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''God Fodder'' is the debut
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by English
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Ned's Atomic Dustbin Ned's Atomic Dustbin are an English rock band formed in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in November 1987. The band took their name from an episode of radio comedy programme ''The Goon Show''. The band is unusual for using two bass-players in their ...
, released on 1 April 1991 by
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
. After creating their own imprint following the success of several prior independent singles, the band recorded the album from December 1990 to January 1991 in London. Musically, ''God Fodder'' takes large influence from grebo,
shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...
,
noise pop Noise pop is a subgenre of alternative and indie rock that developed in the mid-1980s in the United Kingdom and United States. It is defined by its mixture of dissonant noise or feedback with the songcraft more often found in pop music. Shoegazi ...
, and
dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...
, characterized by noisy guitars, complex drum beats, and its usage of two bass players, with Matt Cheslin playing regular bass lines and
Alex Griffin Ned's Atomic Dustbin are an English rock band formed in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in November 1987. The band took their name from an episode of radio comedy programme ''The Goon Show''. The band is unusual for using two bass-players in their l ...
playing harmonic bass lines. Lyrically, the album features communal efforts written by all the band. Five different singles were released from ''God Fodder'' across different regions. Upon its release, the album was a critical and commercial success, reaching number 4 in the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
; it also found an audience in the United States, where the album reached number 91 on the
Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
, largely due to the band's T-shirt campaign and the videos for “Kill Your Television” and "Grey Cell Green", which gained traction on MTV's “120 Minutes Into The Future”. The record's success is said to be a triumph against the dominance of
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
music at the time. The album was named among the year's best albums by several magazines. The band played the album in its entirety for the first time in
O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was originally ...
in December 2009 and played it again in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
in September 2010.


Background and recording

Ned's Atomic Dustbin formed in
Stourbridge Stourbridge is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England, situated on the River Stour. Historically in Worcestershire, it was the centre of British glass making during the Industrial Revolution. The 20 ...
in 1987. Although the band had started out as a
gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie a ...
band, the band "had developed a dense, assaultive sound" by the early 1990s "that was distinguished by their thundering two-bass attack." After releasing ''The Ingredients EP'', the band's official first single, "Kill Your Television", which later featured on ''God Fodder'', was a commercial success, reaching number 53 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and number one on the
UK Independent Singles Chart The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the rele ...
and becoming critically acclaimed; furthermore, it heralded the band's new grebo sound which they would fully explore on ''God Fodder''. The success of the single lead to the band signing to
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
, on the grounds that the band would be allowed to release their music through their own label, Furtive, in order to retain a higher degree of creative control whilst concurrently enjoying the benefits of Sony's major label distribution and advertising clout. The band recorded their official debut album, ''God Fodder'', between December 1990 and January 1991 at
Greenhouse Studios Greenhouse Studios is a Canadian music recording studio founded by Bruce Levens in 1987 where over 1000 albums have been recorded in the last 25 years. Incorporated as Lions Gate Studios, it subsequently changed its name to Vancouver Studios befor ...
,
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,Liner notes. co-producing the record with Jessica Cocoran. Whilst the band were adding the final touches to ''God Fodder'', the band's former label Chapter 22 released ''
Bite Biting is a common zoological behavior involving the active, rapid closing of the jaw around an object. This behavior is found in toothed animals such as mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish, but can also exist in arthropods. Myocytic con ...
'', a compilation of early tracks, including the tracks from ''The Ingredients EP'' and the 'Kill Your Television" single, alongside some other tracks, without the band's input, knowledge or consent.


