Here's another list - not a best of or any such thing, but a list of great songs by bands who have named themselves after furry woodland creatures, or domestic pets, or slow-moving reptiles. Just look up each song on your favourite website and have a listen while you're surfing for porn or recipes or whatever floats yer boat.
PETA's Greatest Hits (In alphabetical order by band)
1. I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys
2. Ode To LRC - Band Of Horses
3. I'm A Broken Heart - The Bird & The Bee
4. Up All Night - The Boomtown Rats
5. Up The Down Escalator - The Chameleons
6. Rain King - Counting Crows
7. Straight Into A Storm - Deer Tick
8. Black And White Town - Doves
9. On The Border - The Eagles
10. Trouble With Dreams - Eels
11. Miami - Foals
12. While You Wait For The Others - Grizzly Bear
13. Pleasant Valley Sunday - The Monkees
14. Black Rabbit - Or, The Whale
15. Even Less - Porcupine Tree
16. Cold Roses - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
17. Century Eyes - Shearwater
18. New Fang - Them Crooked Vultures
19. She'd Rather Be With Me - The Turtles
20. Language City - Wolf Parade
Monday, September 27, 2010
Listomania! - 1986
Looking back, all the signs were there. She wasn't interested in my friends or my hobbies or my lifestyle choices or, ultimately, me. We had been together for 10 years, since I was 15 and she was 17. We were married for 7 1/2 years. I always said that we would prove the doubters wrong, that we'd show them. My sheer will and sense of loyalty would win out over all the pressures, all the odds. Truthfully, it had been failing for close to 2 years already, but I stubbornly refused to acknowledge that fact. In February of 1986, right before Gordie's 8th birthday, it ended. I came home from work and as I walked up toward our apartment, the kids were outside playing. I went inside and got floored - stopped dead in my tracks. "I'm tired of being married." The words hit me right on the gut. I tried to reason with her. I tried to say that it would be worth it if we just stuck it out. I said all those things that people say when their hearts are being ripped out and squashed to pieces. It was a 2-way street, of course, but it wasn't my idea. This was Friday and she said that I was to be out by Monday. I had just spent all our savings 2 weeks before on brand new furniture - a sofabed, a recliner, and a T.V. I had no money to get my own place. Details become sketchy at this point. I was a wounded animal and I was petrified and I didn't know what to do. I knew I couldn't go to my parents' house as my mother would blame it all on me and do her usual great job of mothering and being there for her son. (My tongue is embedded firmly in my cheek as I say this.) I called Steve. He was in the middle of writing about 4 essays as he was on Slack Week at UWO, but he dropped it all and came over. Debbie had taken the kids to her parents' place for the night. I bawled on his shoulder for hours, just one of many times over the 35 years that one of us has been there in the other's time of need. His Dad took the bull by the horns. Nobody ever said that Phil Ross was the easiest person in the world to like, but he had a heart of gold deep down inside. He told me to go get an apartment and that he would give me the downpayment for it. I will never forget his kindness at that moment and have told him so many times. My own parents, who were from the old pick-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps school, even though my Mom's parents gave her thousands of dollars over the years, didn't offer me a dime. I have never forgotten that either....The worst part was not being around the kids all the time. I saw them every Friday through Sunday, but it was the toughest thing I've ever lived through. I began using drugs quite heavily and not eating much and I was an emaciated 160 pounds. It was a tough time, but, it certainly worked out for the best. Music was my crutch, helping me through all those lonely and horrible nights. Here is the list:
Top 10 Of 1986
10. Here It Is Tomorrow - Game Theory
This is the first song on their 2nd album, The Big-Shot Chronicles and what a way to start a record! It has a truly frenetic pace, with singer and lyricist Scott Miller cramming as many words in per bar of music as possible. This band had numerous lineup changes for each record, but Miller is the continuity here, especially his voice, which he dubbed his "miserable whine." The playing is fast and furious, all pounding floor toms and punky bass, with new keyboardist Shelley Lafreniere adding backing vocals to the mix. There is also a great guitar solo by Miller, just to top off this gem of a tune. Once again, Let's Active main man Mitch Easter handles the production duties. "Now you've got me drinking in Canadian bars, trading sad stories with the New England Coast Guard. Man you blew me off like there was no tomorrow, and here it is tomorrow." My theme song for '86.....
9. Happy Hour - The Housemartins
Don't let the poppy, happy music fool you folks. This is a sarcastic and sobering treatise on the culture of laddish bosses and phoniness of the business world. Paul Heaton sings it in a boyish tenor, but the lyrics cut like knives. Bassist Norman Cook went on to greater fame in the 1990s as Fat Boy Slim, using samples and loops to create his sound. This is nothing like Fat Boy Slim, sounding much more like The Smiths and their ilk than Praise You. The Housemartins were very left-wing in their lyrics and beliefs, as one listen to their brilliant debut album that this song is taken from, London 0 Hull 4 will prove. I bought this on import from Dr. Disc as it was not released domestically until much later. "It's another night out with the boss, following in footsteps overgrown with moss, and he tells me that women grow on trees, and if you catch them right they will land upon their knees." You have to toss them up just the right way though.....
8. Life's What You Make It - Talk Talk
Anybody remember the video for this song? It was shot in a forest at night and showed all sorts of wild animals and creepy-crawling insects and it was fascinating. Talk Talk were more famous for the song It's My Life from 1984, but they had morphed into a more serious and less synth-happy group by '86. You can still dance to this song though and I have many times over the years, but there is actually a guitar played on this. There are also real drums as well as drum samples and a brilliant left-hand keyboard line which anchors the song. The vocals are great too, with that popular '80s reverb added to the vocal mix. This is a druggy, hopeful dancefloor anthem, so give it a listen and see for yourself. "Yesterday's faded, nothing can change it, life's what you make it." Self-help 101!
7. Lifeblood - That Petrol Emotion
It begins with a little bass line and then in comes a schizophrenic guitar, all noisy and scratchy. This song is all twisted and paranoid and it suited my mood on many days at that time. These guys came out of the ashes of The Undertones, all righteous Northern Irish anger, led by an American singer named Steve Mack. It is a great album too, their first, called Manic Pop Thrill, with nary a bad song on it. The melody is there, but it is supplanted by the band's raging playing. The roaring power chords at the 3:09 mark just rock out so perfectly and then Mack's scream at the end puts the punctuation mark on this one. "I can no longer hide my disgust, there can be no one left to trust." Things haven't changed much.....
6. Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order
Do not be fooled by the tarted-up wizardry of the 12" single of this song. They cut out the best parts and add a bunch of mindless noodling and twiddling that boggles my mind. The album version from Brotherhood is the one you want to hear. The brilliant Peter Hook and his bass guitar are the real standouts here. He plays the lead lines on his bass, way up high on the neck, and it is such a great sound! On the 12", they mute his bass and I wish I could meet the idiot that did that remix and ask them just what the hell they were smoking? This is dance music par excellence, always a hit at parties when Mickey wants to "turn it up." The biggest drawback of this tune is the same as any New Order song - the lyrics are pretty much just insipid space-filler, but that is easily ignored once that bass takes your hand and leads you to groove you ass off. "I feel fine and I feel good, I'm feeling like I never should. Whenever I get this way I just don't know what to say." Take your own advice then - make it an instrumental!
5. Bigmouth Strikes Again - The Smiths
Yes, it is true! In the summer of 1986, The Smiths played at Centennial Hall in London! I know, it's hard to believe, but I was there. This great song, from their album The Queen Is Dead, was the opening number. Morrissey had, by then, started to accumulate several fawning sycophants, even in our little town. So, the band sans Morrissey came out and played this as an instrumental once through and then the great man made his appearance. The screams and cheers drowned out the song! He started singing and it was unlike any London show I've ever seen. The whole crowd was singing along loudly! People had brought flowers with them and they rained down on the stage, the place erupting in squeals every time Steven Patrick, as his mother called him, reached down and picked one up for a quick sniff. This song has a fantastic Johnny Marr guitar riff jangling all the way through it and Morrissey's sarcastic, biting and sometimes hilarious lyrics. This is one of their best, still to this day. "Oh ... sweetness, sweetness, I was only joking when I said by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed." Some things you just can't take back!
4. Tarantula - This Mortal Coil
Everything about this song is ethereal beauty - the piano line, the mournful cello, the echoing choir in the background, the vocals of Dominic Appleton and Deirdre and Louise Rutkowski. It is a sad, gorgeous, haunting piece, quite Gothic as well. I spent a lot of time alone smoking pot and this song at 4 in the morning on headphones was a perfect companion in those moments. These guys and gals were an amalgamum of artists from the 4AD record label in England who put out 3 albums back then of mostly covers of obscure tunes by obscure artists. This is from the 2nd record, Filigree And Shadow, which was a double album. This song was co-written by Jean-Luc Ponty and originally performed by the band Colourbox, but this version is the best. "I'm living but I'm feeling numb, can see it in my stare." Well, then go to bed and get some sleep!
3. These Days - R.E.M.
This is so fast, so joyous, so hopeful. I needed this kind of song back then and I still love it now. It is one of my fave tunes by one of my fave bands. I adore the lyrics so much that I have been known to walk around singing them for days on end. Stipe and the guys wanted a more rock-oriented sound on this album, so they hired Don Gehman to produce it because he was getting that big sound for John Mellencamp back then. This is from their 4th, and best, album called Life's Rich Pageant. You can actually understand some of Stipe's vocals on this song, but not all. Bill Berry does yeoman work on the drums as well, really laying down a great bottom end for the rest to ride on top of. What a great song! "Fly to carry each his burden, we are young despite the years, we are concern, we are hope despite the times." The revolution will not be televised! Streamed maybe.....
2. Won't Go Wrong - Let's Active
This beauty is taken from their best record, the 2nd album Big Plans For Everybody. Because most of the band had left before this was recorded, Mitch Easter essentially did it all himself, with a few contributions from friends. I remember the day this album came out, going to buy it and running home and playing it over and over. After about the 5th listen, the phone rang. I answered and heard Michelle from Nebraska on the other end. She asked if I had the record and I said I did and then, we both started singing the a cappella part at the start of this song. Brilliant! I love the swirl of the guitars and the bass line that is so bubbly and the pedal-steel sounding guitar solo and, of course, Mitch Easter and his sincere, well-meaning vocals. "I'm probably wrong, but I think it's your heyday. But mostly I am right, back in the middle of my room." In my room....hmmm...could be a good song title...hmmm.....
1. Swamp Thing - The Chameleons
This was the first song of the set when Steve and I saw them in Toronto in early '87 and it blew the doors off the place! This was my "Help Me Make It Through The Night" at that time. Much of lyricist / singer Mark Burgess' stuff was about the disappointment of life, of being let down by everyone and everything around you and it was one of those moments where your state of mind has seemingly been tapped into by an artist. It is almost prog-rock in its scope and sound, with double guitars and brilliant, crashing drumming by John Lever. This is an epic, so tense and sad, but with a streak of fuck-you-defiance as well. It was my fave song of that year then, and it still is now. "Not too many hours from this hour, so long. The storm comes or is it just another shower?" Where's Al Roker when you need him?
Top 10 Of 1986
10. Here It Is Tomorrow - Game Theory
This is the first song on their 2nd album, The Big-Shot Chronicles and what a way to start a record! It has a truly frenetic pace, with singer and lyricist Scott Miller cramming as many words in per bar of music as possible. This band had numerous lineup changes for each record, but Miller is the continuity here, especially his voice, which he dubbed his "miserable whine." The playing is fast and furious, all pounding floor toms and punky bass, with new keyboardist Shelley Lafreniere adding backing vocals to the mix. There is also a great guitar solo by Miller, just to top off this gem of a tune. Once again, Let's Active main man Mitch Easter handles the production duties. "Now you've got me drinking in Canadian bars, trading sad stories with the New England Coast Guard. Man you blew me off like there was no tomorrow, and here it is tomorrow." My theme song for '86.....
9. Happy Hour - The Housemartins
Don't let the poppy, happy music fool you folks. This is a sarcastic and sobering treatise on the culture of laddish bosses and phoniness of the business world. Paul Heaton sings it in a boyish tenor, but the lyrics cut like knives. Bassist Norman Cook went on to greater fame in the 1990s as Fat Boy Slim, using samples and loops to create his sound. This is nothing like Fat Boy Slim, sounding much more like The Smiths and their ilk than Praise You. The Housemartins were very left-wing in their lyrics and beliefs, as one listen to their brilliant debut album that this song is taken from, London 0 Hull 4 will prove. I bought this on import from Dr. Disc as it was not released domestically until much later. "It's another night out with the boss, following in footsteps overgrown with moss, and he tells me that women grow on trees, and if you catch them right they will land upon their knees." You have to toss them up just the right way though.....
8. Life's What You Make It - Talk Talk
Anybody remember the video for this song? It was shot in a forest at night and showed all sorts of wild animals and creepy-crawling insects and it was fascinating. Talk Talk were more famous for the song It's My Life from 1984, but they had morphed into a more serious and less synth-happy group by '86. You can still dance to this song though and I have many times over the years, but there is actually a guitar played on this. There are also real drums as well as drum samples and a brilliant left-hand keyboard line which anchors the song. The vocals are great too, with that popular '80s reverb added to the vocal mix. This is a druggy, hopeful dancefloor anthem, so give it a listen and see for yourself. "Yesterday's faded, nothing can change it, life's what you make it." Self-help 101!
7. Lifeblood - That Petrol Emotion
It begins with a little bass line and then in comes a schizophrenic guitar, all noisy and scratchy. This song is all twisted and paranoid and it suited my mood on many days at that time. These guys came out of the ashes of The Undertones, all righteous Northern Irish anger, led by an American singer named Steve Mack. It is a great album too, their first, called Manic Pop Thrill, with nary a bad song on it. The melody is there, but it is supplanted by the band's raging playing. The roaring power chords at the 3:09 mark just rock out so perfectly and then Mack's scream at the end puts the punctuation mark on this one. "I can no longer hide my disgust, there can be no one left to trust." Things haven't changed much.....
6. Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order
Do not be fooled by the tarted-up wizardry of the 12" single of this song. They cut out the best parts and add a bunch of mindless noodling and twiddling that boggles my mind. The album version from Brotherhood is the one you want to hear. The brilliant Peter Hook and his bass guitar are the real standouts here. He plays the lead lines on his bass, way up high on the neck, and it is such a great sound! On the 12", they mute his bass and I wish I could meet the idiot that did that remix and ask them just what the hell they were smoking? This is dance music par excellence, always a hit at parties when Mickey wants to "turn it up." The biggest drawback of this tune is the same as any New Order song - the lyrics are pretty much just insipid space-filler, but that is easily ignored once that bass takes your hand and leads you to groove you ass off. "I feel fine and I feel good, I'm feeling like I never should. Whenever I get this way I just don't know what to say." Take your own advice then - make it an instrumental!
5. Bigmouth Strikes Again - The Smiths
Yes, it is true! In the summer of 1986, The Smiths played at Centennial Hall in London! I know, it's hard to believe, but I was there. This great song, from their album The Queen Is Dead, was the opening number. Morrissey had, by then, started to accumulate several fawning sycophants, even in our little town. So, the band sans Morrissey came out and played this as an instrumental once through and then the great man made his appearance. The screams and cheers drowned out the song! He started singing and it was unlike any London show I've ever seen. The whole crowd was singing along loudly! People had brought flowers with them and they rained down on the stage, the place erupting in squeals every time Steven Patrick, as his mother called him, reached down and picked one up for a quick sniff. This song has a fantastic Johnny Marr guitar riff jangling all the way through it and Morrissey's sarcastic, biting and sometimes hilarious lyrics. This is one of their best, still to this day. "Oh ... sweetness, sweetness, I was only joking when I said by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed." Some things you just can't take back!
4. Tarantula - This Mortal Coil
Everything about this song is ethereal beauty - the piano line, the mournful cello, the echoing choir in the background, the vocals of Dominic Appleton and Deirdre and Louise Rutkowski. It is a sad, gorgeous, haunting piece, quite Gothic as well. I spent a lot of time alone smoking pot and this song at 4 in the morning on headphones was a perfect companion in those moments. These guys and gals were an amalgamum of artists from the 4AD record label in England who put out 3 albums back then of mostly covers of obscure tunes by obscure artists. This is from the 2nd record, Filigree And Shadow, which was a double album. This song was co-written by Jean-Luc Ponty and originally performed by the band Colourbox, but this version is the best. "I'm living but I'm feeling numb, can see it in my stare." Well, then go to bed and get some sleep!
