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Credit: Razorlight / Press
The worst take in music history? When Johnny Borrell claimed Razorlight’s debut was better than Bob Dylan
Last year, the world got a surprise. The original line-up of British indie rockers, Razorlight, announced that they would be reuniting for the first time in well over a decade. Founding members Johnny Borrell, Björn Ågre, and Carl Dalemo, along with drummer Andy Burrows, who appeared on the band’s first three studio albums, announced the reunion on social, and it was warmly received.
The original Razorlight effectively folded after Burrows’ departure following the recording of the group’s third album, 2008’s Slipway Fires. Ågren and Dalemo followed roughly two years later, at which point frontman Borrell began dividing his time between his solo career and a new Razorlight line-up. Borrell kept promising a new album from the band over the duration of the 2010s, but it took until 2018 to produce Olympus Sleeping, by which point a number of musicians had come and gone from the Razorlight line-up, and the band’s relevance had wained significantly.
However, some of those of a certain age, who were there when skinny jeans and peacoats reigned supreme, were delighted that the original line-up of the London band reformed for a one-off live-streamed show which took place in June. It’s unclear whether the reunion will be extended past that one show, but for those feeling nostalgic for the heady days of the mid-2000s, it was a much-needed trip down memory lane. With tracks like ‘Golden Touch’, ‘Stumble and Fall’ and ‘In the Morning’, it was as if the ’00s never ended.
Discussion of the days when Razorlight were one of Britain’s foremost indie bands also brought up memories of some of Borrell’s outlandish statements. There was a time, due to his role in the early days of The Libertines, coupled with his numerous faux pas’, that Borrell was one of the most divisive figures in the British music scene. In 2004, he made headlines when he compared himself to his old friends: “I’m the best songwriter of my generation. Ask me in 20 years about The Libertines,” he said.
Whether he truly believed these kinds of statements or it was just a bluff to secure more record sales, around 18 years ago, these were the kind of statements that Borrell was known for. You could argue that it overshadowed his musical efforts.
It seems that 2004 was a time packed with Borrell clangers. Speaking with the NME again that year, he claimed that Razorlight’s debut album Up All Night was better than Bob Dylan’s debut album, the now-iconic 1962 effort Bob Dylan. Borrell said: “Well put it this way. Compared to the Razorlight album, (Bob) Dylan is making the chips. I’m drinking Champagne.”
However, when it came round to Razorlight’s follow-up, Razorlight in 2006, Borrell was keen to put his Dylan gaffe to bed and, unsurprisingly, was unwilling to compare the album to the iconic The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. He told GQ: “I’ve been dreading that question for the past three years! I would not make any comparisons. The Freewheelin’ is a fantastic record and I take it as a compliment that you’re even mentioning my work in the same breath”.
You have to admire Borrell’s misguided confidence, but his 2004 comment comparing the band’s debut to Dylan‘s makes a strong claim for being the worst take in music history.
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