Tourists

SATURDAY’S SCOTTISH SONG : #346: THE TOURISTS

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OK.  Not strictly a Scottish band.  But very much fronted by a singer from Scotland.

Here’s wiki.

The Tourists were a British rock and pop band. They achieved brief success in the late 1970s before the band split in 1980. Two of its members, singer Annie Lennox and guitarist Dave Stewart, went on to international success as Eurythmics.

Guitarists Peet Coombes and Dave Stewart were members of the folk rock band Longdancer which was on Elton John‘s Rocket Records label. They moved to London, where they met singer Annie Lennox, who had dropped out of a course at the Royal Academy of Music to pursue her ambitions in pop music.

Forming a band in 1976, the three of them initially called themselves The Catch. In 1977 the band released a single named “Borderline/Black Blood” on Logo Records.  It was released in the UK, The Netherlands, Spain and Portugal, but was not a commercial success.

By 1976, they had recruited bass guitarist Eddie Chin and drummer Jim Toomey, and renamed themselves The Tourists. This saw the beginning of a productive period for the band and they released three albums: The Tourists (1979), Reality Effect (1979) and Luminous Basement (1980), as well as half a dozen singles, including “Blind Among the Flowers” (1979), “The Loneliest Man in the World” (1979), “Don’t Say I Told You So” (1980) and two hits, the Dusty Springfield cover “I Only Want to Be with You” (1979) and “So Good to Be Back Home Again” (1980), both of which reached the top 10 in the UK.

“I Only Want to Be with You” was also a top 10 hit in Australia and reached number 83 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Coombes was the band’s main songwriter, although later releases saw the first compositions by Lennox and Stewart.

In 1980, the band signed to RCA Records They toured extensively in the UK and abroad, including as support for Roxy Music on their 1979 Manifesto Tour. The group disbanded in late 1980.

Here’s one of the hit singles:-

mp3 : The Tourists – So Good To Be Back Home Again

I’ve been known to air this at the football when Raith Rovers haven’t played at Stark’s Park for a few weeks.

JC

Bruce Springsteen

SOME SONGS MAKE GREAT SHORT STORIES (Chapter 62)

A GUEST POSTING by WALTER

http://afewgoodtimesinmylife.blogspot.com/

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Hi Jim

There is one song I came back a few days ago that accompanied me during the last decades. Bruce Springsteen was the big thing in the late 70’s before he was called the future of R’n’R. In 1978, he was nothing more or less the one who told me about the life in NYC with the bright and dark side. He filled the gap between rock music and a storyteller in this era. Incident on 57th Street was nothing more or less than a genre picture of what could happen on a Saturday night with all the feelings of very young persons that fell in love.

I bought this record almost 50 years ago and the music/lyrics still grab me.I found the beauty of the lyrics when I had to translate them in my long ago school days.

Spanish Johnny drove in from the underworld last night
With bruised arms and broken rhythm
And a beat-up old Buick but dressed just like dynamite
He tried sellin’ his heart to the hard girls over on easy Street
But they said, Johnny, it falls apart so easy
And you know hearts these days are cheap
And the pimps swung their axes and said, Johnny, you’re a cheater
And the pimps swung their axes and said, Johnny, you’re a liar
And from out of the shadows came a young girl’s voice
Said, Johnny, don’t cry
Puerto Rican Jane, oh, won’t you tell me, what’s your name?
I want to drive you down to the other side of town
Where paradise ain’t so crowded
And there’ll be action goin’ down on Shanty Lane tonight
All the golden-heeled fairies in a real bitch-fight
Pull thirty-eight’s and kiss their girls goodnight

Oh, goodnight, it’s alright, Jane
Now let them black boys in to light the soul flame
We may find it out on the street tonight, baby
Or we may walk until the daylight, maybe

Well, like a cool Romeo he made his moves, oh, she looked so fine
Like a late Juliet, she knew she’d never be true but then, she really didn’t mind
Upstairs a band was playin’
And the singer was singin’ something about going home
She whispered, Spanish Johnny, you can leave me tonight
But just don’t leave me alone
And Johnny cried, Puerto Rican Jane
Word is down, the cops have found the vein
Oh, them barefoot boys left their homes for the woods
Them little barefoot street boys, they said their homes ain’t no good
They left the corners, threw away all of their switchblade knives
And kissed each other goodbye

Johnny was sittin’ on the fire escape, watchin’ the kids playin’ down the street
He called down, hey little heroes, summer’s long
But I guess it ain’t very sweet around here anymore
Janey sleeps in sheets damp with sweat
Johnny sits up alone and watches her dream on, dream on
And the sister prays for lost souls
Then breaks down in the chapel after everyone’s gone

Jane moves over to share her pillow
But opens her eyes to see Johnny up and putting his clothes on
She says, those romantic young boys (those romantic young boys)
All they ever want to do is fight
Those romantic young boys (those romantic young boys)
They’re callin’ through the window
Hey, Spanish Johnny, you want to make a little easy money tonight?

And Johnny whispered, goodnight, it’s all tight, Jane
I’ll meet you tomorrow night on lover’s lane
We may find it out on the street tonight, now, baby
Or we may walk until the daylight, maybe
Oh, goodnight, it’s alright, Jane
I’m gonna meet you tomorrow night on lover’s lane
Oh, we can find it out on the street tonight, baby
Or we may walk until the daylight, maybe

Ah, goodnight, it’s alright, Jane
I’ll meet you tomorrow night on lover’s lane
Oh, we may find it out on the street tonight, baby
Or we may have to walk until the daylight, maybe (goodnight it’s alright, Jane)

mp3: Bruce Springsteen – Incident on 57th Street

Walter

Bodysnatchers

ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN SINGLES : #009

aka The Vinyl Villain incorporating Sexy Loser

#009 – The Bodysnatchers – ‚Ruder Than You’ (Chrysalis Records, ’80)

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Hello friends,

first of all I would like to thank you for all the comments on Blancmange and B-Movie in particular, but ultimately I am of course grateful for every comment that comes in – it shows me that this series isn’t completely useless. It’s interesting though, isn’t it, that especially the two last episodes have struck a chord with so many people. I mean, both featured rather ‘eupeptic’ music: which normally is nothing that the usual reader of this blog would fancy by and large.

But there you are, I’m happy of course. And if I were clever, I would not change this winning horse and continue in some similar reader-friendly vein. But no, today we are back with some Ska again. Or some Rocksteady, to be precise. ‘Oh no, not again!’, I hear you cry, but for those of you who never read the first post: the singles come in alphabetical order, there is no clever segue in one form or another. So I am contractually obliged to follow with this line, I’m afraid:

The Bodysnatchers often get a bit neglected when it comes to the ‘big’ names within 2 Tone. Everyone knows The Specials, The Selecter, The Beat and Madness. But who could name one of the four tunes The Bodysnatchers did back then? Not many of you, I’m sure. And this is a mistake, believe me!