3. These Days - R.E.M.
This is so fast, so joyous, so hopeful. I needed this kind of song back then and I still love it now. It is one of my fave tunes by one of my fave bands. I adore the lyrics so much that I have been known to walk around singing them for days on end. Stipe and the guys wanted a more rock-oriented sound on this album, so they hired Don Gehman to produce it because he was getting that big sound for John Mellencamp back then. This is from their 4th, and best, album called Life's Rich Pageant. You can actually understand some of Stipe's vocals on this song, but not all. Bill Berry does yeoman work on the drums as well, really laying down a great bottom end for the rest to ride on top of. What a great song! "Fly to carry each his burden, we are young despite the years, we are concern, we are hope despite the times." The revolution will not be televised! Streamed maybe.....
2. Won't Go Wrong - Let's Active
This beauty is taken from their best record, the 2nd album Big Plans For Everybody. Because most of the band had left before this was recorded, Mitch Easter essentially did it all himself, with a few contributions from friends. I remember the day this album came out, going to buy it and running home and playing it over and over. After about the 5th listen, the phone rang. I answered and heard Michelle from Nebraska on the other end. She asked if I had the record and I said I did and then, we both started singing the a cappella part at the start of this song. Brilliant! I love the swirl of the guitars and the bass line that is so bubbly and the pedal-steel sounding guitar solo and, of course, Mitch Easter and his sincere, well-meaning vocals. "I'm probably wrong, but I think it's your heyday. But mostly I am right, back in the middle of my room." In my room....hmmm...could be a good song title...hmmm.....
1. Swamp Thing - The Chameleons
This was the first song of the set when Steve and I saw them in Toronto in early '87 and it blew the doors off the place! This was my "Help Me Make It Through The Night" at that time. Much of lyricist / singer Mark Burgess' stuff was about the disappointment of life, of being let down by everyone and everything around you and it was one of those moments where your state of mind has seemingly been tapped into by an artist. It is almost prog-rock in its scope and sound, with double guitars and brilliant, crashing drumming by John Lever. This is an epic, so tense and sad, but with a streak of fuck-you-defiance as well. It was my fave song of that year then, and it still is now. "Not too many hours from this hour, so long. The storm comes or is it just another shower?" Where's Al Roker when you need him?
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Listomania! - 1985
My main memory of 1985 is the Live Aid concert on July 13th. I got up early and watched it in its entirety, which was roughly 19 hours or so. Gord was with me for quite a lot of it as he was aware at age 7 of the problems that Ethiopia and Africa in general were having and also because he loved the music that would be played that day. I recall an outstanding performance from London's Wembley Stadium by the Style Council, who came on 2nd, right after Status Quo. Weller looked great and sounded even better as they ripped through 4 songs in about 20 minutes. During the broadcast, they kept showing the devastation in Ethiopia and the starving kids, all the while asking for people to call in and pledge money for the cause. Well, this started Gord crying and begging his Dad to call in with some money. I tried to explain to him that I had already bought the Christmas 45 last December and that I gave money regularly through work to all kinds of different charities, but he would not be placated. So, I picked up the phone and called in a $20 pledge. Satisfied that we had just saved the whole continent of Africa, Gord then settled in for some more good music. We were joined by Steve in the afternoon and the three of us had a great time watching the show. I remember liking the performances of Bryan Ferry, U2, Queen (who were spectacular), Bowie, The Who, McCartney doing Let It Be, and many more. It was a huge event to be sure and though I don't know if the money ended up in the right hands, it was still a noble undertaking by Bob Geldof. The biggest criticism I recall hearing was that all these bands just did it to further their careers. Well, that may have been true in a lot of instances, but that really was beside the point. Gord still remembers it to this day and it was maybe the most memorable music event of my lifetime. Here, then, is my list for that year:
Top 10 Of 1985
10. Pushing Up The Daisies - The Colourfield
Remember the singer Terry Hall from The Specials and Fun Boy Three? Well this was his latest band. He must have gotten bored very easily or something, going through a new band every 2 years or so. This song is built around a groovy '60s-style bass line and a fantastic acoustic guitar part. It is almost Flamenco in spots and is just brilliantly played. Terry Hall wrote his usual cynical lyrics, but despite this cynicism, you could always count on singing along with one of his tunes. This band only made 2 albums before they split up and never achieved any commercial success, but this first album, Virgins & Philistines, is quite a good record that deserved better. "You're smoking pot with groovy chicks, the politics of habitats are all drunk up." Far out man!
9. The Headmaster Ritual - The Smiths
Morrissey always wrote lyrics that I found intensely personal. He was the first writer that I knew of at the time that took a very first-person stance in every song. This tune deals with the harsh treatment of students in English schools by vicious headmasters, which he had experienced first-hand many times. When I am in a period of self-doubt and need to wallow in some self-pity, there is nothing better than a good dose of Morrissey. It can get tiresome when one is happily going along through life, but his music got me through many a dark time. Johnny Marr lays down his usual brilliant, chiming guitar and the rhythm section of Andy Rourke on bass and Mike Joyce on drums are solid and workmanlike as always. Nothing like the brutality described in the song ever happened to me at school, but I loathed shop class so much in Grade 8 that I used to beg my Mom to let me stay home on those days. She never did let me, so I got back at her by going to work in a factory, which was like one big 12 year shop class! " I want to go home, I don't want to stay. Give up education as a bad mistake." My baddest mistake was giving up education......
8. The Murder Of Love - Propaganda
Damn, how I loved the sound of this record! It is from the album called A Secret Wish and I think I gifted it to half of London that Christmas. Propaganda were a short-lived German band fronted by one Claudia Brucken. She was the wife of Paul Morley, a former ink-stained wretch for the NME, who started his own record label that some of you may have heard of called ZTT. They were responsible for Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Art Of Noise as well. While I wasn't a huge lover of these bands, I found the sound they got on record to be just jaw-dropping. This particular song was produced by Trevor Horn, who had played in Yes and was also in early MTV faves The Buggles. I love the chorus, with its pretty melody and Brucken's ESL vocals, and also the gorgeous keyboards that wash over the ears throughout this tune. "I'm charging you with murder, the fire of love's dying down. But in the face of the verdict, I'm feeling all jealousy drown." I swear I didn't do it!
7. Don't Bang The Drum - The Waterboys
This is so majestic, so epic! The opening bit with the piano and trumpet hint at what is to come, but when the band comes crashing in, riding that sledgehammer of a snare drum thwack, you just know that something special is happening. Vocalist Mike Scott wrote the music, but the words are from pianist Karl Wallinger, who would soon leave the band. It is an early environmentalist tune, with lyrics bemoaning man's disregard of history and lack of caring about the future. It holds a light up to those who care only about so-called progress, referring to those types with simian metaphors and imagery. It is a rousing, anthemic song and always pumps me right up. If you're feeling down, throw this on the old iPod and try and stop from feeling alive! Oh yeah, the saxophone is fantastic, which was par for the course on these first 3 Waterboys albums. "I know you love the high life, you love to leap around. You love to beat your chest and make your sound, but not here man - this is sacred ground." Leaping around? While high? Never!
6. A Night Like This - The Cure
This is not your buddy Steve's Cure. From their 6th album, The Head On The Door, Fat Bob and the guys have welcomed basist Simon Gallup back into the fold after an abscence of 2 years and it his great bass playing that drives this song. This was their breakthrough record as they dispensed with drowning their records in reverb and dissonance and fully embraced melody and a much clearer production job. They had 2 hit singles from this record, the New Order-ish In Between Days and the claustrophobic Close To Me, but this is such a great album that I had a real task trying to pick a favourite, but I went for this gorgeous song full of a lover's feelings of failure and desperation. There is a great sax solo by Ron Howe, who had played with Gallup in his hiatus from the band. When I saw them live, this song was a standout of the show. "The way that you look at me now makes me wish I was you." Now that is called getting the point across!
5. Can't Get There From Here - R.E.M.
I think this could be the funkiest R.E.M. ever got. The bass line and the scratchy guitar are quite good, as is Michael Stipe's falsetto "Ahhh" before the chorus. This is from the superb Fables Of The Reconstruction album, on which they decided to try a different producer, Joe Boyd, best known for his work with Fairport Convention. They recorded the album in England, but, ironically, it is perhaps their most Southern record. The songs are full of the mythology and landscape of the South, even mentioning the tiny hamlet of Philomath, GA in this song. Stipe sings this with his Georgia drawl out front, especially the "cain't" on the choruses. What a fun, groovy little tune! "Go on ahead Mr. Citywide, hypnotized, suit and tied, gentlemen testify." Well, go-llleee!
4. Bonzo Goes To Bitburg - The Ramones
The Ramones go political! Apparently, they were big Ronnie Raygun supporters, but when he decided to visit a German graveyard where a bunch of Waffen SS soldiers were buried, that was too much for Joey Ramone, who happened to be Jewish, to take, and in his anger, he penned this classic. What fantastic backing vocals, what a melody! This is my fave Ramones tune, not that I was a big fan, but they could really hit the mark and they sure did here. It has been said that they changed the name of the song to My Brian Is Hanging Upside Down when it appeared on the 1986 Animal Boy album because guitarist Johnny Ramone was unhappy with Joey putting down Reagan. "Bonzo goes to Bitburg then goes out for a cup of tea. As i watched it on TV, somehow it really bothered me." Well, Nancy.....
3. She Sells Sanctuary (Long Version) - The Cult
I will never forget the first time I heard this song. Steve and I were becoming quite the scene-makers in London and the coolest place to go was Note's on Monday night. I mentioned the DJ there in an earlier post, a guy we called AKA. Well, he liked our taste in music and this one Monday, we came into the bar. AKA came running out of the DJ booth over to us and started going on about this new song from The Cult that he had just picked up on import from the U.K. I had read about it in the NME and was dying to hear it, so he put it on the turntable and I heard the swirling sound and the "Hey,hey,hey" and then....Ka-boom! Coming out of that massive sound system they had, I had never heard anything sound quite that amazing before! This song is from their best album, Love, which helped get me back into loud guitars for the first time in years. I loved Ian Astbury and his balls-out approach to singing as well and I was a huge fan of this band for many years. I caution you though - make sure you don't settle for the album version! The 12" Long Version (yes, that's what it's called) is what you want to listen to. There is no comparison between the two. "I'm sure in her you'll find the sanctuary." I would, but not for about 2 more years....
2. 24 - Game Theory
From the Paisley Underground scene in San Francisco came Scott Miller and his ever-changing lineup of musicians. Remember Michelle from Nebraska from a previous post? Well, she was responsible for my hearing these guys as she made me a cassette of this, their first album, called Real Nighttime. This is Power-Pop at its finest and it wears the Big Star influences as proud as a peacock. You will not be able to stop yourself from singing as the melody is utterly infectious. The guitars are suitably jangly and the band is so tight. The production is done by the master, Mitch Easter, who would produce all 4 of Game Theory's records. They sold about 5 records at the time, but, judging by the outlandish prices their records fetch on eBay, more people like them now. "And for whatever reason I wish that I had two minds, opposite signs, parallel lines, wide point and fine." I'd settle for a 24 year-old mind!
1. Shout To The Top - The Style Council
Right away, that Motown groove hits you - get out of the road because there may be an outbreak of happy feet! There is a great little punchy bass line, fantastic orchestration and piano, and brilliant drumming from the incomparable Steve White. This is such an uplifting tune that while it is playing and you are dancing around, everything seems possible. Paul Weller continues on with his political lyrics here, spitting righteous indignation at all that Thatcher has wrought and telling us that no matter what, we have a voice and we will not be denied! This is from the great Our Favourite Shop album and I almost copped out and put the whole damn album as #1 on the list. There are just a bunch of great songs on this record, which may well be Weller's finest ever. "When you're knocked on your back an' your life's a flop and when you're down on the bottom there's nothing else but to shout to the top." I was never much of a flopper, more of a scissors guy.....
Top 10 Of 1985
10. Pushing Up The Daisies - The Colourfield
Remember the singer Terry Hall from The Specials and Fun Boy Three? Well this was his latest band. He must have gotten bored very easily or something, going through a new band every 2 years or so. This song is built around a groovy '60s-style bass line and a fantastic acoustic guitar part. It is almost Flamenco in spots and is just brilliantly played. Terry Hall wrote his usual cynical lyrics, but despite this cynicism, you could always count on singing along with one of his tunes. This band only made 2 albums before they split up and never achieved any commercial success, but this first album, Virgins & Philistines, is quite a good record that deserved better. "You're smoking pot with groovy chicks, the politics of habitats are all drunk up." Far out man!
9. The Headmaster Ritual - The Smiths
Morrissey always wrote lyrics that I found intensely personal. He was the first writer that I knew of at the time that took a very first-person stance in every song. This tune deals with the harsh treatment of students in English schools by vicious headmasters, which he had experienced first-hand many times. When I am in a period of self-doubt and need to wallow in some self-pity, there is nothing better than a good dose of Morrissey. It can get tiresome when one is happily going along through life, but his music got me through many a dark time. Johnny Marr lays down his usual brilliant, chiming guitar and the rhythm section of Andy Rourke on bass and Mike Joyce on drums are solid and workmanlike as always. Nothing like the brutality described in the song ever happened to me at school, but I loathed shop class so much in Grade 8 that I used to beg my Mom to let me stay home on those days. She never did let me, so I got back at her by going to work in a factory, which was like one big 12 year shop class! " I want to go home, I don't want to stay. Give up education as a bad mistake." My baddest mistake was giving up education......
8. The Murder Of Love - Propaganda
Damn, how I loved the sound of this record! It is from the album called A Secret Wish and I think I gifted it to half of London that Christmas. Propaganda were a short-lived German band fronted by one Claudia Brucken. She was the wife of Paul Morley, a former ink-stained wretch for the NME, who started his own record label that some of you may have heard of called ZTT. They were responsible for Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Art Of Noise as well. While I wasn't a huge lover of these bands, I found the sound they got on record to be just jaw-dropping. This particular song was produced by Trevor Horn, who had played in Yes and was also in early MTV faves The Buggles. I love the chorus, with its pretty melody and Brucken's ESL vocals, and also the gorgeous keyboards that wash over the ears throughout this tune. "I'm charging you with murder, the fire of love's dying down. But in the face of the verdict, I'm feeling all jealousy drown." I swear I didn't do it!
7. Don't Bang The Drum - The Waterboys
This is so majestic, so epic! The opening bit with the piano and trumpet hint at what is to come, but when the band comes crashing in, riding that sledgehammer of a snare drum thwack, you just know that something special is happening. Vocalist Mike Scott wrote the music, but the words are from pianist Karl Wallinger, who would soon leave the band. It is an early environmentalist tune, with lyrics bemoaning man's disregard of history and lack of caring about the future. It holds a light up to those who care only about so-called progress, referring to those types with simian metaphors and imagery. It is a rousing, anthemic song and always pumps me right up. If you're feeling down, throw this on the old iPod and try and stop from feeling alive! Oh yeah, the saxophone is fantastic, which was par for the course on these first 3 Waterboys albums. "I know you love the high life, you love to leap around. You love to beat your chest and make your sound, but not here man - this is sacred ground." Leaping around? While high? Never!
6. A Night Like This - The Cure
This is not your buddy Steve's Cure. From their 6th album, The Head On The Door, Fat Bob and the guys have welcomed basist Simon Gallup back into the fold after an abscence of 2 years and it his great bass playing that drives this song. This was their breakthrough record as they dispensed with drowning their records in reverb and dissonance and fully embraced melody and a much clearer production job. They had 2 hit singles from this record, the New Order-ish In Between Days and the claustrophobic Close To Me, but this is such a great album that I had a real task trying to pick a favourite, but I went for this gorgeous song full of a lover's feelings of failure and desperation. There is a great sax solo by Ron Howe, who had played with Gallup in his hiatus from the band. When I saw them live, this song was a standout of the show. "The way that you look at me now makes me wish I was you." Now that is called getting the point across!
5. Can't Get There From Here - R.E.M.
I think this could be the funkiest R.E.M. ever got. The bass line and the scratchy guitar are quite good, as is Michael Stipe's falsetto "Ahhh" before the chorus. This is from the superb Fables Of The Reconstruction album, on which they decided to try a different producer, Joe Boyd, best known for his work with Fairport Convention. They recorded the album in England, but, ironically, it is perhaps their most Southern record. The songs are full of the mythology and landscape of the South, even mentioning the tiny hamlet of Philomath, GA in this song. Stipe sings this with his Georgia drawl out front, especially the "cain't" on the choruses. What a fun, groovy little tune! "Go on ahead Mr. Citywide, hypnotized, suit and tied, gentlemen testify." Well, go-llleee!
