Musings on the byways of popular culture
13 years of pretty much total silence and now this absolute BEAUTY of tune is with us. I dearly love this band and will be immersed for a while… Given the absolute shitty situation the world is in, having new music from these guys feels like an enormous gift.
Benjamin Myers is the author of “Cuddy,” a BRILLIANT novel about what St Cuthbert means to the North East of England. He also wrote “The Gallows Pole” which no less a director than Shane Meadows adapted for TV. I have yet to read his latest novel “Jesus Christ Kinski” about a notorious play starring the noted absolute nutter Klaus Kinski as Jesus Christ.
I say all this stuff to emphasise the credentials of the author of a very lengthy piece about Napalm Death’s one second long song “You Suffer.” It’s worth your time.
Ah, The Daily Mash…
I can say that I had this experience with the very first album I paid money for. I loved “What Is Love” and “New Song” by Howard Jones and his new single “Things Can Only Get Better” sounded great. I was flush with birthday money and ready to spend.
My God. Even at nine years old I knew this was pretty bad. Apart from that one song. I’m amazed I ever bought another album at all sometimes…
Ah crap. Genuinely one of the good guys (he stuck up for Sinead O’Connor ffs), a songwriter of near genius on a good day, a decent actor, an ex marine and a witness to the recording of Blonde On Blonde.
Some people just live well. RIP.
I have read some egregious fucking lists in my time but this one is off the scale.
Three examples – Mother Knows Best from Tangled is number one. Huh? – Absolutely nothing from Jungle Book till you get to 24. – Surface Pressure from Encanto is better than When You Wish Upon A Star? SERIOUSLY?
I got this far before exploding.
Pretty damn sure this can be fixed.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/jul/30/ranked-every-disney-song-robert-komaniecki-
All I will say is, in no universe, parallel or otherwise, is Hole’s “Live Through This” a better album than Nirvana’s “Nevermind.”
I have quite a few songs that I think would work great in a film and right now, for the first time in ages, I am listening to The Go Betweens. “Streets Of Your Town” is leaping out at me; it’s crying out to be used in an early scene of “burgeoning love” in a superior romantic comedy.
Any other songs that folks play and find themselves imagining a film?
The Wu Tang Clan!
Seriously, they have a Las Vegas residency starting next year…
“Simon Smith And His Amazing Dancing Bear” by Randy Newman is kind of throwaway. He’s not writing a full power. The Muppets covered it so its practically a kids song.
Everytime I play it, tears come out of my eyes.
WHY?
And do you have a really innocuous tune which does the same?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgjU6kPV_MA
Starting price is $400,000, but this is quite the artefact and no mistake…
Often of an evening I watch old episodes of Top Of The Pops on the iPlayer and tonight I watched a 1987 episode when “You Win Again” was number one. And I do love that song, and I love loads of Bee Gees tunes. But boy, do they lack charisma or what? They looked like three total spods. I’ve never known them to say anything funny or witty, but their genuine talent is an obvious “piss off ganglesprocket, who cares what you think” retort which cannot be denied.
But this made me think. Are there any other charisma vacuums that I am forgetting about? Is there anyone else with Bee Gee levels of success (I accept producer or performer, provided they have done both in their time) which I am forgetting?
Does anyone have less charisma and more success than the Bee Gees?
Ok, I admit I have technically started with Taylor Swift because I have heard “Shake It Off” which I thought was fine but it wasn’t enough to tempt me in.
However today I have a long train journey with two children who will be engrossed in their tech, so its a good day to stick my toe into the shallows at least of Taylor Swift.
But where? What is her best album? All suggestions appreciated.
This one hurts, I have to say. I am an enormous fan. RIP Robbie
I know, who knew that the Pussy Hitmakers would behave in such a manner? I am shocked. Shocked.
In the story we learn that a 24 year old woman contacted a woman who helps fans gain access to parties with Rammstein’s singer. She was horrified to discover that these parties were to facilitate sex. She declined to have sex with Tillmans, who it seems, acted like a bit of a dick but who is not accused of rape or sexual assault. She felt funny after a couple of drinks though. But nothing untoward happened other than a touring rock star didn’t get laid with her. Presumably he did with someone else.