The combo did indeed consist of seven girls, as the below sleeve (of my German pressing) suggests. Alas, they weren’t septuplets, as on the sleeve, now, that would have been awesome!!

The story, well, goes as it so often goes: Fruit seller Nicky Summers saw The Specials and was so hooked that she recruited a civil servant, a fashion designer, a lifeguard, a secretary, a freelance illustrator and a schoolgirl. Together they formed a band, the fact that some of them could barely play their instruments and others couldn’t play them at all didn’t hinder them in learning to play as they went along

Rhoda Dakar Vocals

Nicky Summers Bass

Stella Barker Rhythm Guitar

Sarah-Jane Owen Lead Guitar

Pennie Leyton Keyboards

Jane Summers * Drums

Miranda Joyce Saxophone

* later replaced by Judy Parsons

The Bodysnatchers got their first gigs in 1979 and started with covering some old Rocksteady tunes, ‘007’, ‘Monkey Spanner’ and ‘Let’s Do Rock Steady’, the Dandy Livingstone number. The latter then became the A-Side of their first single, issued on the Two-Tone Label in the following year. The B-Side though was an original Bodysnatchers-composition, and as brilliant the A-Side is, I always preferred the B-Side:

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mp3 : The Bodysnatchers – Ruder Than You

They had a second single in 1980, ‘Easy Life’ (a tune of theirs) with ‘Too Experienced’ (a Winston Francis cover) on the flipside. And that, much to my dismay, was the end: an album never saw the light of day, although I’m sure it would have been a massive corker. The Bodysnatchers disbanded in October of 1980, but their career in music was not over: Rhoda and Nicky had intended to work together after the split but the idea came to nothing while four other band members found some success in the form of The Belle Stars: Stella, Miranda, Sarah-Jane and Judy. Quite often they used old Bodysnatchers-numbers in their repertoire, so did Rhoda a bit later in her collaboration with Jerry Dammers under the Special AKA – moniker together with the original Specials’ leftovers.

You see, every day is a school day, as they say. Then again I don’t care if you learned something today or not. For me, the only thing that counts is if you have enjoyed the song.

And by God, I do hope you did!!

Take care,

Dirk

Fall

THE INSANE COST OF SECOND HAND VINYL? (Issue #6)

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The reputation of Mark E Smith and The Fall seems to have grown in quite an extraordinary fashion since his death back in January 2018. Nobody seems to have a bad word to say about him, and there’s even been a bit of critical reassessment of some of the more awful and near-unlistenable albums to the extent that the cost of picking up any vinyl via the second-hand markets could well be edging towards silly money.

Looking at my own purchasing history on Discogs going back to 2008, I can find the following examples when it comes to The Fall:-

15 Ways – 10″ on clear vinyl : September 2013 – cost £2.75
Free Range – 12″ Ltd Edition, Numbered : October 2014 – cost £3
Totally Wired : The Rough Trade Anthology – 2 x CDs : July 2015 – cost £4
Hey! Luciani – 12″ : January 2019 – cost 5.80 euro (from Germany)
There’s A Ghost In My House – 7″ : July 2020 – cost £3.29
Oh! Brother – 12″ : October 2020 – cost £7.50
Hi Tension Line – 12″ : May 2022 – cost £9.10

None of these were ordered as stand-alone purchases – in other words, I’d have gone deep into whatever else the seller had on offer, and they would all end up in a package alongside as many as nine other records/CDs.  The fact that the prices in October 2020 and May 2022 were much higher than the previous five purchases got me thinking that I was likely to find big increases if looking to buy today.

15 Ways – 10″ on clear vinyl : February 2023 asking price – 16 euro (from Spain)
Free Range – 12″ Ltd Edition, Numbered : February 2023 asking price – £8
Totally Wired : The Rough Trade Anthology – 2 x CDs : February 2023 asking price – £5
Hey! Luciani – 12″ : February 2023 asking price – 4.50 euro (from Germany)
There’s A Ghost In My House – 7″ : February 2023 asking price – £3.99
Oh! Brother – 12″ : February 2023 asking price – £11
Hi Tension Line – 12″ : February 2023 asking price – £10.50

Six out of the seven are more expensive today; the surprise was that buying a piece of vinyl from Germany would be marginally cheaper today, but any savings would be more than swallowed up by the huge rise associated with shipping costs in the post-Brexit era.

I paid approx £34.75 for the seven items between 2013 and 2022.   To pick them up today, it would be approx £56.50.   That’s an increase of 62.5%.

I’ll admit that I was expecting it to be more, but then again, except for the 10″ of 15 Ways, none of my purchases have been of things that are difficult to find, which probably means there are still some second-hand records by The Fall out there at prices which won’t break the bank.

The expensive ones are those that had limited releases on vinyl in the era when CD was dominant.  For instance, Susan vs Youthclub can be had on CD for £2, but the asking price for the one copy of the 7″ version currently on sale is $60 (US).

There’s an obvious song for today’s posting

mp3: The Fall – F-oldin Money

Funny enough.  One of the more expensive CD-only singles out there on the market at approx £8 a pop.

JC

Various

AN IMAGINARY COMPILATION ALBUM : #334: SQUEEZE

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Squeeze have been around since time began. OK, not exactly, but it’s fast approaching 50 years.

The two principal songwriting guitarists, Chris Difford and Glen Tilbrook, first worked together in 1974. Their debut EP came out in 1977 on an indie-label part-financed by Miles Copeland, and was produced by John Cale of Velvet Underground fame.

They were soon signed to A&M Records for whom they would record five albums between 1978 and 1982 as well as enjoying a dozen singles reaching the Top 50, of which three went Top 5.

After a short break up, during which time Difford and Tilbrook recorded and toured as a duo, Squeeze got back together in 1985 and stayed together until 1999, albeit band members came and went at regular intervals. There were seven studio albums in that period.

The early part of the 21st century saw the two principals embark on solo careers, all the while remaining close friends who would occasionally show up at one or the other’s shows and perform alongside one another.

Inevitably, Squeeze came back into being, reforming in 2007, since when there have been spells where they have toured as a full band and times when it’s been down to just Difford and Tilbrook.  There have been just three new albums since the latest reformation.

All told, Squeeze can boast a discography of 15 studio albums and 49 singles/EPs, along with 4 live albums and 14 compilations.  It’s a highly impressive body of work.

This ICA, however, is going to focus, with one exception, on the initial period from 1978 to 1982, simply as I’ve loads of material from that era and very little beyond, other than one studio album and a couple of ‘greatest hits’ type efforts. Oh, and it’s singles heavy…….

SIDE A

1. Take Me I’m Yours

The debut single which reached #19 in May 1978 and can be found on the eponymous debut album released the same year.  It’s a fine introduction as the vocal talents of both Difford and Tilbrook are to the fore, as too are the keyboard skills of Jools Holland, whose look and sound were hugely important in making the band stand out that bit from many of their contemporaries.

