With a small but appreciative audience, this was a cosier affair encounter with Ballboy than our previous visits (where they packed out the larger Rescue Rooms venue). Their last album release had been a slight disappointment compared to the heights they had previously surmounted, but as George rightly notes they are truly back on form.
Supported by local geezer and girl gang The Jamjars (whose 'highlight' was their final song - "Jammy Bastards!"), on such a hot night it was hard to muster much enthusiasm before the main act arrived on stage. But Gordon was in cheery mood and the long time away wasn't reflected in the live performance. Gordon quickly got into a banter about their circuitous journey into the centre of Nottingham - their relief at hitting Brian Clough Way (which actually runs near our house!) to let them know they truly were coming into the right city [cue praise unbounded for the great man from Gordon and an anecdote about Cloughy 'randomly' kicking Steve Bruce on the ankle whilst Bruce was taking a piss in a urinal: "what's that for?!" said Bruce; "for all them times you did the same to my Nigel"].
Poor Rachel who sells their merchandise was definitely the target for torment that night - "well done if you've already bought your stuff, be nice to Rachel 'cos she usually gets completely pissed by the end of the gig - I'd definitely check your change!". She giggles cheerfully from the back [and yes, we had already picked up our in advance CD of the new album - I worked on the ships.
Throughout the gig there was a regular shout of "Play the Sash!" which Gordon dealt with in good grace and humour ["you're persistent, I'll give you that!", finally succumbing and getting grateful handshakes at the end of the song from the two guys who had beleaguered him through the set. It could have been nasty: as it was, the band were in good enough cheer to cope and it made the night charming.
Set list
Absent Friends
Songs for Kylie
I've got pictures of you in your underwear...
Something is going to happen soon
Godzilla Vs The Island of Manhattan with you and I somewhere inbetween
Cecily
Swim for Health
I don't have time to stand here with you fighting about the size of my dick
Avant garde music
A relatively famous victory
The Sash My Father Wore
Leave the earth behind you and take a walk into the sunshine...
Donald in the Bushes with a bag of Glue
Catch them if you can, and definitely get the album.
Cross posted to Music is our Hot, Hot Sex.
Showing posts with label Ballboy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ballboy. Show all posts
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Rewinding: in praise of compilations (especially on tape?)
Cloud knows when I haven't read something, because usually certain subjects will always get me raving and if I read them first I'll immediately get him to read the inspiring article.
So when he presented me with Laura Barton's article from the Guardian Film and Music supplement published last Friday, I knew from first glance I hadn't read it and that if I had I would have still been ranting about it. So belatedly I will now have a rant. You know this is a topic I love.
Barton identifies two particular types of compilation: firstly, there is the introduction. This sets the scene for a new friend by passing on what you think of as tracks that identify the compilation as by you. Barton picks out "Heroin by the Velvet Undergound, Them's Gloria, Pixies' Hey and Frankie and the Classicals' What Shall I Do?" I'd probably go with something by Pulp (I'm especially fond of 'Seconds' from the Babies EP), something by Ballboy (possibly the exquisite duet version of 'I Lost You but I Found Country Music' with Laura Cantrell), a quirky cover version (I'm currently with Paul Morley on the beauty and majesty of Susanna and the Magical Orchestra's version of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart') and classic tracks by The Clash, The Beatles 'To Know Her is to Love Her (from the BBC sessions) and a good bit of jangly 80s pop (say ABC, The Smiths). I've also regularly passed on 'Tarmac' by Hazeldine from the cracking Uncut compilation 'Sounds of the New West', mostly for the classic line at the end of the first verse (I generally avoid swearing here, so let's just say you blink at the invocation of Batman...)
Then there is, as Barton notes, the compilations that are "crafted for your musical co-conspirators, when the compilation itself becomes part of your conversation - a Masonic handshake, if you will." These definitely describe the conversation we have with George, but I was intrigued by what Barton goes on to say:
Barton also wisely comments on the construction of the cassette: "At night you would lie awake puzzling over its structure: What song should you put on first? What should come last? The first of course has to be arresting. The last has to be the one you want to linger in their thoughts." But what she doesn't explicitly comment on is the fact that the cassette allowed you not one beginning but two, not one ending but two; moreover, the very first track of side one had a greater significance than that for side two, and the final track of side one had a lesser significance than that for side two.
Inevitably, by circumstance of my tape machine dying and not being replaced (though I am tempted - oh so tempted - to get one from Richer Sounds while such technology still exisits) I have shifted to CD making. She's right that it lacks the labour intensive practices of making a tape, especially when you work out that you need to play each track through in real time, plus the time it takes to cue up the next and start recording (though frankly I had that off pat by the time I made my last compilation tape: usually only just over 100 mins to make a C90, which isn't bad all things considered.
But where I part company with Barton's argument is on the issue of CDs inherently lacking thought: compilations may now indeed appear to be "made in minutes" but I would deny that "dragging and clicking and burning" means that "beautiful things go unsaid." In most instances, the time I spend preparing the CD is no less than I would have invested in making the tape: it is a careful process of playing selected tracks, playing them next to each other, mentally singing or humming the opening or closing bars to see how they sound as an overall narrative flow. What is made easier by the CD is the playing of the tracks (where I have them on the computer: as yet only a proportion of our music collection - ever expanded by Rough Trade, 1-Up and Selectadisc - is on either of our computers).
Although I no longer have to carefully stack up the CDs and tapes, shuffling their order before I even start selecting tracks, I still do that mentally (and before I got my own computer capable of making CDs I had to carry over a bag of CDs to H's to make those early George collections). Now - providing I don't need to upload (or frustratingly I realise I only have it on tape) - I can easily pop tracks into a provisional playlist. But I still spend hours pouring over the selection and ordering process, carefully weighing the choice of tracks depending on the person and the purpose of the collection. Equally, care is taken over the production values of the sleeve: selecting and framing images, borders, and sometimes even the choice of compilation title.
I still residually miss the compilation tape with its perfectly framed 45 mins per side, echoing the approximate length of a pop album. But technology and its frailty has guided me to the CD and I am learning to love it. I sometimes even wonder if, given the pace at which I was eventually able to construct a tape, whether I'm not now probably even slower making a CD.
