#FortnightFridayMusic
Feb 20 2026
This week we’re going #Underground

Julian Cope, "My Nation Underground” (1988)

After the breakup of his band The Teardrop Explodes in 1982, Julian Cope embarked on a prolific solo career, making sharp, intelligent, but catchy pop music. Here we have his fourth full-length solo release, the one that finally caught my attention, having lost track of him while following his still-active kindred Liverpudlians, Echo & The Bunnymen.

The track on My Nation Underground that got radio play was “Charlotte Anne” with a slow, almost martial beat, and featuring what might be a penny whistle - not the usual stuff of a radio hit. The album’s opening track, a cover of “5 O’Clock World,” a song made famous by The Vogues in the 60s, didn’t go far commercially as a single despite being given a crisp modern sound.

The title track featured here wields horn section blasts, densely layered vocals, pounding drums, appearances by harmonica and strings, yet still maintains a feeling of space in its expansiveness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVS_RPl4kug

#JulianCope #TheTeardropExplodes #TeardropExplodes #EchoAndTheBunnymen #Liverpool #TheVogues