Wikipedia

Bengali Bantam Youth Experience!

Bengali Bantam Youth Experience! is an album by the English band Black Star Liner, released in 1999.[2][3] "Superfly and Bindi" was released as a single and peaked at No. 78 on the UK Singles Chart.[4][5] The album was nominated for the 1999 Mercury Music Prize.[6] The band supported the album with a UK tour.[7]

Bengali Bantam Youth Experience!
Studio album by
Black Star Liner
Released1999
GenreTrance rock[1]
LabelWarner Music UK
Black Star Liner chronology
Superfly and Bindi EP
(1998) 		Bengali Bantam Youth Experience!
(1999) 		Twelve Inch Confrontation Mix EP
(2000)

Production

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The album's sound was in part influenced by the music preferences of vocalist Choque Hosein's international relatives.[8] He was skeptical of being lumped in with the Asian Underground movement, although noted the increased attention.[9] Many of the songs are instrumentals that employ sitars and tablas.[10][11] "Silvini" uses Yorkshire dialect to lampoon England's fascination with Indian culture.[12] "Low BMW" is about the automotive preference of many English Indians.[13] "Pink Rupee" concerns gay life in Asian society.[14]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Birmingham Post     [15]
Calgary Herald     [10]
The Gazette8/10[11]

The Independent noted that "the band derives most of its idiosyncratic character ... from the Indian-Trinidadian vocalist Choque Hossein, whose declamatory toasting style is in the tradition of Bo Diddley and Beefheart and Big Youth: loud and enigmatic and often funny, too."[1] Music Week said that the album "features brief bursts of history-informed rock cross-pollinated with Eastern sounds and Choque's upfront personality."[16] The Observer opined that "at their best, their instrumentals evoke the urban tension of Massive Attack and the Specials' 'Ghost Town'."[17] The Guardian stated that "nobody has ever sounded like this, principally because Kraftwerk weren't born in New Delhi and the Future Sound of London never left their studio."[12]

In 2024, Uncut placed the album at No. 465 on its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s".[18]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."Sita D" 
2."Swimmer" 
3."Low BMW" 
4."Gurdeep's Yellow Funk" 
5."Superfly and Bindi" 
6."Pink Rupee" 
7."Ethnic Suicide of the Volga Boatmen" 
8."Inder Automatic" 
9."Khaatoon" 
10."Silvini" 
11."Dark Shadow" 
12."Intafada Powder Line" 

References

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  1. ^ a b Gill, Andy (22 Jan 1999). "Pop: This Week's Album Releases". Features. The Independent. p. 13.
  2. ^ Donnell, Alison, ed. (2002). Companion to Contemporary Black British Culture. Taylor & Francis. p. 48.
  3. ^ Wallace, Richard (18 Dec 1998). "Music". Features. The Mirror. p. 19.
  4. ^ Bell, Max (22 Jan 1999). "Leeds' star of Asia Choque Hosein of Black Star Liner has a sense of humour almost as rich as his music". Evening Standard. p. 33.
  5. ^ "Black Star Liner". Official Charts. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Entertainment: Manics lead Mercury shortlist". BBC News. 1999-07-27. Retrieved 2012-04-27.
  7. ^ Burnet, Andrew (28 Aug 1999). "Advance". The Scotsman. p. 3.
  8. ^ Williamson, Nigel (13 Feb 1999). "Global music pulse". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 7. p. 75.
  9. ^ McLaren, Leah (3 Apr 1999). "Thank you, India? Bindi Boom". The Globe and Mail. p. C22.
  10. ^ a b Muretich, James (13 May 1999). "Black Star Liner Bengali Bantam Youth Experience". Calgary Herald. p. HL14.
  11. ^ a b Dunlevy, T'Cha (27 May 1999). "Black Star Liner Bengali Bantam Youth Experience". The Gazette. p. B9.
  12. ^ a b Simpson, Dave (29 Jan 1999). "Pop CD of the week: Choque'n'roll". The Guardian. p. T18.
  13. ^ "Black Star Liner: Bengali Bantam Youth". Sunday Herald. 7 Feb 1999. p. 17.
  14. ^ Bonnell, Scott (21 May 1999). "Black Star Liner Bengali Bantam Youth Experience!". Nanaimo Daily News. p. D3.
  15. ^ Cowen, Andrew (30 Jan 1999). "Pop CD of the Week". Birmingham Post. p. 35.
  16. ^ "Reviews". Music Week. 23 Jan 1999. p. 6.
  17. ^ Spencer, Neil (24 Jan 1999). "Pop". Arts. The Observer. p. 9.
  18. ^ Robinson, John, ed. (2024). "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s". Uncut: The Archive Collection. No. 7. p. 13.
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