Six Definitive Songs: The ultimate beginner’s guide to Suede
Along with Oasis, Blur and Pulp, Suede made up what was the so-called ‘big four’ of Britpop. Yet, to lump Suede in with Blur and Oasis was, at best, lazy journalism, though the same could be said of Pulp. The truth is that Suede had a truly unique sound that was starkly different from what the Brothers Gallagher and Damon Albarn and co. were offering up in the late 1990s.
Suede were fronted by Brett Anderson, whose elaborate androgynous appearance and profound talent for singing in a wide range of octaves made Suede a truly individual act worthy of their own genre. They were undoubtedly inspired by the distinct worlds of glam rock and indie, but they crafted a sound that was absolutely their own, most notably with the effortless guitar playing of Bernard Butler.
Perhaps David Bowie – who Anderson was without doubt inspired by – said it best in 1996: “They have the enviable knack of taking the rather pathetic fumble of a quick fuck under the pier and extracting those few golden moments that many years later convince oneself that, for one brief flickering moment, one was as inspired as Romeo or, in some cases, Juliet. The poor things are bound to be an institution by the year 2000. Dame Brett, anybody?”
Suede’s catalogue is well worth a run-through if you have not yet been afforded the opportunity to make your way across it – particularly the earlier records. Suede take us on a glitzy, drug-induced nightclub trip through the humdrum and tedium of 1990s Britain. Here are six of Suede’s essential tracks to get you started.
Suede’s six definitive songs:
‘The Drowners’ – Suede (1993)
Suede’s debut single opens with a beautiful rolling drumbeat and Bernard Butler‘s distinctive guitar tone chugging through a classic chord progression, laden with tasty rundown riffs. The track found its place on Suede’s self-titled debut album in 1993.
Brett Anderson’s lyrical obsession with the combination of alternative sexuality and popular culture is exemplified by the line: “We kiss in his room/To a popular tune,” which Anderson would refer back to repeatedly in future songs.
‘Animal Nitrate’ – Suede (1993)
The opening guitar riff by Bernard Butler had reportedly – and secretly – been written after he was inspired by Nirvana‘s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. ‘Animal Nitrate’ was Suede’s third single and became one of their best-known tracks.
The song’s title is a reference to the drug amyl nitrate, an inhalant that is said to cause similar effects to ecstasy. It relaxes the involuntary muscles of the body and was popular in the gay club scene of the 1990s. Brett Anderson said of the track, “I wanted something special to say over the top of what he’s written. I like the fact it’s a song about a dark, murky world that ended up in the Top 10.”
‘She’s Not Dead’ – Suede (1993)
Another track on Suede’s debut album, but this time, it’s one that explores a less abrasive sonic sound of the band. Bernard Butler’s delicate and intelligent guitar lines are brought to the fore in front of a swathe of euphoric and trippy feedback tracks.
The song is written about Anderson’s aunt. He said, “I was pretty young at the time. She had this lover, and he was black and Hayward’s Heath is a small town, and in the early ’80s I guess it was very taboo. And basically, they committed joint suicide together. They drove a car into a garage and just turned the exhaust on and killed themselves.”
‘Beautiful Ones’ – Coming Up (1996)
In 1994, after the release of Suede’s second album Dog Man Star, Bernard Butler left the band owing to his alienation from the rest of the group’s excessive indulgence. ‘Beautiful Ones’ features new guitarist Richard Oakes‘ first guitar riffs.
The track is the second single from Suede’s third studio album, Coming Up, and proved to be one of the band’s most popular tunes. It’s another Suede track that explores living life with an edge in a town where there is sod all to do.
‘Trash’ – Coming Up (1996)
The first single from Coming Up and another tune that examines the notion of being something of an outsider. Arguably the most poppy sounding of Suede’s catalogue, it is reportedly the one that is sung back to the band the most when they play it live.
Brett Anderson said of the track, “It’s a celebration of the band, but by extension, it’s a celebration of the fans as well. And it was a kind of a song written about us, as a gang; it was written about the values we stood for. And even though it sounds like a love song, it was actually about the idea of the identity of the band, and what they stood for.”
’15 Again’ – Autofiction (2022)
The most recent single from the band shows that they have still got something to offer. The dark verse is contrasted with an uplifting chorus, and all the classic elements of a Suede song are there to behold. Autofiction is scheduled for release on September 16th.
Brett Anderson said of Autofiction: “Autofiction is our punk record. No whistles and bells. Just the five of us in a room with all the glitches and fuck-ups revealed; the band themselves exposed in all their primal mess. Autofiction has a natural freshness; it’s where we want to be.”
