When I Was Born For The 7th Time

When will the British realize that smothering things in borrowed Indian flavors doesn't make up for their own boring cuisine?

I only know the Fatboy Slim remix of \"Brimful of Asha\", which is an absolute banger and one of the top singles of the 90s. I had tried listening to the album version before, and found it uninspiring compared to the more upbeat and energetic remix. So I was not expecting to enjoy this album much. And yet, I find it charming. I like the laid back funkiness of it all, the mixture of English and Punjabi singing, and the way that diverse elements are incorporated into a whole that feels consistent and integrated. I quite like the instrumentals (like Butter the Soul, It's Indian Tobacco My Friend, or State Troopers). Good to Be On the Road Back Home and We're in Your Corner are highlights for me. Could they have trimmed 10-12 minutes off this to make it a really tight 40-odd minutes? That would have suited me, but this is an album that isn't in a hurry so stretching out a little is OK. It doesn't outstay its welcome. Surprisingly enjoyable.

I walked into work this morning with a huge grin on my face after listening to this on my commute. This is what I've been waiting for. It started with an accordion! "Sleep on the Left Side" hooked me right in. "Brimful of Asha" had slipped away from my consciousness in the last 20 years, but was a joyful reunion. Bosom is the best word! The rest is lovely, interesting, fun, and begs to be listened to again and again. Allen Ginsberg!?! Wow! "Good Shit" needs to be my aspirational theme. And I loved the perfect Punjabi "Norwegian Wood." Happy happy!

So bland. This is folk rock at its worst -- toneless guitar playing pentatonics, 2 chord songs, emotionless singing. Okay, maybe I'm being a little harsh, but it's not my cup of tea and I'm not really finding anything redeeming.

This one came out of nowhere and surprised me. It's a british indie rock band. The two founding members are brothers, and are indian. Their music fuses rock, electronica, and indian music to make a sort of amazing blend. I really liked this one

Nah. Liked the first two, then it just fell off for me and didn’t find anything substantial the rest of the album. 2/5

Very good album. Expected to only enjoy brimful of asha but, some very eclectic songs, great variety of sounds and rhythms mixing electronic, bass and Indian instruments to great effect.

Funky times are indeed here again, though reconditioned in that distinctly Britpop way that sounds like listening to vinyl through Craig David headphones in a bedroom covered in posters of 60's bands. But for once the nostalgia trip is reinvigorated with purpose. Or at least with personality, which is purpose enough. The playfulness between live and sampled music, and between verbal and non-verbal communication, brings the everyday oddball at the helm to life, even when he's only talking through his record collection.

Thank you 1,001 albums. My faith in you has been restored. This is why I’m here! Obviously knew the mega hit single (who doesn’t?) so thought at least I’ll enjoy that. But, wow! Loved the start of this album, and then the album mix of ‘Brimful’ absolutely slapped! Not heard that version before and I prefer it. I then hoped that the album wouldn’t drop off as some of these do, but no, the energy just kept coming. Indie guitars, sitars, a bit of scratching and it just had me boogieing all through. The duet with the Doris really worked too (Good to be in the Road Back Hone Again).

The Velvets-chug of Good to be on the Road caught me; the rest is not unpleasant, one of the better takes of the oafish rock-hip hop fusion whatevs that consumed the time, possibly because Cornership started weird, and kept enough weirdness to stay interesting. Much of this bumbled over me, rarely beckoning my ear. I even missed Allen Ginsberg, until he said “big hard cock”, and even then I immediately tuned back out, not realising it was him. Sorry, Allen! Candyman has stick, though. Final thought: currently the most popular review of this album makes a crack about covering British food with “borrowed Indian flavours”. Cornershop’s main dude is British Asian, from Wolverhampton, and I’m curious as to what kinds of music you’d prefer him to dabble in. Bit of Elgar, perhaps, or music hall? Maybe get some Morris dancing in the mix? You complete nimrod!

Je me souviens très bien du jour de la sortie de cet album. J'avais à l'époque deux mois passés et profitais pleinement d'une vie qui totalement dépourvue d'eltrapeze, mon compagnon d'écoute, qui ne naîtra que plus tard.

I don’t know if you guys heard, but… There’s a brim full of asha on the forty-five. How did it get there? Is it supposed to be there? …also, what is a “brim full of asha”? This record leaves the listener with more questions than answers.

I heard the word cock in one of the songs and that snapped me awake in the middle of this strange-ass snoozefest that was probably procedurally generated by an AI. So damn weird. It's like seven different albums mashed into eachother.

