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Steve Ison
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2/21/2008 4:55:43 PM
Brilliant Pop Songs 2
Thought i'd start a new thread for ace pop songs from youtube-as i'm really enjoying it- but the other ones getting really bulky...Thanks for everyone who was listening,commenting and adding video's on the last one-Its really great all the spin off conversations about music created by them too.Looking forward to your comments,great songs/bands i might not've heard before and insights on this one :)
DAY 12...Pretty wonderful sunshine pop from the pretty wonderful Lemonheads..
If I Could Talk I'd Tell You LEMONHEADS
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Pulse Eternal
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2/21/2008 8:25:59 PM
Yay Steve!! I hope you don't mind me posting our very own Larree.... IMHO, this is a brilliant pop song....
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Pulse Eternal
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2/21/2008 8:28:59 PM
....and here's one of my all time favourite 80's pop songs....
I am actually working with Dragon right now mixing a live recording I did of them a couple of months ago. A couple of these live songs will be on a new album I am producing of Aussie rock icons called, "Live @ the Cafe".
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Hop On Pop
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2/22/2008 4:33:51 AM
Another couple for you fine folks who are NOT blocked from YouTube to find for me (if you can):
Cleaners From Venus - "Albion's Daughter"
Yo La Tengo - "Upside Down"
(with a melody that I believe was partially borrowed from Herman's Hermits, but... so what? They're Yo La Tengo!)
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Steve Ison
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2/22/2008 6:28:35 AM
Hey SuperPuss..Woh they certainly liked their snare drum to cut thru then didn't they..?
I've never heard of Dragon-they didn't make it in the UK i don't think,but it was a pretty good VERY 80s pop song..
Larree promo-god as well as guitar god that he is,had already posted his video on my other thread..;)
The Dragon one made me think of this brilliant Split Enz classic..Another band close to you..
SPLIT ENZ....I Got You
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Steve Ison
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2/22/2008 6:41:31 AM
Todd..Absoloutly nothing not only on Albions Daughter but also Cleaners From Venus..Thats my definition of obscure!
The Yo La Tengo one was really great..Reminded me strongly of Dinosaur Jr at their very best..Its difficult to make that dumb grungin' power-pop thing be that cool.
So many try but don't really hit the spot like this song does...Its gotta be really intuitive for me to love it (like this)..The Upside Down hook is ace and the middle 8 is great too.Maybe my favourite of all your recommendations-Nice one :)
YO LA TENGO...Upside Down
YO LA TENGO
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Hop On Pop
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2/22/2008 6:48:50 AM
If you like THAT Yo La Tengo song, try a tune called:
TOM COURTENAY
Not only a great song, but probably my favorite music video ever (conceptually).
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Steve Ison
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2/22/2008 6:52:51 AM
Dammit..I wanted to find 'Dead Set On Destruction' by Husker Du but they don't have it..
Thats another brilliant dumb grunge-pop classic
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Hop On Pop
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2/22/2008 7:03:54 AM
How about Hüsker's
"Don't Want to Know If You're Lonely"?
That might be easier to find. And, IMO, is an even better song.
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Gary Stockton
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2/22/2008 8:38:35 AM
The Ozzie's have given the world a lot of great bands. Midnight Oil, The Church, INXS, but one of my faves remains Split Enz, so here is one of my favorite timeless Split Enz songs. The music doesn't start till 1:33 into the vid undfortunately. I love the little piano part at the end, and the sound of the acoustic guitars, or is that a zither they used, anyhow, it was a cool song. The Finn brothers make writing memorable melodies look so easy, and I'd put them up there with Lennon & McCartney in that craft.
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Steve Ison
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2/22/2008 10:21:48 AM
Todd..I prefered the other one-but the song was still pretty good..Yeh,the video was fun!