4. Bonzo Goes To Bitburg - The Ramones
The Ramones go political! Apparently, they were big Ronnie Raygun supporters, but when he decided to visit a German graveyard where a bunch of Waffen SS soldiers were buried, that was too much for Joey Ramone, who happened to be Jewish, to take, and in his anger, he penned this classic. What fantastic backing vocals, what a melody! This is my fave Ramones tune, not that I was a big fan, but they could really hit the mark and they sure did here. It has been said that they changed the name of the song to My Brian Is Hanging Upside Down when it appeared on the 1986 Animal Boy album because guitarist Johnny Ramone was unhappy with Joey putting down Reagan. "Bonzo goes to Bitburg then goes out for a cup of tea. As i watched it on TV, somehow it really bothered me." Well, Nancy.....
3. She Sells Sanctuary (Long Version) - The Cult
I will never forget the first time I heard this song. Steve and I were becoming quite the scene-makers in London and the coolest place to go was Note's on Monday night. I mentioned the DJ there in an earlier post, a guy we called AKA. Well, he liked our taste in music and this one Monday, we came into the bar. AKA came running out of the DJ booth over to us and started going on about this new song from The Cult that he had just picked up on import from the U.K. I had read about it in the NME and was dying to hear it, so he put it on the turntable and I heard the swirling sound and the "Hey,hey,hey" and then....Ka-boom! Coming out of that massive sound system they had, I had never heard anything sound quite that amazing before! This song is from their best album, Love, which helped get me back into loud guitars for the first time in years. I loved Ian Astbury and his balls-out approach to singing as well and I was a huge fan of this band for many years. I caution you though - make sure you don't settle for the album version! The 12" Long Version (yes, that's what it's called) is what you want to listen to. There is no comparison between the two. "I'm sure in her you'll find the sanctuary." I would, but not for about 2 more years....
2. 24 - Game Theory
From the Paisley Underground scene in San Francisco came Scott Miller and his ever-changing lineup of musicians. Remember Michelle from Nebraska from a previous post? Well, she was responsible for my hearing these guys as she made me a cassette of this, their first album, called Real Nighttime. This is Power-Pop at its finest and it wears the Big Star influences as proud as a peacock. You will not be able to stop yourself from singing as the melody is utterly infectious. The guitars are suitably jangly and the band is so tight. The production is done by the master, Mitch Easter, who would produce all 4 of Game Theory's records. They sold about 5 records at the time, but, judging by the outlandish prices their records fetch on eBay, more people like them now. "And for whatever reason I wish that I had two minds, opposite signs, parallel lines, wide point and fine." I'd settle for a 24 year-old mind!
1. Shout To The Top - The Style Council
Right away, that Motown groove hits you - get out of the road because there may be an outbreak of happy feet! There is a great little punchy bass line, fantastic orchestration and piano, and brilliant drumming from the incomparable Steve White. This is such an uplifting tune that while it is playing and you are dancing around, everything seems possible. Paul Weller continues on with his political lyrics here, spitting righteous indignation at all that Thatcher has wrought and telling us that no matter what, we have a voice and we will not be denied! This is from the great Our Favourite Shop album and I almost copped out and put the whole damn album as #1 on the list. There are just a bunch of great songs on this record, which may well be Weller's finest ever. "When you're knocked on your back an' your life's a flop and when you're down on the bottom there's nothing else but to shout to the top." I was never much of a flopper, more of a scissors guy.....
Monday, September 20, 2010
Listomania! - 1984
Motorcycles - Lots of people love them. I'm not one of them. A friend of mine named Dave Cornell once let me drive his dirt bike when we were about 13. We were out in a field by our houses and there was 1 tree in the whole area. Well, you guessed it, I smashed into the tree with his new bike. The handlebars were bent all to hell and my self-esteem was bent out of shape too. I have had several friends and family members who have had motorbikes and taken me for a ride on them. Martina's brother Karel used to drive me to work on his racing bike sometimes. He thought it quite fun to accelerate at Apollo 11 speed with me on the back and listen for my screaming above the roar of the motor. My good friend Dave Elmore loves bikes too. I never took a ride on his because I know what a sadist he is and he would have taken great pride in scaring the shit out of me and then having years of laughter while telling the story. Anyway, the point is that 1984 reminds me of the Great Motorcycle Debacle of 1984. My buddy Scott Reid had bought himself a nice new bike that spring. He shared a love of the band Simple Minds with yours truly, so I got tickets for us to go. They didn't play London because they weren't April Wine or Max Webster, the only 2 bands who ever played in London. (There were more, but not many. It just seemed like those bands came to town every 6 months.) The concert was in Kitchener at the newly-opened Centre In The Square. Scott had a brilliant idea! Why don't we go to the show on his motorcycle? You see, I had no car in those days and was in no position to complain about the mode of transportation. I was very nervous about the trip, but tried to steel myself and just go with the flow. I waited for Scott out front of my place, along with Debbie and the kids. He pulled up and handed me a helmet. I took it and was about to put it on when I realized that there was no visor on it. It was a beat-up older model and, again, it had no visor! My fears of bugs in the eyes were allayed though when Scott suggested that I wear my sunglasses to keep them out. Well, now I felt better! He assured me that all would be fine and all I had to do was hang on for the ride. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm, so what could possibly go wrong? We started off toward the 401. It wasn't long before I realized that all I had to hang on to was a very tiny little u-bar at the back of the seat. I asked Scott about this and he quelled my trepidation by suggesting that he was a great driver (he actually was) and told me to relax. Despite swallowing about 3000 bugs, I tried my best to get into a Zen state. About halfway there, I asked him to pull over to the side of the highway. He cheerfully complied, thinking that perhaps I wanted to smoke a joint to enjoy the ride more. Now, in those days, if I was awake, chances are that I was high, but my reason for pulling over wasn't to partake of the sacred herb. It was because I was hanging on to that u-bar for dear life and my fingers had cramped up and were killing me. I got off the bike and pried my fingers open and they were quite sore. Scott was laughing his ass off and said that when we resumed the trip, I should hang on to his waist. Being a classic homophobic male, that idea seemed funny to me. He insisted that we spark up the doobie and I would see just how wonderful everything was. So, we smoked it and got back on the bike. Now, real true paranoia had overtaken outright fear by about a nose. I held on to his jacket, but I was pulling so hard on it, he kept going off balance. so, he kindly suggested that I return to hanging on to the 2" u-bar. We finally got to the show and I thanked whatever Supreme Being there might be for small mercies. The show was fantastic, with China Crisis opening up and being amazing and then Jim Kerr and the guys putting on a monster of a performance. I must say that I didn't thoroughly enjoy it as I should have though. The spectre of the trip home hung over me like the sword of Damocles the whole time. I kept trying to think of ways to get home without riding on that 2-wheeled death machine. There were several gorgeous women at the concert, so at intermission, I started chatting them up to see if any of them happened to live in London and perhaps I could hitch a ride home with them. I checked to see if I had enough money to grab a train or bus home. But, all my efforts ended in abject disappointment. When the show ended, Scott and I walked outside. It was pouring cats and dogs out there, so I saw an opening and told Scott that maybe we should just go to a bar in Kitchener and hang out until it let up. He informed me that he couldn't do this as he had to work early the next morning and needed to get home. So, we hopped on the bike and started off. I had my arms around his waist as the rain pelted down, blasting my face to smithereens. It really hurt and then I noticed it was hurting even more. Oh lovely, it had started hailing golf balls! He yelled at me to tuck my face into his jacket and keep my head down. He was driving at top speed now, passing everybody like they were standing still. It was very hard to see and there seemed to be far too many trucks on the highway that night. I was going. "whooooooaaaaaaaa!!!!" every time we passed a truck as it would soak me to the skin with the spray coming off the tires. We finally made it back to London and Scott took us to a bar in the north end of the city called Bumpers. I got off the bike and my fingers had again cramped up and I was soaked and sweating and ill. There were some friends of ours at the bar and they took one look at me and started cracking up. Scott then entertained them all with the story of our Kitchener adventure, leaving everyone in tears, except me, because I had been crying all the way home already. We stayed for a bit and then a guy who lived near me said he was leaving. Knowing that he had a car, I asked for a lift home and he gladly obliged. I am still grateful to this day to Buddy Booth for that ride home. Scott was, of course, pissing himself laughing and couldn't wait to get to work the next day and regale the fellows with this story. My daughter runs into him occasionally and he still loves to tell that tale of woe. As for the music of 1984, it was much less harmful to me than that bike ride from Hell. Here's the list:
10. Hero Takes A Fall - The Bangles
I remember seeing this video and I was hooked! I mean, a catchy Power-Pop tune done by hot chicks with Rickenbackers! I was not a huge fan of the band, but I liked a couple more songs after this. They lived in the shadow of the more famous Go-Gos, but on their next record, they stepped out of that shadow with the Prince-penned Manic Monday. This song has several selling points for me, a great melody, a great guitar riff and Susanna Hoffs. I think there were 3 other girls in the band (the bass player was not bad either) but I only had eyes for Susanna Hoffs. She was totally smoking hot and could sing pretty OK too. She could have recited the eye chart and it would have sounded great, I suppose, but this is a fine little tune in its own right. By the way, Google Ms. Hoffs and you will see that she is still smoking hot at 51. "Your mother told you stories, you substitute with girls who tell you more. Suddenly your sycophants are chanting slogans at your door." My mother told me a lot of stories, but I lacked in the sycophant department.
9. You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) - Joe Jackson
This song is not easily defined. Is it Jazz? Well, Jackson had delved pretty deep into Jazz by this time. Is it Funk? Well, the slap-bass and scratchy guitar say it is. It has an almost Steely Dan feel to it, with fantastic musicians playing the most precise chord-changes and solos. I mean, just take a listen to the horns on this tune. Bloody amazing! The sax player is just killer. Jackson plays the piano like the pro he is too and his vocals have softened a lot from the I'm The Man days, but he knows how to phrase this sound just right. I quite love this song and have been known to groove around the living room when it's on, all the while trying to keep the beagle from humping my leg. "Sometimes you can't see that all you need is one thing. If it's right, you could sleep at night, but it can take some time, but at least I'm here in line." Still waiting.....
8. Speed Your Love To Me - Simple Minds
From the Sparkle In The Rain album, which was their first U.K. #1, this song was the opening number when I saw them in Kitchener. It is a big change from their earlier synth sound. This is made for stadiums, all booming drums and big keyboards and rocking guitar lines, even lots of cowbell. Jim Kerr plays this like a preacher, calling his flock to have faith and belief, sometimes falling to his knees to exhort us on. His vocals are more urgent than on previous records and guitarist Charlie Burchill plays a bigger role, weaving that guitar in and out of the verses. It was produced again by Steve Lillywhite, but the production job on this record is sub-standard in my eyes as he buries the bottom end, especially the bass, under a lot of bombast. They were my fave band at the time this was released, but it was the beginning of the end of my fandom, as often happens to me when bands get too popular and pander to the masses. "Love to see the fires in motion, love to feel the free world turn tonight." Did the earth move for you dear?
7. The Unforgettable Fire - U2
War had moved a lot of units, as they say in the music biz. This album cemented U2 as superstars. They were seeking to expand their sound and their musical chops, so they went to Brian Eno and asked him to twiddle the knobs for this record. He was reluctant at first, but agreed to produce it with his engineer, Daniel Lanois. It is my favourite U2 record and this title track is my favourite song on it. It is majestic in its beauty, washing over the listener with waves of strings and keyboards. Yes, this was the first U2 record to feature keyboards, played by Edge and Eno. It is a much more abstract sound than New Year's Day or I Will Follow and Bono's lyrics were more personal than political, especially on this song. In my opinion, it is the most gorgeous song they have ever done, including the later hit One. "Stay this time, stay tonight in a lie, I'm only asking but I think you know." Stunning!
6. Church Not Made with Hands - The Waterboys
I love the title of this song enough to include it on this list for that reason alone. Another Irish band with religious overtones in their lyrics, The Waterboys were largely all about leader Mike Scott. He had a way with words and the ability to turn every song into an anthem. This song is one of my fave tunes to warble along with, whether in the shower or at the dog park. It starts off with uptempo acoustic guitars before exploding into technicolour horns and rolling piano, played by future World Party leader Karl Wallinger. The lyrics are so intelligent and moving, filled with blatant Christian imagery as they may be. It is a most gorgeous and sweeping epic, from their best album, A Pagan Place "She is everywhere and no place, her church not made with hands." Holy Mother of Mary!
5. Rattlesnakes - Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
This is the title cut from the debut album by these sons of Glasgow. I love the steely acoustic guitar sound they get on this song and the great string parts arranged by Anne Dudley, who later played with The Art Of Noise and other ZTT bands. But, it's the lyrics and Cole earnest delivery that are the stars here. His studies at university, namely Philosophy and English, are front and centre in these words. He name-drops Simone De Beauvoir and Eva-Marie Saint in this song and that interested me enough to give this album a listen back then because I love On The Waterfront and Jean-Paul Satre, who was De Beauvoir's partner for many years. I also love the little orchestral flourish after the "Love is all you need" line that mimics the Beatles' song. "Jodie wears a hat although it hasn't rained for six days. She says a girl needs a gun these days, hey, on account of all the rattlesnakes." I could'a been a contender!
4. The Killing Moon - Echo & The Bunnymen
I remember seeing a live clip of these guys on the New Music and singer Ian McCulloch was wearing the coolest black cape. So, I went to the thrift store and bought the next coolest black cape and wore it lots through the next 4 or 5 years. Now, that was fashion! This song is good on the album, but much better on the 12" single. The strings are fleshed out so much more and the guitar sounds like it could have been taken right out of a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western. It is a Gothic, moody, brooding piece of music, suitable for dancing by yourself or for late nights with the headphones on, stoned and alone. They hired a 35-piece orchestra to record this and the results are just perfection to these ears. McCulloch lays down his usual impeccable vocal and I would advise you to go now and give this gem a listen. "Fate, up against your will, through the thick and thin. He will wait until you give yourself to him." Pretty scary, eh kids?
3. So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry) - R.E.M.
This is from the 2nd album, Reckoning, again produced by Mitch Easter. I first heard this song on David Letterman when they performed it before the record came out. Stipe was a mass of curly hair which hid his face and he sang with his mouth right against the microphone, making the lyrics pretty much an afterthought as the only part I could understand was the "I'm sorry" part. This is Southern Gothic in every sense of the word. It sounds like what I imagine the South to feel like from reading O'Connor and the like - kind of weird and mysterious. It is a beautiful melody and the playing is first-rate and, typical of this band at the time, understated. Peter Buck is awesome, especially the opening riff. "Did you never call? I waited for your call. These rivers of suggestion are driving me away." How about the oceans of hints? Seas of clues? Oh, never mind.....
2. Waters Part - Let's Active
Oh, so '60s! Did the Byrds re-form? Bloody hell! This is good! Lovely, jangly guitars, all bendy and twangy and delicious! From their debut album Cypress, this is the one song I would play if I knew someone who had never heard of Mitch Easter or this band. He obviously wears his influences on his sleeve, from the aforementioned Byrds to Big Star, but those are some brilliant sleeves! The pounding toms at the 3:20 mark, the harmony vocals, it's just all too freakin' fantastic! I'm moved to put a lot of exclamation marks in this post! I love the hint of a Southern twang in the vocals too. How did this not sell a million copies? It is certainly 5 minutes well-spent! "The waters part when our eyes see together." Jose can part the water while he writes a song......
1. My Ever Changing Moods - The Style Council
This song would definitely be on my top 10 of all-time list. It is my fave dance song, one of the best to sing along to, and my fave Weller song too. I love the melody, the energy, the sentiment - oh hell, just everything about it. For all those Jam fans who were crying in their Strongbow about the lack of guitars in his new music, this even has a guitar solo, albeit a truncated and jazzy one, rather than evoking Eton Rifles or Strange Town. Steve White is brilliant on the drums, most certainly on the rapid fire fills throughout the tune. There is a kick-ass horn section too, giving the song some punch and soul. But, the lyrics are the show-stealer here. Weller is expressing his doubts and reservations about Thatcherite England, blaming the tabloids and the government and the bullshit being fed by organized religion for people's moodiness and self-doubt. It is, ultimately, a song of hope though and my feet must move every time I hear it.