Does the CD talk back to me the way a tape could? I would argue 'yes', not least because I remain committed to the process of the compilation, regardless of its format. There is still a romance to it for me, a measured sifting and thinking about the recipient's taste, my taste, and how I may even sneak in some material they would never have thought of listening to but which may open up new musical avenues to them. I doubt I'm always successful, but that was the chance one took on making any compilation - whether tape or CD. Whether rewinding, or reselecting a track or sequence of tracks, there is nothing like the home made collection. And for me they will never lose their romance.
So when he presented me with Laura Barton's article from the Guardian Film and Music supplement published last Friday, I knew from first glance I hadn't read it and that if I had I would have still been ranting about it. So belatedly I will now have a rant. You know this is a topic I love.
- Flow article link on compilations
- George compilation 1
- George compilation 2
- Gender split songsters compilation
Barton identifies two particular types of compilation: firstly, there is the introduction. This sets the scene for a new friend by passing on what you think of as tracks that identify the compilation as by you. Barton picks out "Heroin by the Velvet Undergound, Them's Gloria, Pixies' Hey and Frankie and the Classicals' What Shall I Do?" I'd probably go with something by Pulp (I'm especially fond of 'Seconds' from the Babies EP), something by Ballboy (possibly the exquisite duet version of 'I Lost You but I Found Country Music' with Laura Cantrell), a quirky cover version (I'm currently with Paul Morley on the beauty and majesty of Susanna and the Magical Orchestra's version of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart') and classic tracks by The Clash, The Beatles 'To Know Her is to Love Her (from the BBC sessions) and a good bit of jangly 80s pop (say ABC, The Smiths). I've also regularly passed on 'Tarmac' by Hazeldine from the cracking Uncut compilation 'Sounds of the New West', mostly for the classic line at the end of the first verse (I generally avoid swearing here, so let's just say you blink at the invocation of Batman...)
Then there is, as Barton notes, the compilations that are "crafted for your musical co-conspirators, when the compilation itself becomes part of your conversation - a Masonic handshake, if you will." These definitely describe the conversation we have with George, but I was intrigued by what Barton goes on to say:
A friend and I have a CD compilation conversation that has been going on for three years. But he said to me recently that even a decade ago he could not have made me such compilations because his wife would have divorced him, and quite rightly so - for back then they would have been cassettes, and they're different things altogether.I have a certain sympathy with this idea of intimacy being part of the compilation tape, not least because, as she goes on to say, the physical act of making a cassette is entirely different to that of a CD: "making a compilation tape was akin to writing a poem...They took all Sunday afternoon, crouched beside your tape player with pins and needles in your feet, your finger hovering above the pause button ..." She's right about that physicality element as I fondly recall - before my tape player died along with the rest of the antiquated stereo system I had - the hours and hours I would spend in front of the tape recorder selecting tracks from both CD and tape to transfer to a new compilation. Cloud's "Derrida's Deconstruction" wasn't made for me (it was for his own pleasure) but every join was lovingly crafted and selected, the pausing not always (quite) right but sometimes you would end up almost breaking the tape as you paused, rewound, reset and restarted playing a track to get the join 'just so'.
Barton also wisely comments on the construction of the cassette: "At night you would lie awake puzzling over its structure: What song should you put on first? What should come last? The first of course has to be arresting. The last has to be the one you want to linger in their thoughts." But what she doesn't explicitly comment on is the fact that the cassette allowed you not one beginning but two, not one ending but two; moreover, the very first track of side one had a greater significance than that for side two, and the final track of side one had a lesser significance than that for side two.
Inevitably, by circumstance of my tape machine dying and not being replaced (though I am tempted - oh so tempted - to get one from Richer Sounds while such technology still exisits) I have shifted to CD making. She's right that it lacks the labour intensive practices of making a tape, especially when you work out that you need to play each track through in real time, plus the time it takes to cue up the next and start recording (though frankly I had that off pat by the time I made my last compilation tape: usually only just over 100 mins to make a C90, which isn't bad all things considered.
But where I part company with Barton's argument is on the issue of CDs inherently lacking thought: compilations may now indeed appear to be "made in minutes" but I would deny that "dragging and clicking and burning" means that "beautiful things go unsaid." In most instances, the time I spend preparing the CD is no less than I would have invested in making the tape: it is a careful process of playing selected tracks, playing them next to each other, mentally singing or humming the opening or closing bars to see how they sound as an overall narrative flow. What is made easier by the CD is the playing of the tracks (where I have them on the computer: as yet only a proportion of our music collection - ever expanded by Rough Trade, 1-Up and Selectadisc - is on either of our computers).
Although I no longer have to carefully stack up the CDs and tapes, shuffling their order before I even start selecting tracks, I still do that mentally (and before I got my own computer capable of making CDs I had to carry over a bag of CDs to H's to make those early George collections). Now - providing I don't need to upload (or frustratingly I realise I only have it on tape) - I can easily pop tracks into a provisional playlist. But I still spend hours pouring over the selection and ordering process, carefully weighing the choice of tracks depending on the person and the purpose of the collection. Equally, care is taken over the production values of the sleeve: selecting and framing images, borders, and sometimes even the choice of compilation title.
I still residually miss the compilation tape with its perfectly framed 45 mins per side, echoing the approximate length of a pop album. But technology and its frailty has guided me to the CD and I am learning to love it. I sometimes even wonder if, given the pace at which I was eventually able to construct a tape, whether I'm not now probably even slower making a CD.
Does the CD talk back to me the way a tape could? I would argue 'yes', not least because I remain committed to the process of the compilation, regardless of its format. There is still a romance to it for me, a measured sifting and thinking about the recipient's taste, my taste, and how I may even sneak in some material they would never have thought of listening to but which may open up new musical avenues to them. I doubt I'm always successful, but that was the chance one took on making any compilation - whether tape or CD. Whether rewinding, or reselecting a track or sequence of tracks, there is nothing like the home made collection. And for me they will never lose their romance.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
iTunes meme, shamelessly nicked
Ta to Jim and Darren for inspiring me to do this!