5 mins in...this is awesome I live this song 20 mins in.....ok this less awesome 30 mins in...I'm done now

Shhhhhiiiiiiiitttt this was cool. When I saw it was *another* "English Indie" band I was very apprehensive, but this is so fresh and original and unique. I loved the blending of rock, pop, hip hop, and classic Indian sounds. I'm more inclined toward Side B of the record, with more chill hip hop sounds, but really this whole thing is great. I'm 963 albums into this goofy journey and there are STILL nuggets of gold to find. This is what keeps me coming back to wade through all the crappy Post Punk bs

6* - that is my rating, and how many times I listened to this record today. Holy Cats!!!! The mixture of pop, trip-hop, and Indian music was exactly what I needed.

Wow complete surprise, anything that can go from vinyl scratching to sitars has my attention. first two songs great bangers, then it's very Indian but it's cool it's so clearly loves this part of the band's heritage. more experimental in the last third, got me thinking and enjoying more than the last 100 albums so it's a 5.

Absolutely no clue what I was in for. When the accordion on “Sleep On The Left Side” started I had a pretty good feeling this was going to work out fine. Might this be love at first listen? As “Brimful of Asha” opened I knew this was special. Love this song even though I’m not entirely sure what a Brimful of Asha is. Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow? Hell yeah! The songs get even stranger and more wonderful. “Bitter The Soul” and “Chocolate” are utterly delicious. What colorful, trippy world have I stumbled into? “Funky Days Are Back Again”? I'm ready for a pair of dungaree cords! Turkey gravy? “What Is Happening”?! (Little surprises around every corner but nothing dangerous…don’t be alarmed.) “Good Shit” more than lives up to its name. “Good To Be On the Road Back Home”… how did this country song slide right in so naturally with the rest of the album?! Really love it. They end with an incredible cover of “Norwegian Wood” and totally stuck the landing. From the opening notes to the end this was a transformative listening experience that I will come back to again and again. I feel so much better for having experienced this.

Fuck me this was such an amazing album

Absolutely loved this. Brimful of Asha has been on rotation in my playlists for sometime but I never checked out the album. Great late 90s Brit scene tunes with culture. Saved to albums and would absolutely pick up a vinyl if I spot it

Indian Trip-hop, this is pretty goddam fantastic

quite good

I didn't appreciate this album in my youth, and more fool me. It's a brilliant mix of desi pop, indie and hip hop that sounds like nothing else... And I griped that it didn't have the (admittedly near perfect) Fatboy Slim remix on my version 🙄.

Genre defying genus. A glorious mess of fabulously groovy and so very different tunes. When Tjinder and Ben are on their game, there's literally nothing better. And they're on their game here. Now, let's address the (currently) top review: "smothering things in borrowed Indian flavors doesn't make up for their own boring cuisine?". Yeah sure, Cornershop are a product of anglo-India, of course they are. That's the point. It's a mess, a melting pot, a fusion which works because of Tjinder's heritage and outlook. It's just like modern Britain: a glorious mess of cultures and ideas. That's the fucking point of Cornershop - there's nothing "borrowed" here. It's why they burnt photos of Morrissey, campaigned against racism and Brexit, and remain relevant today. It's nothing to do with borrowing flavours; these are the flavours of Britain, whether we like it - and I do - or not. And if you don't, fuck off and watch GB News. You can dislike the music, but insulting the idea for cheap laughs, that's not on. This is a really good album. It's rich and diverse, and a bit weird at times, and challenging and glorious and full of soul and spirit. Just like anglo-Indian food. And that's what makes it fucking amazing. Love this. Hadn't listened to it for a while. Do yourself a favour, and go and listen to their 2009 album Judy sucks a lemon for breakfast, which is even better than this in my view, and at least Something Makes You Feel Like from 2012's Urban Turban album. Glorious. I must listen more often.

Not sure where to start with this one but I absolutely loved it. In fact I think I may have fallen IN love with it. Quite likely the most unique album out of all 1013 I've listened to so far. It's easy to imagine Brimful of Asha as a typical 90s one hit wonder but that is absolutely not the case. An incredibly rich, intricate, diverse and perfectly composed record with Brimful as like some kind of lovely little cherry on top. Followed straight on by Butter for the Soul which is some straight up bottled funk. Same with Funky Days are Back Again which is a particularly good example of this album making me feel all types of weird and wonderful. Full of beauty creating dissocance and off tempo direction changes that leads you (and sometimes gently nudges you) down their garden path. Good ships is a perfect windows down track. Then followed on by Good to Be on the Road Back Home Again which (verified my foray into the Burns-ian Country music scene) is like a perfect country song. "Make way for a lady..." is big goosebump material. So much so I was convinced it must have been a cover of Acuff or Kristofferson - not the case. And then topped off with a Punjabi language Norwegian Wood. It really doesn't get much better than this and is especially reassuring to still be felling this type of thing so far into the journey,

