It's 2025... though as far as these guys are concerned, it might still be 1995...
19. Kim Deal – Nobody Loves You More
A spur-of-the-moment purchase earlier this year based on the
fact that the CD was selling for less than a tenner in its week of release… let
that be a lesson to all pop stars out there: if Kim can do it, you can too!
Anyway, this is Kim Deal’s debut solo album– worthy of note, considering that the artist
formerly known as Mrs. John Murphy has been banging away at this racket for 40
years now (and has released a bunch of solo singles over the years, just never
a long player).
Certain tracks naturally remind us of The Breeders…
…but there’s a real range demonstrated across this record,
including a deeply moving song about the effects of Alzheimer's on Kim's mum…
Are you mine? Are you my baby? I have no mind For nothing, but love Are you mine? How you seen me lately? I have no time I have no time Let me go Where there's no Memory of you Where everything is safe And nothing is true
…and the title track, which may well be the sweetest love
song I’ve heard all year.
18. The Lemonheads – Love Chant
There always has to be a caveat when compiling these end of
year lists that records released in the last month or so probably won’t do as
well as ones that I’ve been enjoying all year. It should come as no surprise to
anyone though that Evan Dando was one of the last people to get off his lazy
arse and offer up a new record this year… particularly as this is the first
original Lemonheads album in almost 20 years (not counting two fine cover
version collections, Varshons I & II).
Much has been written about why the Slacker King has been
absent so long – and from what I’ve heard of his live shows this year, he’s
still not completely on the wagon. His voice is a lot deeper than it used to
be, and he looks less like the Grunge Heartthrob of the 90s… and more like a
street bum who’s wandered into the recording studio in search of some White
Lightning. Despite that, as one of the heroes of my youth, it’s great to have him back.
17. Counting Crows - Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!
And now for the one that should have been disqualified on
the grounds of a) good taste; b) the worst album cover I’ve seen in a long
time; b) the fact that half of it was originally released as an EP in 2021. In
my defence, when I posted a song from it back then, Martin was grudgingly seen
to reply, “That was better than expected.” Which only goes to show that
whatever you post on the internet will one day be dug up to embarrass you in
later years… so be very careful next time you’re planning on telling anyone how
much you’re looking forward to the new Oasis album. (I have no idea whether
there’s a new Oasis album… god, i hope not... but really, how could they resist the opportunity to
cash in further?)
Anyway – Counting Crows. From a similar era to the
Lemonheads, yet somehow unable to achieve the same level of cool. The very fact
then that I place this record one spot above Evan and co. will damn me in the
eyes of many. (And looking like a street bum these days is one step up on looking like an extra in The Sopranos, Adam.)
I could offer the defence that this came out in May, so I’ve had
much longer to relish it, but really… I should probably quit while I’m ahead.
If you’re of the opinion that Counting Crows are beneath you, nothing I can say
will change that. Bring on the brickbats…
Well, clearly I don't. And certainly not with Counting Crows, who haven't made a decent record in (insert a big number, the bigger = the more you dislike Counting Crows) years, and then when they do it's only four tracks long and has one of the worst album covers in living memory. I mean, seriously, are you having a laugh, Rol?
(There I go, talking to myself again. The loneliness is getting to me.)
But... hold your horses there, doubting Thomases. Because these four tracks are actually very, very good... I'd go so far to say they may well be the best songs Counting Crows have ever released. (With the obvious exception of Accidentally In Love from the Shrek 2 soundtrack, because that's just amazing.)
Lead "single" Elevator Boots sounds like vintage Elton John for a start.
Then there's Tall Grass, which takes Americana into psychedelic concept album territory, with a time travel narrative to boot. Only it's much better than that description makes it sound. Plus it contains the word "ossifies", so extra scrabble points for that.
Angel of 14th Street is the most Counting Crows song on there, but don't let that put you off...
Because then comes Bobby & The Rat Kings, which goes full on Springsteen and The E Street Band, circa Born To Run or earlier. Wow.
Turns out there's another 4 tracks to come in volume 2 of the Butter Miracle Suite later this year... if they're half as good as these, then we're in for a treat.
We now return you to our regularly scheduled programme... two days late. Apologies, we have visitors from New Zealand, the decorators and a new kitten. I haven't had time to blow my nose, let alone blog...
