As usual it will come down to how much of a fan of the band you are and how much enjoyment you’ll get out of the physicality of this set, but ironically the biggest Suede fans are likely to be the most disappointed. Suede’s sound has been compared to that of the Smiths as well as David Bowie, with many critics drawing attention to Brett Anderson’s dark and bleak depictions of British society. Bernard Butler’s guitar work also earned praise from critics, and the album has since gained a reputation as not only Suede’s best album (usually competing with their next, Dog Man Star) but also as one of the greatest records of the Britpop era. Although the album is often considered a commercial disappointment, its actual UK sales were still relatively strong. By August 1996, it had sold 235,000 copies, without all the hype and media exposure of the debut which sold 275,000. [82] However, at the same time, US sales were only one tenth of UK sales, shifting 23,000. [83] According to Nielsen SoundScan, as of September 2008, it has sold 36,000. By comparison, this is about a third of the sales of Suede. [84] It was certified as gold by the British Phonographic Industry November 1994. [2] Reissues [ edit ] On their return, Anderson moved to Highgate, North London, where he lived in solitude, listening to the chanting of the Anabaptist Mennonite sect living in the flat next door and drawing on a fresh set of influences, from acid-fuelled dreams of Hollywood casualties to watching Performance on repeat. “By that point I’d become quite a strange person,” he says. “That’s what success does to you. I indulged my strange obsessions.” Elements of Anderson's lyrics were influenced by his drug use, citing William Blake as a big influence on his writing style. [12] He became fascinated with his use of visions and trance-like states as a means of creation, and claimed that much of the "fragmented imagery" on "Introducing the Band" was the result of letting his subconscious take over. [45] The song was a mantra he wrote after visiting a Buddhist temple in Japan. [42] The uncharacteristic single-chord opening song's style and lyrics baffled critics; some were unimpressed, [34] [50] while Stuart Maconie felt the song had a "cryptic, disclocated ambience that makes it an ideal opener". [51] Lewis Carroll was an influence on the lyrics, who Anderson was reading at the time. There was also an Orwellian tone, which permeated into the second song and lead single " We Are the Pigs", [49] which depicts Anderson's visions of Armageddon and riots in the streets. [45] The song also features horns reminiscent of those used in the theme music from Peter Gunn. [52] [53] Anderson's lyrical subjects became exclusively tragic figures, such as the addicted teenager in "Heroine", and James Dean in "Daddy's Speeding". [54]

Anderson ended up recruiting the seventeen year-old Richard Oakes to replace him on the tour, and was forced to complete some of the guitar parts on his own. And, if things weren’t bad enough, Suede’s star was beginning to fall as a little-known band called Blur was running away with the Britpop crown with their smash 1994 record, Parklife. It was especially damaging as Anderson’s girlfriend, Justine Frischmann of Elastica fame had recently left him for Blur’s Damon Albarn. The DVD features song-films which were specially created for the Dog Man Star tour and previously-unseen footage of the band playing at the Casino de Paris and at the Fnac, Les Halles in Paris on 27 November 1993. The bonus DVD material features a 2011 interview with Anderson and Butler including contemporary film inserts from Simon Gilbert. The booklet contains all the lyrics, hand-written lyric drafts and previously unpublished photos of the band. There is also a specially-written note by Anderson; in it he says: "If I could choose to be remembered for just one musical document it would be this." [85] The reissue charted at no. 63 in the UK Albums Chart. [69] Shepherd, Fiona (21 October 1994). "Suede: Dog Man Star (Nude)". The List. No.239. p.36 . Retrieved 17 February 2017. The big question is how does the Pure Audio blu-ray sound? I compared Heroine with the original CD and to be frank the 1994 CD sounded muffled and horrible in comparison although there was a lot of ‘splashy’ cymbals on the blu-ray. The Wild Ones, surprisingly, didn’t sound that different, but the more pertinent comparison between the 2011 remaster and the blu-ray revealed little audible difference to these ears. Scratch that – they sounded identical. As a fan of hi-res audio this was a rather disappointing although perhaps not too surprising since they do share the same remastering. In November 2003, Suede released the compilation album Singles which included all 19 of their previously released singles, and also contained two new songs, " Attitude" (itself released as a single along with the non-album "Golden Gun" to promote the album) and "Love the Way You Love Me". Following the release of Singles Suede announced they were disbanding at the end of 2003. [12]The first single from the album? Surprisingly, ‘We Are The Pigs’, it’s cover – a menacing masked mob, not usual Our Price fodder – taken from the 1981 West German comedy Freak Orlando. Bassist Mat Osman described the decision – having had his suggestion of ‘The Wild Ones’ shouted down – as “commercial suicide”. Interestingly, the song – or at least a mimed performance of it on Top Of The Pops on September 22 , 1994 – was the first time the world saw Richard Oakes in Suede. He made his ‘proper’ debut at a fanclub gig in London on October 10 th. After ‘Dog Man Star’, Suede made a pop record a b Paine, Andre (9 July 2021). "Suede sign to BMG for new album". Music Week . Retrieved 9 July 2021.

a b c d e f g h "British album certifications – Suede". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 28 September 2018. Select albums in the Format field. Type Suede in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter. Many insist that the nine-minutes and 25 seconds of ‘The Asphalt World’ on side two of the record is ‘Dog Man Star’s’ shiniest jewel. Suede bass player Mat Osman has said that the song – largely conceived by the bands increasingly prog-obsessed guitarist Bernard Butler – was originally intended to be 25 minutes long, with an eight-minute guitar solo wedged into the mix. “ Lots of the musical ideas were too much,” says Osman. “They were being rude to the listener: it was expecting too much of people to listen to them.”

Travels in Japan shaped the album’s opener

BONUS DVD FEATURE: BRETT ANDERSON AND BERNARD BUTLER 2011 INTERVIEW, INCLUDING FILM INSERTS BY SIMON GILBERT

Hannman, Natalie (10 April 2007). "Portrait of the artist: Kele Okereke, lead singer of Bloc Party". The Guardian . Retrieved 16 February 2019.

Butler hid secret messages in his remaining guitar parts

a b "Mojo Presents Suede". Mojo. Archived from the original on 24 July 2013 . Retrieved 24 July 2013. Suede’s Dog Man Star (1994) is one of those albums and is very much a classic album. It is their finest work, it is by far and away the best British album to be released during the musical wasteland of the Britpop years and it easily stakes a claim to be one of the best British albums of all time. Bernard’s departure completely overshadowed the release of Dog Man Star, clearing the way for Oasis and Blur to dominate the rest of the decade. a b c d e f g "Suede | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 29 September 2018.