YO LA TENGO Tom Courtenay
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Steve Ison
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2/22/2008 10:46:06 AM
Well Todd, i wasn't that keen on 'Don't want to know if you're lonely',but in the interests of broadening my horizons listened to 'Could You Be The One' which is fantastic...Great melody,vibe and just an ace pop song..Love that solo!
Its very different but on a par with Dead Set On Destruction for me..
HUSKER DU...'Could You Be The One'
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Hop On Pop
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2/22/2008 11:09:15 AM
You like the Hüskers, see if you like:
Naked Raygun - "Rat Patrol"
I covered this in one of my old punk bands (ChewToy) and it was a helluva lot of fun to play... especially the "woah-woah-woah" part.
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Steve Ison
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2/22/2008 11:10:06 AM
'6 months in a leaking boat's a really cool song Gary,thanks for sharing..Lots of imagination,interesting chords and i love the mood-changing minor-keyed end bit loads too.I wish more bands'd do interesting stuff like that...
The best prog 70s bands used to put different melodic parts in like that-but then sometimes those same bands'd make you sit thru a 5 minute guitar solo or something -so it wasn't all win win lol..
The end part of that song made me think of this really great track from Badly Drawn Boy that has a wonderful haunting finish too..
BADLY DRAWN BOY...Disillusion
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Hop On Pop
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2/22/2008 11:12:04 AM
I love "...Leaking Boat", but have had it forever ruined for me by The Wiggles' cover!!!
Heard that too much when my kids were 2.
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Gary Stockton
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2/22/2008 11:56:47 AM
I see what you mean about the ending, very similar indeed, and that was such a funny little video, very happy sound to the song.
The only part in Leaky Boat I dislike is the out of key synth solo, it really kind of takes away from the tune I think. Other than that, it's perfect.
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Steve Ison
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2/22/2008 2:28:26 PM
No,not keen on Rat Patrol by Naked Raygun i'm afraid...I'm very selective with punk kinda tracks-tho there's a stack i love from the first wave of 77-78-They all had alot of charm..
Like X-Ray Spex..They were a really underrated band but made some great singles..There were a load of really cool females in bands at that time too...The Slits,X-Ray Spex,The Pretenders,Blondie,Siouxsie and the Banshees
X-RAY SPEX..The Day The World Turned Dayglo
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Gary Stockton
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2/25/2008 10:12:19 AM
My enfatuation with Robert Smith's songwriting started with a tune called A Forest from the album Seventeen Seconds. But this tune called "Friday I'm In Love" was probably their best "Pop" song. I love the chord changes, the middle 8 with the tamb, the tone on the elec guitar, and the general happy feel to it. This song, every time I listen when I am walking, makes me feel happy.
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Hop On Pop
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2/25/2008 10:31:54 AM
How about some Vaselines?
"Son Of a Gun"
"Molly's Lips"
and
"Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam"
are probably the three best tunes.
A wonderful example of pop primitivism.
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Stegor
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2/25/2008 8:36:17 PM
I LOVE Split Enz. Tim Finn is so under-appreciated. Neil got his due, but I always liked Tim. Time and Tide is an all time favorite. Thanks for reminding me, I need to order another one. It'll be my 3rd time buying it.
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Hop On Pop
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2/26/2008 4:53:27 AM
Okay, yeah, so I'm getting kinda obsessive about this thread, but this next one is a MUST-FIND!!!!
You hear that, all?
One of my favorite songs evah!
Brinsley Schwarz - "Ju Ju Man"
Nick Lowe is one of my all-time favorites, but this is a cover of a tune by Jim Ford. And it is perfect.
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Steve Ison
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2/26/2008 1:55:07 PM
Thanks for The Cure's Friday I'm In Love Gary..Yeh,i love a load of their pop songs as well..There's a wistful quality to even their really 'happy' songs like Friday I'm In Love and Just Like Heaven they share with The Lemonheads i really like..
Was 'Primary' on that album with A Forest? Thats another great moody track..
Their very first album had a load of really distinct atmospheric songs like Boys Don't Cry,Fire In Cairo and Jumping Someone Elses Train which are ace..