"Evil turns to statues - and masses form a line
But I know which way I'd run to if the choice was mine
The past is knowledge - the present our mistake
And the future we always leave too late
I wish we'd come to our senses and see there is no truth
In those who promote the confusion for this ever changing mood"
You can always find me a little left on the dial.....
10. Hero Takes A Fall - The Bangles
I remember seeing this video and I was hooked! I mean, a catchy Power-Pop tune done by hot chicks with Rickenbackers! I was not a huge fan of the band, but I liked a couple more songs after this. They lived in the shadow of the more famous Go-Gos, but on their next record, they stepped out of that shadow with the Prince-penned Manic Monday. This song has several selling points for me, a great melody, a great guitar riff and Susanna Hoffs. I think there were 3 other girls in the band (the bass player was not bad either) but I only had eyes for Susanna Hoffs. She was totally smoking hot and could sing pretty OK too. She could have recited the eye chart and it would have sounded great, I suppose, but this is a fine little tune in its own right. By the way, Google Ms. Hoffs and you will see that she is still smoking hot at 51. "Your mother told you stories, you substitute with girls who tell you more. Suddenly your sycophants are chanting slogans at your door." My mother told me a lot of stories, but I lacked in the sycophant department.
9. You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) - Joe Jackson
This song is not easily defined. Is it Jazz? Well, Jackson had delved pretty deep into Jazz by this time. Is it Funk? Well, the slap-bass and scratchy guitar say it is. It has an almost Steely Dan feel to it, with fantastic musicians playing the most precise chord-changes and solos. I mean, just take a listen to the horns on this tune. Bloody amazing! The sax player is just killer. Jackson plays the piano like the pro he is too and his vocals have softened a lot from the I'm The Man days, but he knows how to phrase this sound just right. I quite love this song and have been known to groove around the living room when it's on, all the while trying to keep the beagle from humping my leg. "Sometimes you can't see that all you need is one thing. If it's right, you could sleep at night, but it can take some time, but at least I'm here in line." Still waiting.....
8. Speed Your Love To Me - Simple Minds
From the Sparkle In The Rain album, which was their first U.K. #1, this song was the opening number when I saw them in Kitchener. It is a big change from their earlier synth sound. This is made for stadiums, all booming drums and big keyboards and rocking guitar lines, even lots of cowbell. Jim Kerr plays this like a preacher, calling his flock to have faith and belief, sometimes falling to his knees to exhort us on. His vocals are more urgent than on previous records and guitarist Charlie Burchill plays a bigger role, weaving that guitar in and out of the verses. It was produced again by Steve Lillywhite, but the production job on this record is sub-standard in my eyes as he buries the bottom end, especially the bass, under a lot of bombast. They were my fave band at the time this was released, but it was the beginning of the end of my fandom, as often happens to me when bands get too popular and pander to the masses. "Love to see the fires in motion, love to feel the free world turn tonight." Did the earth move for you dear?
7. The Unforgettable Fire - U2
War had moved a lot of units, as they say in the music biz. This album cemented U2 as superstars. They were seeking to expand their sound and their musical chops, so they went to Brian Eno and asked him to twiddle the knobs for this record. He was reluctant at first, but agreed to produce it with his engineer, Daniel Lanois. It is my favourite U2 record and this title track is my favourite song on it. It is majestic in its beauty, washing over the listener with waves of strings and keyboards. Yes, this was the first U2 record to feature keyboards, played by Edge and Eno. It is a much more abstract sound than New Year's Day or I Will Follow and Bono's lyrics were more personal than political, especially on this song. In my opinion, it is the most gorgeous song they have ever done, including the later hit One. "Stay this time, stay tonight in a lie, I'm only asking but I think you know." Stunning!
6. Church Not Made with Hands - The Waterboys
I love the title of this song enough to include it on this list for that reason alone. Another Irish band with religious overtones in their lyrics, The Waterboys were largely all about leader Mike Scott. He had a way with words and the ability to turn every song into an anthem. This song is one of my fave tunes to warble along with, whether in the shower or at the dog park. It starts off with uptempo acoustic guitars before exploding into technicolour horns and rolling piano, played by future World Party leader Karl Wallinger. The lyrics are so intelligent and moving, filled with blatant Christian imagery as they may be. It is a most gorgeous and sweeping epic, from their best album, A Pagan Place "She is everywhere and no place, her church not made with hands." Holy Mother of Mary!
5. Rattlesnakes - Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
This is the title cut from the debut album by these sons of Glasgow. I love the steely acoustic guitar sound they get on this song and the great string parts arranged by Anne Dudley, who later played with The Art Of Noise and other ZTT bands. But, it's the lyrics and Cole earnest delivery that are the stars here. His studies at university, namely Philosophy and English, are front and centre in these words. He name-drops Simone De Beauvoir and Eva-Marie Saint in this song and that interested me enough to give this album a listen back then because I love On The Waterfront and Jean-Paul Satre, who was De Beauvoir's partner for many years. I also love the little orchestral flourish after the "Love is all you need" line that mimics the Beatles' song. "Jodie wears a hat although it hasn't rained for six days. She says a girl needs a gun these days, hey, on account of all the rattlesnakes." I could'a been a contender!
4. The Killing Moon - Echo & The Bunnymen
I remember seeing a live clip of these guys on the New Music and singer Ian McCulloch was wearing the coolest black cape. So, I went to the thrift store and bought the next coolest black cape and wore it lots through the next 4 or 5 years. Now, that was fashion! This song is good on the album, but much better on the 12" single. The strings are fleshed out so much more and the guitar sounds like it could have been taken right out of a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western. It is a Gothic, moody, brooding piece of music, suitable for dancing by yourself or for late nights with the headphones on, stoned and alone. They hired a 35-piece orchestra to record this and the results are just perfection to these ears. McCulloch lays down his usual impeccable vocal and I would advise you to go now and give this gem a listen. "Fate, up against your will, through the thick and thin. He will wait until you give yourself to him." Pretty scary, eh kids?
3. So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry) - R.E.M.
This is from the 2nd album, Reckoning, again produced by Mitch Easter. I first heard this song on David Letterman when they performed it before the record came out. Stipe was a mass of curly hair which hid his face and he sang with his mouth right against the microphone, making the lyrics pretty much an afterthought as the only part I could understand was the "I'm sorry" part. This is Southern Gothic in every sense of the word. It sounds like what I imagine the South to feel like from reading O'Connor and the like - kind of weird and mysterious. It is a beautiful melody and the playing is first-rate and, typical of this band at the time, understated. Peter Buck is awesome, especially the opening riff. "Did you never call? I waited for your call. These rivers of suggestion are driving me away." How about the oceans of hints? Seas of clues? Oh, never mind.....
2. Waters Part - Let's Active
Oh, so '60s! Did the Byrds re-form? Bloody hell! This is good! Lovely, jangly guitars, all bendy and twangy and delicious! From their debut album Cypress, this is the one song I would play if I knew someone who had never heard of Mitch Easter or this band. He obviously wears his influences on his sleeve, from the aforementioned Byrds to Big Star, but those are some brilliant sleeves! The pounding toms at the 3:20 mark, the harmony vocals, it's just all too freakin' fantastic! I'm moved to put a lot of exclamation marks in this post! I love the hint of a Southern twang in the vocals too. How did this not sell a million copies? It is certainly 5 minutes well-spent! "The waters part when our eyes see together." Jose can part the water while he writes a song......
1. My Ever Changing Moods - The Style Council
This song would definitely be on my top 10 of all-time list. It is my fave dance song, one of the best to sing along to, and my fave Weller song too. I love the melody, the energy, the sentiment - oh hell, just everything about it. For all those Jam fans who were crying in their Strongbow about the lack of guitars in his new music, this even has a guitar solo, albeit a truncated and jazzy one, rather than evoking Eton Rifles or Strange Town. Steve White is brilliant on the drums, most certainly on the rapid fire fills throughout the tune. There is a kick-ass horn section too, giving the song some punch and soul. But, the lyrics are the show-stealer here. Weller is expressing his doubts and reservations about Thatcherite England, blaming the tabloids and the government and the bullshit being fed by organized religion for people's moodiness and self-doubt. It is, ultimately, a song of hope though and my feet must move every time I hear it.
"Evil turns to statues - and masses form a line
But I know which way I'd run to if the choice was mine
The past is knowledge - the present our mistake
And the future we always leave too late
I wish we'd come to our senses and see there is no truth
In those who promote the confusion for this ever changing mood"
You can always find me a little left on the dial.....
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Listomania! - 1983
The year 1983 was a year when a lot of changes happened. I got quite immersed in the fashion of the day, wearing a houndstooth trenchcoat and all the latest clothes. I shopped at used clothing stores, not only because I had little spare cash, but I liked the look of the vintage stuff they had in there. I had several funny hair cuts as well, and on more than one occasion, was called names or had stuff thrown at me from the windows of passing cars. As I was the sole breadwinner, we had to move to a smaller apartment because the rent was getting out of hand at our townhouse. The kids didn't care as they were too young to know any different, so we happily soldiered on. Gord started Kindergarten and really liked school a lot, as most kids that age do. Taylor was proving, even at the age of 2, that she would be a bit of a music geek. She loved to play records and we have several pictures of her sitting with the headphones on and perusing the album covers. She used to shout out, "Play Echobunnymen!", who were one of her fave bands at that age. I had to stop playing hockey due to a broken shoulder blade I had suffered which caused me to have to take 6 weeks off work and killed our finances. In the world of copper-tubing, there was no such thing as getting paid if you didn't work and since the injury wasn't work-related, I got no pay while I was off. I had been accumulating a fairly good bank balance before that, but it was gone in short order. On a brighter note, Steve had come back from his 3 years in Toronto and we reconnected and hung out a lot. He was a regular visitor to our place and the kids loved him. Gord liked to watch football with him on Sundays and Taylor liked that he wore badges on his coat, especially the Boy George ones. She loved George O'Dowd and when Steve would come in the door, he would put his Culture Club badge on the inside of his coat. Tay would go running up to him and, not seeing the badge, would start to get upset, but then he would open his coat to reveal Boy George's smiling face, to which Taylor would shriek,"Boy George! Boy George!", much to our amusement. Guitars started making a comeback for me in '83. I still liked the U.K. bands, but some Yanks were rearing their ugly heads. Here's the list:
Top 10 Of 1983
10. Our Lips Are Sealed - Fun Boy Three
This is the REAL version folks, not the one by the Go-Gos. It was co-written by singer Terry Hall and Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Gos and the girls put it out first, in 1981, but this is a much better rendition without question. Terry Hall and his buddies from The Specials, Neville Staple and Lynval Goulding, give the song the required level of cynicism and moodiness. These 3 left the Specials in 1981 and put out 2 albums, this being the second called Waiting, which was produced by Talking Head major-domo David Byrne. I love the shuffle of the drums and the "dum-ba-bum" of the backing vocals as well as the funky little groove of the guitar part. Terry Hall has the most sardonic delivery of any vocalist ever. I don't think the man has ever broken a sweat in his life. "Can you hear them talking about us? Telling lies, is that a surprise?" In other words, we are way cooler than them anyway, so pay no mind.
9. Oblivious - Aztec Camera
Out of Glasgow came a 17 year-old wunderkid named Roddy Frame. His band went by the name Aztec Camera, but he wrote all the songs and was the inspiration behind their whole existence. This is from their great debut album, High Land, Hard Rain, which is still a fantastic record today as it contains at least 4 superb classic tunes in addition to this one. As with a lot of '80s music, the production sounds a bit dated, but if you can get past that, it is truly a sublime album. This song is all about Frame's amazing acoustic guitar playing. It is almost a classical style of playing, and the solo is just brilliant. The lyrics are also quite sound for such a young guy, with some great lines all throughout the tune. "They're calling all the shots, they'll call and say they phoned, They'll call us lonely when we're really just alone." I wish I had written that!
8. This Charming Man - The Smiths
Like many of the songs from the '80s, I read about this one before I ever heard it. I used to read New Musical Express from the U.K. weekly in those days, long before the Interwebs put reviews and such at my fingertips. This song caused a huge sensation over there and I couldn't wait to grab an import copy at Dr. Disc to see what all the fuss was about. There wasn't a synthesizer to be found on this record, but there were 3 things that made me sit up and take notice. First, the unique sound of Johnny Marr's guitar, all jangly and chiming and so original. Second was the sinalong, catchy melody. Third, and not least, it was the words and vocal of one Steven Patrick Morrissey. This guy was different all right! Full of ego and pride, in a seemingly gay man! Now that was original, believe you me! His ego was huge and while that did tire over time, this song was like an elixir for my ears that made me love it. Foot-tappingly spectacular! "I would go out tonight, but I haven't got a stitch to wear." Oh, the problems life throws at us!
7. The Cutter - Echo & The Bunnymen
I was a huge Bunnymen fan back then and I loved Ian McCulloch. This song contains his finest vocal performance ever captured on tape. It is so epic, the way he holds the notes, the way he belts it out, that the hairs still stand up on my arms when I hear it. They added strings on this record, to great effect. The drums are so snappy and the bass is just cooking, so hang on for the ride! This is in the shower, all soaped up, sing at the top of your lungs stuff here kids! Taken from their 3rd record called Porcupine, it is easily the best song on the album. "Come to the free for all with cello-tape and knives." I hate wrapping presents!
6. Talk About The Passion - R.E.M.
This was my introduction back into how wonderful guitar music could be. Peter Buck played with such feel in a way that I hadn't heard for many years. It is just such a gorgeous and melodic guitar part in this song that, for me, has few rivals. Just listen to the first 15 seconds! Wow! Add to that the almost indecipherable vocals by Michael Stipe, before he declared himself the voice of a generation. This song's lyrics can be understood better than most of the songs on their debut, Murmur, but not by much. Stipe had a real shyness about him back then, so much so that, when playing live, he would often turn his back to the audience while singing. I love it when he throws in the "combien de temps" line. They were from a musical hotspot of the time, Athens, GA, sometimes playing the same parties and bars as The B-52s. By 1986, they had become my fave band. "Not everyone can carry the weight of the world." Atlas could!
5. My City Was Gone - The Pretenders
OK, I'll start by saying that this is my favourite Pretenders song, despite the fact that it used to be the theme song for the right-wing blowhard and all-star pill-gobbler Rush Limbaugh's radio show. Chrissie Hynde threatened to sue the fat pig for unauthorized use of the song until he agreed that all royalties from it would be donated to her "pet" cause PETA. The selling point here is that killer bass line. It is so good, so catchy and lays the foundation upon which the rest of the tune can stretch out. These are pretty funky vocals from Ms. Hynde as well, perfectly syncopated with the beat. It is quite a coincidence that my sister Shannon now lives in Buttfuck, Ohio and every time I cross the state line from Pennsylvania into Ohio, I play this song. I know, I'm weird like that. "I went back to Ohio, but my pretty countryside, it had been paved down the middle by a government that had no pride." I'm glad they paved it, or else going to see Shannon would be a rough ride!
4. A Solid Bond In Your Heart - The Style Council
The best Motown song that Motown never released! Wow! What a shot across the bow of the good ship Jam this was. The Jam had dabbled with soul, but this is a true belter of a soul tune! Paul Weller lets loose on this one, with all the passion he could muster. It is a fast-paced, foot-stomping, joyous ode to a girl, but it is so much more. The rollicking piano played by Mick Talbot and the sixteenth note hi-hat fiesta on the drums by the incomparable Steve White are such a tour de force! I was young and full of energy and this song is how I felt inside then. What a great way to start off a new band! While Jam fans were asking after the whereabouts of Weller's guitar, the train passed them by, but I knew when it was leaving the station and jumped aboard. "I am fuelled by the idea, that this world was made to share." Some for you, some for you, some for me.....
3. Shipbuilding - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
I used to sing this song at work when I was loading copper bomb shells into the furnace to soften them up. I saw a parallel between my doing that at work and the boom in towns like Liverpool in the shipbuilding trade caused by the Falklands War. The song basically says that the same guys who are building the ships will be coming home on them dead. Check out the lyrics and you'll see what I mean. Robert Wyatt did a great version of this before Elvis released his version on Punch The Clock, but this version is the gold standard for me. Elvis wrote it with the album's producer, Clive Langley. It is a gorgeously sad song and one of his best vocal jobs in my opinion. I never get sick of it and can listen to it many times in a row, one of the few songs that I can do that with. The piano played by the outstanding Steve Nieve from The Attractions is to die for and the cherry on the top of this aural sundae is provided by the brilliant jazz trumpeter Chet Baker, with his amazing, understated solo. "Within weeks they'll be re-opening the shipyards and notifying the next of kin, once again." War-huu-what is it good for?
