SUEDE - SWITCHING STYLES READY FOR A HOOK-HEAVY THIRD ALBUM
september 1996



The high-profile return of Suede will commence on July 29 with the release 
of a song called Pisspot. "How very appropriate," their detractors will no 
doubt murmur. In fact, this powerful comeback single has had its earthy 
working-title upgraded to the more acceptable Trash and reactions to the 
song have been vociferously positive. 
Its flamboyant space-pop sound will test the water for the band's third 
album, Coming Up (scheduled for UK release on September 2), arguably the 
keynote British guitar-band release of the autumn. Recorded in London 
either side of Christmas, Coming Up is the follow-up to Dog Man Star, 
which was rush-released in October 1994 after the summer departure of 
guitarist/ songwriter Bernard Butler. The album introduces new Suede 
keyboard player Neil Codling, who has co-written two of its 10 songs, and 
is the first album to feature Butler's replacement, teenage guitarist 
Richard Oakes, who has co-written six - the remaining two tracks are Brett 
Anderson compositions. 
The mood of Coming Up is one of optimism and confidence, something of a 
contrast to the melancholic grandeur of Dog Man Star. The new mood extends 
to the people around Suede; Saul Galpern, head of Nude Records, hopes 
Coming Up will sell a million copies - which would be a 400p/c sales 
increase on Dog Man Star and its predecessor, 1993's number one debut 
album, Suede. Galpern says, "Dog Man Star was possibly too challenging. I 
think in 20 years' time it will be seen as an important record. But this 
one's much more positive; less down; less deep. They've made a fantastic 
pop record." 
Producer Ed Buller, who has worked with the band on all three albums, 
reveals that an important influence on the sound of Coming Up was the 
early Seventies work of Tyrannosaurus Rex. He says, "When Saul asked me 
what kind of album I thought they should make, I said they should make The 
Slider for the Nineties. Suede had done their indie LP. They'd done 
prog-rock. It was time to do an accessible pop record." Galpern adds, 
"There was never any intention to repeat Dog Man Star. This is not the 
same Suede, remember. This is a different band entirely." 
Buller was not the band's first choice to produce Coming Up. Brian Eno and 
Flood were among several candidates investigated, but their schedules 
proved immutable. Buller even welcomed a parting of the ways. He explains, 
"I felt that it would have been very difficult for them, after what we all 
went through on the last album, to say, 'Right, [Butler's] gone, let's 
carry on'." However, in friendly discussions with Anderson, Buller found 
that his ideas about a possible new Suede direction tallied almost exactly 
with the band's own: to write less complex, more immediate songs; to use 
heavier drum sounds, play fewer guitar solos and only employ string 
sections on a couple of songs (one of which, the marvellously cinematic 
She, is a highlight of the album). 
Buller was re-hired and veteran producer-engineer Dave Bascombe was 
brought in to mix the album alongside Buller himself. The upshot is a 
record that is recognisably Suede, but harder and more good-humoured. 
Buller admits, "We actually left one of the songs, Young Men, off the 
album because we felt it was too dark. We wanted something that was poppy, 
in your face, very immediate and just full of hooks. We have to make 
people realise that Suede are a big band and should be treated like one. 
They are a very important part of our national culture and they should 
sell lots of records. So I think we can have a bit of fun with this album, 
have a load of hits and establish Suede once and for all as major players 
in the market."