Total Songs
6398 songs, 28.63 GB
Sorted by Song Title
First: '64 AKA Go - Lemon Jelly
Last: Zuckendes Fleisch - Einstürzende Neubauten
Sorted by Artist
First: 1-Speed Bike - Seattle/Washington/Prague/00/68 Chicago/Nixon/Reagan Circle-Fighting Machine
Last: ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man
Sorted by Album
First: The Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band With Choir - "This Is Our Punk Rock," Thee Rusted Satellites Gather + Sing (first track = "Sow Some Lonesome Corner So many Flowers Bloom")
Last: Various artists - Zentertainment 2006 (final track = "Walk A Mile [Tiga remix edit]" by Coldcut)
Ten Most Played Songs
1. A Long Time Ago - David Ford (12 plays)
=2. 13 Angels Standing Guard 'round the Side of Your Bed - A Silver Mount Zion (9 plays)
=2. Something's Going To Happen Soon - Ballboy (9 plays)
=2. Us - Regina Spektor (9 plays)
=5. They'll Hang Flags From Cranes Upon My Wedding Day - Ballboy (8 plays)
=5. It Dawned On Me - Calla (8 plays)
=5. 100,000 Fireflies - The Magnetic Fields (8 plays)
=5. Give Me Back My Dreams - Sally Timms [The Sixths, aka Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields] (8 plays)
=9. The Matter [Of Our Discussion] - Boom Bip, featuring Nina Nastassia (7 plays)
=9. Pull The Wires From The Wall - The Delgados (7 plays)
Ten Most Recently Played
Rhine & Courtesan - Rachel's
Besame Mucho - Dan Sartain
Green Pastures - Anonymous 4, Darol Anger, Mike Marschall
Parting Friends/Wayfaring Stranger - Anonymous 4, Darol Anger, Mike Marschall
You Fair & Pretty Ladies - Anonymous 4, Darol Anger, Mike Marschall
Beloved - Hannah Marcus
Looking for Space - Hannah Marcus
State of the union - David Ford
What would you have me do - David Ford
A Long Time Ago - David Ford
Find 'sex' - how many songs show up?
11 (but there's a lot of repetition here!)
Sex is Boring - Ballboy (from A Guide to the Daylight Hours)
Sex is Boring (acoustic version) - Ballboy (from Club Anthems 2001)
Sheffield: Sex City - Pulp (from Babies EP release)
Sheffield: Sex City - Pulp (from Intro: The Gift Recordings)
Sheffield: Sex City (instrumental) - Pulp
Wet Sex Anaesthetic - Nought (from Buffalo Bar Presents Sound Issues Vol.1)
Sex and Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll - Ian Dury and the Blockheads
Sex Machine - The Flying Lizards (from Rough Trade Post Punk Vol 1)
A Complete History Of Sexual Jealousy [redone version] - Momus (from Slender Sherbet: NOTE this is a really really rubbish version but you can't get the original for love nor money and we only have it on vinyl!!!)
Sex - The Pipettes (from a sampler CD)
Sex and Mayhem - Devastations (from a sampler CD)
Reminder established from this: I still haven't loaded up 'Don't Try This at Home' with the excellent 'Sexuality' by Billy Bragg!
Find 'death' - how many songs show up?
10
Death Goes To The Disco - Pulp
22: The Death Of All Romance - The Dears
Death II - Pulp
The Death Of Ferdinand De Saussure - The Magnetic Fields
Clubbed to Death - Rob D (from The Matrix)
Time And Death Invading The Arcadian Scene - The Death of Rosa Luxembourg
Death Smiles at us All - Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard (from Gladiator)
The Black Angel's Death Song - The Velvet Underground and Nico
Death Of A Tune - The Hidden Cameras
Death or Glory - Jesse Malin
Find 'love' - how many songs show up?
203. The top 10 rated songs are:
Past Lovers - Ballboy
Labelled with Love - Squeeze
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Susanna and the Magical Orchestra
To Know Her is To Love Her - The Beatles (live at the BBC)
Is This What They Used to Call Love? - The Magnetic Fields
To Bring You My Love - PJ Harvey
Love's Almighty - Telepopmusik
The Night You Murdered Love - ABC
A Lover Sings - Billy Bragg
Love Minus Zero/No Limit - Bob Dylan
Find 'war' - how many songs show up?
13 (excluding those where war is just part of a standard word)
The War - Bill Hicks (spoken word stuff counts yeah?)
Between the Wars - Billy Bragg
Masters of War (Live) - Bob Dylan
Blood on Blood War - Cappadonna
War - Carla Whitney
Details of the War - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
War and Peace - Gilad Atzmon
What Do We Want? (We Don't Want No War) - Hondo
Postwar Glamour Girls - John Cooper Clarke
Girl in the War - Josh Ritter
The War is Over - Phil Ochs
We All Said Stop the War - Robb Johnson
The Riflemen of War - Seth Lakeman
Find 'peace' - how many songs show up?
7
War and Peace - Gilad Atzmon
Security and Peace - Superqueens
Peace in Our Time - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Peace in Our Time (demo) - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
We Want Peace - Hermione
No Justice, No Peace - Robb Johnson
Rest in Peace - Spike (from Buffy "Once More, With Feeling")
Find 'rain' - how many songs show up?
22 - 10 randomly selected
Why does it always rain on me? - Travis
Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall - Simon and Garfunkel
She talks to Rainbows - The Ramones
Black Rain - David Thomas and the Foreigners
Ain't Gonna Rain Anymore - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Paint a Rainbow - My Bloody Valentine
In the Rain - The June Brides
A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall (Live) - Bob Dylan
Rain Down Blues - Big MayBelle
Dry the Rain - The Beta Band
Find 'sun' - how many songs show up?
58 - 10 top rated
When the Sun Goes Down - Artic Monkeys
Leave The Earth Behind You And Take A Walk Into The Sunshine - Ballboy
Sunshine on Leith - The Proclaimers
Another Sunny Day - Belle and Sebastian
The Warmth of the Sun - Brian Wilson
Warm and Sunny Days - The Dears
Fades the Sun - Duke Spirit
Sunrise - Pulp
Burnt by the Sun - Sophie Solomon (with Richard Hawley)
Blister in the Sun - The Wannadies
Find 'socialist', 'communist' or 'anarchist' - how many songs show up?
2
Cocaine Socialism - Pulp
Anarchy in the UK - The Sex Pistols
Total Songs
6398 songs, 28.63 GB
Sorted by Song Title
First: '64 AKA Go - Lemon Jelly
Last: Zuckendes Fleisch - Einstürzende Neubauten
Sorted by Artist
First: 1-Speed Bike - Seattle/Washington/Prague/00/68 Chicago/Nixon/Reagan Circle-Fighting Machine
Last: ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man
Sorted by Album
First: The Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band With Choir - "This Is Our Punk Rock," Thee Rusted Satellites Gather + Sing (first track = "Sow Some Lonesome Corner So many Flowers Bloom")
Last: Various artists - Zentertainment 2006 (final track = "Walk A Mile [Tiga remix edit]" by Coldcut)
Please bear in mind that the stereo is the main way in which we play things in our house still, so this probably tells you more about what goes on when I'm on my computer!