2. Another Nail In My Heart

A #17 hit from March 1980. One of the main strengths of Difford and Tilbrook as songwriters was their ability to marry up catchy music with lyrics that told stories.  In this instance, Tilbrook came up with the tune, making use of a moog synth all the way through as well as a classic ‘tennis racquet’ guitar solo straight after the first chorus, while Difford sings of a failed romance while putting all the blame on himself.

3. Cool For Cats

The first of the huge hits, reaching #2 in April 1979.  This is one of the rare occasions when Tilbrook took lead vocal on a Squeeze single, but his voice is the one best suited to a tune which gives as good an indication as any of the band’s London and pub roots in the working-class south-east of the city.

4. When The Hangover Strikes

A flop single from 1982 and a track on the album Sweets From A Stranger.  It’s an album which sold well enough to the fanbase to reach the Top 20 on its week of release, but which was panned by the critics on the basis that it sounded nothing like the Squeeze whom everyone had a soft spot for.  Tilbrook has said he was inspired the 50s albums from Frank Sinatra when he came up with the tune, while Difford remains, rightly, proud of a lyric that captures that morning-after feeling rather perfectly.

5. Piccadilly

From the 1981 album, East Side Story, which was mostly produced by Elvis Costello and Roger Bechirian.  Lyrically, it’s a sort of throw back to some of the earlier material, telling the tale of a date night in the posh west end of London, but the music had advanced a great deal in a short period of time.

SIDE B

1. I Think I’m Go Go

An album track from 1981’s Argybargy.  One in which both Difford and Tilbrook take turns on lead vocal.  It’s a personal favourite as it just sounded so different and unusual from anything else they had written to this point.  The songwriters have since revealed it’s about the rigours and unpleasant nature of constantly being on tour to promote your new record.

2. Up The Junction

Here’s what I said about this song back in 2014.

“A soap opera story in just over three minutes. The boy about town gets caught out with his trousers down. He can’t cope with the fact that he has to grow up and take responsibility. The woman of his dreams soon moves on and all he has left are bittersweet memories.

1979. A massive hit and one of my favourite songs of all time, albeit as a 16-year-old I didn’t quite understand the full nuances. But now I’m 51 and I’ve seen it this story play out in real life far too often over the years.

Tears and saying sorry are just not enough. But the male side of the species just never learn.”

Other than the fact I’n now nearly 60, every word from 2014 is just as relevant today.

3. Last Time Forever

The band broke up after Sweets From A Stranger.  They got back together in 1985, with the surprising news that Jools Holland, who had left the band in 1980 after the third album, Argybargy, was back in the fold having decided he could combine his television work with recording and touring.  This was the comeback single, one that is as close to an epic as anything they have ever recorded, with the full length version coming in at six-and-half- minutes, complete with sampled dialogue from the film, ‘The Shining’.

4. Labelled With Love

Two years after Up The Junction came another ‘some songs make great short stories’ effort, with a tune Tammy Wynette and George Jones would have been proud of. Sad songs say so much…….

5. Pulling Mussels (From A Shell)

A tribute to the joys of holiday sex only reached #44 in the UK Charts back in May 1980. It’s long been one of their most popular and enduring songs, cheered to the rafters whenever it gets aired in the live setting.  I can only imagine that the folk at the BBC weren’t fooled by the song’s subject matter and more or less banned it from the airwaves on Radio 1, which perhaps explains why it sold so poorly.

As with most of the ICAs I come up with, this doesn’t consist of the ‘best’ ten songs that Squeeze recorded in the period concerned, but it’s my effort at pulling together a cohesive album that makes for a consistent and interesting listen.

JC

Suzanne Vega

A GUEST CONTRIBUTOR RECALLS HIS ENGAGEMENT

A GUEST POSTING by STEVE McLEAN

SuzannE

Ahoy McLeanites,I missed you. I was supposed to go to Suzanne Vega at the Royal Festival Hall the other evening but Covid had other ideas. Sucks, eh?

You probably don’t know that I got engaged to Suzanne in 1987. I wrote her a letter asking her to marry me and she never said no in a reply so I’m guessing it’s still on. I addressed it Suzanne Vega, Second Floor,Thomas’s Diner, New York, America. I know the US postal service is reliable so she’s probably in the planning stages (she takes ages to do things as 9 albums in 41 years will confirm)

Aside from the economical output, Suzanne’s career has been amazing. A shining light of the 80s folk revivalists and the flip side of Lou Reed to the great city of New York. She’s one of those acts that are so much more than her Greatest Hits might suggest. But then I would say that, being her fiancé.

So here’s four Suzanne Vega crackers that you might have missed because the radio only ever plays Marlene on the Wall or the one about Tom having his dinner.

It Makes Me Wonder (2001) Songs of Red and Grey

All of Vega’s best songs can be read as poetry. I think that’s intended and possibly how they’re written. This one seems to be personal and about someone in particular. That someone sounds like a bit of a dick. It feels like it’s both a sex song and a regretting sex song. I dunno, you gotta be careful reading too much into songs that are about an actual person, because we all inflate the smallest of moments. That said the image she paints does seem to conjure up a rogue but on the nasty end of the word, rather than the Han Solo type.

New York Is a Woman (2007) Beauty and Crime

The title sells this song, New York is a town without pity but also one that you can’t help but adore. I’ve only ever visited the post-2000 Disney sanitised NYC. I never had the fear on the subway or a Times Square mugging, but I couldn’t help but feel the biography of the place in the old buildings. ‘Her steam and steel’ on the sidewalks leaking out and hinting at the truth behind that paint. This song sums up the history of the town and could be set in any decade from the early 1900s onward.

I did get punched in a bar near the Meatpacking district but to be fair, I was being a bellend.

Laying on of Hands (2014) Tales From The Realm of the Queen of Pentacles

This song (like the record it comes from) sounds like a plea or a fuck you. Like a kitchen sink drama with a mystical or religious underside. Either way, as with most of her songs, the narration again feels very personal; ‘I don’t know about happiness, but virtue is overrated.’ Ultimately there aren’t many who can pen a number asking you to consider that Mother Theresa spent her whole life never once getting booffed. Frankly if you can’t appreciate the song, appreciate the niche subject.

Harper Lee (2016) Lover, Beloved

It’s hard to write about authors. Have you heard Lou Reed’s Edgar Allen Poe song? It’s shit. Somehow he manages to rhyme ‘Edgar Allen Poe’ with ‘The boy next door’ I mean I love a drawl but not one that’s so phoned in that it has reversed the charges.

This whole album is about Carson McCullers (it was a stage show and currently being made into a film. If there’s one person who knows what cinema needs, it’s Suzanne). McCullers’ The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter’ is one of the best books you’ll read on isolation. At least that’s what the cover says, I haven’t read it but I have seen the film with Alan Arkin, it’s ace.

The song name checks Carson’s author rivalries and hints at her bitterness, but in a self depreciating way that does much to endure you to her. She had a proper indie haircut too.

Right then, that’s it for now. Don’t tell Suzanne but I was also engaged to Natalie Merchant so I might write something about her in the future. I feel I’m more her type as she has a bit time for hard luck cases.

