Rough sods, pop stars.
Sometimes they hit you at the top of an album with a pair of songs so breathtaking that the rest of the record could consist of the sound of someone eating mint jelly and you wouldn’t notice.
One such example is 16 Lovers Lane by the Go-Betweens, which is a great album through and through, but the first two tracks are absolutely staggering when heard one after the other. Here’s number one:
And here, mercilessly even better, is track two:
Any other examples of this kind of assault on the unsuspecting listener?
That’s a fantastic album. Full stop. What about “Streets of your town”?
It’s all great, of course. I was just playing it and was reeling from the impact of the first two songs irresponsibly sequenced one after the other. What are they trying to do to me? It’s like as if I was making love with my wife and at the “crucial moment” she stuffed a meat pie into my mouth.*
Also I know there are many albums like this but I can’t be arsed remembering them all now.
(*for that delightful image, you’re welcome)
In celebration of the fact that Paddy has blessed us with a new song this week, let’s take the frst two songs of From Langley Park to Memphis. Catchy pop songs with witty, incisive lyrics.
King of rock n roll
and then Cars and Girls. Bruce was dead to me after this.
As it’s Pie Week I would love to squeeze a pie in somewhere. Appetite is the best I can offer.
“If your pies are wanting all they see?”
Any excuse….
Blueberry Pies?
Prince – 1999.
Title track followed by Little Red Corvette.
I was going to post the videos to both songs, but after the glorious/disrespectful (delete according to taste) post-death Youtube amnesty, his representatives on Earth are back on the case and have removed most of the clips. Boo, hiss/about time, whatever.
The Clash – Give em Enough Rope
Safe European Home, followed by English Civil War.
They don’t let up and thrown in Tommy Gun at track 3, just for good measure
Melbourne band Rolling Blackouts C.F have more than a little Go Betweens influence. Could almost be Robert Forster singing these lyrics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEZm7BGvryg