I guess it was during my freshman year of college that I got my first taste of Supergrass. I really didn’t think much of the brash London pop-rockers at first. Certainly the songs I heard were fun—but I was convinced at that time that fun wasn’t necessarily enough to get me to buy an album.

In any case, Supergrass’ 1995 debut I Should Coco did strike a chord with many listeners. There is, much to my chagrin some eight or nine years ago, something to be said for a band that really gets off on making a ruckus. This is, of course, where Supergrass comes in. From the very beginning it was clear by songs like Alright and Caught By The Fuzz that the band had an eclectic, irreverent way about them. And while I didn’t appreciate it then, over the years I’ve come to enjoy their music.

Gaz Coombes (guitar, vocals), Danny Goffey (drums), and Mick Quinn (bass) evoke fond memories of cocky strutting rock bands like The Who and punk rockers the Buzzcocks. But if truth be told, they remind me more of contemporaries like Pulp, Ash, Blur, and the like. They are basically just good blokes with a hankering for good ol’ fashioned rock n’ roll. I guess maybe that’s in part why I like Supergrass. That, and the fact that of course they are also British…I’m admittedly prone to snobbery when it comes to such things.

In any case, Supergrass isn’t perfect. They’ve stumbled here and there. Their first album, I Should Coco, and 2002’s Life on Other Planets are damn near perfect. But in between those two outings the band tripped up. The biggest issue I have is with their 1999 self-titled release. It did get some attention because of the song Pumping on Your Stereo (or is it Humping on Your Stereo) but aside from that he album is largely forgettable. And then there’s sophomore release In It For The Money (1997).

In retrospect I remember very little of In It For The Money. This isn’t to say that it’s a bad album—rather it got very little exposure stateside and as a result I (of course) ignored it entirely. I was such a strange girl. Anyway, this isn’t a brilliant album but it does show that the band indeed possesses both musical breadth and ability. The reason why America barely heard it had more to do with the fact that there were no immediately obvious hit singles. Therefore, MTV was interested and as such it never touched the ears of even the most probable listeners. In It For The Money isn’t as immediately appealing as some of the band’s other albums but it does provide (with some attention to detail) some bright moments and some psychedelic points to ponder.

As with all Supergrass songs, these are indeed brief. Compared to I Should Coco, this is a more mature effort. Is it as good? Maybe, but that’s all up to what your personal idea of “good” is and in what context “good” is determined. This is a collection of tracks with a great deal of redeeming quality but not nearly as much immediate appeal. But as far as long-term value goes, I think In It For The Money offers quite a lot up.

There are a few truly outstanding songs. The opening title track In It For The Money is definitely among my favorite offerings. In fact, it is incredibly infectious and smacks of irreverent fun. I love it. Similarly, I can’t help but get great joy out of some of the other songs.

The Beatles-esque swagger of Late in the Day is a definite high point of the album. The melody is straightforward and appealing and Coombes’ vocals are understated. Even more striking are the stark instruments. A piano and tambourine are at the costars while a modest guitar and moog are the talented supporting cast. This album really doesn’t get any better.

Sun Hits The Sky is also a bright burst of musical energy worth checking out. It is just another example of the clean, concise (although decidedly slightly off-kilter) music that Supergrass has over the years managed to tweak to their own liking. And not content to just rest on their laurels and record short, punchy rock tracks Supergrass also provides some more evocative fodder with the largely acoustic It’s Not Me and for that matter Late in the Day.

Richard III, Going Out and Cheapskate are also worth hearing although they aren’t quite as sparkling as those songs already mentioned. In It For The Money (obviously) provides quite a lot of good material. But there are some moments that make me question the overall quality of the album. You Can See Me, Hollow Little Reign and G-Song are particularly troublesome. Not to say that they are bad offers really—they just don’t strike a chord even on repeated listens.

Overall, I think this is a good Supergrass album. I Should Coco and Life on Other Planets are both more immediately appealing but with this 1997 provides enough good to by far outweigh the bad. It is pretty clear that the band listened to a lot of Beatles while recording this disc, but this instead of hurting the album made it stronger than it may have otherwise have been.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Track Listing:
01. In It For The Money
02. Richard III
03. Tonight
04. Late in the Day
05. G-Song
06. Sun Hits the Sky
07. Going Out
08. It’s Not Me
09. Cheapskate
10. You Can See Me
11. Hollow Little Reign
12. Sometimes I Make You Sad
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Related Reviews:

Supergrass [2000]
http://www.epinions.com/content_41669987972

Life on Other Planets [2002]
http://www.epinions.com/content_91716161156

Recommended: Yes