Artist bio

In 1995, filmmaker Steven Spielberg approached young Supergrass -- who had just released debut album I Should Coco -- about creating a Monkees-esque TV series based on the British trio. While the group turned him down, preferring to work on eventual second album In It For The Money, the gesture says a lot about the band's personality -- one which has stuck with the group throughout its career -- which is basically that of a fun-loving rock group whose undeniable musical talent is sometimes overshadowed by the sheer ebullience of its music.

I Should Coco instantly endeared the band to listeners in the U.K., but it was follow-up In It For The Money that really marked a creative leap forward, meshing wild guitar riffs and soulful keyboard melodies with the group's impassioned vocal harmonies. 1999's self-titled third set was not quite as inventive as its predecessor, but saw the band expand its mastery of soul and rock motifs. 2002's Life On Other Planets simply ingrained the fact that Supergrass could continue to ply its effervescent musical outlook over an extended career. "La Song" and "Run" in particular showed the group still finding new ways to express itself.

While Supergrass isn't by any means the most groundbreaking or innovative rock group of its time, it's one of those bands you love to have around, because they keep things fresh and exciting.

Albums by this artist

Road To Rouen (2005)

Life On Other Planets (2002)

Supergrass (1999)

In It For The Money (Recommended) (1997)

I Should Coco (1995)

Interviews

Prawns, Pranks, And Pop Songs
March 14, 2001

Supergrass

In It For The Money

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» TROY CARPENTER | CO-DIRECTOR

NATN Recommended Supergrass In It For The Money Capitol, 1997 RiYL: Blur, Radiohead, Oasis

Those boyish, talented lads from London somehow came up with a genius sophomore album that transcends any sort of niche critics might have imagined them in following 1995's I Should Coco.

In the aftermath of that resounding debut, director Steven Spielberg offered to create a Monkees-esque television series involving Supergrass, expounding upon the montage of youthful antics in their "Alright" video. Lucky for us, the boys refused, opting instead to repair to the studio and the writing room, eventually creating the wildly eclectic and paradoxically titled In It For The Money.

The title track opens the album and sets the pace for its relentless sense of exploration. It begins with a droning, fingerpicked intro that picks up steam and propels the listener straight into chanting of "We're in it for the money / we're in it for the money" before that too explodes into a classic rock riff led by frontman Gaz Coombes' energetic howling. By the two-minute mark of the record, Supergrass has already exposed us to four different hooks, in an easygoing manner that hints "you ain't heard nothin' yet."

The trio's conspicuous musical talent manifests itself in more varied guises here than it did on Coco, with elements of funk and soul trickling into the mix, and songs being driven by horns and keyboards. "G-Song" and "Cheapskate" open new doors for the band by being based on the repetition of soulful grooves. And the hit "Late In The Day" melts from its acoustic beginnings into a funky little chorus that well supports the rollicking melody.

The record is not bereft of anthemic rockers -- "Sun Hits The Sky" and "Richard III" will do nicely. Nor has the band lost its infallible sense of humor -- closing track "Sometimes I Make You Sad," is a bizarre beat-box extravaganza.

Altogether a fine recording, In It For The Money wades equally into the waters of thinking rock and feeling rock. It's a dandy, a precious slice of modern musicality to be enjoyed at all times of the day.

TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.