What can you say about this amazing band that hasn’t already been said? Also rans who out ran, under dogs who became winners, it’s been a long and winding road of heartache and seemingly unpassable obstacles that were always met with an unerring drive and positivity. This is a band who always believed in themselves and, just as importantly, the power of music.

I think it’s about 13 studio albums which this wonderful compilation covers. They’ve been going since 1989, but the thing is, their last two records are probably in their top three. 2015’s Modern Nature is second only to their Britpop era high, Tellin’ Stories. And it’s follow up, ‘Different Days’, not far behind. They constantly reinvent themselves, always sound fresh, always produce timeless classics which defy pigeon holing. From “The Only One I Know” through “Can’t Get Out of Bed”, “Tellin’ Stories”, “North Country Boy'' and right up to “Come Home Baby” and “Plastic Machinery”, the high quality never seems to drop and, as I said earlier, is possibly even getting better.

It’s well documented how this group has been beset by awful tragedy, so, I see the majesty of this incredible compilation as a testimony to the belief, dedication, and power of positive thinking that the original members clearly possess. In front man Tim Burgess the Charlatans have a modern-day folk hero. A man-child dreamer, believer, and cosmic schemer who spreads nothing but joy and love. He’s just a conductor for all good music, not just his own, and when his online listening parties took flight over Lockdown, he united a nation of music fans and even drew praise from Paul McCartney. The guy’s a hero and his band are too. This career defining best of is faultless: every home should have one.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: This is pretty much the essential document of one of Manchester's most legendary musical outfits. It's a heady collection that spans over thirty years of music...

TRACK LISTING

THEN1CD (CD)
A HEAD FULL OF IDEAS (BEST OF)
1) The Only One I Know
2) Weirdo
3) Can’t Get Out Of Bed
4) Jesus Hairdo
5) Just When You’re Thinking Things Over
6) North Country Boy
7) Tellin’ Stories
8) One To Another
9) How High
10) Forever (Edit)
11) Impossible (Edit)
12) Love Is The Key
13) A Man Needs To Be Told
14) Up At The Lake
15) Blackened Blue Eyes
16) Oh Vanity
17) My Foolish Pride
18) Come Home Baby
19) Let The Good Times Be Never Ending (Edit)
20) Plastic Machinery
21) Totally Eclipsing

THEN1CDX (2CD Deluxe)
CD1
A HEAD FULL OF IDEAS (BEST OF)
1) The Only One I Know
2) Weirdo
3) Can’t Get Out Of Bed
4) Jesus Hairdo
5) Just When You’re Thinking Things Over
6) North Country Boy
7) Tellin’ Stories
8) One To Another
9) How High
10) Forever (Edit)
11) Impossible (Edit)
12) Love Is The Key
13) A Man Needs To Be Told
14) Up At The Lake
15) Blackened Blue Eyes
16) Oh Vanity
17) My Foolish Pride
18) Come Home Baby
19) Let The Good Times Be Never Ending (Edit)
20) Plastic Machinery
21) Totally Eclipsing
CD2
TRUST IS FOR BELIEVERS (LIVE)
1) Polar Bear (Blackburn, King Georges Hall. November 1990 - BBC Radio 1)
2) Indian Rope (Reading Festival 1992 - BBC Radio 1)
3) Can’t Even Be Bothered (Reading Festival 1992 - BBC Radio 1)
4) Can’t Get Out Of Bed (Glasgow Tramway, Sound City 1994 - BBC Radio1)
5) I Never Want An Easy Life (If Me And Him Were Ever To Get There) (Glasgow Tramway, Sound City 1994 - BBC Radio1)
6) Then (Glastonbury Festival 1995 - BBC Radio 1) 7) Tootache (Hultsfred Festival, Sweden 1997). ***Exclusive To 2CD Deluxe***
8) Here Comes A Soul Saver (Hultsfred Festival, Sweden 1997)
9) Just Lookin’ (Hultsfred Festival, Sweden 1997) ***Exclsuive To 2CD Deluxe***
10) My Beautiful Friend (Delamare Forest, Cheshire 2007)
11) The Blind Stagger (Delamare Forest, Cheshire 2007)
12) Trouble Understanding (The Church Studios, London) ***Exclusive To 2CD Deluxe***
13) Sproston Green (Reading Festival 1999 - BBC Radio 1)