Ten Most Played Songs
1. A Long Time Ago - David Ford (12 plays)
=2. 13 Angels Standing Guard 'round the Side of Your Bed - A Silver Mount Zion (9 plays)
=2. Something's Going To Happen Soon - Ballboy (9 plays)
=2. Us - Regina Spektor (9 plays)
=5. They'll Hang Flags From Cranes Upon My Wedding Day - Ballboy (8 plays)
=5. It Dawned On Me - Calla (8 plays)
=5. 100,000 Fireflies - The Magnetic Fields (8 plays)
=5. Give Me Back My Dreams - Sally Timms [The Sixths, aka Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields] (8 plays)
=9. The Matter [Of Our Discussion] - Boom Bip, featuring Nina Nastassia (7 plays)
=9. Pull The Wires From The Wall - The Delgados (7 plays)
Ten Most Recently Played
Rhine & Courtesan - Rachel's
Besame Mucho - Dan Sartain
Green Pastures - Anonymous 4, Darol Anger, Mike Marschall
Parting Friends/Wayfaring Stranger - Anonymous 4, Darol Anger, Mike Marschall
You Fair & Pretty Ladies - Anonymous 4, Darol Anger, Mike Marschall
Beloved - Hannah Marcus
Looking for Space - Hannah Marcus
State of the union - David Ford
What would you have me do - David Ford
A Long Time Ago - David Ford
Find 'sex' - how many songs show up?
11 (but there's a lot of repetition here!)
Sex is Boring - Ballboy (from A Guide to the Daylight Hours)
Sex is Boring (acoustic version) - Ballboy (from Club Anthems 2001)
Sheffield: Sex City - Pulp (from Babies EP release)
Sheffield: Sex City - Pulp (from Intro: The Gift Recordings)
Sheffield: Sex City (instrumental) - Pulp
Wet Sex Anaesthetic - Nought (from Buffalo Bar Presents Sound Issues Vol.1)
Sex and Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll - Ian Dury and the Blockheads
Sex Machine - The Flying Lizards (from Rough Trade Post Punk Vol 1)
A Complete History Of Sexual Jealousy [redone version] - Momus (from Slender Sherbet: NOTE this is a really really rubbish version but you can't get the original for love nor money and we only have it on vinyl!!!)
Sex - The Pipettes (from a sampler CD)
Sex and Mayhem - Devastations (from a sampler CD)
Reminder established from this: I still haven't loaded up 'Don't Try This at Home' with the excellent 'Sexuality' by Billy Bragg!
Find 'death' - how many songs show up?
10
Death Goes To The Disco - Pulp
22: The Death Of All Romance - The Dears
Death II - Pulp
The Death Of Ferdinand De Saussure - The Magnetic Fields
Clubbed to Death - Rob D (from The Matrix)
Time And Death Invading The Arcadian Scene - The Death of Rosa Luxembourg
Death Smiles at us All - Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard (from Gladiator)
The Black Angel's Death Song - The Velvet Underground and Nico
Death Of A Tune - The Hidden Cameras
Death or Glory - Jesse Malin
Find 'love' - how many songs show up?
203. The top 10 rated songs are:
Past Lovers - Ballboy
Labelled with Love - Squeeze
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Susanna and the Magical Orchestra
To Know Her is To Love Her - The Beatles (live at the BBC)
Is This What They Used to Call Love? - The Magnetic Fields
To Bring You My Love - PJ Harvey
Love's Almighty - Telepopmusik
The Night You Murdered Love - ABC
A Lover Sings - Billy Bragg
Love Minus Zero/No Limit - Bob Dylan
Find 'war' - how many songs show up?
13 (excluding those where war is just part of a standard word)
The War - Bill Hicks (spoken word stuff counts yeah?)
Between the Wars - Billy Bragg
Masters of War (Live) - Bob Dylan
Blood on Blood War - Cappadonna
War - Carla Whitney
Details of the War - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
War and Peace - Gilad Atzmon
What Do We Want? (We Don't Want No War) - Hondo
Postwar Glamour Girls - John Cooper Clarke
Girl in the War - Josh Ritter
The War is Over - Phil Ochs
We All Said Stop the War - Robb Johnson
The Riflemen of War - Seth Lakeman
Find 'peace' - how many songs show up?
7
War and Peace - Gilad Atzmon
Security and Peace - Superqueens
Peace in Our Time - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Peace in Our Time (demo) - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
We Want Peace - Hermione
No Justice, No Peace - Robb Johnson
Rest in Peace - Spike (from Buffy "Once More, With Feeling")
Find 'rain' - how many songs show up?
22 - 10 randomly selected
Why does it always rain on me? - Travis
Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall - Simon and Garfunkel
She talks to Rainbows - The Ramones
Black Rain - David Thomas and the Foreigners
Ain't Gonna Rain Anymore - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Paint a Rainbow - My Bloody Valentine
In the Rain - The June Brides
A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall (Live) - Bob Dylan
Rain Down Blues - Big MayBelle
Dry the Rain - The Beta Band
Find 'sun' - how many songs show up?
58 - 10 top rated
When the Sun Goes Down - Artic Monkeys
Leave The Earth Behind You And Take A Walk Into The Sunshine - Ballboy
Sunshine on Leith - The Proclaimers
Another Sunny Day - Belle and Sebastian
The Warmth of the Sun - Brian Wilson
Warm and Sunny Days - The Dears
Fades the Sun - Duke Spirit
Sunrise - Pulp
Burnt by the Sun - Sophie Solomon (with Richard Hawley)
Blister in the Sun - The Wannadies
Find 'socialist', 'communist' or 'anarchist' - how many songs show up?
2
Cocaine Socialism - Pulp
Anarchy in the UK - The Sex Pistols
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
You can download Laura Cantrell singing with Ballboy "I lost you (But I Found Country Music)"
Strolling the net, I found that Laura Cantrell's own site let's you download this for your listening pleasure: it's her wonderful duet with Gordon McIntire of the Scottish band Ballboy singing the Ballboy track "I Lost You (But I Found Country Music).
