Once upon a time there was a pretty rockin’ band that went by the name of Three Colours Red. Not punk per se, but definitely of that persuasion, they went round the clubs and pubs of the UK rocking everyone that they came across. Then they released a song that got them onto Top Of The Pops and the verge of the top 10, before the stress and strain got to them and the band sadly disbanded.
That was 1999. Fast forward three years to 2002 and you’ll find that this lot have thankfully re-formed (minus a guitarist) and hopefully they’ll be rocking a venue near you soon.
So, this is the record that not only made them household names, but also tore them apart. So why the fuss? Well, two reasons really. One is the anthemic ballad ‘Beautiful Day’, in my opinion of the most beautiful songs ever written. Then there is ‘This Is My Time’ another ballad. Both shot into the charts and so this record sold a lot of copies. But to be honest there is a lot more to this record than two ballads. And anyway, it’s not even as good as its predecessor, ‘Pure’.
The record opens with the snarling ‘Paralyse’, the first single and one of the only tracks that links the two records. This is what the band are all about, melodic as hell yet dirty riffs that soak up Pete Vuckovic’s vocals. ‘Pirouette’ is simply gorgeous, a song which should have made it into the top 10, but sadly never made the radio. A chorus with a huge hook, and a catchy yet crunchy guitar riff, it showed that the band had made that extra step on from ‘Pure’.
But it is ‘Beautiful Day’ that is by far the best song on this record. A haunting ballad, it is simply stunning. A complete departure from anything the band had done previously, this rocketed into the charts and stayed there. It also helped me through some particularly difficult times on a personal level. Even Pete Vuckovic says that it is the greatest song he has ever written. Sir, hats off to you…
‘Cancel The Exhibition’ is a bit of a letdown in comparison, it’s ok, but really nothing better than Three Colours Red by numbers. Ironically this song is actually a vitriolic attack on lead guitarist Chris McCormack and ultimately led to the bands demise. ‘Intermission’ is more of the same. Again, it’s not a bad track, just a bit average and nowhere near as good as the first three. ‘Song On The Radio’ is better without being brilliant, mainly because it takes so damn long to get going. But it is worth the wait, trust me.
‘Paranoid People’ is cool, although slightly trippy, and ‘Back To The City‘ is back to the poppy 3CR that we all love. ‘This Is My Time’ isn’t the greatest song in the world. I do like it, as did the general public when they sent it into the charts, but you sense that if this had been released before ‘Beautiful Day’ then that wouldn’t have happened. Still, it’s got all the required quiet/loud bits needed to get you singing along.
‘Be Myself’ is brilliant, an anthem for the disaffected youth of the time. It’s also what the band are best at, raging guitars and vocals that still come out with melody dripping from every pore. Ditto ‘Calling To The Outside’ which is fast, furious and fantastic. Turn it up loud and sing along…you know you want to. And the album ends on an even better note with the brilliant ‘Age Of Madness’, all scything guitars and mental drumming. It’s so disconnected that it joins up brilliantly. Imagine a song having a nervous breakdown and you’re almost there…
Three Colours Red were an institution, one of the best UK bands to have come along for a long while. They were cruelly taken away from us in their prime but now they’re back. Let’s hope it’s even bigger and better than before…
Paul Savage