"To be loved like that makes all the difference. It does not lessen the terror of the fall, but it gives a new perspective on what that terror means. I had jumped off the edge, and then, at the very last moment, something reached out and caught me in midair. That something is what I define as love. It is the one thing that can stop a man from falling, the one thing powerful enough to negate the laws of gravity." Paul Auster (Moon Palace)

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

The Beatles - i feel fine live, 1965

"I Feel Fine" starts with a single, percussive feedback note produced by McCartney plucking the A string on his bass, and Lennon's guitar, which was leaning against McCartney's bass amp, picking up feedback. This was the first use of feedback on a rock record."

The Pipettes - judy, 2005

"Judy" is a limited edition 7" single by The Pipettes of which 1000 copies were pressed by Boston's Total Gaylord Records in August 2005. It was exclusively available via mailorder from the United States and featured a sleeve which folded out into a polka dot dress in homage to the singers' dress code. The B-side "KFC" features DJ Scotch Egg and members of The Go! Team. The first two tracks are the same recordings as the previous UK 7" releases. Rose sings the lead vocals on the song."

The Beautiful South - worthless lie, 1994

"The album's tracks reflect a depressing period in Heaton's life, and this continues with the follow-up album Blue is the Colour (1996). The songs also led the group's first female singer, Briana Corrigan, to leave the band; after Heaton sent her copies of the songs, including "Mini-correct" and "Worthless Lie", she swiftly made the decision to leave."

Traveling Wilburys - not alone any more, 1988

"Not Alone Any More" is a song by the British–American supergroup the Traveling Wilburys from their 1988 album Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1. It was sung by Roy Orbison and serves as his main contribution to the album. The song was written mainly by Jeff Lynne, although all five members of the Wilburys are credited as songwriters. A longtime admirer of Orbison, Lynne wrote "Not Alone Any More" as a vehicle for the singer's operatic vocal style. The song's lyrical theme of loneliness similarly recalls Orbison's dark ballads of the early 1960s. On release, the song was much admired by music critics. With the commercial success of the Wilburys, and the recognition afforded Orbison following his death in December 1988, it marked his full return from the career downturn he had experienced since the mid-1960s."

The Legends - the kids just wanna have fun, 2003

"The Legends are one of several indie pop projects masterminded by Swedish producer/musician Johan Angergård, whose other bands include the Acid House Kings, Eternal Death, Djustin and Club 8. Initially conceived as a fuzzy, gutsy indie pop act (something like a rougher, fierier version of the Acid House Kings), the group made its live debut in 2003 as an opening act for the Radio Dept."

Sétima Legião - por tua imensa saudade, 1989

"Morreu um salva-vidas com duas paixões"

Pet Shop Boys - postscript i believe in ecstasy, 1993

"This brief “hidden” song appears at the end of Very after more than a minute of silence following “Go West.” Nowhere is it mentioned in the original album notes, and even the name “Postscript” was conjectural until it was confirmed by the 2001 reissue. (The first words, “I Believe in Ecstasy,” had also been suggested by fans as a possible title.) It’s a highly atypical number in which a chorus of Chris Lowe’s heavily multi-tracked vocals sing about the conflicting senses of joy and sadness at remembering a close friend or lover who is now lost."

Monday, July 29, 2024

The Beatles - eight days a week, 1964

"I usually drove myself there, but the chauffeur drove me out that day and I said, 'How've you been?' – 'Oh working hard,' he said, 'working eight days a week.'" In a 2016 interview alongside Starr and Ron Howard, in preparation for the release of the documentary The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years, McCartney reiterated that he had heard it from a chauffeur who was driving him to Lennon's house while he was banned from driving."

The Chameleons - view from a hill, 1983

"Script remains a high-water mark of what can generally be called post-punk music; an hour's worth of one amazing song after another", calling it "practically a greatest-hits record on its own".

Belle And Sebastian - the stars of track and field, 1996

"If You're Feeling Sinister is the second album by the Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian. It was released in 1996 on Jeepster Records in the United Kingdom and in 1997 by Matador Records in the United States. It is often ranked among the best albums of the 1990s, including being ranked #14 in Pitchfork's list of Top 100 Albums of the 1990s. Band leader Stuart Murdoch said If You're Feeling Sinister is probably his best collection of songs."

A Weather - spiders snakes, 2008

"While I am religiously neutral, I definitely get the impression that the underlying theme of the song is God. I think it tells the story of - or rather it is a dialogue between - a man and his friend. It seems the singer is watching his friend lose (or perhaps has already lost) his faith in God and he's hoping that he can help him find his way back."

The Style Council - the whole point of no return, 1984

"the most beautiful protest song ever: “The Whole Point of No Return”.

Still Corners - the trip, 2013

"Strange Pleasures is the second studio album by London-based dream pop band Still Corners. It was released 7 May 2013 by US label Sub Pop. The album reached a peak of No. 28 in the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart. It also hit No. 1 in the FMQB national radio charts."

The Pipettes - pull shapes, 2006

"Pull Shapes" is a single from The Pipettes and was released on 3 July 2006. It was available on CD, double 7" vinyl, and digital download from Memphis Industries. The expression "pull shapes" is a British English colloquialism that refers to the act of dancing."

Brendan Benson - ain't no good, 2022

"Musicians have no idea how to talk about their own stuff. It doesn’t sound like hip hop or barbershop. It sounds like Brendan Benson music. Which is great."

Sunday, July 28, 2024

The Beatles - i want to hold your hand live, 1964

"With advance orders exceeding one million copies in the UK, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" would have gone straight to the top of the British record charts on its day of release had it not been blocked by the group's first million-seller "She Loves You", their previous UK single, which was having a resurgence of popularity following intense media coverage of the group. Taking two weeks to dislodge its predecessor, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" stayed at number one for five weeks and remained in the UK top 50 for 21 weeks in total."

The Style Council - my ever changing moods extended version, 1984

"The album version features vocals by Weller only accompanied by acoustic piano. This version is 3:37 long. There are two versions of the song with full band accompaniment. The 7" single version is 4:02 minutes long, while the 12" single version is 5:44 minutes long. Weller released a new version of "My Ever Changing Moods" on his album An Orchestrated Songbook in 2021."

Tobasco Boy - sunbleach, 2023

"This is such a good song! Love it and just love the sound!"