Suede:
Dog Man Star
(1994)

"Dog Man Star" is by far the most complex album by Suede, another one of my favourite artists. Their debut album was unpolished and somewhat raw and their latest "Coming Up" is pretty commercial and full of hit singles. "Dog Man Star", however, is very theatrical in the way the songs are very long and intense. It takes a while to get to know it and in several songs, the "catchiness" of the Suede sound is a little more hidden than usual. You do get your traditional hit anthems, though, with songs like "We Are The Pigs", "The Wild Ones" and "Heroine". That Bernard Butler left the band after the recording of "Dog Man Star" took away some of the experimental identity of Suede. Ironically enough, that's when the band became huge all over Europe and success started pouring in. To the critics, however, the best Suede album remains this one. But then again, the word pop and commercial always sound bad in a critic's ears which is why most critics are worth less than your personal taste. Anyway, "Dog Man Star" is a great album that just requires a few more listenings to really sink in. That's all.

Overall Rating (on a scale from 1 to 10):9

If You Like This Artist, Check Out:

Echobelly, Geneva, Pulp, Radiohead, Strangelove, The Verve.

Links To Artist:
About Suede
All-Music Guide (loads of information)