A brilliant song made even more glorious by the lovely Ms Cantrell.
A brilliant song made even more glorious by the lovely Ms Cantrell.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Ballboy: the beautiful lyrics of "They'll Hang Flags From Cranes Upon My Wedding Day..."
everyone has trained their eyes upon me
to see if i'm improving
to see if i'll be good
and in the cold, harsh darkness of the night
well i wonder if i'm good
one more drink and then i'm going home
to sleep and wake up on my own
and in the cold, bright darkness of the night
well i'm sure someday i'll be good
and they'll hang flags from cranes upon my wedding day
they'll hang flags from cranes upon my wedding day
and i know if it was the same
then i would do it all again
and i know if i had the chance to change
then i would probably do it all the same
and everyone has trained their eyes upon me
to see if i'm improving
to see if i'll be good
and in the cold, harsh darkness of the night
i wonder if i'm good
and they'll hang flags from cranes upon my wedding day
they'll hang flags from cranes upon my wedding day
they'll hang flags from cranes upon my wedding day
to see if i'm improving
to see if i'll be good
and in the cold, harsh darkness of the night
well i wonder if i'm good
one more drink and then i'm going home
to sleep and wake up on my own
and in the cold, bright darkness of the night
well i'm sure someday i'll be good
and they'll hang flags from cranes upon my wedding day
they'll hang flags from cranes upon my wedding day
and i know if it was the same
then i would do it all again
and i know if i had the chance to change
then i would probably do it all the same
and everyone has trained their eyes upon me
to see if i'm improving
to see if i'll be good
and in the cold, harsh darkness of the night
i wonder if i'm good
and they'll hang flags from cranes upon my wedding day
they'll hang flags from cranes upon my wedding day
they'll hang flags from cranes upon my wedding day
Monday, November 21, 2005
89 albums: revisited
In some respects the more we thought about this Tim de Lisle "89 essential albums", the more ridiculous the task became. After my initial response here it all got muh more complicated. In some instances, we loved specific songs on certain albums, but didn't necessarily feel they best represented the artiste. And even having compilations to represent certain artistes felt equally crazy. I ended up returning to the copy of Q that I purchased last summer (2004) with its 1001 essential songs and thinking that - as bonkers as that was - it still seemed more legitimate than what we were trying to do with the album selection.
Tim de Lisle ducked a key issue by selecting to include compilations by specific artistes without specifying which particular compilation he had in mind (let's face it some are just dire; others take you away from thinking about the album as a conceptualised entity - I know this is becoming less important in the i-Pod age of mixing and matching, selecting and ommitting, but compilations are problematic.) However, to ignore compilations is equally difficult. Let's say that some artistes are essential (or some periods/labels) and that you should aim to get something by each of those listed.
Some things we immediately agreed on. Bryan Ferry is not required, though feel free to get some Roxy Music if you feel you need it. George Michael? Oh please... you may as well have included the ubiquitous Robbie Bloody Williams if that's how you're going to respond. Where things got harder was when it came to disentangling our personal - in some cases VERY personal - selections from those we felt everyone should have. Amongst those recognised as things we loved in our record collection, but which may not translate to fighting for a place in a general list were acts such as Ballboy, Camera Obscura, DJ Shadow, several female vocalists and groups (Ladytron, Melys, Lauras' Cantrell and Veirs, PJ Harvey), Low, Misty's Big Adventure, Gram Parsons, Rachels, and Underworld. We probably made a rod for our backs in even trying to include the ommitted categories from de Lisle's list (classical came off especially badly as we couldn't quite decide on specific recordings and there were so many composers we really wanted to include: perhaps that really does have to be a separate list?) The more we strayed away from the waters of identifiably pop/rock music, the more difficult it became to choose representatives: there is no where near enough piano jazz on this list (Monk, Bill Evans trio etc), and swing doesn't get a place either. Where are all the great blues artistes that everyone should have? Clearly 89 choices just isn't going to do the trick for all the ones we felt should be there, even trying to push aside the quirks of our own music collection.
ABC - Lexicon of Love--Awh, you know you want it!
Arcade Fire - Funeral --For me the best album of the year and further proof that Canada is where its at --- apart from Scotland of course ;)
The Avalanches - Since I Left You--Fun, twisty, bonkers. Sampling taken to new heights.
Bach/Yo-Yo Ma - Cello Concertos--I'm with Donna Moss. Impossible to listen to without feeling overwhelmed by their beauty.
John Barry - Themeology--Film music writ large. Grand songs; grand scores.
Beach Boys - Pet Sounds--Because, well, actually, it really IS up there as one of the best ever albums.
Beatles - Revolver--The move from pop to more than that.
Beatles - 1962-1966 (The Red Apple collection)--The best intro to the FabFour even though the transfer of tracks was lousy. Get the tracks as they appear in this collection from better sources.
Billy Bragg - Back to Basics--Best collection of his early work, though I would also recommend Worker's Playtime as the most emotionally complete of his albums.("The Only One" includes the wonderful line "here I am, a victim of geography" - the most perfect way of describing separated lovers).
Blondie - Best of --I'd go for Parallel Lines but would be deprived of too many of their great tracks. This is still a much played album and for its pop purity deserves its place on the list.
David Bowie - Best--I know he needs to be on here. I just need to choose.
Jeff Buckley - Live at Sine--Yes, I know Grace is THE album. But in Buckley's short life, "live performing" was what made him. Funny, silly, touching and graceful/Grace-full.
Buena Vista Social Club--You want a party? Play this. We do.
Johnny Cash - American IV: When the Man Comes Around--Even less perfect tracks become wondrous alongside the most awesome ones here.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Boatman's Call--Bitter and lush. Perfectly miserable. The best kind of darkness.
Ray Charles - Best--Too good to exclude this great voice.
Chemikal Underground compilation - Out of Our Heads on Skelp--Label collections can be gorgeous. This has a truly inspired selection, and has pretty much my favourite ever Delgados tracks on it.
Clash - London Calling--Close call with Sandinista, but this wins out. Just.
Constellation Collection/GodSpeedYouBlackEmperor - Song of the Silent Land/Yanqui UXO--You need at least one good example of modern post-rock. The new classical all wrapped up. Go for the collection or the focus.
