"Connection"

Elastica - Connection (1994)

Ahh Britpop Drama.



There once was a British band named Suede. They were formed in 1989 by a couple, Brett Anderson and Justine Frischmann; along with a few friends. By 1991 Frischmann and Anderson had split and Frischmann began dating Damon Albarn. Anderson kicked her out of the band and Suede starting going places. Albarn and his band Blur were touring the United States and got big and so Frischmann, along with another former member of Suede on drums, formed a band of their own. By 1995 Elastica, Suede, and Blur were three of the biggest names in the Britpop scene. Want more drama? Elastica's eponymous debut album was plagued with accusations of plagiarism. These accusations started in 1994 when their single, Connection, was reported to have an opening riff ripped off of their admitted musical influence Wire's Three Girl Rhumba.

The riff in question opens the song. It's played on keyboard on a setting called "distorted guitar" later in the song you can hear it played on an actual distorted guitar. The volume leaps in after the intro. Frischmann's vocals are a cross between singing and shouting. Her West London accent is really heard on lines like /They just think it's stupid/ and /Who would have thought it of someone like you/. I really like the two girl harmony on the chorus' /...connection is made/.