Steve McLean

Pet Shop Boys

PET SHOP BOYS SINGLES (Part Seven)

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It’s Alright was released on 26th June 1989. It was the third single to be lifted from Introspective.

The timing of this release always seemed strange. It had been seven months since the previous single. The album from which it was taken had dropped out of the charts a month previously.  Was there really any demand for it as a 45?  

It turned out there was, as it went straight in at #5.  It managed to hold its position in the Top 10 for a few weeks thanks in part to the marketing campaign which had involved the initial 26th June release being on six formats – 7″, 7″ limited edition sleeve, 12″, 12″ limited edition sleeve, compact disc and cassette single – that was followed up by a 10″ version on 3rd July and a 12″ remix on 10th July.

All told, including the remixes, there were six versions of It’s Alright across the various singles, none of which were identical to the version that could be found on Introspective.  No wonder the people in charge of compiling the charts soon put restrictions on the multi-format method of boosting sales.  I’m not entirely sure how much involvement Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe had with all of this, or whether it was down entirely to the label bosses.

It’s Alright was a cover song, although it very much sounded like a PSB original. It was originally written and recorded in 1987 by Sterling Void & Paris Brightledge, the former being one of the prominent DJs within the ever-increasing and influential scene associated with Chicago house music.  The first version that PSB recorded was more than nine minutes long and closed off Introspective.  The 7″ version was remixed and had the addition of an additional verse that addressed environmental concerns, but was edited right down to a little over four minutes in length.

7″ Limited Edition

mp3: Pet Shop Boys – It’s Alright
mp3: Pet Shop Boys – One Of The Crowd
mp3: Pet Shop Boys – Your Funny Uncle

The standard edition of the 7″ didn’t include Your Funny Uncle. 

The two b-sides are a total contrast. 

One Of The Crowd has, unusually, Chris on lead vocal, albeit he uses a vocoder as a partial disguise.  The tune has always reminded a bit of one of those big hits from Adamski.

Your Funny Uncle is a piano-led ballad and a bit of a tear-jerker based on a true story. Neil wrote the lyric after attending the funeral of a friend who had died from AIDS.  It’s not the usual b-side, but it is one of their loveliest numbers.

 “All the details are true: the cars in slow formation, and so on. He did have an uncle, who had been in the army all of his life and suddenly found himself at the funeral of his evidently gay nephew who’d died of Aids. I think it must have been quite a difficult situation for him, but he was really nice and dignified and spoke to all of his nephew’s friends. I had to give a reading, and the bit I read was from the book of Revelations…at the end it says there’s somewhere where there’s no pain or fear, and I found it a really moving piece of prose, and attached it to the end of the song.”

The success of It’s Alright returned Introspective to the Top 40 of the album charts after a couple of months outside the listings.  The album’s highest placing was #2, the third time in a row a PSB album had just come up short in attempts to dislodge an 80s mega-seller (Brothers In Arms – Dire Straits; Bad – Michael Jackson; Rattle and Hum – U2). Would the luck change as a new decade dawned?

JC

Thrum

SATURDAY’S SCOTTISH SONG : #345: THRUM

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The idea when I started off this series was to use Saturdays a sort of off-day by just cutting and pasting from elsewhere.  It hasn’t always worked out that way, but today’s words come fully from wiki:-

Thrum was formed in 1992 by Johnny Smillie (guitar, vocals), Dave McGowan (bass guitar, vocals), Gary Johnston (drums), and Monica Queen (vocals, guitar). Smillie had met Queen while she was singing in a youth theatre performance of Godspell, and she had previously sung in a Christian rock band. Smillie was strongly influenced by Neil Young while Queen cited Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and Tammy Wynette as influences.

They signed to Fire Records at the start of 1993, and Fire issued their début self-titled EP in April 1993. Singles “So Glad” (which they performed on The Word) and “Here I Am” were critically well-received, and they recorded their début album Rifferama in San Francisco. “Purify” was taken from the album as the band’s final single;

They split up in 1995. Queen went on to provide guest vocals on Belle & Sebastian’s “Lazy Line Painter Jane” single in 1997, recorded duets with The Jayhawks, Grant Lee Buffalo and Shane MacGowan, and performed with Snow Patrol in Glasgow (June 2010). In addition to her guest vocal work, Queen signed to Creeping Bent and spent the 2000s as a solo artist (with Smillie still on guitar), releasing an EP in 2000 and albums in 2001 and 2004.

The band reformed after a 16-year hiatus in 2011, and released a new album, Elettrorama, and making a live appearance at that year’s T in the Park festival. Ian Greher replaced McGowan on bass guitar, following the latter’s decision not to take part in the reunion. In May 2013, with Rory McGregor now on bass, Thrum released a two track single All Over Again on new label Mecca Holding Co, and the band continue sporadic live appearances, concurrent to Queen’s solo activities.

Here’s the debut single:-

mp3 : Thrum – So Glad

JC

UNKLE

MY FAVOURITE IAN BROWN VOCAL

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I’ve never really thought that much of Ian Brown‘s singing prowess. The relative lack of Stone Roses postings over the years should be something of a giveaway.

But I am very fond of something he contributed to back in the late 90s.

From allmusic:-

Since its 1992 inception, UNKLE has been the primary musical outlet of James Lavelle. The co-founder of Mo’ Wax, one of the most consequential English independent labels of the ’90s, Lavelle has been joined by a carousel of primary collaborators and an ever-changing array of guest contributors who have helped him indulge in styles ranging from sample-based hip-hop to downcast stoner rock.

In the mid-late 90s, UNKLE consisted solely of Lavelle and DJ Shadow, but they came up with the concept of bring in a whole host of guest musicians and singers for the debut studio album.  Recorded over a two-year period, Psyence Fiction appeared in August 1998, and across its twelve tracks you could enjoy the vocal talents of, among others, Richard Ashcroft, Badly Drawn Boy, Mike D (Beastie Boys) and Thom Yorke.

The album was well received and sold enough copies to reach #4 in the UK charts despite not containing any hit singles.  Be There, released in February 1999, as a stand-alone single, was a remix of the album track Unreal with a new vocal, written and sung by Ian Brown.

mp3: UNKLE – Be There

It’s a wonderful piece of trip-hop and Brown’s understated delivery, keeping himself well within his range, is a perfect addition.

Be There was released on 2 x CD singles and on 12″ vinyl.  The copy I have is CD1 and its two additional tracks consist of a remix and instrumental remix of the single:-

mp3 : UNKLE – Be There (Underdog Remix)
mp3 : UNKLE – Be There (Underdog Instrumental)

Underdog is the alias of Trevor Jackson, someone who is very active currently in design, art and fashion but in the 90s was responsible for remixing hundreds of songs across all sorts of genres.

This was the bonus track on CD2.

mp3: UNKLE – The Knock (On Effect)

The Knock (Drums Of Death Part 2) was a track on Psyence Fiction, and featured Mike D on vocal on a track he had co-written with DJ Shadow.  The remix is very radical and is the work of Noel Gallagher who also contributed his guitar licks which were added to a sample of drums from a Led Zeppelin track.   It’s a track that actually wouldn’t have sounded out of place on a Beastie Boys album and is a bit of a hidden gem.