Sam Cooke - Best--A great voice, and great soul material.
The Costello Show - King of America--Yes, I adore "I Want You" from Blood and Chocolate, and many other tracks besides, but this is the album I feel best pulls together his wit and bile.
CSNY - Deja Vu--Not really a band as such, but a beautiful and strange collection of songs from 4 great talents. "Letting my freak flag fly..."
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue--Tough call to not go for the compilation The Essential Miles Davis which across two albums DOES bring together a great representative selection from one of the most difficult to sum up jazz artistes of the 20th century.
De la Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising--Funny and sharp.
Nick Drake - Way to Blue: An Introduction to Nick Drake--A beautiful selection and hard to beat, even though any of his albums could have been here.
Ian Dury and the Blockheads - New Boots and Panties--Knocks the spots off any Sex Pistols album
Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited--For "Desolation Row", undoubtedly one of my favourite Dylan tracks, and for the being so darn important.
Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde--Acerbic analysis and tender sentiment. The live version of "I Want You" from Live at Budakhan may be more lyrically paced, but this album overall is brilliant from start to finish.
Elgar/Du Pre - Cello Concerto--Obvious, I know, but this piece still makes my heart sing.
The Fall - (you choose an album)--Love him or hate him, Mark E Smith has to have a place: they're always different, but always the same.
Ella Fitzgerald - The Cole Porter Songbook--One of the best writers; one of the best interpreters. Class all ways round.
Gang of Four - Entertainment!/Post-Punk Collection--Because you have to. Supplement this with any good Post-Punk collection (Rough Trade have some neat selections).
Marvin Gaye - What's Goin' On?--Without which there would be no Massive Attack...
Emmylou Harris - Best--Red Dirt Girl was the big recent comeback but she has been brilliant throughout her career.
Billy Holiday - Lady in Satin--Sweet and striking.
Michael Jackson - Best of--Off the Wall and Thriller, whatever you may think of this damaged person, are incredible albums and over the years there have been too many great disco/dance tracks to ignore him.
Jam - Snap!--Even if Paul Weller is living Eric Clapton's career in reverse, when he was good he was very very good. Could I roll in with this the Style Council collection? Ah go on...
Joy Division/New Order - Best of--You can choose which you prefer, but at least one of these has to have a place
Led Zepplin - Physical Graffitti--The Rock Album to beat all Rock Albums?
Tom Lehrer - An Evening Wasted with...--Does satirical music count? Witty and intelligent. I say it does.
Kirsty Macoll - Best--Kite has some of her best tracks on it, but a Best Of also brings extra goodies.
Madness - The Definitive Singles/Two-Tone collection--This gets re-issued about once every 10-18 months, but every home should have a little Madness in it. However much I loved The Specials, for me Madness were at the heart of Two-Tone. Perhaps to be complemented or substituted by a Two-Tone collection?
Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs--Even though this 3 album extravaganza of offers copious amounts of melancholia and joy for your bucks, the collection of Stephin Merritt's by the Sixths Hyacinths and Thistles has too much perfection to be ignored. Basically though, SM needs to be in your list.
Bob Marley - Legend--The best Marley collection
Massive Attack _ Blue Lines--This may be indebted to Marvin gaye, but this is still a beautiful album. Shara Nelson on vocals at her best...
Mingus - Mingus Ah Um--You have to have some Mingus in there.
Enio Morricone - Best of--I would happily go for the score from Once Upon a Time in the West but a representative collection may be needed.
Randy Newman - Best--More acerbic brilliance.
Augusto Pablo and King Tubby ---The album that Cloud cannot recall the name of, thinks is probably now unavailable, and which we do not own. Nice one dude, well justified. Still makes the list.
Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance--You have to own some Pere Ubu. May as well have this. Avant-everything.
Lee Scratch Perry - Arkology--The definitive 3 CD collection of Dub works from the maestro of production.
Pixies - Dolittle--Indisputably their best (don't care what you say...)
Pogues - Best--You could just go for Rum, Sodomy and the Lash or for If I Should Fall From Grace With God but a collection may be best.
Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen--Yes, you could go for a "Best of" which would also give you tracks such as "Cruel" ""Wild Horses", "We Let the Stars Go" "Talking Scarlet" "Nightingales"... oh shucks, even I'm talking myself out of this selection. No, no, stick with it. This is perhaps the most complete of their albums, and the most bittersweet.
Elvis Presley - No. 1s--'Cos it's true: you have to have Aaron.
Prince - Sign O'The Times--The album by the little guy with the big ego. Perfect social commentary. Great tracks.
Pulp - Different Class--Would their single collection represent them better? Not when this contains the viciously brilliant "I-Spy." All together now: "In the midnight hour, I will come to you..." Shudder.
Radiohead - The Bends--I do think that Radiohead are one of the best bands from the 1990s. As much as I can admire OK Computer and their more recent work, maybe I like 'songs' too much? This has them breaking out beyond "Creep" (still a brilliant song) but retaining a link to approachable songs that started getting lost on later work. "Fake Plastic Trees" rips me up every time, but the album does work as whole.
Ramones - Anthology--A two disc collection that pulls singles and other tracks from across the various Ramones incarnations.
Lou Reed - Transformer--Insiduously dark, made palatable by melody.
REM - IRS "Best of"/Warners "Best of"--In their own ways, both are worth having. You can chose which, but I'm too torn to decide. I also have an alternative 'Best of the Rest' which I can't really include because its more of a Number 89 album [you'll see what I mean].
Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers - 19 greatest hits--Well, not really, but Richman should be in all music collections. Perfect quirkiness.
Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks--Surely the best ever Stones compilation.
The Roots - Things Fall Apart.--Had to have something from the 'Illadelphia gang. This has the wonderful Erica Badu track AND the heart-wrenching "Return to Innocence Lost" by Ursula Rucker.
Simon and Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme--Many to choose from, and any good collection may suffice, but this is a rather special album. Harmonies to die for.
Nina Simone - Gold--The best collection of her work. Silky and tough.
Frank Sinatra - Songs for Swinging Lovers--THE collection for lovers everywhere.
Sleater Kinney - All Hands On the Bad One--Female pop should be on any good list.
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead--The height of their powers...
Phil Spector--He's mad and bad, but he produced some of the most perfect pop songs and performances ever put on disk.
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run--His best album?
