Music / Pocket Revolution

Pocket Revolution is the fourth studio album by dEUS. Released in 2005 it was their first album since The Ideal Crash (1999). Most of the original band members had left the group by this point, though some of their contributions are still present on some of the tracks. Craig Ward and Danny Mommens were replaced by guitarist Mauro Pawlowski (Evil Superstars) and bass player Alan Gevaert who completed the rest of the recording. Apart from the problems within the band the recording sessions were slowed down because Barman collaborated with CJ Bolland and his dance act Magnus and directed his first film Anyway the Wind Blows (2003).

The album sold well and scored hits with the songs "Nothing Really Ends" ^note  already released on single in 2001 , "If You Don't Get What You Want" ^note  already released on single in 2004 , "What We Talk About (When We Talk About Love)," and "The Real Sugar."

Pocket Revolution was re-released in 2006, complete with a bonus CD with seven songs from the album remixed by Jagz Kooner as Pocket Revolution Burnt.

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Tracklist:

1. "Bad Timing" (7:07)
2. "7 Days, 7 Weeks" (3:53)
3. "Stop-Start Nature" (4:28)
4. "If You Don't Get What You Want" (3:49)
5. "What We Talk About (When We Talk About Love)" (4:44)
6. "Include Me Out" (5:02)
7. "Pocket Revolution" (6:01)
8. "Night Shopping" (4:03)
9. "Cold Sun of Circumstance" (5:44)
10. "The Real Sugar" (3:58)
11. "Sun Ra" (6:43)
12. "Nothing Really Ends" (5:35)

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Personnel:

• Tom Barman: Vocals, guitar
• Craig Ward: Guitar
• Tim Vanhamel: Guitar
• Danny Mommens: Bass, backing vocals
• Stef Kamil Carlens: Vocals
• CJ Bolland: Programs
• Guy van Nueten: Piano
• Anton Janssens: Wurlitzer
• Kobe Proesmans: Percussion
• Tom Wouters: Vibraphone
• Angelique Wilkie, Esme Bos, Sian Bolland, Nicole Letuppe, Sabine Kabongo, Ann van der Plassche, Radio Candip, and Lies Lorquet: Backing vocals
• Bill Funk and Carmen Betsabe Lugo Rodriguez: Parlando
• Mark Steylaerts: Violin
• Reinard Vanbergen, Saartje de Muynck, Evelien Vandeweerdt, Lode Vercampt, and Slow-Up Quintet: Strings

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What We Trope About (When We Trope About Love):

