Monday's Long Song

Julian Cope has recently published the second in a series of Cope's Notes, a re- issue of his 1990 album Droolian with the original album on CD, expanded with extra tracks from the sessions and a forty- four page booklet written by Cope where he describes the period and the album. Droolian was written at a time when he was at loggerheads with Island about the release of Skellington, which the record company thought to be too lo- fi. They wanted bigger budget recordings. Julian was back in Liverpool at this time on and off, hanging out with old friends all reeling in the aftermath of Pete de Freitas' death in June and he also fired up by the Thatcher government's introduction of the Poll Tax. If Skellington was lo- fi, what he gave them next- Droolian- was even moreso. Recorded onto C90 cassettes in the front room of Pam Young's house in Liverpool with Donald Ross Skinner producing, over three days using a TEAC four track recorder. The album was mastered direct from the cassettes. In 1990 Julian discarded the leather motorbike clothes and began dressing new age for the new decade, new age hippy clothing, an attitude he said was summed up in one word- loose. Julian's writing in the booklet is characteristically superb, funny and incisive and very much in his voice. You can buy Droolian at Head Heritage. 

Julian said that the lo fi, one take approach was the way forward and that every album he made afterwards was in some way influenced by Droolian and the way he went about it. 1991's Peggy Suicide was a sprawling and brilliant record, full band performances and a big success. Island were pelased. In 1992 he gave them Jehovahkill, a record influenced by his love for krautrock and his newfound interest in neolithic sites. The cover features the Callanish stones, a prehistoric site in the shape of a cross (predating Christianity obviously). With Donald back on board and Rooster Cosby playing he goes full pelt on Jehovahkill- the lyrics are concerned with environmentalism, the goddess, the patriarchy, his desire to destroy mainstream organised religion, and prehistoric sites. There is lots of psychedelia and krautrock, acid (both rock and house), acoustic guitars, electric guitars, drums low in the mix, his voice high in the mix, spoken word sections, tribal rhythms, raves and folk freak outs- all the Cope tropes are being established here. Cope's own A&R man described the song Slow Rider as 'the worst thing he'd heard by anybody, ever'. Copey wanted it as it was. Island refused to release it. Cope recorded a further six songs, making the album heavier and more pagan. It was his last album on Island but if the breadheads at Island had had enough, no one else had- after Peggy Suicide's success the music press lapped up Jehovahkill, lauding it as inspired and a triumph and it sold well. He became a music press regular, front covers and interviews a weekly and monthly event. Towards the end of the album (a three sided vinyl release, side four being an etching of the site at Callanish) is the ten minute song The Tower, an epic tale about the fall of the Goddess and the rise of the patriarchy. 

The Tower