mp3 :PJ Harvey and John Parish – Heela
Now then, this song or rather the album that its from, brings to mind a story.
In 1996 we lived in Plumstead, a suburb of London. A crap one at that – a breeding ground for far right extremists, nutjobs, the depressed and masses of people with chips on their shoulder about something. It was horrible. Anyway at the time I was doing a bit of DJing and a bit of writing so I was sent CDs and the like. After being in the flat for about a month – I got burgled,
it’s a horrid experience as anyone who has been burgled will tell you. Luckily we didn’t lose that much, a mountain bike, an unused boxed stereo, some clothes and my electric razor (I mean who steals a man’s razor, come on!).
When the dust had settled, about a week later, we gave the house a thorough clean to make ourselves feel better. Now I was cleaning and tidying the sofa and I took the cushions off to you know, fluff them up, (yes, fluff them up, shut up) and down stuffed behind the seat was an envelope. It was from one of the promo companies that sent CDs to me and it had been opened. I didn’t put it there and I didn’t open it. So it must have been the burglar(s).
Inside was the album Dancehall at Louse Point by PJ Harvey and John Parish – from which Heela is taken. On that album written in black pen (MY PEN!) were the words “This looks shit got any Phil Collins”.
I photographed it – I’ll dig that out.
Now, being burgled I can, kind of understand and accept (well get over), people do that to one another, its not right but you know worse things happen in life.
But to slate PJ Harvey and to prefer Phil Collins, PHIL COLLINS instead is just unacceptable. I won’t have it.
So my burglar was a dick, and ill-informed one with lousy taste in music at that and I hope he drove off a cliff somewhere in a stolen van with an endless tape loop of ‘Another Day in Paradise’ ringing in his stupid ears.
Incidentally at the time I had about £5000 worth of music in the house, not one other CD or record was touched, not even my signed copy of ‘One Way’ by The Levellers.
Heela is lovely, a bit different from the usual PJ standard and the album is recommended. She made a few records with John Parish, none of the others spring to mind as much as ‘Dancehall..,’ though.
See you next week
S
Note from JC
I laughed out so loud when I first read this in the e-mail that I had snot coming out of my nose. I thought I’d round off this truly tremendously contribution with one for the burglar just in case he happens to be reading:-
mp3 : Phil Collins – Just Another Day In Paradise
Fuck….the link appears to have been stolen.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 