The group released their debut single "Keen" in 1985 which immediately severed all musical links with the Undertones with its darker more edgy sound. Indeed That Petrol Emotion themselves were also far more political and outspoken than the Undertones. This statement of intent in the guise of Keen was followed by their debut album "Manic Pop Thrill", released in 1986 on Demon Records and charting at number 1 in the UK Indie Chart. It was received with rave reviews from the critics, especially by Undertones champion John Peel. Around this time That Petrol Emotion were also quickly making their name as a devastating live act of tight musicianship and intense playing. Indeed they were described by Rolling Stone magazine as "The Clash crossed with Creedence", and the New York Times described them in 1987 as "a youthful Rolling Stones" mixed with a "revved-up Television".
Their second album (and major label debut) Babble released in 1987 on Polydor broke into the UK Top 40 album chart and won universal acclaim; just some of the accolades being that it was voted as one of the albums of the year by Rolling Stone magazine critics and receiving an A- 'grade' from the legendary Robert Christgau. In the UK, the single "Big Decision" was released in 1987 which narrowly missed a place in the coveted Top 40, charting at number 42. Whether this was to do with the fact that the back sleeve contained text decrying the use of plastic bullets by the British Army in Northern Ireland remains to be seen. Either way the band unfortunately never gained a higher chart position than on this first hit. Suspiciously enough their next single, "Genius Move" (also 1987) was banned from being aired by the BBC.
On the eve of the recording sessions for their third album "End of the Millenium Psychosis Blues" (Virgin records, 1988), John O'Neill announced his imminent departure from the band. The resulting sessions were thus fraught with tension and foreboding and the album itself upon release was greeted with confusion by critics and fans alike. It was meant to emulate the eclectic mixtapes the band listened to and loved on their tourbus but this dance and sample experimentation ("Groove Check", "Here it is...Take it!", "Tension") mixed with heavy alt rock ("Under the Sky"), celtic balladeering ("Cellophane") and good old indie ("Sooner or Later", "Every Little Bit") proved too disjointed and diverse to break into the mainstream at the time. However, reappraisal of this album whilst seeing many critics and fans admitting that this diversity in style did alienate people in the contemporary scene, also sees in retrospect that That Petrol Emotion were very much before their time and trailblazers for the Britpop and Madchester indie-dance scene due to their early experiments mixing up indie with funk and dance. Indeed they were posthumously described as having perfected "the art of the scuzzed up alternative pop song" during the 80s.
After John O'Neill left the band, a re-shuffle took place in That Petrol Emotion. Drummer Ciaran McLaughlin and guitarist Raymond Gorman picked up major songwriting duties; blossoming as writers in the process whilst new bassist John Marchini joined to allow Damian O'Neill to take up the guitar alongside Gorman. This new dynamic of musicians and songsmiths led to the 1990 album Chemicrazy, again for Virgin records. "Chemicrazy" had a more alt rock style than before; hinted at on the final track of the previous album "Under the Sky". However whilst being more intense than before, "Chemicrazy" also maintained a pure pop heart, exemplified by singles "Sensitize", "Tingle" and "Hey Venus". Frustratingly for the band however the massive predicted sales for "Chemicrazy" never came.
Dropped from Virgin, That Petrol Emotion's fifth and final album "Fireproof" (1993), released on their own label, Koogat, saw Marchini leave and Belfast born Brendan Kelly take up the bass in his place. Kelly's tight and heavy playing pushed That Petrol Emotion towards their heaviest, most riff-laden album to date which, just like their first album, reached number 1 in the UK Indie Chart.
However, despite the great press and the loyal fan base they garnered over the ten years and five albums of their career, That Petrol Emotion never attained the level of commercial success or fame enjoyed by their contemporaries (e.g. My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth). As a result the band amicably split in 1994.
Still, their body of work remains to be critically acclaimed within the music press and it is widely agreed that whilst being very underrated, That Petrol Emotion greatly influenced the Britpop movement and bands such as The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Manic Street Preachers, Blur and Radiohead.
That Petrol Emotion reformed in 2008 and continue to play sporadically. Updates can be found at their official site http://www.thatpetrolemotion.com.