Bruce Springsteen - The River--For me it's a tough call as I have intimate memories of first hearing The River. Would be tough to choose.
Squeeze - The Big Squeeze--I grew up a huge fan of Squeeze and their story telling is just gut-wrenching. I can bearly think of "Up the Junction" and "Labelled with Love" without bursting into tears.
Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense--Best live band performance on film? Possibly. Alive with genius.
They Might Be Giants - A User's Guide--Not so much a 'greatest hits' as a sampler of their quirkiness.
David Thomas and the Two Pale Boys - Surf's Up!--Because one chunk of David Thomas is not enough. Worth admission for the title track and "Man in the Dark" (which Thomas himself says includes the verse he is most proud of writing in all his works...)
Various - I'm Your Fan: Songs of Leonard Cohen--You're gonna hate me for not going for the man himself, but this is such a good collection of covers. Get it if only for Cale's simnple piano cover of "Hallelujah". Is it possible to do a bad version of that track? Second thoughts, do not tell me...
Various - Festival in the Desert--A brilliant collection of recordings from some of the most inspiring artists from across the world (and Robert Plant... sorry, only joking: he too is brilliant here)
Various - Sounds of the New West--Probably a cheat as you can only get this via... well, it came free with UNCUT magazine and remains THE collection of alt.country. Am sure you coudl get access to it somehow....
Velvet Underground and Nico--Pretty difficult to justify excluding this classic - even though the recording is less than perfect/'in-tune'...
Rufus Wainwright - Want (One and Two - now available as a double pack)--Possibly cheating to go for the coming 2 disc collection of these last two albums, but these are fantastic value. You may loath him of course, and I won't hesitate to acknowledge he is an acquired taste, but these are sublime.
Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones--First? Best? Bleakly wonderful
Wedding Present - Bizzaro--You can all make your cases for other albums by this band, but for me this remains their best. Spiralling guitars, rasped lyrics, bitter thoughts. Brilliant. So what if "Every Song Sounds The Same"? (Their 'in-joke', not mine...)
Barry White - Best Of--Oh you know you need it...
Hank Williams - 40 Greatest--The dude of country music.
Wire - The A List--Selected by fans, this is the best collection of Wire tracks you could hope to hear.
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life--Uplifting.
Neil Young - After the Gold Rush--You could get the latest "Best of" but it duplicates this album of concise brilliance.
Various - The home compilation--There has to be room for at least one home made compilation. For me its some tough calling dependent on whether we are on about tapes or CDs. The original "Now That's What I Call Dead Baggy" compilations that a former colleague's husband used to make me remain one of the best sets of themed collections I have access to. However, in my time I have developed a reputation (hi Chrissie!) for well-honed collections of my own. My friend George manages to select and present songlists that I know we would never have otherwise have heard of and from which many new passions have been inspired. On these grounds I think we must admit to the hall of 89 at least ONE great home selected compilation. You go choose.
Already looking at some of the lists appearing on the web I am ashamed of the things missing here: I guess it will always be a partial view and we can always yelp "how could I miss that?!" but that's the nature of lists I guess...
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
3 bands/musical artistes at your birthday party
Go on, choose. You can have anyone at all, bands or solo artistes (living or dead - though obviously to avoid any Shaun moments you may prefer to imagine that they were alive to be performing).
When first asked this I said I would go for Pulp (recapturing the spirit of the Highbury garage gig), current faves Misty's Big Adventure (because they'd be a hoot) and The Arcade Fire (because on current sell-out popularity I have about as much chance of seeing them as sneaking into a suitcase to NYC!)
On another day it may be Ballboy (who have always been good VFM live), Godspeed You Black Emperor and Ella Fitzgerald (now THAT's what I call an eclectic musical lineup).
If I can go back in time, a good point in Bobby Dylan's career, alongside Bruce Springsteen and Randy Newman would be good.
Oooh... how about a bit of Charlie Mingus, with some Nina Simone followed by... ooh, change of direction... Bjork?
On a different track again ... how about Vladimir Ashkenazy playing Rachmanov's 3rd Piano Concerto, the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra doing Mahler's 5th (I have memories of a broadcast version that was much better than the Berlin one Rattle conducted) and some Sigur Ros?
Gosh, too many things to consider! But thanks to Paul W for the prompt!
When first asked this I said I would go for Pulp (recapturing the spirit of the Highbury garage gig), current faves Misty's Big Adventure (because they'd be a hoot) and The Arcade Fire (because on current sell-out popularity I have about as much chance of seeing them as sneaking into a suitcase to NYC!)
On another day it may be Ballboy (who have always been good VFM live), Godspeed You Black Emperor and Ella Fitzgerald (now THAT's what I call an eclectic musical lineup).
If I can go back in time, a good point in Bobby Dylan's career, alongside Bruce Springsteen and Randy Newman would be good.
Oooh... how about a bit of Charlie Mingus, with some Nina Simone followed by... ooh, change of direction... Bjork?
On a different track again ... how about Vladimir Ashkenazy playing Rachmanov's 3rd Piano Concerto, the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra doing Mahler's 5th (I have memories of a broadcast version that was much better than the Berlin one Rattle conducted) and some Sigur Ros?
Gosh, too many things to consider! But thanks to Paul W for the prompt!
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
The Norm Blog Song Poll
Cloud seems to have beaten me to it in terms of posting on this (and it was belated anyway due to Xmas-imposed blog absence).
Never mind. The spectacularly intelligent and fascinating Norm Blog has a great song poll at the moment. Hurry to submit though, as it closes by 16 January 2005.
It's worth adding, btw, that Cloud's list was at least partially inspired by my purchase - and mislaying over Xmas - of the wonderful This is Uncool: the 500 greatest singles since Punk and Disco by Garry Mulholland.
The list I submitted to Norm was as follows. However, as is often the way, the more you think about it the more songs you think should go on it.
Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
The Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop (inspired by the documentary)
Pulp - Common People ('cos everybody hates a cultural tourist)
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (close call with the John Cale version though)
The Sixths featuring Momus - As You Turn to Go (some of the loveliest lyrics I know: darn near sure this won't get any other votes but I love it)
The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
The Smiths - This Charming Man
REM - Its the end of the world as we know it ...
Of course, Cloud's list was also heavily inspired by our thoughts whilst driving in the car home last night. So I hereby lay claim to the following from his list!
