Musical Notes

[kingandy]

Heard on the Radio One this morning:

BLINDED BY THE SUN LIGHTS by The Streets - By use of keen observation and dilligently-produced trance backing track, FrankMike Skinner successfully recreates all the emotional trauma of a horrible nightclub experience. By which I mean, I just don't get it.

DON'T STOP by The Beautiful South - more than made up for The Streets, it is a cover of an old track by The S Club 7s inna mellow Jazz stylee. Nice. It has been noted that I am a fan of dreadful punk covers; this is not entirely accurate, what I favour is unusual covers of familiar songs.

These are my beliefs. I appreciate that they are WRONG JUST WRONG, but unlike some people I would rather die for my beliefs than kill for them.

EDITED TO ADD: Today's Scary Go Round seems strangely relevant, but I can't quite pin it down.

Comments

[pax-draconis.livejournal.com]

You better run before Neil sees this...

[kingandy]

Feh. When he presents a coherent argument rather than simple threats of violence, then I shall respect his musical opinion, and not before.

[nattydreadi.livejournal.com]

I have been known to appreciate covers of S Club songs - I recall Scissor Sister have done reach for the stars and the travis version of Don't stop was excellent.

You will not be mocked by me for appreciating this sort of thing for IMO it is good :)

[lord-blipvert.livejournal.com]

The Beautiful South are acceptable. And dodgy punk covers are brilliant. I can do you a copy of a cover of that old Brittany classic "Sometimes" if you want.

[kmazzy.livejournal.com]

the beautiful south are arse monkeys.

they should be shot repeatedly with dirty nappies and airplane spew bags and rusty nails.

[myki.livejournal.com]

This is why we never have nice things...

[mrssshhh.livejournal.com]

From your reaction to being left alone at Leeds, I suspect that you've never found yourself totally alone in a nightclub, swallowed up by drug-induced paranoia centered around the girl you were supposed to meet.

For those of us that have, it's strikes several familiar chords, and we really feel for Mike as he stumbles around in fear and desperation, until he finally crests the wave and the music & atmosphere takes him away. At that point, it doesn't matter that he can't find his friends, or his girl, because he finally realises that we are never alone, and that everyone in that nightclub has found the special place that lies just out of sight. He'll forget where it is when he comes down, but until then, it just doesn't matter.

Musically, the song relies on quick-witted lines from Mike, which as ever come off very well. The second voice ("Lights are blinding my eyes," "People pushin' by, and walkin' off into the night", etc.) is deceptive, as early in the song it seems to sound like a terrible otherworldly harbinger; the first time I heard this, I thought Mike's character would OD & die before the end with some bad pills. However, it's the otherworldly quality to the voice that makes you realise it's coming from the place just out of view, and far from being a harbinger, it's a siren, calling Mike in.

That's why it's a piece of art.

As for The Beautiful South, I have nothing against them, save that everything that came before "Blue is the Colour" is superior to that album and everything after it. I've not heard the cover.

[kmazzy.livejournal.com]

the streets? bleeeeh.

he deserves the same treatment as for the beautiful south. but worse.

Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[kingandy]

Not drug-induced, no, though I have wandered around nightclubs alone though, looking for my friends and wondering what I'm doing there. I didn't think the ending particularly positive, he was off his face and didn't realise what he was seeing. More of an anti-drug song than anything else - though maybe that's me projecting again. I can see that it relies on emotional resonance, though, so would appeal more to the clubgoing public than myself; many of the songs I like have more to do with the memories they trigger than the songs themselves. Hence the love of unusual covers and movie soundtracks.

(As a side note, I wasn't averse to wandering off by myself at Leeds - I had done it earlier in the day, after all - it was the fact of being ditched without warning that threw me.)

I can't say I noticed much lyrical brilliance in there, amidst the waffle about how many pills he'd done and where the best reception was on his mobile phone. But then I've only heard it once.

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[mrssshhh.livejournal.com]

I never leave the knives at home. But sometimes I do tricks with them, rather than cutting flesh from bone.

It's all about resonance. Blinded By The Light leads you recall, re-live & re-imagine events in the past that share something with how the character or something in the song makes you feel. "The Way" by Divine Inspiration, though it only came out this year, stirs up memories of clubbing, parties and times long gone, when I was a very different person. Same with Narcotic Thrust's "I Like It".

What you're seemingly doing is associating memories - a song you listened to a lot in 1996 reminds you of 1996 and you get nostalgic, for good or bad. It's a very different thing to resonance. Associating memories is what I use to remember something. Titian's NWO brief was read and re-read to Static X's "Machine" album, and so I had that running through my head whilst playing the character. Gawain, oddly, was memorised to William Orbit's "Barber's Adagio for Strings" both the original and the Ferry Corsten remix. it soundtracked awain's final battle with Blaine, which made it all the more cinematic for me.

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[kingandy]

Though I was not there at the time, I can now picture Gawain's last stand quite vividly. It's set to Barber's Adaggio, and it's all in bullet-time. There is no sound but the music. It is raining. Intercut with shots of Xavier, somewhere else, going about his business. Possibly striding.

The knife enters Gawain's body. Drop Barber, Timpani shot. Sound of rain. Somewhere else, Xavier pauses, looks over his shoulder. Has he missed something? Hold for a moment. He shrugs, continues about his business, unconcerned.

Rain falls. A knife falls. Gawain falls, slumped against his adversary.

They're all just meat, Blaine.

