Greene "Minor Sun" (1996)

Minor Sun

release date: Feb. 1996

format: cd (RAIN 017CD)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]

producer: Kim Hyttel

label: Cloudland - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Reason to Carry On" - 2. "Here Comes April" (4 / 5) - 6. "Son Ray" - 7. "She's Radiant" - 9. "The Goodnight Song"

3rd and final studio album by Danish post-punk band Greene follows two years after Lovers' Lingo (Apr. 1994). The band has been reduced to a quintet consisting of the two brothers Olesen, vocalist Peter H. and guitarist Henrik together with lead guitarist Marco de Andreis, bassist John Krog Hansen, and with drummer Flemming Borby. New producer Kim Hyttel is also credited keyboards, as recording enginner and mixer of the album. All nine songs are credited Peter H. and Henrik Olesen.

Stylewise, they continue from the predecessor with their own blend of post-punk, indie pop and jangle pop, where the band appears as standing with one foot in a primarily British rock-soil echoing bands like Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, and especially The Sound / Adrian Borland with strong bonds to early post-punk, and on the other hand, they also seem inspired by Velvet Underground / Lou Reed, The Go-Betweens, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The album stands as the boldest rock-oriented of their three albums.

I really enjoyed this one when it came out but also soon tired from the simplistic melodies and especially from what I found was too obvious sources. Still, I never quite understood why they didn't find their way to a broader crowd 'cause this was almost like listening to my international idols, and when was it ever forbidden to copy international stars? That's how music evolves! Perhaps, they came too close to original artists, or they simply were too un-Danish? I loved a song like "She's Radiant" but also found it almost like an indiscreet cover of something by Borland.

Anyway, Minor Sun is this band's best album, but without attracting national interest the band split later in '96 and the brothers Olesen initiated their longer-lasting duo-project Olesen-Olesen, and Borby, Krog Hansen, and de Andreis later formed the band Labrador, which along the road ended up as Borby's solo project.

Greene "Lovers' Lingo" (1994)

Lovers' Lingo

release date: Apr. 18, 1994

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,33]

producer: Troels Bech

label: Cloudland - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Being With Someone" (live) - 2. "Introducing Love to a Cynic" (live) - 3. "Lovers' Lingo" - 7. "Venus in Furs" - 9. "Can't Find Myself"

2nd studio album by Greene and the follow-up to Teenage Museum (May 1992) is Greene in a slightly changed line-up making it a quintet with lead vocalist Peter H. Olesen, acoustic guitarist Henrik Olesen, lead guitarist Marco de Andreis, and with Flemming Borby on drums and organ. New member here is Henrik Duus on electric & acoustic guitar, who only features on this album. Aside from that also John Krog Hansen (from The Poets, here replacing Kim Borreby) is credited on bass - he would be official member after the release. All songs are credited Olesen / Olesen except track #1 with additional music by Jens Unmack and track #7, a cover of Lou Reed's "Venus in Furs".

Musically, the band has turned down on its post-punk roots and embraced more melodic and harmony-based indie pop with room for ballads, holding on to a more subdued jangle pop sound.

I recall being quite happy for this album when it was released but also found it with apparent inspiration from The Sound / Adrian Borland and not so much the Go-Betweens / Aztec Camera sound they demonstrated on the debut, but over the years, I don't see it as the strong follow-up, I initially embraced back then. It still has its moments - mostly in terms of reflecting better arrangements and for being better produced - but as original music it stands a bit with the one foot in following The Sound and the other wanting to follow Lou Reed and ends up being a bit indecisive. Also, when looking back at the band's discography - counting three full-length studio albums, Lovers' Lingo appears their weakest moment.

Greene "Teenage Museum" (1992)

Teenage Museum [debut]

release date: May 4, 1992

format: cd (RAIN004CD)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]

producer: Troels Bech & The Greene Brothers

label: Cloudland - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Tomorrow" - 2. "About Leaving & Being Left" - 3. "Happy Day" - 4. "Love Made Me a Better Man" - 5. "Teenage Museum" - 8. "Someday"

Studio album debut by Danish band Greene (1986-'96) - originally named Green but an American band already played under that name, so still of '86 they changed the band name to Greene, which here consists of the two brothers Olesen: Peter on vocals, and younger brother Henrik on acoustic guitar and backing vocals, Marco de Andreis on lead guitar, Kim Borreby on bass, and with Flemming Borby on piano and drums. The band changed its line-up a few times and progressed from being a trio at the formation in '86 to here constitute a quintet with ex-members of several other bands. The brothers Olesen previously played in the post-punk band Sort-Hvide Landskaber (1982-83, formerly Reaktion, and around 1984 as Skizo Kids); Marco Andreis had been guitarist in the acclaimed band Moral before joining Greene; Kim Borby is credited on bass - he has recently replaced Jens Unmack, who remains credited 'additional personnel' on guitar, but he previously played in Næste Uges TV from 1980-84 and was stable bassist of Greene from 1986-92; Flemming Borby (aka Labrador from 2000, Montblanc from 2011) had already played in various bands, e.g. Sport Art, Poets of the Signature, later The Poets, and he became keyboardist and drummer in Greene in '88. Also producer Troels Bech is a central figure of The Poets. The reason to Unmack leaving the band is most likely because of his increased focus on 'his' long-lasting band Love Shop, formed as early as in '86, and who debuted in 1990 with the album 1990.

Teenage Museum is written and composed by 'The Greene Brothers' (Peter & Henrik), except for the cd bonus track #11 "White Shirt", which is a cover originally by Sort Sol. Musically, Greene plays indie pop / jangle pop with inspiration from bands like The Go-Betweens, The Church, Aztec Camera, The Smiths, as well as a more hard rocking acts like T. Rex and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and with a strong bond to the punk rock scene from which Greene later took its starting point.

I already knew of both Moral, The Poets, Sort-Hvide Landskaber og Næste Uges TV, and I actually recall when the album came out. It was well-received by critics, and the songs #3 and #4 were played occasionally on national radio, but the album simply didn't attract a greater audience. Greene released three studio albums from '92-96, and never made the move from cult to practical success, and after disbanding, the brothers Olesen continued more successfully with their duo-project Olesen-Olesen.

I like many of the songs on the album, but also see it as a rather incoherent release pointing in too many directions. Yes, it's indie pop / indie rock with inspiration from many sources, and the most obvious weakness is that it's not entirely original in sound and style. Some songs are jangle pop-founded with strong bonds to contemporary artists but e.g. track #4, which was one of the most popular songs, sounds more like heavily inspired by the glam rock practised by T. Rex or Bowie in the early '70s, and the whole package remains rather inconsistent, which makes you wonder where they would go from here. That said, it's still performed with musical quality and a good amount of pure talent.

The cover art is made by Sort Sol bassist Knud Odde.