music – Page 62

TCR

Posted on October 26, 2016November 4, 2020

This won’t be for everyone (warning: occasional naughty language), but if you find that it’s for you, then well done: you have great taste in music and social commentary. I say that, because obviously, I have great taste in music and social commentary and I just cannot get enough of this track (pun intended) from Nottingham-based band Sleaford Mods.

‘TCR’ stands for “Total Control Racing” and is named after a Scalextric-style toy racing car game popular in the 1980s. Talking about the song, vocalist Jason Williamson said: “The idea behind the ‘TCR’ video was to show and use the actual 1980s toy racing kit in its original environment, which would have most probably been the living room floor for most kids at that time.”

And yes, that’s exactly where my brother and I used to play it, although our carpet was a nasty brown, not a nasty patterned affair.

Also, we had a lorry version with a white articulated truck and a shiny golden oil tanker. But the memories are still there. And the meaning behind the lyrics ring true as well. Sadly.

I thought it married perfectly to the idea of life’s (at times) rotating dross. The narration/vocal over the song is just that, an account of a bloke reacting to what he feels is a routine-laden existence by ‘escaping’ for the night to the pub, only to realise this is also a limited experience, and in turn all options kind of merge into a circular experience of never ending repetition that he tries to navigate.

Having finally given up on 5fm (sorry, Rob), I’m enjoying all the airplay that this is getting on BBC 6 Music, which is being streamed into the lab from the UK on a daily basis now.

My list of other good music to catch up on is growing by the day as well. I’ve missed out on a lot thanks to Hlaudi’s stupid policies.

But that’s another post for another day.

Logos

Posted on October 15, 2016October 9, 2017

Bit pressed for time, but need to write a blog post? Ludovico Einaudi has released a new video to promote his new Limited Edition Box Set.

It’s rather good (the video, but I’m sure the box set is worth a buy as well):

I love the clearly evident passion this guy has for his work, his music. I also like the fact that there’s a guy playing a violin like it’s a guitar just after 2 minutes in.
That’s actually the best way to play a violin – less invasive than with all that bowing.

…please don’t take a picture

Posted on October 11, 2016October 25, 2017

Channelling Michael Stipe:

It’s been a bad day…

…please don’t take a picture.

“Student protests” which suddenly(?) seem to be much more than just student protests, a staff member involved in a nasty RTA (he’ll live), the political puppetry of Jacob Zuma and his apparently relentless agenda to ruin the entire country via the Punch & Judy Show which is the National Prosecuting Authority versus the Finance Minister, the fact that I was already feeling rather crap – physically and mentally – before all of this nonsense started.

And it’s not even midday yet.

I do like that REM song though. They need to update the video to HD.
Doing it over an actual news report in SA today would be a good idea.

But equally thoroughly depressing.

The difficult second album

Posted on October 6, 2016October 6, 2016

Apparently, it’s a thing. Young band bursts through, full of promise and innovation, releases a fantastic debut album to widespread acclaim and sales and then has to follow it up with something equally good to show that they are more than just a flash in the pan.

Back in late 1986, a-ha faced this hurdle – having given us a debut album which spawned 4 top 10 hits – and thirty years ago today (thirty…!) they released Scoundrel Days.

Despite enjoying what had gone before – and the eight studio albums which have followed since – Scoundrel Days remains my favourite a-ha album, and with that, my favourite album. In fact the eponymous single is my favourite a-ha track. The power of Morten’s voice in the chorus is spine-tinglingly good.

The album sold over 6 million copies worldwide (c.f. 7.8 million for Hunting High And Low) and gave us three singles: I’ve Been Losing You (in which the protagonist expresses a certain amount of regret over murdering his partner), Cry Wolf (in which the band repeatedly insist, somewhat prophetically, that the time to worry is “now”) and the ever-beautiful Manhattan Skyline (in which our star gently describes the blustery scene juxtaposed with his wiild frustration as he leaves his lover during a storm, and which features a fantastic Roland Juno-60/106 synth intro).

Oh, and there was the strange case of Magne’s Maybe, Maybe featuring lines such as:

Maybe it was over when you chucked me out the Rover at full speed.

The doubt in his statement here was probably caused by the fact that in 1986, full speed in a Rover was virtually unattainable because they were usually found broken down at the side of a road.

Maybe, Maybe was released as a single, but only in Bolivia.
It failed to chart. A lesson there for us all, I feel.

I remember reading a review of the album in Smash Hits in October 1986, and being disheartened as they predicted the end of the band, proclaiming that anyone coming up with stuff like:

One left low left two who left high: they seem so hard to find.
Three came twice took once the time to search.

was probably on their way out. And at the time, it seemed a reasonable assertion to be honest, but the album was so good, I bought the CD to go with my cassette tape version – before I even had a CD player.
This was advanced technology, hey?

And yes, I still have the CD. Finding a CD player to play it on is difficult for entirely different reasons now though.

Thirty years seems an awfully long time ago. It is an awfully long time ago, but this one has really stood the test of time and I still enjoy listening to it as much now as I did back then.

a-ha’s next 30 year albumaversary is in May 2018.