But over time I bagan to change my mind, as the radio and just about everyone I knew increasingly raved about Kasabian. So I got a copy of the album, listened to it a couple more times and finally realised how wonderful it is.
Two long years later when Empire came out, I was slobbering at the prospect of a whole new Kasabian album to listen to. It did not disappoint, not one iota. And when I saw them live at the Hyrdo Connect festival last year through a haze of beer and vodka, I was totally hooked.
Finally, here we are in June 2009 and they have released their third full album - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum. And it's terrifically up to the job.
The wonderfully paced and catchy Underdog is the perfect introduction to the album, which is designed to be a single piece of music rather than twelve seperate tracks, with each song melting into one another with carefully planned transitions. It quickly reminds you of the things you love about Kasabian, with its strong and addictive drum beats, coupled with psychodelic guitar solos.
Take Aim, with its intense orchestral beginning, takes you deeper into the technicolour, drug fuelled minds of the band and is truly different to the music they've produced before. With the 'mentally unstable' theme, Secret Alphabets adopts a nice sixties theme to it, with the traditional oscillating flutes and violins giving a kind of creepy 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest' vibe.
Probably my favourite song, Fire will undoubtedly be a concert anthem with its sleepy eyed, drowsy beginning which bursts into life as if the madman has lost the plot. Which I'm looking forward to witnessing at the gig at the O2 Academy in Glasgow on June 18. I don't normally drink that much, but I intend to tan quite a few beers before that gig so I can assimilate myself into the wild light and music show.
Rather than creating the album and then wondering if it was any good, West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum was made by a band who knew it was going to be good the whole time they were making it. It comes across as confident, defiant and crisp, and will no doubt lead them to the position of domination they crave.
The love affair continues.
Hate this album. Rubbish.
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