Surf's Up - David Thomas and Two Pale Boys (an amazing version of the Beach Boys song)
It's Alright Ma - Bob Dylan
Sign O' The Times - Prince
Wrecking Ball - Emmylou Harris (an excellent version of the Neil Young song)
Shipbuilding - Robert Wyatt
Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
Monkey's Gone to Heaven - Pixies
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - Ian Dury and the Blockheads
Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't Have) - The Buzzcocks
Never Stop - Echo and the Bunnymen [dude, that was SO my choice --- I would have thought you would have been The Killing Moon or perhaps Bring on the Dancing Horses...]
Perfect Day - Lou Reed [Cloud suggested including the wonderful demo version from the recent re-release of the Transformer album but I managed to dissuade him from such obscurantism... of course it IS a great version!]
White Lines - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Reward - Teardrop Explodes
Once In a Lifetime - Talking Heads
A New England - Billy Bragg
London Calling - The Clash
I Kill Therefore I Am - Phil Ochs
American Without Tears - Elvis Costello
Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield
Miss Otis Regrets - Ella Fitzgerald
Amongst the belated suggestions we added were also:
Hurt - Johnny Cash [perhaps one of the best covers ever]
Fairytale of New York - The Pogues and Kirsty Macoll [sniff]
Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks [close tie with You Really Got Me]
And...
Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday
Tarmac - Hazledine ["hold me close, kiss me low..."]
(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult [I get SO many kudos points from rockers for making this one of my first sel-bought singles!]
Picture This - Blondie
Rattlesnakes - Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
Crazy in Alabama - Kate Campbell
Pull the Wires from the Wall - The Delgados [Readers of the blog will already know this]
Hotel California - The Eagles
The Ballad of Lucy Jordan - Marianne Faithfull
Sit Down - James
Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack
Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
Born Slippy - Underworld
Sk8er Boi - Avril Lavigne [in my mental mind of the 15year old that I am, this rocks!]
I Don't Like Mondays - The Boomtown Rats
Keeping the Weekend Free - Licquorice
Groove is in the Heart - Dee-Lite [mostly because Billy Bragg covered it when I saw him at Rock City in Nottingham!]
A Design for Life - Manic Street Preachers
Labelled with Love - Squeeze
Golden Brown - The Stranglers
In the interests of making my tastes very clear I feel I should also include some specialist lists. Partly because my brain is not well-organised I tend to think through songs I like with a pattern, so these will be posted separately. At least one of these will be "Favourite George-inspired songs" which you can guarantee will include Landshipping's Deep Water and the Ballboy/Laura Cantrell duet of I Lost You (But I Found Country Music). You may even get some re-organised stuff from the above lists categorised into genres (at least slow/soft vs. loud/dancy).
Never mind. The spectacularly intelligent and fascinating Norm Blog has a great song poll at the moment. Hurry to submit though, as it closes by 16 January 2005.
It's worth adding, btw, that Cloud's list was at least partially inspired by my purchase - and mislaying over Xmas - of the wonderful This is Uncool: the 500 greatest singles since Punk and Disco by Garry Mulholland.
The list I submitted to Norm was as follows. However, as is often the way, the more you think about it the more songs you think should go on it.
Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
The Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop (inspired by the documentary)
Pulp - Common People ('cos everybody hates a cultural tourist)
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (close call with the John Cale version though)
The Sixths featuring Momus - As You Turn to Go (some of the loveliest lyrics I know: darn near sure this won't get any other votes but I love it)
The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
The Smiths - This Charming Man
REM - Its the end of the world as we know it ...
Of course, Cloud's list was also heavily inspired by our thoughts whilst driving in the car home last night. So I hereby lay claim to the following from his list!
Surf's Up - David Thomas and Two Pale Boys (an amazing version of the Beach Boys song)
It's Alright Ma - Bob Dylan
Sign O' The Times - Prince
Wrecking Ball - Emmylou Harris (an excellent version of the Neil Young song)
Shipbuilding - Robert Wyatt
Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
Monkey's Gone to Heaven - Pixies
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - Ian Dury and the Blockheads
Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't Have) - The Buzzcocks
Never Stop - Echo and the Bunnymen [dude, that was SO my choice --- I would have thought you would have been The Killing Moon or perhaps Bring on the Dancing Horses...]
Perfect Day - Lou Reed [Cloud suggested including the wonderful demo version from the recent re-release of the Transformer album but I managed to dissuade him from such obscurantism... of course it IS a great version!]
White Lines - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Reward - Teardrop Explodes
Once In a Lifetime - Talking Heads
A New England - Billy Bragg
London Calling - The Clash
I Kill Therefore I Am - Phil Ochs
American Without Tears - Elvis Costello
Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield
Miss Otis Regrets - Ella Fitzgerald
Amongst the belated suggestions we added were also:
Hurt - Johnny Cash [perhaps one of the best covers ever]
Fairytale of New York - The Pogues and Kirsty Macoll [sniff]
Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks [close tie with You Really Got Me]
And...
Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday
Tarmac - Hazledine ["hold me close, kiss me low..."]
(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult [I get SO many kudos points from rockers for making this one of my first sel-bought singles!]
Picture This - Blondie
Rattlesnakes - Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
Crazy in Alabama - Kate Campbell
Pull the Wires from the Wall - The Delgados [Readers of the blog will already know this]
Hotel California - The Eagles
The Ballad of Lucy Jordan - Marianne Faithfull
Sit Down - James
Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack
Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
Born Slippy - Underworld
Sk8er Boi - Avril Lavigne [in my mental mind of the 15year old that I am, this rocks!]
I Don't Like Mondays - The Boomtown Rats
Keeping the Weekend Free - Licquorice
Groove is in the Heart - Dee-Lite [mostly because Billy Bragg covered it when I saw him at Rock City in Nottingham!]
A Design for Life - Manic Street Preachers
Labelled with Love - Squeeze
Golden Brown - The Stranglers
In the interests of making my tastes very clear I feel I should also include some specialist lists. Partly because my brain is not well-organised I tend to think through songs I like with a pattern, so these will be posted separately. At least one of these will be "Favourite George-inspired songs" which you can guarantee will include Landshipping's Deep Water and the Ballboy/Laura Cantrell duet of I Lost You (But I Found Country Music). You may even get some re-organised stuff from the above lists categorised into genres (at least slow/soft vs. loud/dancy).
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