• Alliterative Title: "Cold Sun of Circumstance," "Stop-Start Nature," "What We Talk About (When We Talk About Love)."
• Break-Up Song: "Nothing Really Ends:"
  You looked at me
  No more than sympathy
  My lies you've heard them
  My stories you have laughed with
  My clothes you have torn
  Do you still love me?
  Do you feel the same?
  Do I have a chance of doing that old dance again?
  Is it too late for some of that romance again?
  Let's go away, we'll never have the chance again
  You lost that feeling
  You want it again
  More than I'm feeling
  You'll never get
  You've had a go at
  All that you know
  You lost that feeling
  So come down and show
• Cool Starship: On the album cover the Von Neumann Machine can be seen, a lower part of a giant rocket made out of numerous derelict spaceships welded together. It was drawn by Don Lawrence (Storm).
• Cradle of Loneliness: "The Real Sugar:"
  Everybody's ever felt lonely snap your fingers
• Cue the Sun: "7 Days, 7 Weeks:"
  Here comes the sun smiling
  The only thing that's true
• Design Student's Orgasm: The album cover is designed by Don Lawrence, author of the comic strip Storm.
• Epic Rocking: "Bad Timing," "Include Me Out," the Title Track, "Cold Sun of Circumstance," and "Sun Ra" are all over five minutes long.
• History Repeats: Barman said in an interview that "Include me Out," "Stop-Start Nature," and the title track are all about people making the same mistakes again and again.
• Homage: "The Real Sugar" is a homage to Mark Sandman of Morphine, who became a personal friend of Tom Barman in the 1990's, but died unexpectedly from a heart attack during a concert.
• In the Style of: Within the album booklet a group shot of the band is seen where all the members are dressed up as members of a police team. The band manager got the idea of doing this, because Barman basically "interrogated himself on the album."
• Last Note Nightmare: "Nothing Really Ends" ends on a mysterious and haunting arrangement.
• Malaproper: "Include Me Out," a reference to a quote attributed to film producer Samuel Goldwyn.
• New Sound Album: Pocket Revolution's sound was less experimental than their previous albums and provided the group with a more standard rock sound. The album also combined recordings from two different band line-ups. On some tracks Craig Ward and Danny Mommens play guitar and bass, on others their successors Mauro Pawlowski and Alan Gevaert fulfill these roles.
• No Ending: "Nothing Really Ends" is about a relationship where the lovers wonder whether they should end it or start over again? The song concludes with an open ending, where the music dissolves into a mysterious, haunting Last Note Nightmare:
  I once told a friend that nothing really ends, no-one can prove this
  So I'm asking you now: "Could it possibly be that you still love me?"
  Do you feel the same?
  Do I have a chance of doing that old dance again?
  Is it too late for some of that romance again?
  Let's go away, we'll never have the chance again
  I'd take it all from you.
• One-Word Title: "Nightshopping."
• The Power of Love: "Real Sugar:"
  Only love is the real sugar
• Real Life Writes the Plot: "7 Days, 7 Weeks" was written for Barman's older sister, but she felt the lyrics where too confrontational.
• Repurposed Pop Song: "Nothing Really Ends" was a hit single from 2001 that hadn't been available on any other regular studio album, but was included on their Greatest Hits Album "No More Loud Music" (2001). "If You Don't Get What You Want" had been released in 2004, also as a single.
• Repressed Memories: "Sun Ra" was written by Barman to reflect on all the embarrassing memories that keep haunting people later in life:
  Now all the evil things I done
  And all the harm I ever did
  Stand right before me
  Eyes wide open
  Where were they hidden?
• Rule of Seven: "7 Days, 7 Weeks."
• Shout-Out:
  • "Bad Timing" is a shout-out to the film Bad Timing (1980), which is lead singer Tom Barman's favorite film. He referenced the picture again in "Nothing Really Ends:"
  The accusations fly like in that movie. You know the one where Martin Sheen waves his arm to his friend on the street.
  • "Stop-Start Nature" references Arthurian Legend:
  Camelot in smithereens
  Your kingdom has gone down my friend
  • "Sun Ra" is a reference to eccentric jazz musician Sun Ra, whose bust is also seen on the back cover. A quote by him can be heard throughout the beginning and the end of the song:
  It's just like in space, where I come from.
  • "Include Me Out" has a quote lifted from a radio report about the launch of the first space rocket.
  Hello from the children of planet Earth.
  • "Cold Sun of Circumstance" was inspired by Bob Dylan, to whom Barman listened a lot while recording this album.
  • "What We Talk About (When We Talk About Love)" is the title of a novel by Raymond Carver and was inspired by "Some Kind of Love" by The Velvet Underground from The Velvet Underground (1969).
• Special Guest: Stef Kamil Carlens, former member of dEUS, provides backing vocals on "Pocket Revolution" and "Sun Ra." CJ Bolland provides programs on "Stop-Start Nature" and "What We Talk About (When We Talk About Love)," while Tim Vanhamel (Millionaire) plays guitar on "If You Don't Get What You Want."
• Stop and Go: "Stop-Start Nature:"
  Stop-start nature
  I wish you all you wish for
  And if I run I will hurry no more
  It's a new beginning, it's a new... STOP!
• Title Track: "Pocket Revolution."
• Velvet Revolution: The album title was explained by lead singer Tom Barman as the changes everyone always plans to do, but are never all-changing, just in small doses. As he described it: "It's a revolution in pocket format." Originally the album title in progress was Used Future, referring to Barman's feelings of burn-out as most of his band colleagues had left the band at this point, except for him and Klaas Janszoons. But because friends and family members felt the title wasn't that snappy and reminded them too much of a Techno song they went for Pocket Revolution instead. The phrase "used future" can still be seen on the back cover, in the right below corner.

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