I'm a big fan of The Paper Chase - in the 11 years I've been listening to them I'm yet to find a band that sounds remotely like them or has excited me in the same way, which is both awesome and a shame. They've since called it a day and the main driving force behind the band, John Congleton, appears to be focusing on his pretty successful career as a producer. It's sad, but they released a lot of good music along the way so I can't complain too much.
I've always planned to complete my Paper Chase collection but once I had everything on at least one format I kinda stopped. It wouldn't be a tricky one to complete I think but I've simply not put in the effort. When I saw this copy of their final album in Music and Video Exchange in Soho I was torn; I knew I wanted to buy a vinyl copy at some point, but did I want this slightly dog-eared copy? I'm certain there are copies in way better condition that I could have bought for a broadly similar price, but it also pained me to see this copy sat in the racks gradually getting more and more battered. I knew I had to buy it really, but part of me will always me slightly annoyed at the tatty sleeve. I'd like to call it "well-loved" but ultimately I know it's more to do with the effect of endless Londoners flicking past it.
Someday This Could All Be Yours, Vol 1 will always be an odd record in The Paper Chase's work - the volume one that never had a volume two. I remember when it came out someone pointed that a curious thing happened on the album that doesn't really happened on any other Paper Chase album - one song finishes and there's a gap before the next one starts. What counts as normal on any other record makes for the strangest thing on a Paper Chase record. Unlike the previous albums, Someday... feels like 10 songs while the others were continuous pieces of music. That's not a bad thing, but I think the theme that holds the album together becomes less apparent because of it.
All of The Paper Chase's albums are great (in my opinion) but over the years I've found myself turning to God Bless Your Black Heart and Hide the Kitchen Knives the most, but that's not to say the other albums aren't excellent too. Someday... holds up well amongst the back-catalogue and has it's fair share of excellent songs - Your Money or Your Life (The Comet), What Should We Do With Your Body (The Lightning) and This is a Rape (The Flood) make for a particularly excellent trio.
Format: 12", insert
Tracks: 10
Cost: £8 second hand
Bought: Music and Video Exchange, London
When: 23/05/14
Colour: Black
Etching: Side A: "We're all aboard the Titanic" Side B: "We're all aboard the Titanic"
mp3s: no