2. Uncertain Smile - The The
From the great album Soul Mining, my fave album of '83, this is Matt Johnson's opus. It is almost 7 minutes of pure heaven. His guitar playing is sublime, nothing fancy, but true and pure. He played almost all the instruments on the album, aided by Zeke Manyika, from the band Orange Juice, on drums and former Squeeze man and pianist extraordinaire Jools Holland, who, starting at about the 3:20 mark, plays the best piano coda since Layla. The lyrics are among the finest in any song I've ever heard and the music sets the perfect mood for them. I am at a loss for words here, it is breathtakingly brilliant. Did I say that I really love the piano part? "A howling wind blows the litter as the rain flows, as street lamps pour orange- coloured shapes through your window. A broken soul stares from a pair of watering eyes, uncertain emotions force an uncertain smile..." Gets ya right here...
1. Second Skin - The Chameleons
These guys were obscure even then, a state in which they have remained over the years. They were a Manchester band who never made it big like many of their contemporaries, but I believe they were much more deserving of widespread success than most. This is my fave song by them, from their first album Script Of The Bridge. Steve's Mom, who as I have said before, was as hip as could be, bought this album and it only took 1 listen to hook me in. This song is so moody, so atmospheric, sung by bassist/songwriter Mark Burgess in his Mancunian accent. The dual guitar melodies they employ here are fantastic and the keys give the song an almost Prog Rock feel. But, make no mistake, this is quite danceable, especially after a few puffs and beverages. The lyrics hit on the feelings of alienation and disappointment that that generation of kids in the U.K. under Thatcher's rule could relate to and I could certainly feel it on this side of the pond too. Just an outstanding song from an outstanding band! "It's when you fail to make the connection you know how vital it is. Or when something slips through your fingers, you know how precious it is.
Well you reach the point where you know it's only your second skin." Like sand through the hourglass.....
Top 10 Of 1983
10. Our Lips Are Sealed - Fun Boy Three
This is the REAL version folks, not the one by the Go-Gos. It was co-written by singer Terry Hall and Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Gos and the girls put it out first, in 1981, but this is a much better rendition without question. Terry Hall and his buddies from The Specials, Neville Staple and Lynval Goulding, give the song the required level of cynicism and moodiness. These 3 left the Specials in 1981 and put out 2 albums, this being the second called Waiting, which was produced by Talking Head major-domo David Byrne. I love the shuffle of the drums and the "dum-ba-bum" of the backing vocals as well as the funky little groove of the guitar part. Terry Hall has the most sardonic delivery of any vocalist ever. I don't think the man has ever broken a sweat in his life. "Can you hear them talking about us? Telling lies, is that a surprise?" In other words, we are way cooler than them anyway, so pay no mind.
9. Oblivious - Aztec Camera
Out of Glasgow came a 17 year-old wunderkid named Roddy Frame. His band went by the name Aztec Camera, but he wrote all the songs and was the inspiration behind their whole existence. This is from their great debut album, High Land, Hard Rain, which is still a fantastic record today as it contains at least 4 superb classic tunes in addition to this one. As with a lot of '80s music, the production sounds a bit dated, but if you can get past that, it is truly a sublime album. This song is all about Frame's amazing acoustic guitar playing. It is almost a classical style of playing, and the solo is just brilliant. The lyrics are also quite sound for such a young guy, with some great lines all throughout the tune. "They're calling all the shots, they'll call and say they phoned, They'll call us lonely when we're really just alone." I wish I had written that!
8. This Charming Man - The Smiths
Like many of the songs from the '80s, I read about this one before I ever heard it. I used to read New Musical Express from the U.K. weekly in those days, long before the Interwebs put reviews and such at my fingertips. This song caused a huge sensation over there and I couldn't wait to grab an import copy at Dr. Disc to see what all the fuss was about. There wasn't a synthesizer to be found on this record, but there were 3 things that made me sit up and take notice. First, the unique sound of Johnny Marr's guitar, all jangly and chiming and so original. Second was the sinalong, catchy melody. Third, and not least, it was the words and vocal of one Steven Patrick Morrissey. This guy was different all right! Full of ego and pride, in a seemingly gay man! Now that was original, believe you me! His ego was huge and while that did tire over time, this song was like an elixir for my ears that made me love it. Foot-tappingly spectacular! "I would go out tonight, but I haven't got a stitch to wear." Oh, the problems life throws at us!
7. The Cutter - Echo & The Bunnymen
I was a huge Bunnymen fan back then and I loved Ian McCulloch. This song contains his finest vocal performance ever captured on tape. It is so epic, the way he holds the notes, the way he belts it out, that the hairs still stand up on my arms when I hear it. They added strings on this record, to great effect. The drums are so snappy and the bass is just cooking, so hang on for the ride! This is in the shower, all soaped up, sing at the top of your lungs stuff here kids! Taken from their 3rd record called Porcupine, it is easily the best song on the album. "Come to the free for all with cello-tape and knives." I hate wrapping presents!
6. Talk About The Passion - R.E.M.
This was my introduction back into how wonderful guitar music could be. Peter Buck played with such feel in a way that I hadn't heard for many years. It is just such a gorgeous and melodic guitar part in this song that, for me, has few rivals. Just listen to the first 15 seconds! Wow! Add to that the almost indecipherable vocals by Michael Stipe, before he declared himself the voice of a generation. This song's lyrics can be understood better than most of the songs on their debut, Murmur, but not by much. Stipe had a real shyness about him back then, so much so that, when playing live, he would often turn his back to the audience while singing. I love it when he throws in the "combien de temps" line. They were from a musical hotspot of the time, Athens, GA, sometimes playing the same parties and bars as The B-52s. By 1986, they had become my fave band. "Not everyone can carry the weight of the world." Atlas could!
5. My City Was Gone - The Pretenders
OK, I'll start by saying that this is my favourite Pretenders song, despite the fact that it used to be the theme song for the right-wing blowhard and all-star pill-gobbler Rush Limbaugh's radio show. Chrissie Hynde threatened to sue the fat pig for unauthorized use of the song until he agreed that all royalties from it would be donated to her "pet" cause PETA. The selling point here is that killer bass line. It is so good, so catchy and lays the foundation upon which the rest of the tune can stretch out. These are pretty funky vocals from Ms. Hynde as well, perfectly syncopated with the beat. It is quite a coincidence that my sister Shannon now lives in Buttfuck, Ohio and every time I cross the state line from Pennsylvania into Ohio, I play this song. I know, I'm weird like that. "I went back to Ohio, but my pretty countryside, it had been paved down the middle by a government that had no pride." I'm glad they paved it, or else going to see Shannon would be a rough ride!
4. A Solid Bond In Your Heart - The Style Council
The best Motown song that Motown never released! Wow! What a shot across the bow of the good ship Jam this was. The Jam had dabbled with soul, but this is a true belter of a soul tune! Paul Weller lets loose on this one, with all the passion he could muster. It is a fast-paced, foot-stomping, joyous ode to a girl, but it is so much more. The rollicking piano played by Mick Talbot and the sixteenth note hi-hat fiesta on the drums by the incomparable Steve White are such a tour de force! I was young and full of energy and this song is how I felt inside then. What a great way to start off a new band! While Jam fans were asking after the whereabouts of Weller's guitar, the train passed them by, but I knew when it was leaving the station and jumped aboard. "I am fuelled by the idea, that this world was made to share." Some for you, some for you, some for me.....
3. Shipbuilding - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
I used to sing this song at work when I was loading copper bomb shells into the furnace to soften them up. I saw a parallel between my doing that at work and the boom in towns like Liverpool in the shipbuilding trade caused by the Falklands War. The song basically says that the same guys who are building the ships will be coming home on them dead. Check out the lyrics and you'll see what I mean. Robert Wyatt did a great version of this before Elvis released his version on Punch The Clock, but this version is the gold standard for me. Elvis wrote it with the album's producer, Clive Langley. It is a gorgeously sad song and one of his best vocal jobs in my opinion. I never get sick of it and can listen to it many times in a row, one of the few songs that I can do that with. The piano played by the outstanding Steve Nieve from The Attractions is to die for and the cherry on the top of this aural sundae is provided by the brilliant jazz trumpeter Chet Baker, with his amazing, understated solo. "Within weeks they'll be re-opening the shipyards and notifying the next of kin, once again." War-huu-what is it good for?
2. Uncertain Smile - The The
From the great album Soul Mining, my fave album of '83, this is Matt Johnson's opus. It is almost 7 minutes of pure heaven. His guitar playing is sublime, nothing fancy, but true and pure. He played almost all the instruments on the album, aided by Zeke Manyika, from the band Orange Juice, on drums and former Squeeze man and pianist extraordinaire Jools Holland, who, starting at about the 3:20 mark, plays the best piano coda since Layla. The lyrics are among the finest in any song I've ever heard and the music sets the perfect mood for them. I am at a loss for words here, it is breathtakingly brilliant. Did I say that I really love the piano part? "A howling wind blows the litter as the rain flows, as street lamps pour orange- coloured shapes through your window. A broken soul stares from a pair of watering eyes, uncertain emotions force an uncertain smile..." Gets ya right here...
1. Second Skin - The Chameleons
These guys were obscure even then, a state in which they have remained over the years. They were a Manchester band who never made it big like many of their contemporaries, but I believe they were much more deserving of widespread success than most. This is my fave song by them, from their first album Script Of The Bridge. Steve's Mom, who as I have said before, was as hip as could be, bought this album and it only took 1 listen to hook me in. This song is so moody, so atmospheric, sung by bassist/songwriter Mark Burgess in his Mancunian accent. The dual guitar melodies they employ here are fantastic and the keys give the song an almost Prog Rock feel. But, make no mistake, this is quite danceable, especially after a few puffs and beverages. The lyrics hit on the feelings of alienation and disappointment that that generation of kids in the U.K. under Thatcher's rule could relate to and I could certainly feel it on this side of the pond too. Just an outstanding song from an outstanding band! "It's when you fail to make the connection you know how vital it is. Or when something slips through your fingers, you know how precious it is.
Well you reach the point where you know it's only your second skin." Like sand through the hourglass.....
Friday, September 10, 2010
Listomania! - 1982
So....1982....I am coming up empty. My memory isn't what it used to be, which was actually quite good, but I have zero recollection of anything spectacular happening in '82. The only thing that I recall is a bunch of yahoos moving in next door to us in the townhouse. They would drink and do drugs all the time, until the wee hours of the morning. Not that I was against these particular activities, but I had 2 small kids who needed their sleep, not to mention that I was working shifts and having to sleep at weird hours. For instance, these buffoons would blast their stereo at 3 in the morning on a Tuesday, usually some heavy metal crap that I would have disliked at 3 in the afternoon. One night, they seemed to have moved the party outside. I heard the usual sounds - loud tunes, yelling, drunken shouts - but this was different. They seemed to be in my backyard. I heard what sounded like someone trying to get in my back patio door.I got out of bed and went downstairs and opened the curtains over the door. I was shocked to discover a guy covered in blood from head to toe splattered against my door. I quickly closed the curtains and grabbed my hockey stick which was located conveniently in the front closet. Opening the front door, I saw that there were about 6 or 7 of these gorillas scrapping on my front lawn. I went out on the front step with the hockey stick raised over my head and hollered,"Alright, which one of you idiots wants it first?" They stopped in their tracks and, just as I thought "Christ, there's a lot of them" the one guy who actually lived there started to back up and call off the fighters. I was shaking, but ready to go all Wayne Maki (Google him if you need to) on their skulls. He apologized right away and they all went back indoors. I was pissed off and couldn't sleep of course, so I went in the living room and turned on the TV. Sure enough, about 1o minutes later, they started yelling and fighting again, this time inside their house. So, I called the cops and they were there in seconds. I watched from my window as they were led away to a paddy wagon. I never had any trouble with them after that and even shared a beer or two with the one dude a time or two. The music of 1982 continued much in the vein of the previous year, still mostly Brits and lots of noodling and twiddling.
Top 10 Of 1982
10. Save It For Later - The English Beat
In 1982, I would go downtown to buy records on Saturdays, usually with the kids in tow. There would always be a few members of the fairer sex walking around with these pink and black t-shirts on, with this image on them of a dancing girl. They were quite a popular item and it seemed only the best-looking girls wore them. I found out that they were English Beat tees and decided to investigate this band further. I had only heard Mirror In The Bathroom a couple of times at that point. But, it was always this particular song that I would keep coming back to every time. It is just too catchy and it differed from the other Two-Tone acts in that it was more Pop-based than Ska or Reggae influenced. From their final album, Special Beat Service, it was written and sung by frontman Dave Wakeling, who, with fellow Beat vocalist Ranking Roger, would go on to form General Public. The other 2 main members, bassist David Steele and guitarist Andy Cox, joined up with vocalist Roland Gift and formed the more successful Fine Young Cannibals. I love the tongue-in-cheek double entendres in the lyrics in this song, especially the"just hold my hand while I come...to a decision on it" part. Play this and sing along and make yourself smile! "Sooner or later, your legs give way, you hit the ground. Save it for later, don't run away and let me down." My legs gave way playing badminton that time, right Gord?
9. Black Coffee In Bed - Squeeze
Every time I hear this song, it makes me think of an old friend of mine and Debbie's called Jill Parfitt. She went with us to NYC in 1980 and we had all been friends since high school. She was a big Squeeze fan and bought me this album, Sweets From A Stranger, for my 22nd birthday. She and I used to play this song a lot at parties and sing it very badly at the top of our lungs, so Jill, wherever you are, this one's for you. If the voices on the backing vocals sound familiar, it's because they are - Elvis Costello and '80s chart topper Paul Young. The great little organ lines are played by Jools Holland and Paul Carrack's replacement Don Snow. At 6 minutes plus, this was one of Squeeze's longer songs and by far their longest single, but it is such a joyous 6 minutes, even though it is a tune about a relationship ending. I always loved the sincerity and timbre of Glenn Tilbrook's voice and he does a yeoman job on this one. "The stain on my notebook remains all that's left, of the memory of late nights and coffee in bed." Now you'd have a stain on your laptop.....
8. Take A Chance With Me - Roxy Music
Most serious Roxy fans dismiss the album Avalon as too smooth and adult sounding, but it has its moments. The best moment for me is this great song. It is full of synthesizers, but not the kind Brian Eno played on the first 2 albums. Here, they fully embrace the sound of the times, but Phil Manzanera still plays some tasty guitar licks as well. Bryan Ferry is just too cool on the vocals as usual, all class and good taste. This was the last album they ever made, but it was their biggest seller of them all in the U.S.A. I adore this melody and just the overall feel of this song. "As they say, two can play, but keep that song away from me." Especially if it's by Air Supply!
7. African And White - China Crisis
I really started to dig going out dancing around this time. It would ratchet up even more in the next few years after '82, but it started then. Therefore, as you can tell, a lot of the music I like from this era is danceable. This song just says, "Get up and dance!" Those are actual real drums even though these guys were only a 3 piece, guitar and synths being the other instruments. I saw them open for Simple Minds in about 1985 and they opened with this song and blew the roof off the place! The song has a super chanting sort of vocal and it is extremely memorable - again, it's one of those songs that really sticks in the old craw. The kicker though is that superb synth bass line that snakes all through the tune. "We need your faith and hostility to be certain of a change, and could you ever recover from, forever recover from this prejudice." Remember, Mandela was still in prison and apartheid still had an iron grip in South Africa.
6. Love My Way - The Psychedelic Furs
This is the Furs' signature song for most people, along with Pretty In Pink, due to both tunes being featured in movies of the day. This is another amazing Todd Rundgren production job, cleaning up their fuzzy sound somewhat and making them more accessible to the masses. Todd also contributes the catchy keyboard part that sounds like a xylophone that runs through the song. Richard Butler still sounds like he needs a Fisherman's Friend, but that cigarette-stained voice was this band's calling card. I really dig the big thumping tom-toms in the chorus played by drummer Vince Ely too. "They just want to steal us all and take us all apart." Sorta like I did to my sister Jondah's Barbies...