This was a really interesting Brit Pop album. Seems to epitomize what Brit Pop was all about, experimentation and making poppy Beatle inflected rock, it also added a hearty serving of the break beat stuff that was getting popular in the 90s in the UK. When it started I was like, “holy shit, the 45 song” but this album was much more. Loved the Indian lyrics and Indian tunes peppered in. This seems representative of the Indian diaspora in London. Where did this band go? Chill sounds, good break beat, classic Indy, multi-genre, even a song that sounded like Devo. And most of all, solid drumming throughout. Great album, multi-genre, experimental, solid, lots of variety, every song was good. Can’t ask for much more. Albums like this are why I’m listening to 1001!

Groovy punjab funky sounds.

Chicken korma for the soul

Pretty solid britpop album

This was a refreshing change. Much better than I remember when it originally came out.

I liked it more than I expected. It has great vibes and contagious rhythm. 3.5/5

No private session needed for Spotify. Loved the couple of hits they had in the 90s from this album, I had listened to this album in the past, but except from the hits nothing stood out to me which is probably why I never went back to it, but it's still a great album.

I actually bought this with my own money when it came out, although evidently got bored of it before the time came to transfer it to mp3. Listening again - how could I have left this behind? By the 5th track - oh, right, too much Odelay-wannabe meandering to keep the interest up [note - "Butter The Soul" is fantastic]. Yet, it picks up a bit towards the end, and overall was great to hear again. "Sleep On The Left Side" summons fond memories of Mark'n'Lard in the afternoon; "..Asha" is better here in the pre-Fatboy Slim version; "Norwegian Wood" is a diverting listen for my Yank friends (who are incredulous that a UK/Indian band would call themselves "Cornershop"; that's a prime UK/US difference right there). Might love it again until I get bored

There's suprisingly quite a few albums on this list that mix traditional music of India with western pop tunes. When I Was Born for The 7th Time is abother example, and as with other cases it's a pretty good record. More traditional pop/rock rhytms with unusual instruments or melodies, and with a quite distinct vocal. And a total tune from 90s - Brimful of Asha. Until this day I had no idea what's that about, or what the actual lyrics are, but the song is pretty good.

It takes about 10 seconds to fully appreciate the amazing novelty of pop music being fused with asian rhythms/instrumentation - then it dawns on you, that this example of the genre isn' actually very interesting musically. I didn't like Brimful of Asha in 1997 and I still don't like it now. I much prefer full-on bangra to this insipid hybrid. Occasionally comes close (We're in your corner) but never quite arrives. The problem with 'Funky days..' .is that it just isn't funky. It's just average pop with an Asian twist.

The good stuff is so good! A lot of kind of boring moments too. This is a tricky one to rate. Incredibly refreshing, however, to hear brit pop with a different perspective other than just white dudes

Pretty diverse and funky world music, but i don't really love anything here. Brimful was a song i really didn't like in the late 90's and though it may be the catchiest song on this album, i'm still not a fan.

trying too hard to do everything

this was so cool and random. each song was completely different and I really enjoyed the range of instrumental songs and the indian influence. awesome !

An insanely original and timeless sound, blew me the fuck away

I love this album. Saw them at Glasto 1997 in the new bands tent.

Je me suis prit a vraiment a8me ca, meme que j’ai reecoute, je vais mettre un 5 meme si c’est peut etre 4.85

LOVE IT, Brimful of Asha closing credits theme version

Indian representation had a fleeting thing in the British music scene since the 60s yet hardly any Indians were making waves that could be considered equals to the groups that were poaching their sounds. That's were Cornership come in. Their 1997 masterstroke When I Was Born for the 7th Time sees them rise up to the now 60s fawning Britpop gauntlet and not only turn it on its head but give it new textures and shapes unmistakable in its originality. They cap it off with a faithful cover of a song that kickstarted the raga influenced craze of decades before. Hopefully people would familiarize themselves with this album when they get ahold of it, it's worth it. It'll make you feel born for the 7th time.

This album really surprised me as i was only aware of the norman cook remix of brimful of asha before listening.

I had definitely never heard of Cornershop or this album (although maybe I had heard Brimful of Asha somewhere). But I found this album from 1997 refreshing. It sounds like it was made yesterday. The fusion of indie rock with Indian sitar is super unique. I enjoyed this one a lot.

