#33: Do It Again : Edwyn Collins (Heavenly Records, HVN 211, 2010)
I made mention last week of just how many folk came forward with offers to help Edwyn write and record songs for his seventh studio album, Losing Sleep.
Two of those were Alex Kapranos and Nick McCarthy of Franz Ferdinand. Back in 2010, their band was possibly at the height of their popularity, with three albums (all of which went to either #1 or #2) and nine Top 20 singles to their name. The song they co-wrote with Edwyn for the album was catchy enough. It starts off as if it’s a typically upbeat Edwyn song and then the chorus, in which the FF boys come in on lead vocals, sounds like one of theirs.
mp3: Edwyn Collins – Do It Again
If there’s a criticism to be offered, it’s that the joins are very obvious and visible, and in some ways this detracts from the end result, but there’s no doubt that the EC/FF collaboration did draw some welcome attention to the new album. It also spawned a fabulous video – check out the 70s porn star moustache above Alex’s top lip, and also Paul Cook, at the age of 54 (as he was at the time) looking neat and sharp in his suit as he pounded the drums.
The b-side was an exclusive track. Written solely by Edwyn, it is one of his real hidden treasures. It’s a fairly lengthy number, coming in at well over five minutes, and the music has that sound and mood of a piece of music that would fit perfectly on some sort of film or TV programme soundtrack. I’m not entirely sure, but it may well be a song that was written and recorded some years previously, before Edwyn was struck down, as his voice sounds much stronger than on the Losing Sleep tracks, and the impressive, 60’s-style guitar work and production values are very familiar to those of us who had been keeping up with his career at all times.
mp3: Edwyn Collins – You’re Gonna Love This One
Released only on 7″ vinyl and housed in a plain brown cardboard sleeve, this time with a green label and the jukebox-style middle.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 