5. Steppin' Out - Joe Jackson
This synthesizer tour de force was Joe's biggest hit in the States, reaching #6 on the Billboard charts. From the album Night And Day, which was a sort of tribute to the songwriter Cole Porter, I liked to play it before going out for the evening, just to get into that clubbing mood. The video sticks out in my mind as well, with the housekeeper playing a Cinderella role in it. I love Jackson's sense of melody in his writing too. He had a true gift of pinning down the core of a song and bashing it home over and over. The bass part is brilliant, moving so quickly against the piano and providing a great counterpoint. "We... are young but getting old before our time. We'll leave the TV and the radio behind, don't you wonder what we'll find, steppin' out tonight." But Eight Is Enough is on!
4. One Hundred Years - The Cure
This song is just relentless. It is gloomy and Gothic and creepy. I think Fat Bob must have had a very bad experience on acid when he wrote this. I mean, the first line is "It doesn't matter if we all die" ferchristsakes! The instruments are all so claustrophobic, giving the listener a sense of foreboding, of something awful just around that next dark corner. This is, I humbly submit, their darkest record ever. Hell, the whole Pornography album is like that. Smith's voice is a cry for help, but there seems to be nobody to come to his aid. All that said, my advice is to smoke a joint and put this on, but I caution you, dear readers, have a good pal close by as I don't want to be responsible for any harm that may come to you. What an epic tune! "Creeping up the stairs in the dark, waiting for the death blow." Maybe I'll leave the bathroom light on tonight.....
3. Senses Working Overtime - XTC
When my kids were quite young, I would play this song and we would all sing along together. While it wasn't intended as a children's song, it may well be one of the best ones ever written. I have yet to meet a child who doesn't love the "1,2,3,4,5" singalong chorus. It is certainly my fave XTC tune, with it's brilliant concept and lyrics. The acoustic guitar is fantastic and Andy Partridge sounds like an extra from a Monty Python skit. The way they incorporate all the senses into the lyrics is pure genius, especially the"And I can see his smell, touch, taste" line. You cannot resist the overwhelming urge to embrace you inner child when you hear it and just start singing away. "And all the world is biscuit-shaped, it's just for me to feed my face." Yummy!
2. New Gold Dream ('81-'82-'83-'84) - Simple Minds
Now this is dancin' music! It even has cowbell, and no, you don't need more. I remember this DJ whose real name was John, but Steve and I thought his name was Sean, so when we found out we just started to call him AKA. He worked at a club in the Selby building in London and he played this one night when I was there and I was John Freaking Travolta for about 5:35! He later worked at other clubs around town and because he knew me and liked my taste in music, he would always play songs I liked. The buzzing-bee bass line, the wash of the keyboards, the baritone croon of Jim Kerr - well, this is about as perfect a dance song as I could ever hope to hear. This is from the album of the same name and it is still my favourite record of theirs. "New Gold Dream, she is the one in front of me, the siren and the ecstasy." Ooh, that is a great line!
1. Beat Surrender - The Jam
At the height of their popularity, after only 5 years of recording together, Paul Weller decided he had done all he could in this band. He shocked his fans by putting out a statement that The Jam were splitting up, saying, and I paraphrase, that he didn't want to become a boring old fart like Mick Jagger and keep playing the same old songs forever. But, what a way to go out! This is the last record they released and it is a scorcher! This is soul music maaan, and it points toward the new direction he would pursue with The Style Council. It is a full-on raver, with horns and rollicking piano and groovy bass. Future Councillor Tracie Young is also featured on backing vocals, lending the tune an air of Motown and Northern Soul. It is also a much more political Weller with lyrics that show his growing anger at the situation in the U.K. at the time. If you want to quit a band, then release a monster song like this to top it all off! Genius! "And as it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the end, that bullshit is bullshit, it just goes by different names." Doo doo? Ka-ka? Poo-Poo?
Top 10 Of 1982
10. Save It For Later - The English Beat
In 1982, I would go downtown to buy records on Saturdays, usually with the kids in tow. There would always be a few members of the fairer sex walking around with these pink and black t-shirts on, with this image on them of a dancing girl. They were quite a popular item and it seemed only the best-looking girls wore them. I found out that they were English Beat tees and decided to investigate this band further. I had only heard Mirror In The Bathroom a couple of times at that point. But, it was always this particular song that I would keep coming back to every time. It is just too catchy and it differed from the other Two-Tone acts in that it was more Pop-based than Ska or Reggae influenced. From their final album, Special Beat Service, it was written and sung by frontman Dave Wakeling, who, with fellow Beat vocalist Ranking Roger, would go on to form General Public. The other 2 main members, bassist David Steele and guitarist Andy Cox, joined up with vocalist Roland Gift and formed the more successful Fine Young Cannibals. I love the tongue-in-cheek double entendres in the lyrics in this song, especially the"just hold my hand while I come...to a decision on it" part. Play this and sing along and make yourself smile! "Sooner or later, your legs give way, you hit the ground. Save it for later, don't run away and let me down." My legs gave way playing badminton that time, right Gord?
9. Black Coffee In Bed - Squeeze
Every time I hear this song, it makes me think of an old friend of mine and Debbie's called Jill Parfitt. She went with us to NYC in 1980 and we had all been friends since high school. She was a big Squeeze fan and bought me this album, Sweets From A Stranger, for my 22nd birthday. She and I used to play this song a lot at parties and sing it very badly at the top of our lungs, so Jill, wherever you are, this one's for you. If the voices on the backing vocals sound familiar, it's because they are - Elvis Costello and '80s chart topper Paul Young. The great little organ lines are played by Jools Holland and Paul Carrack's replacement Don Snow. At 6 minutes plus, this was one of Squeeze's longer songs and by far their longest single, but it is such a joyous 6 minutes, even though it is a tune about a relationship ending. I always loved the sincerity and timbre of Glenn Tilbrook's voice and he does a yeoman job on this one. "The stain on my notebook remains all that's left, of the memory of late nights and coffee in bed." Now you'd have a stain on your laptop.....
8. Take A Chance With Me - Roxy Music
Most serious Roxy fans dismiss the album Avalon as too smooth and adult sounding, but it has its moments. The best moment for me is this great song. It is full of synthesizers, but not the kind Brian Eno played on the first 2 albums. Here, they fully embrace the sound of the times, but Phil Manzanera still plays some tasty guitar licks as well. Bryan Ferry is just too cool on the vocals as usual, all class and good taste. This was the last album they ever made, but it was their biggest seller of them all in the U.S.A. I adore this melody and just the overall feel of this song. "As they say, two can play, but keep that song away from me." Especially if it's by Air Supply!
7. African And White - China Crisis
I really started to dig going out dancing around this time. It would ratchet up even more in the next few years after '82, but it started then. Therefore, as you can tell, a lot of the music I like from this era is danceable. This song just says, "Get up and dance!" Those are actual real drums even though these guys were only a 3 piece, guitar and synths being the other instruments. I saw them open for Simple Minds in about 1985 and they opened with this song and blew the roof off the place! The song has a super chanting sort of vocal and it is extremely memorable - again, it's one of those songs that really sticks in the old craw. The kicker though is that superb synth bass line that snakes all through the tune. "We need your faith and hostility to be certain of a change, and could you ever recover from, forever recover from this prejudice." Remember, Mandela was still in prison and apartheid still had an iron grip in South Africa.
6. Love My Way - The Psychedelic Furs
This is the Furs' signature song for most people, along with Pretty In Pink, due to both tunes being featured in movies of the day. This is another amazing Todd Rundgren production job, cleaning up their fuzzy sound somewhat and making them more accessible to the masses. Todd also contributes the catchy keyboard part that sounds like a xylophone that runs through the song. Richard Butler still sounds like he needs a Fisherman's Friend, but that cigarette-stained voice was this band's calling card. I really dig the big thumping tom-toms in the chorus played by drummer Vince Ely too. "They just want to steal us all and take us all apart." Sorta like I did to my sister Jondah's Barbies...
5. Steppin' Out - Joe Jackson
This synthesizer tour de force was Joe's biggest hit in the States, reaching #6 on the Billboard charts. From the album Night And Day, which was a sort of tribute to the songwriter Cole Porter, I liked to play it before going out for the evening, just to get into that clubbing mood. The video sticks out in my mind as well, with the housekeeper playing a Cinderella role in it. I love Jackson's sense of melody in his writing too. He had a true gift of pinning down the core of a song and bashing it home over and over. The bass part is brilliant, moving so quickly against the piano and providing a great counterpoint. "We... are young but getting old before our time. We'll leave the TV and the radio behind, don't you wonder what we'll find, steppin' out tonight." But Eight Is Enough is on!
4. One Hundred Years - The Cure
This song is just relentless. It is gloomy and Gothic and creepy. I think Fat Bob must have had a very bad experience on acid when he wrote this. I mean, the first line is "It doesn't matter if we all die" ferchristsakes! The instruments are all so claustrophobic, giving the listener a sense of foreboding, of something awful just around that next dark corner. This is, I humbly submit, their darkest record ever. Hell, the whole Pornography album is like that. Smith's voice is a cry for help, but there seems to be nobody to come to his aid. All that said, my advice is to smoke a joint and put this on, but I caution you, dear readers, have a good pal close by as I don't want to be responsible for any harm that may come to you. What an epic tune! "Creeping up the stairs in the dark, waiting for the death blow." Maybe I'll leave the bathroom light on tonight.....
3. Senses Working Overtime - XTC
When my kids were quite young, I would play this song and we would all sing along together. While it wasn't intended as a children's song, it may well be one of the best ones ever written. I have yet to meet a child who doesn't love the "1,2,3,4,5" singalong chorus. It is certainly my fave XTC tune, with it's brilliant concept and lyrics. The acoustic guitar is fantastic and Andy Partridge sounds like an extra from a Monty Python skit. The way they incorporate all the senses into the lyrics is pure genius, especially the"And I can see his smell, touch, taste" line. You cannot resist the overwhelming urge to embrace you inner child when you hear it and just start singing away. "And all the world is biscuit-shaped, it's just for me to feed my face." Yummy!
2. New Gold Dream ('81-'82-'83-'84) - Simple Minds
Now this is dancin' music! It even has cowbell, and no, you don't need more. I remember this DJ whose real name was John, but Steve and I thought his name was Sean, so when we found out we just started to call him AKA. He worked at a club in the Selby building in London and he played this one night when I was there and I was John Freaking Travolta for about 5:35! He later worked at other clubs around town and because he knew me and liked my taste in music, he would always play songs I liked. The buzzing-bee bass line, the wash of the keyboards, the baritone croon of Jim Kerr - well, this is about as perfect a dance song as I could ever hope to hear. This is from the album of the same name and it is still my favourite record of theirs. "New Gold Dream, she is the one in front of me, the siren and the ecstasy." Ooh, that is a great line!
1. Beat Surrender - The Jam
At the height of their popularity, after only 5 years of recording together, Paul Weller decided he had done all he could in this band. He shocked his fans by putting out a statement that The Jam were splitting up, saying, and I paraphrase, that he didn't want to become a boring old fart like Mick Jagger and keep playing the same old songs forever. But, what a way to go out! This is the last record they released and it is a scorcher! This is soul music maaan, and it points toward the new direction he would pursue with The Style Council. It is a full-on raver, with horns and rollicking piano and groovy bass. Future Councillor Tracie Young is also featured on backing vocals, lending the tune an air of Motown and Northern Soul. It is also a much more political Weller with lyrics that show his growing anger at the situation in the U.K. at the time. If you want to quit a band, then release a monster song like this to top it all off! Genius! "And as it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the end, that bullshit is bullshit, it just goes by different names." Doo doo? Ka-ka? Poo-Poo?
Monday, September 6, 2010
Listomania! - 1981
Just after we got back from New York City in December of 1980, Debbie informed me that she was indeed pregnant with child number 2. Being a veteran of such things by now, I happily took it in stride and started working bucketloads of overtime. We moved into a brand new townhouse and I painted and decorated the new baby's room. Ultrasound was brand new and they gave Debbie one and then handed me a Polaroid of my new child. It was a very grainy black and white shot and it looked like a goldfish to me. Taylor (I liked the name) Noriko (after Debbie's Dad Norisuke) Paul was born nearly 2 weeks late on Friday,July 17, 1981. Weighing in at 10 lbs-plus, she damned near killed her poor Mom, who is about 5' tall and pretty tiny. Medicine wasn't as precise and careful as it is now. I was present for her birth and I started to worry when they passed me an oxygen mask and told me to put it over Debbie's nose and mouth. She kept passing out from the pain, I suppose, but at the time, I said to the doctor "Do something, she keeps passing out! Why isn't there someone here to give her this oxygen! I'm not a doctor!" Then, I really started to panic when he turned to a nurse and said,"Maybe we should have done a Caesarean." Maybe?! Maybe?!! It occurred to me that maybe I was in need of an oxygen mask myself! Somehow (I know how, but I'll spare you the gory details, dear readers) Taylor was born and they cleaned her up and passed her to me and my first thought was that she looked like a little miniature Buddha. So, for the first few months of her life, she was known as such. I had a ballgame in St. Thomas the next day, so I took Gord with me and had the wives of some of my teammates look after him while I was playing. So, all through the game, while out on the field, I would hear, "Hey Dad, are we going to bring Mommy home today? Is my new sister my sister?" and other burning questions to his 3 year old mind. Of course, everyone was howling at him the whole game and I was quite happy when it finished. Taylor was a quiet, happy baby, who was easily pleased and pretty content, as opposed to her much more demanding brother. She slept through the night right from day 1 and I was spared those awful 3 in the morning feedings. She is now 29 (gulp!) and is quite a stunning and smart young woman who can keep a whole room in stitches and is not as quiet as she was as a baby. Like her old man, she is obsessed with music and unlike her old man, she can play pretty much any instrument there is, including horns, guitars and keyboards. She lights up my life with her smile and I'm as proud of her as I am of Gord. I'm very lucky to call her amongst my best friends in this world! Music in 1981 was quite different to anything I had listened to before. I was totally into stuff from the U.K. and started to become more trendy by embracing the New Romantic movement with all their hair-dos and synthesizers. Here's the list:
Top 10 Of 1981
10. Ghost Town - The Specials
Remember Chuck and Lady Di's wedding? Well, this tune about race riots and unemployment in the U.K. was #1 at the time of that fairytale wedding. Talk about fantasy meeting reality! Right-wing skinheads had a habit of turning up at Specials gigs, disrupting the shows with violence and racial slurs at the blacks in the band and the audience. Coupled with the rise of unemployment under Thatcher, the pot boiled over and several cities burned, including the Specials' hometown of Coventry. As a result, several clubs where the bands used to play were closed and the cops started arresting people of colour without cause. The song itself has a heavy air about it, even though it has a slow, skanky ska beat. Jerry Dammers' organ playing dominates for me, sounding like a carnival organ at times, and like a funeral dirge at others. The horn section adds great punch and there is some excellent soloing. "This place, is coming like a ghost town, no job to be found in this country, Can't go on no more, the people getting angry." No work on Maggie's farm no more.
9. Joan Of Arc - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
This has to be one of the most gorgeous melodies ever written. This was the era of machinery folks, and this song is all synths and drum machines and mellotron. I love the beginning line, "A little Catholic girl who's fallen in love." The vocal is so earnest and sincere, sung by lead vocalist Andy McCluskey. These guys had a rather large following in Toronto, even before this, back as far as 1979. This is the first single from the album Architecture And Morality, considered by most critics to be their best. While playing a show in Toronto, Canada's Martha & The Muffins opened for them. Martha Ladley, the Muffins' keyboard player, came up with the name Architecture And Morality when McCluskey was trying to think of a name for their new record. They went on to have much more commercial success when their song If You Leave was included in the soundtrack to the movie Pretty In Pink in 1986. "Now she's on her way to another land. We never understood why she gave her hand." Put your left hand in, put your left hand out......
8. Message Of Love - The Pretenders
I love the way they count this one in with the clicking drumsticks. Then it's all floor toms and chunky chords, all disjointed and so good! Are those guitars? The funny thing about these lists is what makes it and what doesn't. I like the Pretenders debut album a lot. I like it a whole lot better than the 2nd album, which this song is taken from. But, there just wasn't room in the 1980 list for a song from the debut. So, weird stuff like that keeps happening with these lists. The album, creatively titled Pretenders II, was the last to be recorded with the original band line-up. Soon after its release, the guitarist, James Honeyman-Scott, died of a cocaine overdose. Shortly before that, bassist Pete Farndon was fired for his drug problem. He died about 1 year later from a heroin overdose. Chrissie Hynde had come to London from Akron, Ohio in 1973 in hopes of starting a career in the music biz. She wrote for the NME for awhile and then got the band together in 1978. I love her purring, tough- chick vocals on those first 2 records. She was a pioneer in being a female fronting her own band of guys and she proved tough enough to handle whatever was thrown her way. "Now look at the people in the streets, in the bars. We are all of us in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." Not if you're face-down in the gutter!