(and yes, the timing of this one is deliberate after yesterday’s posting)

JC

Seahorses

IT REALLY WAS A CRACKING DEBUT SINGLE (72) ??

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I’m sure there are some folk out there who reckon Love Is The Law is a cracking piece of music, and would argue that it certainly merits a place in this occasional series.  Indeed, given that this debut 45 went all the way to #3 in the UK singles chart, there might be quite a lot of you think along those lines.

Don’t count me in.

Yes, I did buy a copy back in either late April or early May 1997.  From recollection, it was part of a promotional offer in Virgin Records (or it might have been HMV) where you could get three chart singles for £5.  Looking at the Top 30 rundown that week, I’m thinking the others in the bundle could well have been Lovefool by The Cardigans, and Where Are They Now? by Gene.   I’d probably be lucky to get 5p if I put them on e-bay today.

I would have heard The Seahorses debut on the radio at some point as it was tailor-made for such a medium.  It obviously registered enough with me to make it part of the bargain bundle, albeit I never had really taken to The Stone Roses.  Everyone of a certain age was telling me that John Squire was the guitarist of his generation, and that his talents and musicianship would very much be at the forefront of his new band.  What did I have to lose?

mp3: The Seahorses – Love Is The Law

As it turns out, I lost £1.67, the equivalent of one-third of a fiver.

I maybe played this three times all told.  I realised on its first play that I hadn’t actually listened to it properly on the radio.  The tune was AOR muck and the lyric was variety-hall of the George Formby era with its mentions of Strap-On Sally chasing boys down the alley…..

Having played the other two singles,I returned to The Seahorses, just in case I had maybe over-reacted. It was then immediately put onto the CD shelves, quickly forgotten.

The third would have been just a few weeks ago, as I pondered whether if it should perhaps be reassessed.

Nope.   It is the very definition of landfill indie.

I may as well offer up the two other songs on the CD single.

mp3: The Seahorses – Dreamer
mp3: The Seahorses – Sale Of The Century

And to think, there were many music critics who were convinced this band was the future.  No wonder indie-guitar music soon died so spectacularly on its arse soon after.

Feel free to differ.  Or just move along quietly, and we can pretend this post never appeared on the blog.

JC

B-Movie

BONUS POST : THE PUBLIC GETS WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS

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Many of you were really taken by Dirk‘s latest offering.  Given I’ve a copy of the later 12″, released in the UK on Some Bizarre, it really makes sense to offer it as bonus posting today, particularly for those who are less enamoured by the hour-long mixes.

mp3: B-Movie – Nowhere Girl (12″)

Here’s your b-side for good measure

mp3 : B- Movie – Scare Some Life Into Me

Always happy to be of service.

JC

Various

ON A NOSTALGIA TRIP

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Maybe not everything is better……you can make your own mind up.

All tunes included in this month’s mix comes from a bygone era.

mp3: Various – On A Nostalgia Trip

New Order – Thieves Like Us (instrumental version)
Justified Ancients of Mu Mu – Burn The Bastards
Orange Juice – I Can’t Help Myself (7″ version)
Everything But The Girl – Each and Every One
Elastica – Waking Up
Echo and The Bunnymen – All That Jazz
Pop Will Eat Itself – Touched By The Hand of Cicciolina
Paul Quinn & The Independent Group – Stupid Thing
The Chesterfields – Ask Johnny Dee
Pixies – Wave of Mutilation
Echobelly – Bellyache
The Fall  – The Man Whose Head Expanded
James Kirk – Felicity
The Popguns – Waiting For The Winter
The Cramps – Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?

I reckon it’s worth an hour of your time.

JC

B-Movie

ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN SINGLES : #008

aka The Vinyl Villain incorporating Sexy Loser

008 – B-MOVIE – ‚Nowhere Girl’ (Decca Records, ’82)

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now, today I’m in a bit of a dilemma. Why? Because in my humble opinion, I am confident that the 7” version of today’s feature is inferior in comparison to the 12” version. Much inferior, in fact. But this series is about the 111 best 7” singles, it’s not a musical request programme – so I have to stick to my own rules, I’m afraid!

‘Nowhere Girl’ was first issued as a 12” on Dead Good Records in 1980, only 850 copies were pressed. Do me a favor, listen to this first version on youtube (it’s easy to find (“first version”)) and let me know what you think:

(JC adds……. Click here!)

I really don’t know if I like it or not. If you compare the 1980 version to the well known 1982 12” version on Some Bizarre Records, you will understand why I’m interested in your opinion. I really cannot make my mind up! But today we have the 7” version of the 1982 re-release, one which you don’t hear all too often, I would think! And the German pressing, too … which makes no difference at all, of course!

Inferior (version) or not, this tune has always struck a chord with me. And not only with me, apparently. Old readers may already know this, but when I was much younger and much prettier than I am now, I used to DJ regularly in two clubs in town. No big discotheques, for sure: at the end of the day the first one was just a bar, but a bar with DJs. And the second one was a ‘real’ club with quite a big dance floor. The problem with the second one was that no-one ever came there, by and large, because it was quite a bit off town center.

Still I had a handful of regulars there, and I played whatever they wanted (and what I had with me in my box full of vinyl, obviously. Back then, you had to carry all the stuff, which limited your playlist down quite drastically. When I see DJs nowadays with a fag in one hand and a USB stick with 10 million songs on it in the other hand, I could kick their head in, believe me) – consequently, all of us always had a good time there. I think there wasn’t a single evening on which ‘Nowhere Girl’ was not requested to be played, honestly. The people who came there just LOVED it and really everyone danced to it, always!

The first club though, the bar, was a very different beast. If it was crowded, and it very often was, there were only a few square meters left for you to dance on, but only very drunken girls did that occasionally. Mostly when attending a hen party, probably. But once a few girls danced, others wanted to dance as well, so pretty soon I had to take good care of what to play next.

In the beginning I often failed to succeed in finding the correct segue, it must be said: it was rather hard for me to understand that the students just wanted to party and by no means were interested in my brave attempts to ‘educate’ them musically. I was torn, you see, between dumbing down my turntable offerings to a degree I could still live with more or less proudly and a landlord who summed it up one night in saying: “Oh Dirk, can’t you just FOR ONCE play something with recognition value!?”. She was probably thinking of bloody ‘Sunday, Bloody Sunday’ or some similar atrocity …

Now, to cut a long story short: B-Movie’s ‘Nowhere Girl’ (the 12” version thereof, of course) always did the job. It pleased the crowd, it pleased me, and it pleased Lexi, the landlord, who, sadly, died last year, and she was just a few years older than me, bugger!

