POPE Tall Tales & Cheap Thrills
Title: Tall Tales & Cheap Thrills
Release date: 6th July 2009
Label: Aspop Records
Format: CD and Digital Download
Cat #: EPOP002
SECOND ALBUM FROM FORMER CHORDS CHRIS POPE AND BUDDY ASCOTT…
When POPE released their critically acclaimed debut album in 2006, ‘Grace of God’, it was heralded as a welcome return to the music scene for former guitarist/songwriter Chris Pope and drummer Buddy Ascott of the mod-punk band The Chords.
For fans of The Chords it had been a 25 year-long wait to hear new material – and after such a long time away it wasn’t surprising to find that the prolific songwriter Pope had a lot to get off his chest. In doing so, he showed that he’d lost none of his ability to apply an acerbic wit to his eagle-eyed observations, turning them into trademark razor sharp songs in the process.
Three years on since the release of ‘Grace of God’, POPE return with their new album, ‘Tall Tales & Cheap Thrills’, which is released on July 6th 2009 on Aspop Records and features The Style Council’s Mick Talbot on keyboards. The album’s release is preceded by the single, ‘Love’s Still Here’, released on June 15th 2009,
“We took a chance.” explains Chris Pope, “‘Grace of God’ was created over a 25-year period but ‘Tall Tales & Cheap Thrills’ was written & recorded in just six weeks. We went into the studio armed with just a dozen melodies, a few ideas for song titles and a couple of beat-up guitars. It was a case of ‘let’s see what happens’.”
Once inside the studio, Chris bounced his ideas off of Buddy for some constructive criticism and moral support, and it was at this point the writing & recording began in earnest. Chris said, “The sessions turned out to be very spontaneous, all aided and abetted by Chianti, junk food, pain killers, breakups & breakdowns – all that life imitating art stuff, or is it art imitating life? I never could get my head around that one!”
‘Tall Tales & Cheap Thrills’ sees POPE tackling an array of subjects, from trash TV & Z-list celebrities (‘Most Of What Follows Is True’), sex, drugs & rock n roll (‘I Got You Bad’), tyrants & madmen (‘King Of The World’), broken relationships (‘The Road I Never Took’& ‘Love’s Still Here’ ), to loving life in the capital (‘Get In To London Town’) and seven days in the life of Chris Pope (‘Nine To Five And Me’).
Picking up where they left off, the chance Chris & Buddy took into the studio with “just a dozen melodies” has more than paid off with ‘Tall Tales & Cheap Thrills’.
Press quotes for ‘Grace of God’:
MOJO magazine - “Their debut reveals their protagonist hasn’t mellowed a bit with age.”- 4/5 stars
Uncut magazine - “Grace of God is as savage as (Pete) Townshend with toothache...Ace.”
Record Collector magazine - “Loud, sweeping, righteous, and verging on the bombastic, it’s cut-the-crap stuff...it’s good to have him back.”
Classic Rock magazine - “The Former Chords beef up their mod revivalist roots with surly Godfathers-alike snottiness, urban Britrock laddishness and a la mode Doherty slovenliness – 7/10”
Scootering magazine - “A modern masterpiece of great guitar music.”
* POPE play an album launch party gig at The Fly, New Oxford Street, London, on Tuesday July 7th 2009.
Chris Pope and Buddy Ascott will be available for interview.
For further information please contact:
TV & Radio: Ron McCreight: 07775663537 / ronmcreight@btinternet.com
Press: Dave Clarke at Planet Earth Publicity – 07966 557774 & dave@planetearthpublicity.com