I am old and crap and cynical. But do young music fans really honestly think that bands have these systems set up because they are lovely people who just like to throw parties to make their fans feel special? I mean really? I mean I am neither 24 or a woman, but were I either and I found myself backstage at a Rammstein gig, I’d have a vague idea why…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/06/german-band-rammstein-accused
This is absolutely worth anyone’s time here. Mack McCormick is new to me. This piece is about how obsession can send you absolutely mad and I reckon some of the real musos here will cough guiltily to themselves.
Obituary
As a kid he was pretty damn smooth to me.
As a teenager, he was the perfect subject for a near perfect piece of affectionate piss-takery. Dickie Davies definitely had twinkly eyes.
Obituary
Apologies for the double post, I haven’t been here in a while and didn’t notice an obits section.
Patrick Haggerty was the leader of Lavender Country, the world’s first gay country band. They did one album in the early seventies, just called Lavendar Country and it was ace; I suspect John Grant and Mark Eitzel heard it. Their song “Crying Those Cock Sucking Tears” is just fantastic. He’s died after a stroke at 78
I only heard Lavender Country in the past few years but I absolutely love them. I reckon that Mark Eitzel and John Grant owe a bit of a debt to them and to Patrick Haggerty. The world’s first openly gay country band, they did gay songs in a straight country style and were brilliant. Crying These Cocksucking Tears is their most famous song. RIP Patrick Haggerty, I wish I heard you earlier
Children of the 90s who post here will remember that CD’s of the time often had “hidden tracks” at the end. Often these things were truly worthless. Often they indicated that the act in question had too much money from their record companies and had taken far too many drugs. Anyway, The Stone Roses “Second Coming” album had a hidden track… It was not a hidden gem.
Were any of them? Or were they all crap?
Really the title explains it all. I would like a list of brilliant, obscure songs, from people who are incredibly well known.
I will start with Dolly Parton, someone who I suspect has more deep cuts than most. However this one, Gettin’ Happy is just bloody brilliant and I didn’t hear it till I was well into my forties.
I was at my Mother In Law’s house last weekend, rifling through some of my wife’s old records which still reside there and there were some gems which I had to take home; Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 by George Michael, Actually by the Pet Shop Boys, The Innocents by Erasure. And also GnR Lies by Guns and Roses.
Man. I have not played that thing since I was at school in the 80s. What did a man in his late 40s think of something he hadn’t played since his late teens? This extremely misogynistic, homophobic, extremely snotty thing? With racist undertones? My brain was yelling “this is all shite” but my heart really liked it, if I am honest.
I couldn’t play it in front of people I work with. I could play it with my wife, it is her’s after all, but lordy, I genuinely feel guilt about how much I like a thing which every critical faculty I own tells me is genuinely worthless.
Pop music? Bloody hell. Anyway the worst song » Continue Reading.
… is now on Spotify.
On some days I think it is the worst album ever made. Other days it’s the greatest. At least once a year I literally have to listen to it.
This is my favorite song from it…
Man, this tune… It’s the absolute pinnacle of groovy; the clothes, the tune, the dance routine, the presence of Liberace. It’s a mind bogglingly joyous cornucopia of sheer groove.
For this Saturday night I would like to see some clips as joyous, silly and groovy as this please!
Venue:
O2 Arena London
Date: 22/05/2022
In January 2020 I bought tickets to see the Pet Shop Boys, one of the few bands I love who I have never seen, who were doing a greatest hits tour. We know what happened next. Two years on I have been nervous about gigs; even though things have reopened, I have not been going out. This was literally my first big night out since 2019.
And what a fucking night it was! The Pet Shop Boys don’t do gigs, they mount productions. Impressive visuals, multiple costume changes (including the big coat and the Boy hat during the encores) and all of the songs played tonight, (apart from four), are on their Pop/Art Best of. This was a band who, perhaps planned to do a straightforward, make some money, greatest hits tour who, but who, thanks to circumstances, ended up giving a celebration of life, joy and music. They played banger after banger, hit after hit, to a crowd starved of joy. It was beyond brilliant. I mean it ended with, Go West, It’s A Sin, West End Girls and Being Boring. Shock and awe or what?
The audience:
“You old ravers” said » Continue Reading.
Did any of you know that The Nolans had a song called Sexy Music? I didn’t for sure. After viewing this I now know that sex is a terrible thing that I will never have again.
If you have any other songs which will convert you to a life of celibacy, put them here.