Style


Music

''God Fodder'' combines grebo music, a "
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
-influenced,
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
-informed, hyper, light-hearted rock" genre with which the band were associated, with
shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...
music, a genre which forms the album's "prevailing beat". The album was described as a "blend of frenzied, melodic rock, with the occasional touch of quirkiness", such as the band's usage of two bass players, with Matt Cheslin playing "normal basslines" whilst
Alex Griffin Ned's Atomic Dustbin are an English rock band formed in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in November 1987. The band took their name from an episode of radio comedy programme ''The Goon Show''. The band is unusual for using two bass-players in their l ...
"scratching out harmonic riffs." Besides the twin bass work, the album also features complicated drum beats and distorted guitars throughout. ''
Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...
'' said the album combines catchy melodies, "pulsing adrenaline beats" and "a wool-covered wall of fuzzy pop noise on which able singer
Jonn Penney Ned's Atomic Dustbin are an English rock band formed in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in November 1987. The band took their name from an episode of radio comedy programme ''The Goon Show''. The band is unusual for using two bass-players in their l ...
pastes challenging personal lyrics." The album features influences from shoegaze bands such as
Ride Ride may refer to: People * MC Ride, a member of Death Grips * Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut * William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Ride'' (1998 film), a 1998 comedy by Millicent ...
, numerous
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
bands and "a random selection of English bands" including New Order,
Icicle Works The Icicle Works (also known as Icicle Works in the United States) are an English alternative rock band and were named after the 1960 short story "The Day the Icicle Works Closed" by science fiction author Frederik Pohl. They had a top 20 UK hi ...
and
The Wedding Present The Wedding Present are an English indie rock group originally formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, from the ashes of The Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, ...
; all such influences were described as being presented in "bits" or "pinches". The band use
Peavey Electronics Peavey Electronics Corporation is an American company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets professional audio equipment. One of the largest audio equipment manufacturers in the world, it is headquartered in Meridian, Mississippi. H ...
distortion on the album. Rowdy album opener and
college radio Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced ...
hit "Kill Your Television" previously featured on the ''Bite'' release and features "chucked cobblestone sloganeering" and was described by one reviewer as getting the album "off to a strong, provocative start." "Grey Cell Green", also a college radio hit, has been described as "memorable". "Selfish" is said to meld "rude dance rhythms" with "nasty guitar."


Lyrics

Like several bands of the era, the band's bassist Alex Griffin explained that the songs on ''God Fodder'' were "communal efforts", saying "It's a lot more gratifying than working with just a single songwriter. One person brings in a 10-second idea and we build on that. It's definitely a group thing," adding that "When people tell me what one of our songs means, I say, 'Yep, you're right.' I'm not gonna dash their dreams." "Selfish" is a critique on "trendies, the apathetic and mean-spirited," and opens with a sample of the ''
Die Hard ''Die Hard'' is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan, with a screenplay by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. Based on the 1979 novel '' Nothing Lasts Forever'', by Roderick Thorp, it stars Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Ale ...
'' dialogue "why don't you wake up and smell what you're shovelling?," which the band included after watching the film and decided it "fitted in really well." "Happy" was written by lead singer
Jonn Penney Ned's Atomic Dustbin are an English rock band formed in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in November 1987. The band took their name from an episode of radio comedy programme ''The Goon Show''. The band is unusual for using two bass-players in their l ...
, who, as Griffin explained, "writes really vague and about personal situations not necessarily his own. He doesn't like to explain." Penney's lyrics on ''God Fodder'' have been described as personal and challenging. "Kill Your Television" was inspired by a sticker that Griffin purchased in
Mystic, Connecticut Mystic is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in Groton, Connecticut, Groton and Stonington, Connecticut, United States. Historically, Mystic was a significant Connecticut seaport with more than 600 ships built over 135 years starting in ...
a few years prior to the song's release whilst visiting with friends in Boston: "I had
he sticker He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
on my bass
hile Hile ( ne, हिले) is a hill town located in the Eastern Part of Nepal, 13 km north of the regional center of Dhankuta Bazar. At an elevation of 1948 meters, it is the main route to other hilly districts like Bhojpur and Sankhuwasabh ...
we were in the process of writing a song which had nothing to do with television, and Penney saw it and thought it would be a good title. We like slogans; you don't forget them. So the lyrics were rewritten and
he song He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
became about television." The "sneering, cryptic tag line" which ends the song, "soap for sore eyes," is a reference to the band's guitarist Rat who watched every
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
on television, much to Penney's disgust.