I love the understated tension and atmosphere of this one..
10.15 Saturday Night... THE CURE
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Steve Ison
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2/26/2008 2:17:40 PM
Woh Todd..The Vaselines are great!From Scotland too... I've never heard anything by them before-so thanks-,but remember Nirvanas unplugged Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sunbeam' was great..
Kurt had good taste to be such a fan! Incredibly simple but oh-so intuitive songs (just like the best Nirvana)
I actually preferred Dying For It and Slushy to the ones you suggested..They're a really great example for me how sometimes a more lo-fi approach really adds to the atmosphere of something.I don't think these songs would sound as good at all given a supa-clean digital production..
Slushy...VASELINES
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Steve Ison
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2/26/2008 2:30:48 PM
The Vaselines from Scotland made me think of this wonderfully atmospheric,charming sunny-sad song by Belle And Sebastian(also Scottish)..The trumpet solo coming in with the strings is just sublime..Another one where the 'lofi' quality adds to the atmosphere imo..
The video with it might just be my favourite ever..
More a series of beautifully composed photographic portraits than a typical video..Really creative and every bit as evocative as the song...Showing what can be done with an (obvious) low budget and alot of imagination
Dirty Dream #2 BELLE AND SEBASTIAN
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Steve Ison
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2/26/2008 2:40:06 PM
Rockpiles JuJu Man is abit too kinda pub-rocky n standard for me to love Todd..I definitely prefer the more atmospheric songs like So It Goes and I LOve My Label when he went solo
JuJu Man....ROCKPILE
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Steve Ison
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2/26/2008 2:43:10 PM
I'm guessing 'Time And Tide' is an album Stegor as there's no entries for it at YouTube..
I've never heard anything by Spliut Enz other than 'I Got You' and the cool ship-song that Gary posted..
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Gary Stockton
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2/26/2008 7:39:54 PM
That's too funny Steve, 10:15 saturday night I remember that one quite well. I had subconciously ripped it off in one of my very early compositions. If you are at all cure(ious) I can email a mp3 over to you, god it's aweful, but sounds like that tune a lot. This song by the cure has a very garage feel to it doesn't it. Another really great single was one called "High", it had fantastic drums and guitar interplay and that distinctive Robert Smith guitar on it. Why can't we hear bands like that on the radio these days eh?
I had a great Live Cure cassette years ago, and I think Killing An Arab was on it. Primary wasn't on 17 seconds though. Around the time A Forest came out, there was a child killer on the loose in the UK, and I thought about that every time I heard the song.
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Hop On Pop
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2/27/2008 4:45:39 AM
I love the Pub Rock stuff, Steve.
I haven't heard the Rockpile version, but too bad the Brinsleys' version of "Ju Ju Man" wasn't there. That is the one that gets me goin'. And Brinsley's guitar tone is simply the very best (in every song, actually). The perfect Tele tone, IMO.
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Hop On Pop
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2/27/2008 4:47:45 AM
Oh, and here's a Chicago band that plays a lovely Left Banke-style of ork pop:
The Chamber Strings
See if you can find:
"Make It Through the Summer"
or
"The Fool Sings Without Any Song"
Plus, I'm in love with their piano player, in that sort of admiring a musician from afar kinda way. (Don't tell my wife!) ;-)
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Stegor
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2/27/2008 9:04:03 AM
Yes, Time and Tide was the album containing "Six Months in a Leaky Boat". It took a few steps away from their happy pop sound and headed into some darker areas. This song "Dirty Creature is a great example of that. I loved the video at the time (long ago...) but seeing it now could turn some people off, what with the cheap effects and silly vamping. Still, Tim Finn's charm comes through.
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Steve Ison
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2/27/2008 9:21:58 AM
Yeh Gary,it'd be fun to hear how you utilised 10.15 Saturday night!
email me steep100@hotmail.com
A Forest has got such a sinister,haunted vibe i can understand why you could put that association on it..