So this is for you, Lexi:

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mp3 : B-Movie – Nowhere Girl

But will it please you as well? Oh, I hope it does …

Take good care, friends,

Dirk

Garbage

AN IMAGINARY COMPILATION ALBUM : #333: GARBAGE

A Guest Posting by Ady Hodges

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Garbage are one of those bands I have a sweet spot for, which has been compounded by the fact that I have never seen them live, despite having tickets twice! The first time I had to give the tickets up and the second time the gig was cancelled. Allied to this was the fact that in 1998, I was living in both Edinburgh & Portsmouth and they played in Edinburgh one of the weekends I was in Portsmouth & vice-versa.

I decided with this ICA that I wanted to include selections that covered their complete career to date, rather than focus on their more well known early work, to provide a more comprehensive career retrospective.

Complete Garbage – A Garbage ICA

Side 1

#1 Crush (from the Romeo & Juliet Soundtrack)

This track has never appeared on any Garbage album, despite that it is quite well known, as it has appeared in numerous TV shows & films, most notably in Baz Lurhmann‘s adaptation of Romeo & Juliet. There is a dark gothic air of menace here that is present in some of the best Garbage songs. As a song, it has an unusual structure, building through a driving beat with guitar and electronic flourishes to a pseudo chorus section, before fading back, as Shirley Manson lists the things she would do for her #1 Crush, ending on the “I will die for you” line that epitomises the stalkerish lyrics.

It’s All Over But The Crying (from Bleed Like Me)

Garbage quietly broke-up in 2003, but this proved short-lived and they issued a new album, Bleed Like Me in 2005. This beautiful, delicate ballad comes from that album and shows how well Garbage do heartbreak.

Breaking Up The Girl (from Beautiful Garbage)

Despite being know for being quite dark and gothic, Garbage have a pop heart. This is illustrated very well in this bright happy single from their 3rd album, although its layered, Spectorish backing vocals are still hiding some pretty depressing lyrics.

Special (from Version 2.0)

This smart jangly single is from the second album. It uses part of the Pretenders “Talk Of The Town “in the outro, something Chrissie Hynde was quite happy with, as she waived any royalties or writing credit. I love the lyrics, as there is quite a lot of venom in them;

“Do you have an opinion, a mind of your own?
I thought you were special I thought you should know,
but I’ve run out of patience,
I couldn’t care less”.

Even Though Our Love Is Doomed (from Strange Little Birds)

Strange Little Birds was the 2016 Garbage album and this track is proof that they could still do a fragile ballad like no one else. A lot of that is to do with Shirley Manson’s haunting voice, giving life to the tragic lyrics.

Side 2

Tell Me Where It Hurts (from Absolute Garbage)

This was the one new track on their first official greatest hits album. To my mind this is another track, that is reminiscent of the Pretenders, with Shirley Manson sounding very like Chrissie Hynde here. A string-drenched track that literally explodes into life, which makes it a great way to start side two.

Only Happy When It Rains (from Garbage)

Garbage’s first UK top 30 single and the first US hit remains one of their best loved songs and one of my personal favourites. This is because at its heart it is a great little grunge-lite song. The lyrics are tongue in cheek, parodying a lot of the grunge and alternative rock bands of the time, as is the deliberate callback to the similarly titled Jesus & Mary Chain track.

Automatic Systematic Habit (from Not Your Kind Of People)

Released seven years after Bleed Like Me, Not Your Kind Of People was a comeback album of sorts. This is the opening track, more electronic and less rocky than a lot of their work, but still recognisably Garbage. The lyrics are very defiant, “I won’t be your dirty little secret”.

Flipping The Bird (from No Gods No Masters)

A selection from the most recent Garbage album, No Gods No Masters. It’s another of their more poppy moments with some very eighties synths, that once again disguise some vicious lyrics, this time about sticking it to the people you can’t stand.

Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!) (from Beautiful Garbage)

Another very poppy, almost bubblegum track, driven by a funky rhythm, which is quite unusual for Garbage. Once again there are some Spectorish flourishes in the backing vocals, handclaps and chimes.

You Look So Fine (from Version 2.0)

Garbage’s ballads are often quite cinematic, and this, the closing track on Version 2.0, is the best example in my mind. You can see why they were chosen to record a Bond theme song, although I’m not a particular fan of “The World Is Not Enough” myself. The way this track ends with the refrain “Let’s pretend, happy end” is a perfect way to end this ICA.

Ady

Pet Shop Boys

PET SHOP BOYS SINGLES (Part Six)

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I hope you didn’t mind that last week concentrated on just one single.  The reason for asking is that I’m sticking again today to just one single. the second to be taken from Introspective.

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Left To My Own Devices was released on 14th November 1988.

I wrote about the single at some length back in 2017.  I’m going for a slightly amended cut’n’paste from that piece.

—-

Of all the Pet Shop Boys singles, my favourite is Left To My Own Devices. My first exposure to the song had come thanks to it being the opening track on the album Introspective.  Just over 8 minutes in length, it was something to behold.

mp3 : Pet Shop Boys – Left To My Own Devices (album version)

I was quite bemused when I read it was going to be issued as a single given it was such a strange and almost surreal lyric. OK, the word love was contained within the chorus but it wasn’t quite boy meets girl or boy meets boy or girl meets girl material what with it also wittering on about Che Guevara drinking tea and setting the sounds of classical composer Claude Debussy to a disco beat. But somehow the madcap approach worked as it reached #4 in the UK singles chart when it was released in November 1988.

mp3 : Pet Shop Boys – Left To My Own Devices (single edit)

But it turns out that the album version wasn’t the one in which Neil and Chris, along with producers/engineers/orchestral arrangers Trevor Horn, Stephen Lipson and Richard Niles had really thrown the kitchen sink. Nope, for that you had to get the 12″ version which extended out to an incredible eleven and a half minutes, beginning with an unlikely drumroll before incorporating house, disco, brass, strings, operatic backing vocals and a more deliberate spoken rap from Neil. What’s not to love?

mp3 : Pet Shop Boys – Left To My Own Devices (disco mix)

The b-side is a bonkers sounding bit of music, the sort of thing that seems to accompany a character in a film having a drugs-induced breakdown or panic attack. And in the typically perverse way the boys were behaving at the time, the short version (3:38) was put on the CD and 12″ releases, with the full version (5:13) available only on the flip side of the 7″:-

mp3 : Pet Shop Boys – The Sound Of The Atom Splitting (extended version)

I went to see Pet Shop Boys last May at the cavernous Hydro in Glasgow.  The set was a Greatest Hits type of evening, and so there were many highlights.  The best, as far as I’m concerned, was Left To My Own Devices, which came in around a third of the way into the set.  Full volume in front of 12,000 ecstatic fans.  I was only sorry they performed the short version of the tune.  I’d happily have danced away to the near 12-minute take on things.

JC

 

Thomas Leer

SATURDAY’S SCOTTISH SONG : #344: THOMAS LEER

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The one previous post on Thomas Leer dates from June 2010. It also looked at Robert Rental, with the basis being that they were two pioneers of electronica music who just happened to have been raised in the same blue-collar former shipbuilding town of Port Glasgow.

