"My Nation Underground" is the fourth solo album by British artist Julian Cope. It was released in 1988 by Island Records and predominantly maintains a mainstream rock genre, combined with elements of funk. The album is generally less experimental than Cope's previous work but doesn't lack the artist's characteristic touch of innovation.
One of the album's most successful singles is "Charlotte Anne", which reached No. 35 on the UK Singles Chart. The song became a breakthrough hit for Julian Cope in the U.S., receiving considerable airplay on college radio. Other notable songs from the album include "5 O'Clock World" and "Easter Everywhere".
As for the background, Julian Cope had a bit of a turbulent period before the creation of "My Nation Underground". His behaviours were erratic due to his heavy use of LSD and magic mushrooms which affected the production of his prior records. However, with "My Nation Underground", Cope managed to regain commercial and critical favour, marking a significant point in his music career.
Furthermore, the lyrics in the album reflect Cope's interest in environmental activism, mysticism and anti-commercialism, which makes "My Nation Underground" a spiritually and politically charged piece of art, reflecting Cope's mind and views at that time.
