Kula Shaker - K

K

Kris young

New member
If a group of people were to start reeling off names of British banRAB that had hits in the mid-nineties, it would probably be a while before Kula Shaker got a mention, if at all. However, the four piece band fronted by Crispian Mills (son of actress Hayley Mills) released K in 1996 and it became the fastest selling debut album in Britain since Oasis. Despite it
 
Very clear, concise review. I need to finally get round to hearing this album, it's one of those 90's secondhand bargain bin standarRAB. So many great albums from that decade have been swept under the rug, I wonder why? Tattva = classic single.
 
it's probably 'fun', like the first Beastie Boys album. i think the 90's was where this obsession with mixing everything up-front started with albums, everything is in your face. but now it's just gotten ridiculous.
people can't stomach 90's indie, it's hilarious. the 60's were definitely in back then weren't they?
 
:laughing:

Say to someone of Indian decent (as are half my family) that this load of tosh is based on traditional Indian music and they'll either laugh at you or punch you in the face. It might be sung in Sanskrit but it's just a load of nonsense in Sanskrit.

If you want rock mixed with bangra authentically rather than some rich kid who went to Goa to 'find himself' and now thinks he's a part of the culture get Cornershop's 6 a.m. Jullander Shere instead.
 
It is a fun album overall, but there are some really good moments in it that take it beyond.

Crispian Mills, the lead singer, made comments about the Swastika and people took it the wrong way. Most people don't understand that this symbol had origins and meanings way before Hitler came along, even after Crispian explains it, haha.

Anyway, this is taken from wikipedia:

On Sunday 20 April 1997, the national UK newspaper The Independent ran a front page article in which it claimed that Crispian Mills "had dabbled with Nazism and its most potent symbol, the swastika."[2]. The article drew together various comments Mills had made to the UK music press in 1996 and early 1997. In one of the interviews from March 1997 for the NME (New Musical Express) the following was printed:

Crispian: (in reference to his vegetarian beliefs that killing animals is just as bad as killing humans) The principle is we've got a violent society, we always go on about the virtues of peace but we aren't living a peaceful lifestyle

New Musical Express: It's an obvious comparison, but Hitler was a vegetarian who had no qualms about murdering humans, babies included, by the thousanRAB.

Crispian: Right, but Hitler knew a lot more than he made out. Hitler and his whole gang weren't just a bunch of f___ing psychos, they were also into magic and all that. I mean, talking about ruffling feathers with statements in magazines, I love the swastika. It's a brilliant image, it symbolises peace and the sun and illumination - it's everywhere in India. I'd love to have great big flaming swastikas onstage just for the f__k of it. It's like, that was Hitler, don't let him steal something like that from you. I mean the Nazis studied the Vedas, the Scriptures, the Holy Grail, but they were just using it as a power trip.

New Musical Express: You have a sneaking admiration for Hitler don't you?

Crispian: No...but it's a shame the baddies always get the good uniforms. Ha ha! *end quote*

However the intentions, it certainly didn't help his career.
 
They still tour, they come over here quite a lot. A load of my 60's/classic rock obsessed mates obsess over them, probably the most recent band apart from Wolfmother they listen to!

I actually saw them live about 2 years ago at a festival, very unremarkable.
 
Well written review.

Mills always struck me as a middle class drop out hippy wannabe and that's a mental image I could never get past when listening to Kula Shaker.
One too many backpacking trips to India on Mummy's credit card kinda thing.

I hope you're not put off by the responses and carry on posting more album reviews ToeAndno.
 
Haha, no not at all. First of all, he probably was. Secondly, I didn't really care too much about them, I just enjoy this album and thirdly, think what you like about him. I think that this is the general view on him, lol.

Thanks for the kind comments
 
Back
Top