Release

''God Fodder'' was released on 1 April 1991 by the band's own
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
imprint Furtive Records in the UK, whilst in the United States, the album was released by
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
, another Sony label, on 2 July 1991. The band played concerts throughout the year worldwide in promotion of ''God Fodder'', playing alongside bands such as, amongst others,
Mega City Four Mega City Four were an English indie rock band formed in Farnborough, Hampshire, who obtained popularity throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. Mega City Four consisted of guitarist and vocalist Wiz, his brother and rhythm guitarist Danny Brown, ...
,
Senseless Things Senseless Things were an English pop punk band, formed in 1986 in London. The band released four studio albums and achieved two UK Top 20 hit singles before splitting up in 1995. Senseless Things reformed in 2017 to play several gigs including S ...
and
Jesus Jones Jesus Jones are a British alternative rock band from Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire, formed in late 1988, who continue to record and perform, as of 2021. Their track " Right Here, Right Now" was an international hit, and was subsequently globall ...
. The band also appeared twice on ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' in the UK. In as early as July 1991, the ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', noted that the band were, along with
The KLF The KLF (also known as the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, the JAMs, the Timelords and other names) are a British electronic band formed in London in 1987. Bill Drummond (alias King Boy D) and Jimmy Cauty (alias Rockman Rock) began by releasing ...
,
Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...
,
The La's The La's were an English rock band from Liverpool, originally active from 1983 until 1992. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Lee Mavers, the group are best known for their hit single " There She Goes". The band was formed by Mike Badge ...
and
Electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
, making their mark in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Several singles were released from the album; "Kill Your Television" was released in the UK in 1990 before the album was recorded and in 1992 in the United States. It reached number 53 in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and number 1 in the
UK Independent Singles Chart The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the rele ...
. The second single, "Until You Find Out", was also released in 1990 and reached number 51 in the UK charts. The first official single from the album and first Sony release, "Happy," was the third single, and reaching number 16 in the UK singles chart in March 1991 and number 11 in the US
Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
chart. "Trust" was the final single released in the UK, reaching number 21 in September 1991, whilst "Grey Cell Green" was the final American single, reaching number 24 in the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album was a commercial success, reaching number 4 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
and spending five weeks on the chart in total. In the United States, the album entered the Top Heetseekrs Albums chart at number 9 in October 1991, and ultimately "graduated" when it entered and peaked at number 91 on the official
Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
chart in February 1992. The album's gradual success in the United States lead to ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine including it in their list of the "Popular Uprising: Class of '92" in June 1992, where Columbia sales director John Doyce explained "they'd played and toured a lot of the alternative markets, and we got a real strong sense that the album would continue to sell." The magazine credited the album's gradual stateside success largely to the band's T-shirt campaign, referring to the band's own distinctive T-shirts, with over 86 different designs being produced within three years (1987–1990). On 1 February 1992, ''God Fodder'' was certified "Silver" by the
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI) for sales of over 60,000 copies in the United Kingdom. It has been reported that over 60,000 copies were sold in the first week alone. In the United States, the album has sold over 400,000 copies. As of 2013, ''God Fodder'' is estimated to have sold around 500,000 copies worldwide.