One of Thomas Leer’s earliest singles was included in the Big Gold Dream box set. Here’s the blurb from the booklet:-

“Born in Port Glasgow, Thomas Leer played in short-lived local bands before decamping to London and forming Pressure, then self-releasing his solo single Private Plane.  Having hooked up with fellow emigre Robert Rental for The Bridge album, Leer moved to Cherry Red for 4 Movements.  Lead track Don’t boasted a mix of electronic drum beats, disco bass and nouveau torch singing which mined the playful fourth world funk of mid-era Can.“

mp3: Thomas Leer – Don’t

4 Movements was released as a 12″ EP in July 1981.  Don’t is a bit of a hidden gem…..there’s a touch of Soul Mining-era The The in the music.

JC

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

SOME SONGS MAKE GREAT SHORT STORIES (Chapter 61)

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Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds got to appear on Top of The Pops back in 1995, thanks, in the main, to the Kylie Minogue effect.

Where The Wild Roses Grow got as high as #11 in the singles chart.  One of the two extra tracks on the CD single is a wonderful short story set to music.

There was a thick set man with frog eyes
Who was standing at the door
And a little bald man with wing-nut ears
Was waiting in the car
Well Robert Moore passed the frog-eyed man
As he walked into the bar
And Betty Coltrane, she jumped under her table

“What’s your pleasure?” asked the barman
He had a face like boiled meat
“There’s a girl called Betty Coltrane
That I have come to see”
“But I ain’t seen that girl ’round here
For more than a week”
And Betty Coltrane, she hid beneath the table

Well, then in came a sailor with
Mermaids tattooed on his arms
Followed by the man with the wing-nut ears
Who was waitin’ in the car
Well, Robert Moore sensed trouble
He’d seen it comin’ from afar
And Betty Coltrane she gasped beneath the table

Well, the sailor said “I’m looking for my wife
They call her Betty Coltrane!”
The frog-eyed man said “That can’t be;
That’s my wife’s maiden name.”
And the man with the wing-nut ears said
“Hey, I married her back in Spain!”
And Betty Coltrane crossed herself beneath the table

Well, Robert Moore stepped up and said
“That woman is my wife.”
And he drew a silver pistol
And a wicked bowie knife;
And he shot the man with the wing-nut ears
Straight between the eyes
And Betty Coltrane, she moaned under the table

Well, the frog-eyed man jumped at Robert Moore
Who stabbed him in the chest
And as Mr Frog Eyes died he said
“Betty, you’re the girl that I loved best”
The sailor pulled a razor
Robert blasted it to bits
“And Betty, I know you’re under the table”

“Well have no fear,” said Robert Moore
“I do not want to hurt you!”
“Never a woman did I love near
Half as much as you
You are the blessed sun, girl
And you are the sacred moon.”
And Betty shot his legs out from under the table!

Well, Robert Moore went down heavy
With a crash upon the floor
And over to his thrashin’ body
Betty Coltrane she did crawl
She put the gun to the back of his head
And pulled the trigger once more
And blew his brains out all over the table

Well Betty stood up and shook her head
And waved the smoke away
Said, “I’m sorry, Mr barman
To leave your place this way.”
As she emptied out their wallets she said
“I’ll collect my severance pay.”
And then she winked and threw a dollar on the table

mp3: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – The Ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane

Still scratching my head with the decision to leave if off the Murder Ballads album

JC

Blancmange

ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN SINGLES : #007

aka The Vinyl Villain incorporating Sexy Loser

007 – BLANCMANGE – ‚I’ve Seen The Word’ (London Records, ’82)

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Hello friends,

“grievously underrated” – that’s always the first term I think of when it comes to the subject of Blancmange. ‘Yes, especially with fresh berries!’, I hear you say, ‘but this old synth-pop duo with that name sucked mightily!!’

Oh, you could not be more wrong, you ignorant little twerps: just because they used synthesizers, it doesn’t automatically make them unlistenable to! And just because they came to our attention together with quite a lot of – admittedly – crap new wave bands, it doesn’t automatically make them a crap new wave band as well! And, finally, just because they had a string of hit singles (“Blind Vision,” “Don’t Tell Me,” “Living On The Ceiling,” “Lose Your Love,” “That’s Love, That It Is” and “Waves“), it doesn’t make them lose their indie attitude.

Those of you with a certain age might remember the groundbreaking ‘Some Bizarre Album’, the label-compilation from 1981. It paved the ground, at least it did for me, for music I never heard before since then. ‘Sad Day’, Blancmange’s contribution to the compilation, was fine, but certainly not my favorite. Perhaps I was too cool to enjoy instrumentals back then. Most probably I was. In fact, it was Depeché Mode’s ‘Photographic’ that blew me away. Still, it is Blancmange that Daniel Miller out of Mute Records once described as “The Maiden Aunts of Techno” … not entirely wrong, if you ask me. And also, if you ask me, if Blancmange were the aunts, then Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft would have been the uncles of Techno …. but I digress.

Either way, in order to come to the music (and to an end here, I’m sure you’ll be relieved), one year after the Some Bizarre-compilation, more or less along with ‘Living On The Ceiling’ and ‘Feel Me’, this little gem came to my attention:

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mp3: Blancmange – I’ve Seen The Word

One of the more tranquil choices within this series, I agree. Nothing wrong with that though, as far as I’m concerned. In my humble opinion this song is their finest hour, although by and large all they ever released has stood the test of time and is still well worth listening to … singles, albums, everything.

You know what to do now.

Take good care & enjoy,

Dirk

 

 

 

 

 

Twilight Sad

THE INSANE COST OF SECOND HAND VINYL? (Issue #5)

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Back in part 1 of this series, I mentioned that when it comes to the second-hand market it’s always been about wanting a particular record and me being happy enough to pay a price which I think is reasonable and fair.

Sometimes I look at a price and think, ‘no way’, and that a record isn’t worth it.  That’s why I’ve shied away from ever getting into a bidding war for a copy of Falling and Laughing, the first single on Postcard Records, and the only one I don’t have,

As for today’s purchase, which was made in September 2020, it all boiled down to the fact that I bought all the very early singles by The Twilight Sad on vinyl, but the albums were CD purchases.  The later albums were bought on vinyl, and that led me to begin to look for original copies of the band’s first two albums to complete things.

I spotted this during the COVID lockdown when holidays weren’t happening and money wasn’t being spent in the normal way.  As such, I didn’t hesitate to fork out £55, plus £5 for P&P, for what the seller said, and was truthful about it, was a near mint vinyl copy of Forget The Night Ahead, the second studio album.

The vinyl version is spread across two records and is housed in a gatefold sleeve. It’s a far cry from the CD version.  I’m thinking it would maybe have been £20/£25 tops when it had been released on Fat Cat Records in October 2009.  If it hadn’t been the case that there was some spare money floating around, there’s no way I’d have paid £60 for it.  But I made the call that it would be worth it just to be able to put the needle into the grooves of a song like this:-

mp3: The Twilight Sad – Reflection Of The Television

I’m fully acknowledging everything Fraser said in his guest posting last time out in this series, and the tremendous contributions that came in via the comments section.  I know full well that a purchase such as this doesn’t help at all with the issue we all have about the cost of vinyl; if anything, it only adds to the problem in that neither the band nor the label gained financially from the transaction.