Fade to black.

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[kingandy]

Perhaps not timpani. That goes "BONG", what I was looking for was a sort of crash-boom noise. Maybe a slowed-down gunshot, or a really deep bass drum like on the T2 soundtrack.

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[mrssshhh.livejournal.com]

Drawn out thunderclap?

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[kingandy]

Evocative of, but I think an actual sample would be cheesy. Sympathetic weather (rain) is one thing but orchestrated is strolling into the realms of cliché.

BOOOOOOOM.

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[mrssshhh.livejournal.com]

Simulate by hitting a huge sheet of thin metal with a soft-headed mallet. It's metallic, yet booming.

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[renniek.livejournal.com]

he was off his face and didn't realise what he was seeing

He stops being paranoid and worrying about where his mates are and starts going with the flow and enjoying the night. At least that's the impression I got. I certainly wouldn't say it's an anti-drugs song - he's off his face because he wants to be off his face, things are strange but that's something you expect, and often even look forward to, if you're taking class A drugs - some of us have been known to enjoy being wasted ;-)

I enjoyed it, and it reminded me of many nights out clubbing in my dim and distant past. It captures the feeling of the early phase of a night in a club very well

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[kingandy]

The lyrics in question:

Need to wave 'em over here. Swear Simone's kissing Dan.
My head is twisted sever, body's rushing everywhere,
They could have texted me when they were near, but i'm fucked and i don't care.
(Lights are blinding my eyes)
What was i thinkin' about? Ah who cares, i'm maaaashed.

It's quite sad, really.

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[renniek.livejournal.com]

You see, in the context, I don't think those are sad lyrics - his friends have been a bit inconsiderate, but everything's OK now - he's wasted, and he doesn't mind. It's difficult to describe, but it's definitely not an unhappy state he's in.

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[kingandy]

Hmm. That's what seems sad about it to me - his girlfriend's possibly cheating on him, but he doesn't care because he's off his tits. First and last lines are the ones I'm looking at, not the bit about not texting.

He's happy, but I consider the situation to be quite sad.

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[renniek.livejournal.com]

I still don't see it in this light, but I'm finding it hard to explain what I mean. I'll probably try again some time when work is less busy.

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[kingandy]

But do you see that it could be seen in this light? That is all I seek.

I'm not interested in changing people's minds, just explaining my own...

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[renniek.livejournal.com]

But do you see that it could be seen in this light?

Yes - in fact, thinking about it, that's how I'd *expect* it to be seen by most people who haven't used pills - I think it's an experience that's quite difficult to convey to someone who hasn't had the experience themselves.

I'm not interested in changing people's minds, just explaining my own...

:-) That's exactly what's frustrating me - I can't explain what I mean. Probably it's one of those discussions I find easier face-to-face than in writing.

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[kingandy]

I think I see the edges of it - something like, it's great that he can just let go and feel it, without worrying about what's going on with his friends? The companionship and unconditional love of the crowd, and the sense of perfection?

There is certainly a school of thought that runs, if we could only abandon our suspicions and constant analyses of those around us, we would all have a much happier life. Ignorance is bliss?

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[stsquad.livejournal.com]

Mufi still remembers you slurring "I can shee why people doosh it" at one of my more debauched parties. Of course I was incapable of speech at the time so you where probably up on points.

The thing about drugs experiences are they are fun but not in a logical way. Logic falls to the wayside when your brain is being mostly goverened by the biochemical balance. Having just listend to the track I concur with Arwel as to how evocotive it is of those osrt of nights.

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[kingandy]

The thing about drugs experiences are they are fun but not in a logical way.

Yeah ... maybe that's why I shy away from them. I want to enjoy myself because I'm doing something worth enjoying, not because there are different chemicals in my brain than usual.

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[stsquad.livejournal.com]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating biochemical experimentation. However Alcohol works the same way in altering your neurochemistry tilting your brain more towards chemistry than rational thought. Its just the mechanisms are different with different drugs (and of course every drug has its own risks).

I think I may still have my parents copy of The Private Life of the Brain hanging around somewhere. She has some interesting theories on the cognative process that is all about the balance between neurochemical state and neuron connection rate. Her main point is the brain needs both to function although the balance changes depending on situation.

Re: Thank you for leaving the knives at home

[kingandy]

Perhaps a cautionary tale, then, rather than a stand against mind-altering substances.

[arwel.livejournal.com]

Agreed, "Blinded by the Lights" is the best thing he's ever done by a long way. Such a beautiful and evocative song. It really takes me back to my clubbing days.

Thoughtful face

[kingandy]

General consensus seems to be that people like it because it's evocative. Does that make it objectively good though? Or just subjectively appealing to people who have experienced that particular lifestyle?

[renniek.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I enjoyed it, and it brought back lots of memories of Tangled and similar places

Covers

[stsquad.livejournal.com]

I myself have always enjoyed covers of familiar tracks. In fact I make a habit of collecting them. I also collect accoustic and solo renditions as well. A song that translates well between several musical styles shows it strength IMHO. I'll have to take you though some of my collection some time.

I also quite liked the original S-Club version of Don't Stop. I don't think it has any musical merit, but as a boppy little pop song it hits the spot - and if thats what you want at the time then thats fine.

[pax-draconis.livejournal.com]

I gotta go with the consensus on this one - I think it's an excellent track, and at least partly because of the nostalgia for clubbing it engenders. I've been there.