Published on Oct 21, 1999
With the success of their single “Ugly Girl,” people are
starting to take notice of the true “alternative” pop group Fleming
& John. (Anyone who can successfully work instruments like the
oud into a pop song deserves to be called alternative.) And while
people are busy discovering the group’s latest work
The Way We Are (which we reviewed back in May), some people
might be surprised to find that Fleming & John have one other
album under their belts.
Delusions Of Grandeur was originally released independently,
then under the banner of Universal upon their signing of Fleming
McWilliams and John Mark Painter. While this album easily hints in
the direction their music was moving, and this is still a decent
album, it also clearly is a work in progress.
The one thing that will strike you about this album is it’s not
as pleasantly goofy as
The Way We Are — and I mean musically as well as lyrically.
It doesn’t seem like Painter tries to work in heavy instrumentation
on some of these songs — but then again, as an up-and-coming
artist, why should he have felt the need to do so? Still, I have to
admit that the stripped-down sound on tracks like “I’m Not Afraid”
was a bit of a culture shock to me.
The second thing I noticed is that it takes a little longer for
Delusions Of Grandeur to really hook you in. I’ve listened
to this album several times, and for some reason, I just can’t get
into “Break The Circle” or the title track like I’d hoped I would.
(I will admit that, having seen Fleming & John perform “I’m Not
Afraid” live, I have more of an appreciation for this track
now.)
But if you think all is lost, fear not; McWilliams and Painter
lock into a solid groove starting with “Love Letters,” a beautiful
song that should have shown people in 1996 that this group had the
potential to be stars. The power continues with “Letters In My
Head,” “6570,” “Hanging On A Notion” and “Rain All Day.”
Ah, yes… “Rain All Day.” When I first heard the operatic
singing at its start, I thought to myself, “I’ve heard this
somewhere before.” Indeed… the song made a return appearance on
The Way We Are. While the beauty of the song is very much
present on the original version, it feels like it’s rushed a bit,
and the song isn’t given enough time to really develop into
something special. (The band agreed; I interviewed McWilliams
recently, and she said that she and Painter wanted the opportunity
to do this song the right way on
The Way We Are.) Don’t get me wrong; this version still is
nice — but it is missing some small little nuances.
Yes,
Delusions Of Grandeur is not as happy-go-lucky as one might
have expected if you listened to
The Way We Are first. And, maybe, this is a good thing, as
it shows the progression from a more introspective view of life and
relationships to a more relaxed, carefree attitude. If anything,
this album helps to explain
The Way We Are more, and let us know how it was shaped.
Delusions Of Grandeur might take some searching, but it’s
worth checking out and adding to your collection, especially if you
can appreciate Fleming & John for more than just “Ugly
Girl.”