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Hop On Pop
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2/27/2008 9:28:05 AM
Hell, I can't find any videos of them anywhere, but The Chamber Strings do have those songs that I mentioned at their MySpace page:
http://www.myspace.com/thechamberstrings
I think that you will all love it.
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Steve Ison
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2/27/2008 4:07:07 PM
Yeh,i like Chamber Strinbgs Todd..They're very influenced by Big Star,Badfinger,Raspberries etc and have some cool songs..Was interesting reading about their history too..
The mention of your wife made me think of this brilliant Bowie song-which i busked for the first time last week..
Bowies absurd lipstick faces in this are wonderfully ridiculous-and make me laugh but really suit the song too..He's a good actor(in videos at least)
Be My Wife...DAVID BOWIE
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Steve Ison
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2/27/2008 4:19:10 PM
Dirty Creatures is an excellent creative track Stegor..Really interesting,atmospheric pop song..Its 80s but like good 80s..God i wish more pop songs had that kinda intuitiveness and sense of strangeness..Nice one :)
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Steve Ison
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2/29/2008 10:53:08 AM
I just found this fabulous song on my Brazilian friend Michelles myspace..I got into 'Tropicalia' massively last year,which was a fabulously evocative musically-revolutionary rich mix of Psychedelia,pop,jazz,samba and bossa-nova popular in late 60s Brazil.
Its just fabulous music imo..
3 of the main artists were Caetano Veloso,Os Mutantes and this guy Tom Ze,with this magical track..Such great chord changes,beautiful melodicism and timeless spirit.
If anyone speaks Portugese(i don't) they might learn something about Sao Paulo from this video too!
Sao Paulo TOM ZE
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Hop On Pop
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2/29/2008 12:07:48 PM
Tom Zé is one of my all-time favorite artists!!!
So glad that you found him, Steve!
I actually saw him the one and only time that he toured the US and it was one of, if not THE best show that I have ever seen!
Tortise was his backing band and, well... it was indescribable. Kinda like the music itself.
Also, I just heard about this:
TOM ZÉ DOCUMENTARY
Check out the trailer... even in Portugese it looks amazing.
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Steve Ison
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2/29/2008 1:09:22 PM
Woh..So you saw him too..Nice one
Its a shame that trailer hasn't got any subtitles,but the film looks really interesting...
Can you recommend any other tracks by him to check out?
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Hop On Pop
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2/29/2008 2:45:52 PM
I can recommend entire ALBUMS for you to get:
Estuando o Samba (1975) is probably the masterpiece
Estuando o Pagode (2006) was my favorite record of that year
other great albums:
Com Defitio de fabricao (1998) is pretty solid
and there was an album of tweaky instrumentals that came out last year that was rock-solid and a lot of fun.
As to individual songs:
"Hein?"
"Toc"
"Augusto, Angelica, e Cancolao"
"Ave Maria Doro"
(pardon any spelling errors -- of which I am sure there are many -- I don't speak Portugese either)
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Gary Stockton
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3/2/2008 9:34:29 PM
Here is a stand-out from the 80's white-soul R&B days from a band called Love and Money. It is called "Halleluiah Man". It had a very nice groove and a very catchy chorus. I bought the album after hearing this years ago and there were several other really great tracks, one called "Jocelyn Square" comes to mind often.Sadly, the Drummer and Bassist are no longer alive Not sure about the singer and main songwriter, what he's up to these days, but I think he knew how to write a good pop song. I'll include both videos.
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Hop On Pop
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3/3/2008 6:19:15 AM
I may have missed it, but did anybody mention JELLYFISH?
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Steve Ison
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3/3/2008 11:56:45 PM
Thanks for the Tom Ze recommendations Todd..The only one of those tracks you suggested that came up youtubed was 'Hein?' and that was a live version..