Reception and legacy

The album was praised by most of the major music magazines upon its release, and retrospective commentary on the album has also been generally favourable, with some critics citing it as their best album. Nitsuh Abebe of
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
rated the album four stars out of five, saying it was arguably the band's best album and adding that, although the album may not be groundbreaking, it was "certainly solid." The reviewer also said the album was "consistently satisfying" and mentioned how the band's "light and hooky" sound was enough "to put quite a distance between their oeuvre and that of the average grebo or punk band." ''
Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...
'' were also favourable, praising the album's "strong start" and saying that, "derivative to the core, the Neds pinch bits from a random selection of English bands (Wedding Present, Icicle Works, New Order, etc.), but they do so with such breathless enthusiasm that it suits the good-natured cheesiness of the whole endeavor." At the end of 1991, several magazines included the album on their lists of the top 50 albums of the year; ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' ranked it 23rd, whilst '' Select'' ranked it 39th. "Kill Your Television" had already ranked at number 37 in ''NMEs list of the top 50 singles of 1990, whilst it also ranked at number 26 in the same year's edition of the
Festive Fifty The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's 50 (though the exact figure varied above and below this number) best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show. It was usually do ...
, a poll of the top 50 songs of the year assembled by
John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
listeners. ''
The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after ''The Express-Times''. In 2020, the newspaper permanently closed its Al ...
'' referred to the record as a "fine" album. In 2013, Kyle Ryan of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' spoke of how "Grey Cell Green" and "Happy" were "jams back in the day" and how the latter songs remained one of his "all-time favourite songs." Less favourable to ''God Fodder'' was
Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
's Chris Ott, saying that "Ned Atomic Dustbin's shook their long-on-top dos to the prevailing beat–namely
shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...
. A pinch of
Swervedriver Swervedriver are an English alternative rock band formed in Oxford in 1989 around core members Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge. Between 1989 and 1998, the band released four studio albums and numerous EPs and singles despite a considerable f ...
, a touch of
Ride Ride may refer to: People * MC Ride, a member of Death Grips * Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut * William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Ride'' (1998 film), a 1998 comedy by Millicent ...
, the cheesy Peavey distortion of a thousand bad L.A. bands and some timely looks?" In 2003, the website included it at number 10 in their list of "Castoffs and Cutouts: The Top 50 Most Common Used CDs." In 2010, ''
Magnet A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...
'' magazine ranked the song "Happy" at number 11 in their list of "120 Reasons to Live," a list celebrating the 1990s underground music that was aired on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's alternative music show ''
120 Minutes ''120 Minutes'' is a television program in the United States dedicated to the alternative music genre, that originally aired on MTV from 1986 to 2000, and then aired on MTV's associate channel MTV2 from 2001 to 2003. After its cancellation, MTV ...
''. in the description for the song's entry, the magazine cited ''God Fodder'' as their best album and spoke of how its double-bass approach helped the band survive the dominance of
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
music, saying that despite there being "a lot to dislike" about the band in retrospect, such as their "terrible style" of "baggy clothes, dreadlocks—a vaguely secondhand hippie-punk look", having "a guitarist named Rat", a "whimsical" album title in ''God Fodder'' and two bass players, the latter is what helped make the band unique:


Live concerts

Having reformed in 2009, all five original members of the band played ''God Fodder'' from start to finish in London, on 19 December 2009 at the
O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was originally ...
. After playing the album, the band played other tracks from their catalogue. One of the band's classic T-shirt designs was sold at the show's merchandise stand for the first time since the ''God Fodder'' era. The concert was critically acclaimed. The band played the entirety of the album again at the HMV Institute in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
on 25 September 2010 as part of the institute's reopening. Interviewed prior to the Birmingham concert, Penney stated that "back when we first toured ''God Fodder'', we didn’t play in Birmingham and that’s something we’ll be very happy to address all these years later. We can’t wait to christen the new venue and set a new bar-takings record." Speaking to ''
The Birmingham Mail The ''Birmingham Mail'' (branded the ''Black Country Mail'' in the Black Country) is a tabloid newspaper based in Birmingham, England but distributed around Birmingham, the Black Country, and Solihull and parts of Warwickshire, Worcestershire ...
'', Penney said "we played the whole of ''God Fodder'' at Shepherd’s Bush in London last Christmas and we thought it would be nice to do it in the Midlands as well. It captures that moment in the 90s when the indie scene in Birmingham and the
Black Country The Black Country is an area of the West Midlands county, England covering most of the Metropolitan Boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall. Dudley and Tipton are generally considered to be the centre. It became industrialised during its ro ...
was buzzing. It’s quite a fast little album and it’s over fairly quickly, so we’ll come back on and do a Best of set."


Track listing

All songs written by Ned's Atomic Dustbin. # "Kill Your Television" - 2:59 # "Less Than Useful" - 4:05 # "Selfish" - 3:54 # "Grey Cell Green" - 3:47 # "Cut Up" - 3:07 # "Throwing Things" - 3:24 # "Capital Letters" - 2:55 # "Happy" - 3:59 # "Your Complex" - 2:38 # "Nothing Like" - 2:41 # "Until You Find Out" - 3:10 # "You" - 2:03 # "What Gives My Son?" 2:48


Personnel

Adapted from the liner notes. * Dan Dan The Fast Drumming Man * Alex Plays One Bass * Mat The Other * Rat: Does The Guitar * and Jonn Sings.


Charts


References

{{Authority control Ned's Atomic Dustbin albums 1991 debut albums Columbia Records albums Shoegaze albums by English artists