I really am uneasy about paying such high prices, but this was a rare instance when ‘the collector’ in me came to the fore.  It was inevitable that, at some point, I’d look to pick up a copy of Forget The Night Ahead, and it really was about hoping to do so without, in future years, feeling I had paid too much.  So, the question most relevant to this posting is whether I’d have been better to wait things out.

There are, as I type this, three copies listed on Discogs.

One can be shipped from America for $99.89 plus $28.50 shipping, (approx £106 at the current exchange rate) with all the customs nightmares such purchases entail these days.

Another can be sent over from Italy for 110 euros plus 16.90 euros shipping (approx £112 at the current exchange rate)

The third is via a UK seller, not linked to a shop, who is asking for £100 plus £6 for P&P.

In other words, if I was on the market today, I’d be expected to pay almost double what I did just two-and-a-half years ago, which just seems ridiculous.The average selling price or the album on Discogs over the past 18 months or so has been £50-£60, although not all these have been rated as mint copies.  The highest price achieved by a UK seller has been £75 in November 2021.  A copy, where the sleeve was described as having a split to outer sleeve at top, with a small corner dink, went for £50 in late December 2022.

I’m therefore feeling OK about what I paid.  I’ll finish up with the observation that as I now have just about everything I’ve really been looking for via the second-hand market (I picked up a second-hand copy of the Twilight Sad’s debut album in a shop), I can’t see me paying that much for any such record ever again.

I won’t ever stop browsing, mind you.

JC

Joy Formidable

AN IMAGINARY COMPILATION ALBUM : #332: THE JOY FORMIDABLE

A Guest Posting by Chat DGP

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David Glickman writes………………………………

I’d been wanting to write an ICA on The Joy Formidable since I saw them play live last fall. While I did pick out the ten songs I wanted to showcase, I haven’t been able to find the time to put pen to paper (or perhaps, pixels to screen). Rather than let another project die on the vine, I decided to try leveraging the newest and scariest writing tool available to the public. What follows is ChatGPT’s response to the prompt:

“Write an article about the ten best songs by The Joy Formidable in the style of an imaginary compilation album from The (new) Vinyl Villain blog”

It’s not what I would have written, of course, and it lacks the engaging storytelling of a typical ICA from JC, SWC and others. That being said, it took only seconds to create and includes about half of the songs that would have been in my version. For the record, I would have found room for “Austere”, “The Leopard and the Lung”, “Liana”, “Absence” and “Out of the Blue” in place of “This Ladder Is Ours”, “Cholla”, “Little Blimp”, “Passerby” and “The Last Thing On My Mind”.

How soon before blog writing is no longer a human endeavor? (Discuss)

-David Glickman

A GUEST POSTING by ChatGPT

Welcome to The Vinyl Villain, where we celebrate the timeless art of vinyl records. In this edition, we’re excited to present “The Joy Formidable: 10 Best Songs” – an imaginary compilation album that highlights the best of this Welsh rock band’s impressive catalog. With their unique blend of dreamy soundscapes, powerful vocals, and heavy rock riffs, The Joy Formidable has captured the hearts of fans around the world. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the ten best songs by The Joy Formidable.

1. “Whirring”

We kick off our compilation with “Whirring,” the lead single from the band’s 2011 debut album, “The Big Roar.” With its explosive guitar riffs, driving drums, and soaring vocals, “Whirring” perfectly captures the band’s signature sound. This anthemic track builds to an epic climax that showcases the band’s talent for creating dynamic, high-energy rock songs.

2. “This Ladder Is Ours”

Next up is “This Ladder Is Ours,” a standout track from the band’s 2013 album, “Wolf’s Law.” This track features a powerful bassline, propulsive drumming, and ethereal, dreamy melodies that blend seamlessly with the band’s hard-hitting rock sound. The chorus is a soaring, anthemic masterpiece that will leave you feeling inspired and uplifted.

3. “The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade”

From their debut album, “The Big Roar,” comes “The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade.” This track is a perfect showcase of the band’s ability to create intricate, multi-layered soundscapes. With haunting vocals and intricate guitar work, this track is a standout from the band’s early years.

4. “Cholla”

“Cholla” is a high-energy rock anthem taken from their 2013 album, “Wolf’s Law.” With its driving drums and heavy guitar riffs, this track perfectly showcases the band’s ability to create infectious, catchy hooks. The chorus is an explosive explosion of energy that will leave you wanting more.

5. “A Heavy Abacus”

One of the band’s most popular tracks, “A Heavy Abacus,” is a standout from their debut album, “The Big Roar.” With propulsive drumming and churning guitar riffs, this track is a perfect example of The Joy Formidable’s talent for creating massive, stadium-ready rock tracks. The chorus is unforgettable and will have you singing along in no time.

6. “Little Blimp”

“Little Blimp” is another highlight from “The Big Roar.” This propulsive, high-energy track perfectly showcases the band’s unique blend of heavy rock and dreamy, atmospheric soundscapes. The song builds to a soaring chorus, making it a standout track in the band’s catalog.

7. “Passerby”

Taken from their 2016 album, “Hitch,” “Passerby” is a haunting, ethereal track that showcases the band’s softer side. With delicate, finger-picked guitar and ethereal vocals, this song is a stunning showcase of the band’s ability to create intimate, emotional ballads.

8. “Cradle”

“Cradle” is a powerful, atmospheric rock track that perfectly showcases the band’s ability to create epic, cinematic soundscapes. This track, taken from “The Big Roar,” features sweeping guitars and soaring vocals, making it a standout in the band’s catalog.

9. “Silent Treatment

“Silent Treatment,” taken from their 2013 album “Wolf’s Law,” is a moody, brooding track that showcases the band’s ability to create dark, introspective rock songs. With eerie, haunting guitar work and atmospheric soundscapes, this song is a standout in the band’s catalog.

10. “The Last Thing On My Mind”

Rounding out our compilation is “The Last Thing On My Mind,” a standout track from The Joy Formidable’s 2011 album, “The Big Roar.” This track features driving drums and explosive guitar riffs, as well as powerful vocals from lead singer Ritzy Bryan. The song’s infectious chorus is sure to get stuck in your head, with its catchy melody and soaring harmonies. “The Last Thing On My Mind” is a perfect example of the band’s ability to create high-energy rock tracks that are both musically complex and incredibly catchy. With its memorable hooks and powerful performance, this track is a perfect way to end our compilation of the ten best songs by The Joy Formidable.

Chat DGP

JC adds……………

I’m not the sort who keeps up with these things and until David’s e-mail dropped in, I’d never heard of Chat DGP.   I find it quite bemusing.  It’s surely not the future…….is it?