Dizzy Heights

 This week we're going for a spin.

The music countdown to Christmas has began although this isn't one those "For the Xmas market" releases strictly speaking but one that came out in early September part of series of reissues that I cherry picked this one from.

This was an album I bought back in February 1997 on pre-recorded MiniDisc but whose modern take on mid 60's was one that did rather like.

It was issued at the time on vinyl, it did come out in four formats, strangely enough back then including cassette, compact disc and vinyl but these days getting your hands on the vinyl edition will prove elusive and very expensive

There was a blue vinyl edition but passed over that for the black one, for one thing it's easier to spot defects and for another most vinyl was black back then.

Released in November 1996, The Lightning Seeds' fourth album pleases all fans of Britpop.

With 'Dizzy Heights', there isn't a dull moment as it never lets up over both sides.

Most of the songs are so upbeat that it's difficult not to become addicted after the first play, and even the slower ones will have you humming along. The opening track 'Imaginary Friends' and 'Touch and Go' could easily have been successful had they been released as singles.

It isn't that the album falls short of well known songs, all four singles: 'Ready or Not', 'What If..', 'Sugar Coated Iceberg' and 'You Showed Me' hit the top twenty. The whole album never fails to boast my mood, and whilst I wouldn't say it was The Lightning Seeds' best album, let's say the predecessor 'Jollification' was a tough act to follow, the band certainly hit a high with 'Dizzy Heights'.

It remains my favourite modern "Pop" album so I was delighted to had got a vinyl version of it.

Next week we should be going backwards in time....