Trouble Over Bridgwater
Encyclopedia
Trouble Over Bridgwater is the eighth album by UK rock band Half Man Half Biscuit
, released in 2000. The title is a play on words, based on the Simon & Garfunkel classic, "Bridge Over Troubled Water
". Bridgwater
is a town in Somerset, UK.
Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB", are an English rock band from Birkenhead, Merseyside, active since the mid-1980s, known for satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs. The group comprises Nigel Blackwell , Neil Crossley , Ken Hancock , and Carl Henry...
, released in 2000. The title is a play on words, based on the Simon & Garfunkel classic, "Bridge Over Troubled Water
Bridge over Troubled Water
Bridge Over Troubled Water is the fifth and final studio album by Simon & Garfunkel. Released on January 26, 1970 on both Quadraphonic and Stereo formats, it reached No. 1 on Billboard Music Charts pop albums list...
". Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
is a town in Somerset, UK.
Track listing
- "Irk The Purists"
- "UffingtonUffington, OxfordshireUffington is a village and civil parish about south of Faringdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. Uffington is most commonly known as the location of the Uffington White Horse hill figure....
WassailWassailingThe tradition of Wassailing falls into two distinct categories: The House-Visiting wassail and the Orchard-Visiting wassail. House-Visiting wassail, very much similar to caroling, is the practice of people going door-to-door singing Christmas carols...
" - "Third Track Main Camera Four Minutes"
- "NoveCharles NoveCharles Alexis Nove born in London, is a long standing news and continuity voiceover announcer for BBC radio and television. In recent years he has provided holiday relief for BBC Radio 2 and what used to be Saga Radio in Scotland, and following John Marsh's retirement in February 2007 he became...
On The Sly" - "Ballad Of Climie FisherClimie FisherClimie Fisher were a UK pop duo formed by vocalist Simon Climie and former Naked Eyes keyboardist Rob Fisher...
" - "GubbaTony GubbaTony Gubba is a British journalist and sports commentator. He was educated at Blackpool Grammar School in Blackpool, a coastal town in England's North West...
Look-a-Likes" - "Mathematically Safe"
- "With Goth On Our Side"
- "Used To Be In Evil Gazebo"
- "Slight Reprise"
- "It's Clichéd To Be Cynical At Christmas"
- "Visitor For Mr. EdmondsNoel EdmondsNoel Ernest Edmonds, is an English broadcaster and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show, Telly Addicts, Noel's Saturday...
" - "Bottleneck At Capel CurigCapel CurigCapel Curig is a village and community in Conwy County Borough, in Wales. It lies in the heart of Snowdonia, on the River Llugwy, and has a population of 226...
" - "Emerging From Gorse"
- "Look Dad No Tunes"
- "Twenty Four Hour Garage People"
Cultural References
Half Man Half Biscuit often reference other cultural touchstones in their music.- "Irk the Purists" interpolates the hymnHymnA hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
Oil in My LampOil in My Lamp"Oil in My Lamp", also known as "Give Me Oil in My Lamp" and "Sing Hosanna", is a traditional Christian hymn based on the Parable of the Ten Virgins...
, and references many credible bands and pop artists. - "With Goth on Our Side" references the Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
song "With God on Our SideWith God on Our Side"With God on Our Side" is a song by Bob Dylan, released as the third track on his 1964 album The Times They Are A-Changin. Dylan first performed the song during his debut at The Town Hall in New York City on April 12, 1963...
", - "Slight Reprise" is a pun on the The BluetonesThe BluetonesThe Bluetones were an English indie rock band, formed in Hounslow, Greater London, in 1993. The band's members were Mark Morriss on vocals, Adam Devlin on guitar, Scott Morriss on bass guitar, and Eds Chesters on drums. A fifth member, Richard Payne, came on board between 1998 and 2002...
' Slight ReturnSlight Return"Slight Return" is a song by The Bluetones, released as the second single from their 1996 debut album Expecting to Fly. A re-release, it was originally issued as a double-A-side with "The Fountainhead" the previous year. It peaked at number two in the UK singles chart and remains the band's... - "Twenty Four Hour Garage People" is a pun on the Happy MondaysHappy MondaysHappy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan...
' 24 Hour Party People24 Hour Party People24 Hour Party People is a 2002 British film about Manchester's popular music community from 1976 to 1992, and specifically about Factory Records. It was written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and directed by Michael Winterbottom...
, and also contains the line "He went to play golf on a Sunday morn just a mile and a half from town, his head was found on the driving range and his body's never been found", which is a reference to the LeadbellyLeadbellyHuddie William Ledbetter was an iconic American folk and blues musician, notable for his strong vocals, his virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the songbook of folk standards he introduced....
version of In the Pines.