THEN1LP (2LP)
A HEAD FULL OF IDEAS (BEST OF)
A1) The Only One I Know
A2) Weirdo
A3) Can’t Get Out Of Bed
A4) Jesus Hairdo
A5) Just When You’re Thinking Things Over
A6) North Country Boy
B1) Tellin’ Stories
B2) One To Another
B3) How High
B4) Forever
B5) Impossible
C1) Love Is The Key
C2) A Man Needs To Be Told
C3) Up At The Lake
C4) Blackened Blue Eyes
C5) Oh Vanity
D1) My Foolish Pride
D2) Come Home Baby
D3) Let The Good Times Be Never Ending
D4) Plastic Machinery
D5) Totally Eclipsing

THEN1LPX (3LP)
A HEAD FULL OF IDEAS (BEST OF)
A1) The Only One I Know
A2) Weirdo
A3) Can’t Get Out Of Bed
A4) Jesus Hairdo
A5) Just When You’re Thinking Things Over
A6) North Country Boy
B1) Tellin’ Stories
B2) One To Another
B3) How High
B4) Forever
B5) Impossible
C1) Love Is The Key
C2) A Man Needs To Be Told
C3) Up At The Lake
C4) Blackened Blue Eyes
C5) Oh Vanity
D1) My Foolish Pride
D2) Come Home Baby
D3) Let The Good Times Be Never Ending
D4) Plastic Machinery
D5) Totally Eclipsing
E1) Polar Bear (Blackburn, King Georges Hall. November 1990 - BBC Radio 1)
E2) Indian Rope (Reading Festival 1992 - BBC Radio 1)
E3) Can’t Even Be Bothered (Reading Festival 1992 - BBC Radio 1)
E4) Can’t Get Out Of Bed (Glasgow Tramway, Sound City 1994 - BBC Radio1)
E5) I Never Want An Easy Life (If Me And Him Were Ever To Get There) (Glasgow Tramway, Sound City 1994 - BBC Radio1)
F1) Then (Glastonbury Festival 1995 - BBC Radio 1)
F2) Here Comes A Soul Saver (Hultsfred Festival, Sweden 1997)
F3) My Beautiful Friend (Delamare Forest, Cheshire 2007)
F4) The Blind Stagger (Delamare Forest, Cheshire 2007)
F5) Sproston Green (Reading Festival 1999 - BBC Radio 1)

THE CHARLATANS proudly announce their (Covid) delayed release of their 30th Anniversary tour and a 6 vinyl LP Box Set. Released on Then Recordings through Republic Of Music, ‘A Head Full Of Ideas’ is a five album, and exclusive 7”, career-spanning box set that sums up their remarkable progress from 1990 Manchester scene hopefuls to one of the UK’s most enduring and best-loved bands. The accompanying tour begins at Belfast, Limelight 22/11/21 and finishes in Aberdeen on 20/12/21.

The band have notched up 13 Top 40 studio albums - three of them number ones - alongside 22 hit singles, four of them top 10. The rollercoaster highs have been accompanied by some shattering lows, any which one of them could have felled a less resilient band, from nervous breakdowns to near bankruptcy and the deaths of two founder members.

Somehow, they have not just carried on but adapted and transformed. The classic Charlatans sound - driving Hammond organ, Northern Soul and house-influenced rhythms, swaggering guitars and Tim Burgess’s sunny yet somehow yearning vocal - is instantly recognisable. And in spite of everything they have been through their music is now more relevant than ever, The Guardian described their last album, Different Days as “one of their best ever”.

