h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just from reading the NME you understand

apparently Brett read some lyrics at a poetry festival recently, which would go onto the fifth album, out this year apparently.

Coming up is easily the best.

Yes, they are recording another album at the moment. Possible titles for it are 'Graffiti', 'Fast Food', 'Instant Sunshine' and 'Subject To Nicotine Stains'.

'Coming Up' is probably the most popular album.

so you would know a fair amount of suede then. are you sure your not brett anderson in disguise or something?

Yep, you got me. Well spotted.

you know what they say: theres no camouflage like the truth...

i cannot believe that i am on the verge of believing you

but now i know you arent. destroy a poor young man's dreams, why dont you?

I'll agree that Coming Up is the most popular of the Suede albums and possibly one of the best to lead new listeners to trying them out, but without a doubt Dog Man Star is a far superior album in sheer sound and lyrics and the second best album to attract new listeners.

true. i agree. im less enamoured of their first one.

Richard Oakes (guitarist) rather tetchily said that Coming Up was 'forty minutes of radio friendly pop'. The band themselves usually claim Dog Man Star to be their favourite.

im a fan of all whiney voiced guitar bands anywhere, which got me onto suede. ie mansun, radiohead, muse etc

- I think their new LP is going to be called "A New Morning". Personally, I've had enough mourning since the release of 'Head Music'. It's interesting that you should see Brett portraying the characters on 'Head Music' as vapid dullards, and it is quite tempting to look at the album from that perspective - but ultimately I think it was the album itself that lacked life. Having heard rough drafts of "Positivity" and "Beautiful Loser" I'm not holding out *much* hope for the next release.

Head Music is certainly a different kettle of fish to the other albums, especially Suede and Dog Man Star. But I'm just not sure what else they can do in their position. I suppose that's what happens when you get established: you can't really do anything right.

I have yet to hear any tracks from the new album except Beautiful Loser, which didn't really enthrall me.

There's a Suede night at Mis Shapes in King's Cross on Saturday for the tenth anniversary of the release of The Drowners - the band are going to be there and everything. And where will I be? Bloody miles away.

- yes, I heard about that evening on nme.com. Apparently it was meant to be nothing more than a one-off airing of some new material during the "disco", but at midnight all attendence were whisked off to watch the band play a live set in an *incredibly* intimate venue. Sounded dreamy. I had an opportunity to see them play over a week ago in Blackstaff studios in Belfast where they unveiled (much to Bonos' enthusiastic head-waggling approval) "Positivity" during the Hot Press Music Awards, but the ticket wasn't worth the asking price.

- I didn't miss much though. Did you see the performance on BBC Choice?

No, I didn't hear about it. Any good? New stuff, I take it?

I've seen them a few times: in 1992 (the gig that is on the Love and Poison video), at Reading Festival in 1996 and in 1999, on the Head Music tour. Needless to say, they have been utterly utterly on all occasions. Lovely band. Although oddly my favourite Suede memory is getting off a tube at Holland Park just before Dog Man Star was released, and every inch of wall space was plastered in promotional posters. It just looked really cool.