Sock Free Hideaway

 BEATS OF LOVE

5. You Set My Soul by The Telescopes 

I'M SURE strange happenings are a part of the human condition. Early Telescopes songs accompanied me to Reading in 89 on my Walkman when in transit, filling my face with warm cans of Castlemaine, I sat, transfixed, looking at a really cute girl opposite who was half goth and half indie kid. The rest of my festival was spent in an LSD crash-helmet, appreciating the Butthole Surfers and Frank Sidebottom, and not much else, until I re-boarded the coach 2 nights later, where I sat transfixed again. 

When my sister started Liverpool Poly, it got me away from peer-group pressure and the crash-helmet. I accompanied her to the student union bar where I'd saunter off to watch bands like the Throwing Muses rehearse with Jeff, or ponder the world in impressive greasy-spoons on my own. I was soon smitten by her friend Ellie's Welsh charm, warm personality, and subtle sex appeal.

However, when Ellie came over to mother's to visit my sister, I was all psyched up for a Mary Chain and Telescopes gig at the Ritz that night so spent the early evening twisting their arm into both driving me there and meeting up later at Ruby Tuesday's, the late and great Dave Booth's residency. My mother, for the first time, could see I was flirting as I was allowing things to run very late. 

When I finally got there, the Telescopes had already spilled over onto the street, and were all packed up. Looking smaller and more insignificant than I'd imagined them to be. I then sidled up to the bar (something I never normally did) and began an excited conversation with the girl who had transfixed me the previous summer and who I hadn't seen since. 

She was living in a nearby town and invited me onto the last bus, something more akin to a Tardis for me and my mates. I tried to cajole her into 42nd Street but she had to work in Boots Pharmacy the next day, so, as much to reassure myself that it wasn't a dream, I promised I'd call in as she was soon going back to Nottingham Uni. Reluctantly, I then met my sister as arranged, where, instead of flirting with Ellie, whose short crushed-velvet skirt had been such a turn on a couple of hours earlier, I sat in a love-struck daze. Talking about another girl is a big no no I soon learnt. 

Building back the confidence to overcome a shyness that had momentarily vanished but had returned with a vengeance, despite only 12 hours elapsing, is also tough. Sadly, walking into Boots, something I did a thousand times a day in my head for at least a month after, was harder than putting the crash-helmet back on. I never saw Ellie or the half goth and half indie kid again. For some strange reason, I blamed the Telescopes. It was all their fucking fault. 

I'm sure strange happenings are part of the human condition. Slightly less fickle, and after thinking my Telescopes trip had ended with 9 minutes of whale noises, I've now finally bought their 1992 self-titled sophomore LP and feel shame that this dream-pop masterpiece totally passed me by. Creation's genius was a passion for a wide range of music that clearly influenced the acts they signed. That this release also coincided with the launch of Joe Foster's impressive Rev-Ola series gives weight to this assumption. 

When I liked their first incarnation, they were Mary Chain disciples who superimposed feedback over fragile songs. Here, the fragile songs have escaped the noise and what is left is a lot more beautiful, revealing Stephen Lawrie to be a real tunesmith. Evoking a far wider spectrum of 60s psyche influence, its subtle harmonies and pastoral doodling are never ostentatious and serve to conjure up a mighty listening experience that leaves you truly transfixed. Yes, I'm sat transfixed again.  

The fragility, and his tunesmith genius, is best realized in this achingly beautiful song. A song that gets more beautiful with each listen. A song I bought separately on a promo twelve to see if it could be improved. It couldn't. It really stands out as the highlight on a solid long player and Ed Ball deserves a round of applause for his under-stated piano playing. When those subtle vocal harmonies kick in, it becomes something else, something truly wonderful. 

What I'd give to be that young again and on a coach with this on the Walkman, looking at that really cute girl opposite...