This limited box set, is a diverse collection portrayed over five Transparent blue vinyl LP’s, spanning their hits, classic live performances, unheard demo’s and rarities and remixes. Within the box will also be an exclusive Original Demo’s 7” featuring ‘Indian Rope’/’The Only One I Know’, as well as a signed print of a tour poster from the early 90’s, a booklet featuring unseen photographs and sleeve notes by friend and journalist Dave Simpson. There will also be triple vinyl LP version and 2CD deluxe of the box set featuring the hits albums plus the live album, and finally a cd or vinyl of just the hits albums.

Their iconic and hugely adored live track One To Another (circa 1997) provides the titles for the individual vinyl collection within the box set. Each piece of vinyl is named after a lyric from the song.

TRACK LISTING

THEN1LPXX (6x Vinyl Set Box Set)
A HEAD FULL OF IDEAS (BEST OF) (2LP)
A1) The Only One I Know
A2) Weirdo
A3) Can’t Get Out Of Bed
A4) Jesus Hairdo
A5) Just When You’re Thinking Things Over
A6) North Country Boy
B1) Tellin’ Stories
B2) One To Another
B3) How High
B4) Impossible
B5) Forever
C1) Love Is The Key
C2) A Man Needs To Be Told
C3) Up At The Lake
C4) Blackened Blue Eyes
C5) Oh Vanity
D1) My Foolish Pride
D2) Come Home Baby
D3) Let The Good Times Be Never Ending
D4) Plastic Machinery
D5) Totally Eclipsing

TRUST IS FOR BELIEVERS (LIVE)
A1) Polar Bear (Blackburn, King Georges Hall. November 1990 - BBC Radio 1)
A2) Indian Rope (Reading Festival 1992 - BBC Radio 1)
A3) Can’t Even Be Bothered (Reading Festival 1992 - BBC Radio 1)
A4) Can’t Get Out Of Bed (Glasgow Tramway, Sound City 1994 - BBC Radio1)
A5) I Never Want An Easy Life (If Me And Him Were Ever To Get There) (Glasgow Tramway, Sound City 1994 - BBC Radio1)
B1) Then (Glastonbury Festival 1995 - BBC Radio 1)
B2) Here Comes A Soul Saver (Hultsfred Festival, Sweden 1997)
B3) My Beautiful Friend (Delamare Forest, Cheshire 2007)
B4) The Blind Stagger (Delamare Forest, Cheshire 2007)
B5) Sproston Green (Reading Festival 1999 - BBC Radio 1)

PLEASED TO MEET YOU (DEMOS) (***EXCLUSIVE TO BOX SET***)
A1) C’mon C’Mon (Demo Version)
A2) Sleepy Little Sunshine Boy (Desk Mix Version)
A3) Dardanella (Demo Version)
A4) So Oh (Demo Version)
A5) Always On My Mind (Demo Version)
B1) Everybody Ha Ha (Demo Version)
B2) Commuter Computer (Demo Version)
B3) Crystal Eyes (Demo Version)
B4) Polar Bear (Demo Version)
B5) I Need You To Know (Demo Version)

ONE TO ANOTHER (REMIXES) (***EXCLUSIVE TO BOX SET***)
A1) Plastic Machinery (Sleaford Mods Remix)
A2) Nine Acre Dust (Chemical Brothers Remix)
A3) So Oh (Brian Jonestown Massacre Remix)
A4) Tellin’ Stories (The Go! Team Remix) **unreleased**
B1) Trouble Understanding (Norman Cook Remix)
B2) My Beautiful Friend (Jagz Kooner Remix)
B3) Hey Sunrise (The Orb Remix) **unreleased**
B4) You’re So Pretty, We’re So Pretty (Lo Fidelity Allstars Remix)

BONUS DEMOS 7” (***EXCLUSIVE TO BOX SET***)
A1) Indian Rope (Demo)
AA1) The Only One I Know (Demo)