ALBUM OF THE YEAR....AND IT'S RELEASED TODAY

OK. You know fine well that I'm talking about Helping Hands by Butcher Boy.

The album was given a very substantial and positive review on TVV a few weeks back when I was lucky enough to be sent an advance copy by the very nice people at Damaged Goods Records. Since then, I've listened again and again and again to this record which is achingly beautiful, indie-poptastic, warm, funny, moving, stunning, thrilling and just so incredibly brilliant that I really don't have the words.  This is again when I know I'm just a music fan and not a writer.

Helping Hands is without any doubt at all my favourite record of 2011. And at long last it is available to buy from today in shops and on-line.  I won't insult your intelligence by making any suggestions as to the best place to get a hold of it....I'll leave that to you, your conscience and your bank or credit card.  But please.....go search it out and buy it.  You won't be disappointed.  It's the 'must-have' item of the season.

I'm delighted that keyboardist, nay make that multi-instrumentalist, Alison Eales, took the time late last week to answer some questions put to her by TVV....her answers give you a great insight into the world of Butcher Boy and this stunning new record.

TVV : How did you come to get involved and become part of Butcher Boy?

Alison Eales : I had known John for a few years through mutual friends and had been going to his club night, National Pop League, since it started. That was where I met Garry Hoggan, who was playing bass with the band at the time. He came over to my flat one night and discovered that I basically lived in a room full of musical instruments - I think that was when he suggested to John that I try out for the band.


They had a gig coming up, so having never played in a band before, I suddenly had to learn twelve songs in four weeks! It was great though. I've met so many lovely people through the band.

TVV : Is it frustrating that all of you have full-time jobs or occupations outside the band which restricts your ability to do things like go out on tour or is the set-up an ideal one that allows you to combine the best of both worlds?

AE : Nowadays it's really difficult to make a living out of music, and we're all very realistic about that. It can be frustrating trying to coordinate rehearsals and shows around our day jobs - we just do the best we can. Sometimes it can be months before we're all in one place, but that's actually quite nice, because when we're preparing for a big show it feels like a reunion.

TVV : John is seen by many as the creative force in the band but given how prominent the keyboards are in so many of the songs how big an input do you and indeed all the others have when it comes to the studio work and the live arrangements?

AE : That's a very difficult thing to measure! John is the driving force. He brings the songs to the band and he has a clear vision about how they should sound, as well as the words, visual imagery for the records, everything.


Generally we all take responsibility for our own parts to start with, and then as the songs develop we have to make sure all the parts work together, which is a collective effort. The studio environment is a bit of a playground for us - that's where we really get to experiment!

TVV : I've been a fan of the band for a while now and adore the first two LPs. But I don't think I'm alone among early reviewers in thinking the quality and ambition of much of the material on Helping Hands is a quantum leap from what we've heard before. I wanted to ask if that's something you agree with....and if so, at what point in the recording process did you maybe think 'Wow....this really is something special...'

AE : I'm not sure it's a dramatic departure from the first two albums, but I think it's on the same trajectory. React or Die was more diverse than Profit In Your Poetry, and I think Helping Hands is more diverse than React or Die. I'm not sure whether that's purely down to ambition - I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we all know each other better with each album and feel more able to suggest ideas.


The moment this album came together for me was listening to 'The Day Our Voices Broke' before John did his vocal. We were in the Ca Va control room listening to it on the big speakers. I was looking out of the window, it was absolutely pouring with rain, and the hairs on my neck were standing up.

TVV : Butcher Boy are famed for playing some incredible and unique venues such as bowling clubs, clothes stores, coffee houses and the Glasgow Film Theatre, not to mention of course Barrowlands when you supported Belle & Sebastian. What's been your personal favourite?

AE : Barrowlands is going to be pretty hard to top! My other favourite would be the GFT show, when we played our live score for 'Chick's Day'. I think in many ways that's the most ambitious thing we've done, and it's such an amazing place.

TVV : You recently played Indietracks for the second time in 3 years and were regarded by just about all and sundry as one of the main highlights of the weekend. If Alison Eales had a dream festival line-up of 5 singers/bands, who would they be?

AE : There are loads of people I love who I've never seen live, like the Magnetic Fields and Joanna Newsom, but I guess if you're giving me my fantasy festival I should be a little more imaginative.


I'm not-very-secretly obsessed with library music, so I'd go for the David Snell Quintet, the Raymond Scott Orchestra, the KPM Allstars and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Then I'd get George Martin to headline and close with Theme One. I think I would die from happiness. Also, it would be compered by Derren Brown.

TVV : Getting back to the new material.....how good is it to see 'Imperial' on a 7-inch piece of vinyl or is it just sad old indie-popsters like me with a fascination for the late 70s and early 80s who gets excited about these things?

AE : No, it's pretty amazing. Of course, I won't be truly happy until the album has been released on a triangular picture disc.

TVV : The new songs are getting a bit of much-deserved airplay particularly on BBC Radio 6 and also with the move to a new label in Damaged Goods there is every likelihood of 'Helping Hands' receiving a bit more in the way of promotion. What are your own and the band's personal hopes for the new record?

AE : I can't speak on anyone else's behalf, but we've put so much into this album, it would be just nice to know that people like it.


Personally, I do hope the album raises our profile a bit. We've had a lot of help from Creative Scotland over the past few years, and in a time when funding for projects like ours is under threat, it would be nice to be able to properly showcase what we've been able to do with their support.

TVV : If the demand is there.....what would be your choice of follow-up single to 'Imperial'?

AE : I'd probably say 'I Am The Butcher' as I think it's one of the best songs we've ever done. I think it could be something of a signature track.

TVV : Finally.....I'm a big fan of cover versions and I know Butcher Boy did a superb take on Springsteen's 'Streets of Philadelphia', but what other tracks would you suggest the band could cover and more importantly throw in to one of your live sets as a wee surprise for everyone.

AE : This is one of those questions every member of the band would answer differently! One of my favourite songs is 'Duel' by Propaganda. I think we could do something interesting with that.


I remember John suggesting a very unusual cover version - I won't say what it is, because we might actually do it one day and I don't want to spoil the surprise!

It was really good of Alison to take the time to help the blog out, especially as the questions landed in her Inbox the very week that she was up against a deadline to complete a 30,000 word dissertation.....on The Bee Gees (I'm not making that up!!!)

There's a lot more you can learn about Alison just by clicking here.

And now for a chance for one lucky TVV reader to get their hands on a copy of Helping Hands as well as a copy of the recently released 7" single Imperial which has as its b-side a track called Juicy Fruit that is not otherwise available. The question has been set by Basil Pieroni, guitarist extraordinaire.

"Butcher Boy was named after a novel. Who was the writer and in what year was the book published in the UK?'

Closing date is soon.....Friday 2 September 2011. All answers to thevinylvillain@hotmail.co.uk

Now for some music....

mp3 : Butcher Boy - There Is No-One Who Can Tell You Where You've Been
mp3 : Butcher Boy - When I'm Asleep
mp3 : Butcher Boy - Imperial

That's one from each of the albums for you.  Now for some moving images.....











With a big thanks to all the nice folk who originally uploaded these onto youtube.