I've never heard of 'em. I'm goin' in! All right! You wanna win me over quickly? Gimme accordion right from the jump! Or is it a harmonium? Either way, I am totally on board. Next song is the "everybody needs a bosom for a pillow" song! I know this one! (After looking it up, I know the Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) remix.) Yes! Love it! Love the trippy groove of We're in Yr Corner and the silliness of Funky Days are Back Again. Appreciate the reminder that, "Good shit's all around, good people." Definitely will listen to this one again and am already looking into their other albums, starting with Judy Sucks on a Lemon for Breakfast, which...is that a clarinet on the title track? Swoon!

Sign me up! So glad I listened to the album. Brimful of Asha is a fun song but one of those overplayed ones that kind of makes you cringe when you hear it now because you know that loop is in your ahead again even if you turn the song off right away. The rest is so much better!

I had somehow never heard of this band but very much enjoyed the listen!

Wow! I really liked that!

I remember being in love with Brimful Of Asha when it was released (I would have been 7 years old). However, being a child, I had no extra thought of wanting to find the album to hear more. Also, as a silly child, I thought I had the lyrics said “Everybody needs a button or a pillow.” Not sure what situation would require a button or a pillow, but it made sense to me at the time. Songs I already knew: Brimful Of Asha Favourites: Brimful Of Asha, Funky Days Are Back Again, Norwegian Wood This album is fantastic. To start, if you’re familiar with the track title of Norwegian Wood, it is indeed a cover of the Beatles song and is a delight. I’ve found through this album listening experience that I tend to really enjoy music from India, and this album has elements of that while still having the Western familiarities that I’m used to, so is a very nice blend for me. I’d be interested to know, what is your preferred Brimful Of Asha? Cornershop or Fatboy Slim?

😁cool

I need to listen to this album more often.

Brim full of Asher has a very solid solid place in my heart so I feel a loyalty to cornershop. I am very glad I got an opportunity to hear some of their other stuff properly. I did see them at the Godiva once and they were great but didn't get to properly appreciate the songs. Enjoyed a lot

Cornershop - When I Was Born for the 7th Time The onlything I knew about Cornerhsop or this album was the song "A Brimful of Asha." This song is one of my favorite 90s songs. I just never took time to actually listen to the entire album. Well, I did jus that today and I have to say that it is a really good album. It mixes alternative and Indian music to meld into an amazing sound. Lots of great songs on this album and I'm really glad that I was tasked to listen to it today. 5/5

Incredible sampling album

I've loved this album since the 90s

The only thing you can be certain of is that you're never truly sure where it's going to go. It's great in spots, but fades into the background in others. Indie, trip-hop, and even some heavy Indian influences. Very cool. Favorite tracks: "Sleep On the Left Side", "We're In Yr Corner"

A really catchy album 😎

Had no idea about this album. It was very hit-or-miss, but overall enjoyable!

I still remember getting a sampler CD with “Good Ships” on it when I was in high school. And of course, “Brimful of Asha” was my jam around the same time.

Really nice listen, loved the use of the sitar. Great complete album.

I should listen to more. Non traditional rock elements are seemless and interesting

Late 90's indie rock - jangly guitars, muddy hip hop style beats. Maybe a few too many instrumentals slow the album down however, like everyone's local cornershop, it's well worth checking out. Best Tracks: Sleep on the Left Side; Brimful of Asha; Funky Days are Back Again

very quirky pop/Indian sound fusion.

Netz

Funky times are indeed here again. So easy to get caught up in the bore of Cool Britannica and forget that Britpop did actually yield some cool sounds that today feel retro rather than dated. Got on great with this.

Makes for chill background music. I like how they mix traditional Indian elements into a pop/R&B/hip hop framework. The nonsense lyrics are fun.

Really liked this

The only thing that let this album down was the main single, Brimful of Asha getting treated like a novelty song after the Norman Cook remix. The album is full or really interesting sound excursions, sitting somewhere inbetween an indie, big beat and Trip Hop while having its own unique sound. I remember finding the album really refreshing in the post Britpop malaise

Great album. I really like Cornershop. Often seen as a one hit wonder but they have such an individual sound and still bashing out great albums today

Pretty cool! “Good To Be On The Road Back Home” is a banger, and the Punjabi cover of “Norwegian Wood” is sick. Wild to think this is one of the last things Allen Ginsberg was part of.

Nice music

So strange yet so catchy and easy to listen to. It has an almost Ween like ability to blend and hop between genres. A super fun listen.

