The Beta Band - The Three E.P.'s

 

This is another one that David taped for me in the summer of 2001. It’s a compilation of the Beta Band’s first three EPs, released by the Scottish band over the course of 1997 and 1998.

Artist: The Beta Band
Album: The Three E.P.’s
UK Record Label: Regal
UK Release Date: 28th September 1998
UK EP Releases collected: Champion Versions EP, The Patty Patty Sound EP and Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos EP

To kick off we have the Champion Versions EP, which opens with the magnificent ‘Dry the Rain’. Featured in a memorable scene in High Fidelity, I’m pretty sure that that is where David heard the band for the first time. I hadn’t long started university, and he came to visit me for the weekend (we were going to a Fairport Convention gig at my local theatre on the Saturday evening, but he came down the afternoon before). In order to occupy us on that first evening, I rented the VHS (youngsters ask your parents) of the film from Blockbuster (youngsters ask your parents) which we then proceeded to watch. When that scene in the shop started, he was most interested in the track playing, and after returning to his own university a couple of days later he borrowed this compilation (along with their debut album proper – we’ll get to that at a future date) from a friend of his and made CD copies of both (I think he copied the Grandaddy albums in the last entry from the same friend too). Anyway, a little while later he provided a tape for me, and here we are. Along with ‘Dry the Rain’, the other standout track on the first EP is ‘Dogs Got a Bone’, which is a great example of that wonderful laid back slightly wistful sound that they produce so well.

As for me, I think I first heard the Beta Band around the time their second EP, The Patty Patty Sound was released. I’m pretty sure the first track I heard was ‘She’s the One’, probably Steve Lamacq playing it on the Evening Session, and I immediately liked it. It still stands up now, as does ‘The House Song’ which sees the band dabbling with rap in their own unique way. ‘Monolith’ is fabulously bonkers, featuring as it does R2-D2-esque noises, catchy chanting, a warped sounding call back to ‘Dry the Rain’ and all manner of other shenanigans.

The third and final EP, Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos, sees the band in a slightly more subdued mood perhaps, but there’s still plenty to like. My personal favourite is ‘It’s Over’, although ‘Dr. Baker’ is great too. The latter is maybe the most ‘story based’ song on the collection, but still pleasingly eclectic. ‘Needles In My Eyes’ brings both the EP and the compilation to a close, and as with the last entry it was a real pleasure to go back and listen to this again.

You can listen to the album here

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