Letter falls on a pile on the floor, everything’s been sold/Evening comes to a lonely street, this emptiness is yours YOU’RE THE WEAKNESS (WEAKNESS)”. It’s definitely one of my favourites.

As with any northern band worth their salt, weaved in amongst the life-affirming music are lyrics mined from a deep vein of social conscience and a sense of specific geography. Joe calls to mind the reality of poverty: “All that I possess is my existence, vagrant more or less/Children on the pave, mither bad, but help me through my day/BECAUSE I’M JOE, THE STREET LAMP IS MY HOME/FROM PLACE TO PLACE I LIKE TO ROAM.” The 24 th of April 1991 will be a day I’ll never forget. It was my first-ever gig. The band? Inspiral Carpets. I was chuffed to little bits that they were playing in my home town. After hearing the single ‘Joe’ on The Chart Show (remember that?), I was intrigued. Their first album, Life, had been released one year and one day before that fateful night. By the time the gig came around, I was a devotee, though I don’t think I have ever been Cool as F**k! Keep The Circle Around has a purpose and direction with the Hammond organ, so omnipresent throughout their career, high in the mix where it would stay. Likewise, Butterfly has a driving momentum while the juddering Joe broadened the sound and tempo. Inspiral Carpets The Singles Is a compilation of singles by English band Inspiral Carpets, released 18 September 1995 on Mute Records. After You’re so good for me in 2011, singles popped up again in 2013 and 2014, with Fix your Smile and Let You Down. Walsh’s opening bass on Fix Your Smile has echoes of Peter Hook’s playing, while Let you Down– a swirling stomp with added poetry recital by north country counter-culture icon, John Cooper Clarke – is led by Boon’s signature brand of psychedelia, where the Doors meet Manchester.

a b c d "INSPIRAL CARPETS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com . Retrieved 13 August 2022.

The combination of Lambert, Boon, Walsh, Gill and Hingley was solid until 1995, when they were dropped by their label after Devil Hopping failed to match the success of the previous album release. But they returned sporadically without officially splitting, doing well in their respective side projects. Dragging me Down suits a harder dance beat and I can imagine this version bringing a new generation to their feet on the dancefloor; ditto Caravan which is given a housey spin. I particularly enjoyed the techno-inflected remix of Changes by the band’s Martyn Walsh and Simon Lyon. from keep the circle around, through the chart hits this is how it feels, two world's collide, saturn 5, i want you featuring mark e smith to the last single let you down featuring john cooper clarke.While it’s fair to say they didn’t burn as brightly or have the same cultural impact as the Stone Roses, or fuse as many different artistic ideas (nor make as many headlines) as the Happy Mondays, this appraisal of their legacy (their first singles compilation in 20 years) seems long overdue. Inspiral Carpets: "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com . Retrieved 13 August 2022. Selected items are only available for delivery via the Royal Mail 48® service and other items are available for delivery using this service for a charge.

Childhood turned into the teens for me just as the UK’s indie-dance scene of the late 1980s and early 90s stated emphatically that Manchester was THE place to be. By the time fourth album Devil Hopping was released in 1994, Britpop was asserting its dominance on guitar bands, but the sheer Modish joy of Saturn 5 still can’t be denied, while even Mark E Smith is less sardonic and more motivated on the highly charged I Want You.Sadly, despite straddling both Madchester and Britpop with some success, Inspiral Carpets were dropped by their label in 1995, although they have since released some strong singles, not least Let You Down from 2015, featuring a guest appearance from a typically insolent John Cooper Clarke.