7. Seconds - Human League
This is one of those songs where only synthesizers can work. It is a very sombre treatise on assassination, purportedly about the killing of JFK. The music is droning, the drum machine pounds out a monotone beat, and Phil Oakey sings it in his clear and cool baritone. This song is from the biggest album of '81. Dare. It brought synth-pop to the masses, with the big hit Don't You Want Me blaring out of stores, bars and cars that summer. This was always the song for me though. The subject matter really hit home, especially coming just a few months after John Lennon being gunned down. The finishing touch is the dirge-like chord changes which set the mood perfectly. The refrain of "It took seconds of your time to take his life" is absolutely haunting. "All day, hiding from the sun. Waiting for the golden one, waiting for your fame." I never wanted to be famous that badly.
6. Charlotte Sometimes - The Cure
This is the sound of The Cure back then - very minimalist, spooky and swirling with Gothic imagery. The drums sound like they were covered with a blanket and recorded in the closet. Robert Smith's voice is cloaked in restraint, almost muffled. Apparently, the song was inspired by a children's novel of the same name. The melody is beautiful and sad and the lyrics sing out about Charlotte's inevitable drift into darkness. Simon Gallup is a great bass player, but the thin production on this song buries his bass under the mix. I like the live version of this even better, as the sound is clearer and you can hear how great these guys are at playing their instruments."Charlotte sometimes crying for herself, Charlotte sometimes dreams a wall around herself." Is that what they mean by Charlotte's Web?
5. Absolute Beginners - The Jam
Ok, chin up everybody! Here's something a little more uptempo and uplifting. This is a single-only release by The Jam, who didn't put out an album in '81. Driven along by some wicked guitar playing by Paul Weller, this is the start of his exploration of soul music. The horns are brilliant, Stax-Volt inspired blasts of brass, punctuating the beat laid down by drummer Rick Buckler. The words and title were inspired by Weller's favourite book at the time by Colin MacInnes, which was turned into a very bad movie a couple of years later. The little trumpet tribute to Penny Lane ends the song on a very high note. This is a very danceable tune as well, so get up offa that thing! "Come see the tyrants panic see their crumbling empires fall, then tell 'em we don't fight for fools 'cos love is in our hearts!" Panic on the streets of London.....
4. Arabian Knights - Siouxsie & The Banshees
Here come the Goths again! From their 4th album, Juju, this song is quite a bit ahead of its time lyrically as it comments on the treatment of women in the Arab culture. New drummer Budgie is the star here, all pounding tom-toms and slashing cymbals. The guitar sounds kind of Middle Eastern to give the song context, and Siouxsie puts in a great vocal, especially during the parts where she chants "ho-ha-ha-ho." The band was really starting to hit their stride by now and they could really create an interesting atmosphere and feel in their songs."Veiled behind screens, kept as your baby machine, whilst you conquer more orifices of boys, goats and things." Ewww!
3. Love Song - Simple Minds
This is about as close to Disco as I ever get. What a huge groove! The bass just carries things, moving your feet and making you get out on the dance floor, willingly or not. From their album Sons And Fascination, this is the first song I ever heard by these Glaswegians, who would become my fave band for a few years, from '83 to '86. I love the way Jim Kerr could deliver his vocals like a preacher, making a believer out of me in his talent, if not the almighty. There is guitar in this song too, but it is not the featured instrument, even though Charlie Burchill could really play. It fills in the gaps though and lends a squealing bit of menace to things. "I cut my hair, paint my face, break a finger, tell a lie, so well so well." Well, it was the '80s.....
2. Show Of Strength - Echo & The Bunnymen
This is the lead track from their 2nd album. Heaven Up Here, my fave album by them. This song has all the Bunnymen earmarks - the bubbly bass by Les Pattinson, the searing leads and jangly fills by guitarist Will Sergeant, the crisp timekeeping of the late drummer Pete De Freitas, and, of course, the Liverpudlian foghorn vocals of the inimitable Ian McCullough. The Bunnymen were always just weird enough to allow the cool kids to like them, but melodic enough for others to take notice. This is classically dark and urgent Bunnymen stuff here, but the real standout is always McCullough. He is one of the greatest frontmen of all time, in my humble opinion. Oh yeah, I do so love the a capella ending too. "A funny thing is always a funny thing, though sadly things just get in the way." Funny, like a fart joke, especially to us guys, right fellas?
1. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye - Soft Cell
Ok, this song is, I'm pretty sure, the single best breakup song ever written. Sung by the great Marc Almond, it is pure heartbreak. Call it dramatic, call it overdone if you will, but it will fall on deaf ears here. Any song that starts out with the line "Standing in the door of the Pink Flamingo crying in the rain" cannot be dismissed so easily. One is compelled to listen, as I was. and the song just grabs your heart and throws it on the floor and stomps it into tiny little pieces. Dave Ball wrote the music and played and programmed all the machines on this song, and he did a brilliant job, certainly on the little lead synth line that runs through the whole song. This was back in the '80s remember, when dressing like a gay sold records, but actually admitting it to the lurid British tabloids didn't sell anything but newspapers. The hypocrisy of the times dictated that a gay man, Marc Almond, had to change the lyrics to make them about a girl. If you don't like this song, that's OK, but I fail to see why as it is a masterpiece! "Take your hands off me. I don't belong to you, you see. Take a look at my face for the last time. I never knew you, you never knew me, say hello goodbye." Crushing!
Top 10 Of 1981
10. Ghost Town - The Specials
Remember Chuck and Lady Di's wedding? Well, this tune about race riots and unemployment in the U.K. was #1 at the time of that fairytale wedding. Talk about fantasy meeting reality! Right-wing skinheads had a habit of turning up at Specials gigs, disrupting the shows with violence and racial slurs at the blacks in the band and the audience. Coupled with the rise of unemployment under Thatcher, the pot boiled over and several cities burned, including the Specials' hometown of Coventry. As a result, several clubs where the bands used to play were closed and the cops started arresting people of colour without cause. The song itself has a heavy air about it, even though it has a slow, skanky ska beat. Jerry Dammers' organ playing dominates for me, sounding like a carnival organ at times, and like a funeral dirge at others. The horn section adds great punch and there is some excellent soloing. "This place, is coming like a ghost town, no job to be found in this country, Can't go on no more, the people getting angry." No work on Maggie's farm no more.
9. Joan Of Arc - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
This has to be one of the most gorgeous melodies ever written. This was the era of machinery folks, and this song is all synths and drum machines and mellotron. I love the beginning line, "A little Catholic girl who's fallen in love." The vocal is so earnest and sincere, sung by lead vocalist Andy McCluskey. These guys had a rather large following in Toronto, even before this, back as far as 1979. This is the first single from the album Architecture And Morality, considered by most critics to be their best. While playing a show in Toronto, Canada's Martha & The Muffins opened for them. Martha Ladley, the Muffins' keyboard player, came up with the name Architecture And Morality when McCluskey was trying to think of a name for their new record. They went on to have much more commercial success when their song If You Leave was included in the soundtrack to the movie Pretty In Pink in 1986. "Now she's on her way to another land. We never understood why she gave her hand." Put your left hand in, put your left hand out......
8. Message Of Love - The Pretenders
I love the way they count this one in with the clicking drumsticks. Then it's all floor toms and chunky chords, all disjointed and so good! Are those guitars? The funny thing about these lists is what makes it and what doesn't. I like the Pretenders debut album a lot. I like it a whole lot better than the 2nd album, which this song is taken from. But, there just wasn't room in the 1980 list for a song from the debut. So, weird stuff like that keeps happening with these lists. The album, creatively titled Pretenders II, was the last to be recorded with the original band line-up. Soon after its release, the guitarist, James Honeyman-Scott, died of a cocaine overdose. Shortly before that, bassist Pete Farndon was fired for his drug problem. He died about 1 year later from a heroin overdose. Chrissie Hynde had come to London from Akron, Ohio in 1973 in hopes of starting a career in the music biz. She wrote for the NME for awhile and then got the band together in 1978. I love her purring, tough- chick vocals on those first 2 records. She was a pioneer in being a female fronting her own band of guys and she proved tough enough to handle whatever was thrown her way. "Now look at the people in the streets, in the bars. We are all of us in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." Not if you're face-down in the gutter!
7. Seconds - Human League
This is one of those songs where only synthesizers can work. It is a very sombre treatise on assassination, purportedly about the killing of JFK. The music is droning, the drum machine pounds out a monotone beat, and Phil Oakey sings it in his clear and cool baritone. This song is from the biggest album of '81. Dare. It brought synth-pop to the masses, with the big hit Don't You Want Me blaring out of stores, bars and cars that summer. This was always the song for me though. The subject matter really hit home, especially coming just a few months after John Lennon being gunned down. The finishing touch is the dirge-like chord changes which set the mood perfectly. The refrain of "It took seconds of your time to take his life" is absolutely haunting. "All day, hiding from the sun. Waiting for the golden one, waiting for your fame." I never wanted to be famous that badly.
6. Charlotte Sometimes - The Cure
This is the sound of The Cure back then - very minimalist, spooky and swirling with Gothic imagery. The drums sound like they were covered with a blanket and recorded in the closet. Robert Smith's voice is cloaked in restraint, almost muffled. Apparently, the song was inspired by a children's novel of the same name. The melody is beautiful and sad and the lyrics sing out about Charlotte's inevitable drift into darkness. Simon Gallup is a great bass player, but the thin production on this song buries his bass under the mix. I like the live version of this even better, as the sound is clearer and you can hear how great these guys are at playing their instruments."Charlotte sometimes crying for herself, Charlotte sometimes dreams a wall around herself." Is that what they mean by Charlotte's Web?
5. Absolute Beginners - The Jam
Ok, chin up everybody! Here's something a little more uptempo and uplifting. This is a single-only release by The Jam, who didn't put out an album in '81. Driven along by some wicked guitar playing by Paul Weller, this is the start of his exploration of soul music. The horns are brilliant, Stax-Volt inspired blasts of brass, punctuating the beat laid down by drummer Rick Buckler. The words and title were inspired by Weller's favourite book at the time by Colin MacInnes, which was turned into a very bad movie a couple of years later. The little trumpet tribute to Penny Lane ends the song on a very high note. This is a very danceable tune as well, so get up offa that thing! "Come see the tyrants panic see their crumbling empires fall, then tell 'em we don't fight for fools 'cos love is in our hearts!" Panic on the streets of London.....
4. Arabian Knights - Siouxsie & The Banshees
Here come the Goths again! From their 4th album, Juju, this song is quite a bit ahead of its time lyrically as it comments on the treatment of women in the Arab culture. New drummer Budgie is the star here, all pounding tom-toms and slashing cymbals. The guitar sounds kind of Middle Eastern to give the song context, and Siouxsie puts in a great vocal, especially during the parts where she chants "ho-ha-ha-ho." The band was really starting to hit their stride by now and they could really create an interesting atmosphere and feel in their songs."Veiled behind screens, kept as your baby machine, whilst you conquer more orifices of boys, goats and things." Ewww!
3. Love Song - Simple Minds
This is about as close to Disco as I ever get. What a huge groove! The bass just carries things, moving your feet and making you get out on the dance floor, willingly or not. From their album Sons And Fascination, this is the first song I ever heard by these Glaswegians, who would become my fave band for a few years, from '83 to '86. I love the way Jim Kerr could deliver his vocals like a preacher, making a believer out of me in his talent, if not the almighty. There is guitar in this song too, but it is not the featured instrument, even though Charlie Burchill could really play. It fills in the gaps though and lends a squealing bit of menace to things. "I cut my hair, paint my face, break a finger, tell a lie, so well so well." Well, it was the '80s.....
2. Show Of Strength - Echo & The Bunnymen
This is the lead track from their 2nd album. Heaven Up Here, my fave album by them. This song has all the Bunnymen earmarks - the bubbly bass by Les Pattinson, the searing leads and jangly fills by guitarist Will Sergeant, the crisp timekeeping of the late drummer Pete De Freitas, and, of course, the Liverpudlian foghorn vocals of the inimitable Ian McCullough. The Bunnymen were always just weird enough to allow the cool kids to like them, but melodic enough for others to take notice. This is classically dark and urgent Bunnymen stuff here, but the real standout is always McCullough. He is one of the greatest frontmen of all time, in my humble opinion. Oh yeah, I do so love the a capella ending too. "A funny thing is always a funny thing, though sadly things just get in the way." Funny, like a fart joke, especially to us guys, right fellas?
1. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye - Soft Cell
Ok, this song is, I'm pretty sure, the single best breakup song ever written. Sung by the great Marc Almond, it is pure heartbreak. Call it dramatic, call it overdone if you will, but it will fall on deaf ears here. Any song that starts out with the line "Standing in the door of the Pink Flamingo crying in the rain" cannot be dismissed so easily. One is compelled to listen, as I was. and the song just grabs your heart and throws it on the floor and stomps it into tiny little pieces. Dave Ball wrote the music and played and programmed all the machines on this song, and he did a brilliant job, certainly on the little lead synth line that runs through the whole song. This was back in the '80s remember, when dressing like a gay sold records, but actually admitting it to the lurid British tabloids didn't sell anything but newspapers. The hypocrisy of the times dictated that a gay man, Marc Almond, had to change the lyrics to make them about a girl. If you don't like this song, that's OK, but I fail to see why as it is a masterpiece! "Take your hands off me. I don't belong to you, you see. Take a look at my face for the last time. I never knew you, you never knew me, say hello goodbye." Crushing!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Listomania! - 1980
The start of the new decade was a very good time in my life. I was working hard, but enjoying being productive and busy. My marriage in 1980 and 1981 was the strongest it ever was and we moved into a brand new townhouse on Huron Street in London. I played on the Wolverine Tube fastball team where we won the city championship in '79, '80 and '81. I was by far the youngest guy on the team and in the first 2 years, played first base alongside my Dad who played second base. I also returned to playing hockey for the company team, but started playing forward instead of my usual position of goaltender. I was an instant success. leading the league in scoring my in each of my first 2 years. It was then I realized that I had wasted my talent. I was a pretty good goalie, but at forward I felt free and able to use what goaltending had taught me about seeing the ice and flow of play. I was always a good skater and now I could use my strength and size to my advantage. It was a ton of fun, for sure. I also coached a kids Triple 'A' baseball team with a buddy from work. The team featured future NHl player Scott Thornton, who, at the age of 12, could hit a baseball over 300 feet. My son Gord was our team mascot and wore his own mini team uniform that had been altered for his small size. Too cute! Because I had been a pitcher all my life, I was the de facto pitching coach. In our first game, I went out to the mound to talk to the pitcher. Standing on the mound, I heard wailing and crying. I turned around to see Gord crying and running out to me on the field. He thought that I was leaving him on the bench all by himself! Too funny! The whole crowd was laughing their heads off! Poor kid! I took a trip to my mecca, New York City, which was fab! I also found out around Christmas that I was going to be a Dad again! As far as music went, it was a year which saw me delve deeper into New Wave, with a few of the old guard still hanging around on the fringes.
Top 10 Of 1980
10. Pulling Mussels (From The Shell) - Squeeze
I remember vividly going downtown with Gord in his stroller on a Saturday morning to Sam The Record Man and buying Squeeze's Argybargy album for the sale price of $4.99. What a great album! This song was my fave right from the start, with its fantastic melody and New Wave sound. Chris Difford and Glenn Tillbrook were being hailed as the Lennon and McCartney of the era, with their ability to write catchy, smart pop songs. More than any other song on this list, it reminds me of the summer of 1980, sitting in the backyard of our new townhouse with this cranked up loud. There is a great piano solo by Jools Holland as well, who went on to fame as host of his own late night music show on the BBC called Later With Jools Holland. "But behind the chalet my holiday's complete, and I feel like William Tell, Maid Marian on her tiptoe feet, pulling mussels from a shell." I pulled a few muscles dancing to this!
9. Respectable Street - XTC
Andy Partridge - now there was a guy with a real pure pop sensibility. I love how the song starts with that scratchy old record sound, like an old 78 RPM. That trick has been copied many times since, especially by no-talent rappers who have zero original ideas. This attack on English middle class hypocrisy brings to mind the writing of Ray Davies of The Kinks, with the sarcasm and disdain dripping from every word. I love the pounding drums in this tune, courtesy of the under-appreciated Terry Chambers. Andy Partridge sounds oh-so-English here with his too catchy vocals. He had a horrible case of stage fright, so bad that the band stopped playing live after he broke down onstage in Paris in 1982. "Sunday church and they look fetching, Saturday night saw him retching over our fence. Bang the wall for me to turn down, I can see them with their stern frown as they dispense the kind of look that says they're perfect." Gotta love the neighbours!