I just saw sa,sa paulo was the first track on his first 60s album.Like with Caetano Veloso,its definitely the 60s stuff i'm most interested in..
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Steve Ison
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3/4/2008 12:05:10 AM
I gotta say my heart sank Gary when i saw the words '80s' and 'white soul'..Halleluja Man was great tho..Really intertesting pop song with-like you say-a great chorus..The other one did nothing for me tho..
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Steve Ison
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3/4/2008 2:27:17 AM
No..No ones mentioned Jellyfish Todd..But i'm mentioning The Turtles now (geddit..um sorry)
I've never heard this song before but its really good..
She's My Girl...THE TURTLES
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Steve Ison
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3/4/2008 4:49:46 PM
I've always loved this song..So evocative,empathetic and magical..
The video is without doubt my favourite ever...The magical vision of childhood, the opportunities and endless possibilities of youth have vanished-as you suddenly wake-up middle aged and suffer the terrible realisation that 'lifes passed you by'..and you've been asleep for 30 years in a dull,predictable work-a-day reality.An extreme existential crisis so eloquently and movingly played out here..
Well thats what i get from it anyways-as with most great art theres probarbly loads of interpretations.....
Sweeping,haunting,beautiful n cinematic it is f'sure tho-a perfect companion to the song..
There Goes The Fear DOVES
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Steve Ison
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5/3/2008 9:17:37 AM
I've just been getting hugely into THe Jam recently...Paul Wellers written so many amazing songs..So talented
I love this 60s Who influenced breezy song so much..Can't believe it wasn't even released as a single..Brilliant
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srm
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5/4/2008 12:52:03 AM
Steve -
Thanks for posting the "Life from a Window" vid. After the recent Jam jag on the "What's Todd listening to today..." blog, I've been re-listening to some of the 'old' Jam stuff, too. It's a shame they never really 'caught on', over here. Their stuff is still excellent!
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Gary Stockton
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5/4/2008 8:09:56 PM
The Jam were awesome, and Life From A Window was one of the best songs on Modern World. I was lucky enough to meet Paul Weller a few times, always the nicest guy, would go out of his way to make a moment for fans. As for his writing, sadly, I think he peaked during 1982 with The Gift, nothing after that came remotely close in my eyes, but I was a hard core Jam fan. They had the right blend of message mixed with great melodies and emotional performance. Best Jam gig I ever saw was at Woking YMCA shortly before I moved to the US, only 200 local fans there, and I was standing 3 ft from the stage, pinch me. His recent albums have been inconsistent and a bit self endulgent in my opinion. Having heard what he was capable of years ago, one feels he is capable of better, or is it just me longing for the past. In any case, The Jam and Paul Weller have a very special place in my heart.
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Steve Ison
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5/5/2008 2:05:16 PM
Steve (srm) glad you enjoyed it...:)
Gary..Yeh,i think This Is The Modern World is a really underated album..
That gig sounded great-must've been good meeting him..
There's always been a smattering of very good songs thruout his career from Style Council thru solo imo -but nothing to match the quality of his best work with The Jam i agree...
I think-like the 60s Kinks-their stuff was too quintesentially 'english' to ever really score big with a US audience..
I love his more mellow breezy songs..
This totally wonderful song was amazingly only a B side...
I can't belive how wonderfully sad and beautiful he makes the change to the D chord seem...Especially as its only got 3 chords A E and D in it!
Brilliant songwriting...So intuitive, simple and effortlessly elegant..It makes me realise i've got alot to learn...
I'd love to be able to write a song as great as this..
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Gary Stockton
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5/5/2008 8:17:05 PM
Yeah, spot on about the quintessential "englishness" not translating well in America. Though Townshend said it best when he remarked of The Kinks, "they showed me there was an english way to do it".
Liza Radley was a gem right enough. There is a great CD called "Extras" that has a lot of Jam B sides, I'm sure you have it already. My favorite one off that CD is teh Small Faces "Get Yourself Together", it kicks arse!
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