Quite a fun listed! I'm more familiar with their later “Handcream for a Generation” album. "Brimful of Asha" was frickin' inescapable for a while so I wasn't looking forward to hearing it, but actually this album version was alright - I guess it was a sped up dance remix that got horribly overplayed for a few years. Fave track - "We're In Yr Corner" was excellent. Also enjoyed their "Norwegian Wood" cover....

I recently revisited this album and really enjoyed it! Looking forward to listening to it again! Love that it starts off with a mixture of so many sounds! Really great way to introduce your band and their sound! I thought Brimful of Asha was a massive pop hit but I don't think that's the case! Perception plays a big part of reviewing these albums! Love the instrumental interludes! Overall this record has a lot going on and it all works really well together!

Very clear memory of a period where Brimful of Asha was dominating video and radio airplay. A fun and excellent album, though it gets into self-indulgent instrumental dicking around a couple times.

I enjoyed the seamless inclusion of English and Punjabi

Wicked. So much late-90s sample heavy goodness. After only knowing the Norman Cook remix of Brimful of Asha this was an awesome and welcome surprise.

Fun Anglo-Punjabi fusion, brilliantly bouncy and quirky. Everyone needs a bosom for a pillow!

Zanie work out stoners. Pretty enjoyable listen, nice one to get spaced out to

Way better than I expected

Really liked this a lot! The instrumentals were awesome, and the vocals were pretty decent too. Interesting album all around. Favorite track: We're in Yr Corner

Cool album that I hadn't heard before. Bit disjointed switching between the more typical 90s electronic (albeit with the Indian influence), and some classic indie pop tunes like Brimful of Asha. Still, I enjoyed this one.

Original and interesting, still sounds good to me.

Pretty neat... uhm, I dunno what to call it really, but it's good!

A really excellent and varied album.

I wasn't overly excited about another British pop\punk album - but I really enjoyed this one. It's definitely everything I love about 90s music, but with some obvious and interesting cultural and world-music influences that makes it unique. "Cool Shit" was immediately added to my Summer BBQ playlist and was a standout track for me. But, it was all good.

It's rare to hear something after 1990 that is wholly original and also enjoyable. I really liked this a lot, and need to listen to it some more. 4 stars.

Hard to judge this album because it's so variable. But in the end the positive surprises are in majority.

The album of the day the day my mother passed away. Pretty chill vibes & groove overall.

kurwa dzień dobry, zajebisty indie rock ten album brzmi jakby THE SMITHS i THE JESUS AND THE MARY CHAIN mieli dziecko I to dziecko po separacji rodzicielskiej wychowywało się z wujkiem GEORGEM HARRISONEM bo czuć tam indyjskie instrumenty etniczne

Dig the chill down tempo vibe. Unique and very friendly/comfy sound.

Was there a better single released in the 90’s than Brimful Of Asha? I fell in love with it on the very first listen. And I feel the same way about this album. From the opening moments (Sleep On The Left Side) when you hear something that sounds like a piano accordion but probably isn’t, the soundscape here is intriguing. As with the instrumental Butter The Soul, which sounds like somebody whistling while trying to tune a radio. Great to hear Ginsberg on When The Light Appears Boy (he died 6 months before this album was released). His life was greatly influenced by Indian culture. Really enjoyed the duet with Paula Fraser (Good To Be On The Road Back) & the rapping by Justin Warfield on Candyman. And for me the great thing about the version of Norwegian Wood is that it reminds me of the cheesy cover of that song by The Folkswingers (sitar & all). I love this album.

I liked this, it's strange and goofy in all the right ways. I like the richness of his voice, it reminds me of Robert Pollard. A couple duds on the album but overall strong, and turned me on to a band I didn't know anything about before.

I have to bump this up due to Dan the Automator producing it. And the first two songs on here are infinitely replayable. It didn’t bump to a 5 for me though because I didn’t always enjoy the instrumental tracks and wanted more of the first two.

Pleasantly surprised!

Now here's something really interesting, various flavours of Indian-English cultural fusion and cultural commentary, frequently funky and generally very chill. I recently got into Garaj Mahal (jazz-rock-funk-Indian fusion) and love them; I wonder if they'd cite Cornershop as influence. I enjoyed this album, though not as much as G.M. That said, I have already started looking into their other records, and I *might* come back to this one ahead of those. Solid 3.5 stars, maybe even 4?

Meer dan twintig jaar geleden heb ik Cornershop gezien op een festival. Het heeft toen niet echt indruk gemaakt. Nu vond ik het erg leuk. Gevarieerd met Oosterse invloeden.

Enjoyed this very fun!