The revenge of the goldfish...

Inspiral Carpets is an English group formed in 1983 in Oldham and originally composed of Stephen Holt, Graham Lambert, Glenn Chesworth and Tony Feeley.

Group which will produce a first demo album "Cow" in 1987 followed by "Dung 4" in 1989, two opuses which will go unnoticed to say the least...

They will have to wait until the following decade and the year 1990 to finally see their efforts rewarded with the successful release of the album "Life". A release so successful that this album will remain as the highest ranked album of their entire discography, thanks in particular to the huge Single "This is how it feels".

New album "The beast inside" a year later in 1991, album less successful but still producing the blockbuster Single "Caravan".

At the rate of one album per year, it is the album "Revenge of the goldfish" which was released a year later in 1992. Album which will produce no less than 4 major Singles, the highest ranked of which will be "Two worlds collide".

The exception being the rule, no album was released in 1993 and it was therefore necessary to wait until 1994 to see the release of their new opus "Devil hopping". Album which allows them to maintain themselves without too much difficulty at the head of the pack, in particular thanks to the Single "I want you".

Album which will unfortunately be the last of the group in its current form, group which will be 'thanked' by the Mute label a year later in 1995.

The group will rise from its ashes thereafter but will not be able to return to the front of the stage despite the release of several Singles and an album during the 2010 decade.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

80s Decade :

Head for the sun 1987
Now you’re gone 1987
Keep the circle around 1988
Causeway 1989
Find out why 1989
Move 1989

90s Decade :

Commercial rain 1990
This is how it feels 1990
She comes in the fall 1990
Caravan 1991
Dragging me down 1992
Two worlds collide 1992
Generations 1992
Bitches brew 1992
How should it be 1993
Saturn 5 1994
I want you 1994
Uniform 1994
Joe 1995

2000s Decade :

Come back tomorrow 2003

2010s Decade :

You're so good for me 2011
Fix your smile 2013
Spitfire 2014
Let you down 2015

Tracks :

1987...an introduction for the less rhythmic, it is the least that one can say. All in a vintage sound and style. Bet for the less daring...

1987... what is clear is that for the moment it does not bring them more than that. They will therefore have to work again and again to hope to eventually integrate the big leagues...

1988...the band's potential is obvious but they still can't emerge from the mass more than that. Let's give them a little more time...

1989...it could be that this year 1989 is finally the year of take-off, of the good one. Not on this title but on what will come next...

1989 ... it is with this title that the group will finally succeed in classifying a first title. Admittedly, the style is still just as overexcited but on this one it will pay off in any case...

1989... the rise in power is made title after title and augurs a passage to the decade 90 in the best conditions. Which will of course be the case...

1990...success now extends to both sides of the Atlantic. The efforts made by the group since its inception are obviously paying off...

1990 ... so much so that they will get here the biggest success of all their discography. A year 1990 exceptional in all respects since the success will be as much on the album side as on the Singles side, it is what we call a double jackpot !

1990...every title that comes out is automatically classified. Admittedly, this title won't do as well as its predecessor, but the dynamics are in place and that's the main thing !

1991...it's a big caliber title every year from now on and for the year 1991 it will be this one. And still in this totally atypical style for the time, a style that is as much their strength as their weakness...

1992...they got us so used to overspeeding that it would be hard to believe they could do it in a softer tempo. We won't remake them again as they say...

1992... it is surely THIS title which will remain as their most successful. In any case, it is the one that will remain as the best ranked in the USA and which proves once again that this group really has talent. HU-GE !

1992... drive out the natural, it comes back at a gallop. We doubted that slowing down the tempo was only temporary and that they would come back to it as soon as possible. The proof....

1992... in terms of style, we still feel that the group is trying to evolve towards a more calm style and we can only encourage them in this direction. Because too much overspeed kills overspeed...

1993...we shouldn't rejoice too quickly unfortunately. It is really difficult to understand their strategy of 'thoroughly, thoroughly, thoroughly' which in the end does not bring much constructive...

1994... do we have any hope of seeing things evolve in the right direction in terms of tempo ? Only them can answer this question, that's for sure...

1994...rarely has a band played so much overspeed. For what purpose, for what motivations, good questions. A hardline that will necessarily have marginalized them in the long term...

1994...ah, if the group had alternated more titles like this one, its destiny on a planetary level could have been very different. Too bad because they had everything to do great things...

1995...the last year at the highest level. The group comes to the end of its adventure at least in the big leagues with some great successes in the end, which will have at least allowed them to inscribe their name in the musical history of this end of the 20th century...

2003... they disappeared from the radar for almost 8 years and here they are back in this new decade 2000 without having changed much to their basic style. A refusal to evolve which will not really succeed for them...

2011...then new 8 years air hole. The group now returns sporadically and delivers a title here and there. Without changing anything in his way of playing, it is clear...

2013...the group now does more extras than anything else. It is clear that it is not with a style inspired by the 70s that the group is likely to attract the young generation...

2014... they in any case continue to believe in it. After that it will always please the basic fans to see the group continue to exist, that's clear...