The Charlatans

For many years, the Charlatans were perceived as the also-rans of Madchester, the group who didn't capture the Zeitgeist like the Stone Roses or the mad genre-bending of Happy Mondays. Of course, they were more traditional than either of their peers. Working from a Stonesy foundation, the Charlatans added dance-oriented rhythms and layers of swirling organs straight out of '60s psychedelia.

For many years, the Charlatans were perceived as the also-rans of Madchester, the group that didn't capture the zeitgeist like the Stone Roses or the band that failed to match the mad genre-bending of the Happy Mondays. Of course, they were more traditional than either of their peers. Working from a Stonesy foundation, the Charlatans added dance-oriented rhythms and layers of swirling organs straight out of '60s psychedelia. At first, the Charlatans had great promise, and their initial singles including "The Only One I Know" were hits, but as Madchester and "baggy" faded away, the group began to look like a relic.

The Charlatans - The Charlatans
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 375 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Beggars Banquet # BBQCD 174 | Country/Year: UK 1995
Genre: Rock, Electronic | Style: Brit Pop

…The Charlatans UK illustrates how a working rock & roll band can balance traditional rock and modern post-acid house music, and the results are frequently glorious.

The Charlatans - Who We Touch
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 358 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Cooking Vinyl # COOKCD527P | Country/Year: UK 2010
Genre: Rock, Electronic | Style: Brit Pop

…It’s recognizably the Charlatans – it’s hard to disguise Tim Burgess’s laconic drawl or the light psychedelic pull of his melodies – but they’re unexpectedly abandoning their dad-rock handbook and taking risks, winding with their freshest, best album since they traded the Happy Mondays for the Rolling Stones.

The Charlatans demonstrated signs of a revival on Up to Our Hips, yet that record in no way suggested the full-fledged return to form of The Charlatans UK, the group's most ambitious, focused, and successful album. The group hasn't changed its sonic approach, yet its music has deepened, incorporating heavy dance elements without losing its core sound. Occasionally, the album relies too heavily on trippy dance instrumentals, but those are funkier and wilder than ever before, and they fit neatly next to the group's Stonesy pop, which is consistently catchy this time around. The Charlatans UK illustrates how a working rock & roll band can balance traditional rock and modern post-acid house music, and the results are frequently glorious.

The Charlatans - Us And Us Only
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 332 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Universal-MCA # MCD 60069 | Country/Year: UK 1999
Genre: Rock, Electronic | Style: Brit Pop

… Soon, it becomes apparent that, unlike most of their trad rock contemporaries, the Charlatans figured out how to make their music sound both timeless and modern by quietly adding influences and changing their attack each time around, while remaining true to their core sound, much like the Stones did in their prime. The Charlatans may not be as innovative or as song-oriented as the Stones, but after a decade of recording, they're turning out to be nearly as consistent as the Stones were at the same point in their career, which is no small accomplishment.

The Charlatans - Melting Pot
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 550 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Beggars Banquet # BBQCD 198 | Country/Year: UK 1998
Genre: Rock, Electronic | Style: Brit Pop

When the Charlatans emerged with "The Only One I Know" in 1991, there were countless bands similar to them, but they immediately catapulted to the forefront of the Madchester scene, standing alongside such icons as the Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays. They had such success because they not only could ride the groove, like so many Madchester bands, but they could also write great songs, drawing partially from the '60s-saturated Roses and the Rolling Stones….