When in Rome, Kill Me
Encyclopedia
When in Rome, Kill Me is the debut album by the Leeds-based indie rock
band
Cud
and released through Imaginary Records
The album was recorded during March 1989 at the Woodhouse Studios in Leeds with Alaric Neville and Richard Formby handling production.
Side 1 of the LP (first seven songs on CD) are linked by short narrative segments (narrated by Cud's drummer Steve Goodwin's landlord John Farrell and Elizabeth Cuthbertson as Bibi) such that the first half of the album loosely forms a single story. In this story, it is implied that the protagonist flees Whitby
to Rome
after committing some undisclosed crime. There he is reunited with Bibi, possibly an accomplice in the crime, with whom he sleeps, but the following morning he wakes to find Bibi has left and grassed
him to the police. We leave the protagonist drunk in a bar, as police sirens approach, with him rueing, "I would have got away with it, if it hadn't been for those b*stard, b*stard meddling kids."
"Only (A Prawn in Whitby)" was supposedly inspired by a chance encounter by Cud's manager with Morrissey
. Allegedly, the vegetarian lead singer of the Smiths was seen partaking of a single prawn. The story is now accepted to be aprocryphal.
The album reached number three in the UK Indie Chart
in 1989.
Side 2
An expanded CD version (without Bomba Boy) was released through Cherry Red Records in 2007 and included previously unreleased bonus tracks
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
Cud
Cud (band)
Cud are a British indie rock band formed in Leeds, England in 1987, consisting of vocalist Carl Puttnam , guitarist/keyboardist Mike Dunphy , bassist William Potter , and drummer Steve Goodwin .Though an indie rock band, their music incorporated elements of funk...
and released through Imaginary Records
Imaginary Records
Imaginary Records was an independent record label based in Heywood, Lancashire, England, which specialised mainly in indie rock and post-punk. It was created and owned by Alan Duffy, known for his lyrical contributions to Porcupine Tree's first two albums, On the Sunday of Life and Up the...
The album was recorded during March 1989 at the Woodhouse Studios in Leeds with Alaric Neville and Richard Formby handling production.
Side 1 of the LP (first seven songs on CD) are linked by short narrative segments (narrated by Cud's drummer Steve Goodwin's landlord John Farrell and Elizabeth Cuthbertson as Bibi) such that the first half of the album loosely forms a single story. In this story, it is implied that the protagonist flees Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
after committing some undisclosed crime. There he is reunited with Bibi, possibly an accomplice in the crime, with whom he sleeps, but the following morning he wakes to find Bibi has left and grassed
Informant
An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...
him to the police. We leave the protagonist drunk in a bar, as police sirens approach, with him rueing, "I would have got away with it, if it hadn't been for those b*stard, b*stard meddling kids."
"Only (A Prawn in Whitby)" was supposedly inspired by a chance encounter by Cud's manager with Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
. Allegedly, the vegetarian lead singer of the Smiths was seen partaking of a single prawn. The story is now accepted to be aprocryphal.
The album reached number three in the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
in 1989.
Track listing
Side 1 - there are related comments to the narrative shown on the album and in brackets after each track)- When In Rome, Kill Me - 2.23 (He wasn'tsure either! He was edging his bets.)
- Only (A Prawn In Whitby) - 3.26 (Better make this one a single.)
- Bibi Couldn't See - 3.01 (Myopic or biopic? Take your pick.)
- Strange Kind Of Love - 3.28 (Passions flair when the elocution gets tough, and the rough gets going.)
- Push And Shove - 3.27 (The quality of Trugoy is strained.)
- Day Crime Paid - 4.14 (That was the day, the day crime paid, that was.)
- When In Rome, Kill Me Again - 1.02 (If you have stomachs.)
Side 2
- I've Had It With Blondes - 4.29
- Van Van Van - 2.29
- Vocally Speaking - 3.38
- Wobbly Jelly - 1.50
- Alison Springs - 2.50
- Epicurean's Answer - 4.02
- Bomba Boy Available only on the 1992 CD version.
An expanded CD version (without Bomba Boy) was released through Cherry Red Records in 2007 and included previously unreleased bonus tracks
- Van Van Van (BBC Radio Leeds Session) - 2.44
- I've Had It With Blondes (Demo) - 3.23
- BB Couldn't C (3rd John Peel Session) - 2.48
- Strange Kind Of Love (Live BBC Sound City Sheffield) - 3.33
- Alison Springs (Unreleased Version) - 3.04
- Only (A Prawn In Whitby) (Carefree Sud) - 4.00
- Starry Eyes (Carefree Sud) - 2.03
- Vocally Speaking/Wobbly Jelly (Carefree Sud) - 5.13
Personnel
- Carl Puttnam – vocals
- Mike Dunphy – guitars
- William Potter – bass guitar
- Steve Goodwin – drums