Can't Stop
That Petrol Emotion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of discontent wall to wall
A hoodlum shrine for nothing more
That went beyond the steel and call
I can't stop falling
I can't stop falling
Not what Angels do discriminate
Against black and white
I'm alright
And isn't it time
Your socks pulled up
I can't stop falling
I can't stop falling
It's like some voyeuristic tradition
Of naked hate
More and more
A feeble kind of subtlety
That's lost beneath veneers of shocks
I can't stop falling
I can't stop falling
I can't stop falling
I can't stop falling
I can't stop falling
I can't stop falling
I can't stop
The lyrics to That Petrol Emotion's song Can't Stop are characteristically cryptic and challenging to interpret, but they nonetheless convey a sense of frustration and angst that is undeniable. The opening line, "I've had a masochistic kiss of death," suggests a relationship that was doomed from the start, one that the singer could not resist despite knowing that it would end badly. The next line, "Of discontent wall to wall," implies that this relationship was not the only source of dissatisfaction in the singer's life; there is a pervasive feeling of unhappiness that seems to be all-encompassing.
The third line, "A hoodlum shrine for nothing more," is difficult to decipher, but it appears to suggest that the relationship in question was not something elevated or noble, but rather something base and unremarkable. The phrase "that went beyond the steel and call" is similarly enigmatic, but it could be taken to mean that the relationship was characterized by a lack of boundaries or limits, something that was reckless and perhaps even dangerous.
The refrain, "I can't stop falling," is repeated throughout the song, and it feels like a plea for help or a cry of desperation. The singer seems trapped in a cycle they cannot escape from, unable to resist the lure of destructive relationships and self-destructive behavior. The final lines of the song continue this theme, describing a "voyeuristic tradition of naked hate" and a "feeble kind of subtlety" that is lost beneath the surface of things. Taken together, these lyrics paint a picture of a world in which it is difficult, if not impossible, to find genuine connection or meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
I've had a masochistic kiss of death
I've experienced a self-destructive embrace of misery.
Of discontent wall to wall
My dissatisfaction has been all encompassing.
A hoodlum shrine for nothing more
I've created a rebellious devotion without true purpose.
That went beyond the steel and call
It extended beyond the strength and appeal of a physical object.
But I was keen to do the perfect
I wanted to do things flawlessly.
Not what Angels do discriminate
I didn't want to be selective like angels are known to be.
Against black and white
Against polarizing opinions.
I'm alright
I'm doing fine.
And isn't it time
Isn't it about time?
Your socks pulled up
Get your act together.
It's like some voyeuristic tradition
It's similar to a secretive habit or custom of observing.
Of naked hate
Of naked disdain.
More and more
Increasingly.
A feeble kind of subtlety
A weak and subtle manner.
That's lost beneath veneers of shocks
That's buried under layers of sensationalism.
I can't stop falling
I am unable to halt my descent.
I can't stop falling
I am incapable of ceasing my decline.
I can't stop falling
I can't put a stop to my downfall.
I can't stop falling
It's impossible for me to halt my plummet.
I can't stop
I am powerless to stop.
Contributed by Chloe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Chris S
grotesquely underrated band, i remember hearing these in 1986 and they changed my whole attitude to music,they made me realise there was more to the utter shit you got in the top 40
Colm Kavanagh
One of the greatest debut albums. Ever.
ÁNGEL FRÍAS PERLES
Absolutamente fantásticos!!!
greenelectra
The first album , still the best . No big deal , one of them must be the best right? This is it.
osho de weil
Pop Thrill is masterpiece of 80s rock!
Suzanne Cluderay
Remember buying the album on the strength of 'its a good thing',wasn't disappointed,cracking album! Will always to it.
Andrew Wells
The urgency, the discipline, the pristine rush...
Julian Davis
The first band I ever saw live; not a bad way to start! Great band, great output and so chronically overlooked.
TPE 15
It will rarely, if ever, get better than this.
MUAY THAI PRATO
Bellissima ...ho ancora il disco originale...erano fantastici....wow