8. Treason - The Teardrop Explodes
This great singalong masterpiece is from the outstanding album Kilimanjaro, still one of my favourite albums ever. As usual, it's all about vocalist Julian Cope here. One of the weirdest and most outspoken voices in music during the '80s, he once wore a turtle costume for the cover of one of his solo records and was known to take copious amounts of LSD. His vocal on this tune is immaculate though as the guy could really sing. These guys came out of the Liverpool scene along with Echo & The Bunnymen and others. They were only to record 3 albums, but they certainly left a lasting impression on me. The melody of this song is so infectious that once you hear it, you will have it in your head for the rest of the day. The great organ part was played by one David Balfe, who went on to become an A&R guy and discovered and signed Blur. Damon Albarn wrote one of Blur's biggest songs, Country House, about Balfe, who had left the music business to retire to a house in the English countryside. "You've got to get ready for me. Is it real? Or is it treason? Is it treason?" Ready, steady, go!
7. Up The Hill Backwards - David Bowie
In the fall of 1980, I took my only trip to New York City, along with Debbie and friends Bill Churchill and Jill Parfitt. We went on a bus tour to see David Bowie in The Elephant Man on Broadway. I had a huge obsession with all things New York at the time and it was amazing! Bowie was terrific as John Merrick and we saw all the sights of the Big Apple, including making a pilgrimage to CBGB's. We got on the bus and the guy running the tour gave each one of us a doobie as we got on, saying that"it will be a great trip." He was right! We listened to Bowie's new album, Scary Monsters And Super Creeps, all the way there on a continuous loop. This song was the one that stuck in my head the most, especially the line "I'm OK, you're so-so." Robert Fripp plays a spacey, wicked lead guitar and the rhythm section of George Murray on bass and Dennis Davis on drums are amazing. Most critics, including myself, consider this to be Bowie's last great album. "While we sleep they go to work. We're legally crippled it's the death of love." I went to work while most people were sleeping, but I can't say I was legally crippled. Maybe illegally.......
6. Same Old Scene - Roxy Music
I didn't care for Roxy's previous album, Manifesto, and I didn't like Flesh + Blood much either. But, this great dance song is undeniable. Roxy were down to a 3 piece with Ferry, Manzanera and Mackay and several studio musicians. This is a priceless melody, put forth by Ferry's one of a kind smooth vocals, but it is the funky, popping bass guitar that makes it for me. It was played by a dude named Alan Spenner, who was Joe Cocker's bass player at Woodstock, and played on many other records in his career. This was recorded with a drum machine, which was becoming more popular at the time. Andy Mackay lays down a killer sax solo near the end as well, showing that, when they wanted to, Roxy Music could still bang out a fantastic song. "In our lighter moments, precious few. It's all that heavy weather we're going through." Now that is a great line!
5. Cross-eyed And Painless - Talking Heads
Speaking of monster bass riffs.......holy smokes! Tina Weymouth just throws down the gauntlet with this huge, throbbing slab of funk! This is from the groundbreaking Remain In Light album, in which the Heads and producer Brian Eno took African rhythms and incorporated them into white rock music, pioneering the World Music style and bringing African stars such as Fela Kuti to worldwide prominence. This influential record was also strongly marked by Weymouth and drummer/husband Chris Frantz listening to early New York City Hip-Hop records, primarily The Breaks by Kurtis Blow. They played The Breaks for David Byrne, who had it in mind when he wrote the lyrics to this song, especially the "Facts are simple and facts are straight" little rap he does at the end of the song. "The feeling returns whenever we close out eyes. Lifting my head, looking around inside" Let's dance!
4. Sister Europe - The Psychedelic Furs
This gorgeous tune is from the Furs' self-titled debut album, produced by the very- busy- in- those- days Steve Lillywhite. Richard Butler's understated, raspy vocals were often compared to David Bowie, but it was never a comparison that I thought apt. He may have the same "feel" as Bowie, but he sounds nothing like him. Butler wrote the lyrics after his girlfriend had left him to go and live in Italy. The melody is quite beautiful, contrasting with the atonal drone of the music. This became a signature sound of the Furs though, at least until they went for a bigger, clearer sound on their later albums. "The radio upon the floor is stupid, it plays Aznavour, so out of key." Change the channel then!
3. Babylon Sisters - Steely Dan
From a muddy sound, we move to perhaps the cleanest sound ever put on record. The production is even more polished than usual on this record, as each instrument is polished to a glossy sheen. Some people (ahem, Martina) find it too cold and clinical, which it may well be, but when the best players around are doing their thing, it is just magic.This is from the album Gaucho, which would be their last for 20 years. All the familiar Steely themes are here, such as the lyrics telling a story, and it is a tour de force. It features Chuck Rainey on the bass, Larry Carlton playing a funky, scratchy guitar, Fagan's trademark vocals, the amazing backing vocals from the likes of Patti Austin and Valerie Simpson, but the show stopper is the great Bernard Purdie on the drums. He plays his signature half-time shuffle to perfection, dubbed the "Purdie Shuffle." Just check out the drumming folks, even if you don't like the song, you cannot deny that Purdie is a genius. "Drive west on Sunset to the sea, turn that jungle music down just until we're out of town." Take the "please pull me over, my car is full of illegal drugs" sign off your forehead too will ya?
2. An Cat Dubh / Into The Heart - U2
Christ I was young! Christ they were young! I remember an interview with Bono and Adam Clayton on The New Music at the time. What babies! Noted journalist and star-fucker Jeannie Beker conducted the interview in a lunch counter in Woolco, if memory serves me correct. This was the first I'd heard of these Irish blokes, but I heard I Will Follow on the show and instantly loved it, so I went out and bought the album. It is full of the thoughts and feelings of young men, but in some ways it is my fave U2 record because of that freshness and innocence. These are actually 2 separate songs, but I will list them both because one runs directly into the other and they are always played live that way as well. An Cat Dubh is apparently Gaelic for The Black Cat, but don't ask me to pronounce it. Bono's vocals sound very young and laddish, especially the "yo-ho-ho-ho-ho" parts. The Edge is a star here too, with his unique guitar sounds, especially since this was the first exposure of that sound to the world. The song morphs into the beautiful Into The Heart, but doesn't lose any steam because the song is so gorgeous. This was the beginning of their journey into becoming the biggest band in the world and what a solid debut it was! "Into the heart of a child, I can go back. I can stay awhile." Beautiful!
1. Going Underground - The Jam
This stinging indictment of the Thatcher government and the English people's apathy is Paul Weller's masterpiece. The song was The Jam's first #1 - not only #1, but straight into the charts at #1! The song talks of the government spending money on nuclear weapons instead of things like health care programs, while the public sit around brainwashed by the whole thing. This is Weller at his angriest and, up until that time, his most overtly political. He is realizing that he has some influence on British youth and wants to try to make them think about the world around them and what is happening. He has said he tried to take the mantle of the voice of the youth because all his contemporaries, especially The Clash, had sold out to the corporations and had become cynical. This single-only release is a stomper of a tune, with a great big bass riff from Bruce Foxton underneath Weller's bilious delivery of the lyrics. This cemented The Jam as a huge band in the U.K., but made nary a ripple on this side of the world. "We talk and we talk until my head explodes. I turn on the news and my body froze. Braying sheep on my TV screen Make this boy shout, make this boy scream!" Stand down Margaret!
Top 10 Of 1980
10. Pulling Mussels (From The Shell) - Squeeze
I remember vividly going downtown with Gord in his stroller on a Saturday morning to Sam The Record Man and buying Squeeze's Argybargy album for the sale price of $4.99. What a great album! This song was my fave right from the start, with its fantastic melody and New Wave sound. Chris Difford and Glenn Tillbrook were being hailed as the Lennon and McCartney of the era, with their ability to write catchy, smart pop songs. More than any other song on this list, it reminds me of the summer of 1980, sitting in the backyard of our new townhouse with this cranked up loud. There is a great piano solo by Jools Holland as well, who went on to fame as host of his own late night music show on the BBC called Later With Jools Holland. "But behind the chalet my holiday's complete, and I feel like William Tell, Maid Marian on her tiptoe feet, pulling mussels from a shell." I pulled a few muscles dancing to this!
9. Respectable Street - XTC
Andy Partridge - now there was a guy with a real pure pop sensibility. I love how the song starts with that scratchy old record sound, like an old 78 RPM. That trick has been copied many times since, especially by no-talent rappers who have zero original ideas. This attack on English middle class hypocrisy brings to mind the writing of Ray Davies of The Kinks, with the sarcasm and disdain dripping from every word. I love the pounding drums in this tune, courtesy of the under-appreciated Terry Chambers. Andy Partridge sounds oh-so-English here with his too catchy vocals. He had a horrible case of stage fright, so bad that the band stopped playing live after he broke down onstage in Paris in 1982. "Sunday church and they look fetching, Saturday night saw him retching over our fence. Bang the wall for me to turn down, I can see them with their stern frown as they dispense the kind of look that says they're perfect." Gotta love the neighbours!
8. Treason - The Teardrop Explodes
This great singalong masterpiece is from the outstanding album Kilimanjaro, still one of my favourite albums ever. As usual, it's all about vocalist Julian Cope here. One of the weirdest and most outspoken voices in music during the '80s, he once wore a turtle costume for the cover of one of his solo records and was known to take copious amounts of LSD. His vocal on this tune is immaculate though as the guy could really sing. These guys came out of the Liverpool scene along with Echo & The Bunnymen and others. They were only to record 3 albums, but they certainly left a lasting impression on me. The melody of this song is so infectious that once you hear it, you will have it in your head for the rest of the day. The great organ part was played by one David Balfe, who went on to become an A&R guy and discovered and signed Blur. Damon Albarn wrote one of Blur's biggest songs, Country House, about Balfe, who had left the music business to retire to a house in the English countryside. "You've got to get ready for me. Is it real? Or is it treason? Is it treason?" Ready, steady, go!
7. Up The Hill Backwards - David Bowie
In the fall of 1980, I took my only trip to New York City, along with Debbie and friends Bill Churchill and Jill Parfitt. We went on a bus tour to see David Bowie in The Elephant Man on Broadway. I had a huge obsession with all things New York at the time and it was amazing! Bowie was terrific as John Merrick and we saw all the sights of the Big Apple, including making a pilgrimage to CBGB's. We got on the bus and the guy running the tour gave each one of us a doobie as we got on, saying that"it will be a great trip." He was right! We listened to Bowie's new album, Scary Monsters And Super Creeps, all the way there on a continuous loop. This song was the one that stuck in my head the most, especially the line "I'm OK, you're so-so." Robert Fripp plays a spacey, wicked lead guitar and the rhythm section of George Murray on bass and Dennis Davis on drums are amazing. Most critics, including myself, consider this to be Bowie's last great album. "While we sleep they go to work. We're legally crippled it's the death of love." I went to work while most people were sleeping, but I can't say I was legally crippled. Maybe illegally.......
6. Same Old Scene - Roxy Music
I didn't care for Roxy's previous album, Manifesto, and I didn't like Flesh + Blood much either. But, this great dance song is undeniable. Roxy were down to a 3 piece with Ferry, Manzanera and Mackay and several studio musicians. This is a priceless melody, put forth by Ferry's one of a kind smooth vocals, but it is the funky, popping bass guitar that makes it for me. It was played by a dude named Alan Spenner, who was Joe Cocker's bass player at Woodstock, and played on many other records in his career. This was recorded with a drum machine, which was becoming more popular at the time. Andy Mackay lays down a killer sax solo near the end as well, showing that, when they wanted to, Roxy Music could still bang out a fantastic song. "In our lighter moments, precious few. It's all that heavy weather we're going through." Now that is a great line!
5. Cross-eyed And Painless - Talking Heads
Speaking of monster bass riffs.......holy smokes! Tina Weymouth just throws down the gauntlet with this huge, throbbing slab of funk! This is from the groundbreaking Remain In Light album, in which the Heads and producer Brian Eno took African rhythms and incorporated them into white rock music, pioneering the World Music style and bringing African stars such as Fela Kuti to worldwide prominence. This influential record was also strongly marked by Weymouth and drummer/husband Chris Frantz listening to early New York City Hip-Hop records, primarily The Breaks by Kurtis Blow. They played The Breaks for David Byrne, who had it in mind when he wrote the lyrics to this song, especially the "Facts are simple and facts are straight" little rap he does at the end of the song. "The feeling returns whenever we close out eyes. Lifting my head, looking around inside" Let's dance!
4. Sister Europe - The Psychedelic Furs
This gorgeous tune is from the Furs' self-titled debut album, produced by the very- busy- in- those- days Steve Lillywhite. Richard Butler's understated, raspy vocals were often compared to David Bowie, but it was never a comparison that I thought apt. He may have the same "feel" as Bowie, but he sounds nothing like him. Butler wrote the lyrics after his girlfriend had left him to go and live in Italy. The melody is quite beautiful, contrasting with the atonal drone of the music. This became a signature sound of the Furs though, at least until they went for a bigger, clearer sound on their later albums. "The radio upon the floor is stupid, it plays Aznavour, so out of key." Change the channel then!
3. Babylon Sisters - Steely Dan
From a muddy sound, we move to perhaps the cleanest sound ever put on record. The production is even more polished than usual on this record, as each instrument is polished to a glossy sheen. Some people (ahem, Martina) find it too cold and clinical, which it may well be, but when the best players around are doing their thing, it is just magic.This is from the album Gaucho, which would be their last for 20 years. All the familiar Steely themes are here, such as the lyrics telling a story, and it is a tour de force. It features Chuck Rainey on the bass, Larry Carlton playing a funky, scratchy guitar, Fagan's trademark vocals, the amazing backing vocals from the likes of Patti Austin and Valerie Simpson, but the show stopper is the great Bernard Purdie on the drums. He plays his signature half-time shuffle to perfection, dubbed the "Purdie Shuffle." Just check out the drumming folks, even if you don't like the song, you cannot deny that Purdie is a genius. "Drive west on Sunset to the sea, turn that jungle music down just until we're out of town." Take the "please pull me over, my car is full of illegal drugs" sign off your forehead too will ya?
2. An Cat Dubh / Into The Heart - U2
Christ I was young! Christ they were young! I remember an interview with Bono and Adam Clayton on The New Music at the time. What babies! Noted journalist and star-fucker Jeannie Beker conducted the interview in a lunch counter in Woolco, if memory serves me correct. This was the first I'd heard of these Irish blokes, but I heard I Will Follow on the show and instantly loved it, so I went out and bought the album. It is full of the thoughts and feelings of young men, but in some ways it is my fave U2 record because of that freshness and innocence. These are actually 2 separate songs, but I will list them both because one runs directly into the other and they are always played live that way as well. An Cat Dubh is apparently Gaelic for The Black Cat, but don't ask me to pronounce it. Bono's vocals sound very young and laddish, especially the "yo-ho-ho-ho-ho" parts. The Edge is a star here too, with his unique guitar sounds, especially since this was the first exposure of that sound to the world. The song morphs into the beautiful Into The Heart, but doesn't lose any steam because the song is so gorgeous. This was the beginning of their journey into becoming the biggest band in the world and what a solid debut it was! "Into the heart of a child, I can go back. I can stay awhile." Beautiful!
1. Going Underground - The Jam
This stinging indictment of the Thatcher government and the English people's apathy is Paul Weller's masterpiece. The song was The Jam's first #1 - not only #1, but straight into the charts at #1! The song talks of the government spending money on nuclear weapons instead of things like health care programs, while the public sit around brainwashed by the whole thing. This is Weller at his angriest and, up until that time, his most overtly political. He is realizing that he has some influence on British youth and wants to try to make them think about the world around them and what is happening. He has said he tried to take the mantle of the voice of the youth because all his contemporaries, especially The Clash, had sold out to the corporations and had become cynical. This single-only release is a stomper of a tune, with a great big bass riff from Bruce Foxton underneath Weller's bilious delivery of the lyrics. This cemented The Jam as a huge band in the U.K., but made nary a ripple on this side of the world. "We talk and we talk until my head explodes. I turn on the news and my body froze. Braying sheep on my TV screen Make this boy shout, make this boy scream!" Stand down Margaret!
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