As usual, you pretty much worked them all out between you.
10. Len met Adam x 2. Said hi to drugs from a witch doctor.
Len (123) Barry + Ryan Adams (Adam x 2) = Barry Ryan.
Hi = hello (or 'elo!)
The Shamen (witch doctors) sang about E's being good... The Swede worked that out, also recalling that the song was written by Barry's brother, Paul. Barry Ryan - Eloise
9. Restaurant for birds: glue on the menu.
George came up with a much fancier answer for this clue: The Penguin Café Orchestra.
Rigid Digit takes his birds to much more basic eateries though, meaning he was able to spot Feeder.
8. Hayes goes feminine on the road to the Cathedral: won't stop listening to Bruce's longest player.
Hayes Carll is a cool Americana singer. A feminine version of his name would be Carly.
Paul had his epiphany on the road to Damascus and ended up a Saint who had a Cathedral named after him... all of which leads us rather tenuously to Paul Simon. One of my more misleading clues, but Alyson got there in the end, even though Chris was convinced this was one of the three sirens from Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
The River is Bruce Springsteen's longest album - well, it's his only double album. Carly Simon - Let The River Run
7. The Amarillo Hulk avoids the Flaming Lips' postman.
Tony Christie sang (Is This The Way To) Amarillo? Lou Ferrigno was The Incredible Hulk.
Alyson spotted the artist straight away but figured I was making a reference to George Harrison being a ghost now, so went for There's A Ghost In My House. Like I'd ever be so bad taste, Alyson!
A feuerwehrauto would be a German fire engine, which might go Nena Nena Nena (Nena being German, see).
Almost a century would be 99 years; hot air is what you get in balloons.
I figured Alyson would get this one... though Rigid Digit provided the German translation (Neunundneunzig Luftballons). Nena - 99 Red Balloons
2. Go to the chemist for gender realignment.
A chemist is a drugstore.
Gender realignment could change lead singerIsabel Monteiro into a man. Pretty simple, if you know the song. The Swede did. Drugstore - I Want To Love You Like A Man
1. Scared by basic Maths? Be polite to Quincy.
Basic Maths would involve counting.
Scare... crows.
If you were polite to Quincy, you wouldn't call him a doctor (no, it wasn't a reference to Jack Klugman), you would call him Mr.... Jones.
Another easy win for The Swede (though I'm surprised he took credit for knowing such an "uncool" band... then again why else did I make them this week's Number One?)
Thanks, as always, for taking part.
I'll be back later in the week with possibly my most controversial post yet (particularly right now): How To Be A Morrissey Fan in 2017. Despite all those who are turning against him, I will endeavour to explain why I think we need Morrissey right now... perhaps more than we ever have.
So that'll be fun.
(If it makes you unfollow this blog, well - thanks for sticking with it as long as you have!)
More metaphysics from Tricky Dicky Ashcroft. Or Mr. Smiley as I like to call him.
This whole album is very evocative for me of '97 / '98, when the world still seemed full of endless possibility... and aching loneliness. I could probably write more about that, but it has very little to do with physics, so I'll save it for another post.
OK, so the top two songs are only tenuously connected to Physics, but both brag about a qualification in that particular field of science... and both of them make me smile a lot whenever I listen to them.
So what's the point in university? For three years I read philosophy Now I read barcodes all day long Beep-beep-beep sings that check-out song With my qualifications Talking bout my qualifications Would you like to see my Ph.D.? My BSE? My GCSE? I gotta First in Physics so I ought to know If your fries are for here or to go
1. The Undertones - My Perfect Cousin
He's got a degree in Economics Maths, Physics and Bionics
No wonder he's his mother's little golden boy...
Not the obvious Number One, but indisputably the best song on here.
Dar Williams wanders around a gallery with a friend, admires the Renoirs and muses on the sad death of Mark Rothko. Some folks were born with a foot in the grave...
And I dream of Michelangelo when I'm lying in my bed
I see god upon the ceiling I see angels overhead
And he seems so close as he reaches out his hand
But we are never quite as close as we are led to understand
Manchester's most beloved artist, L S Lowry, gave local lads Brian & Michael (aka Michael Coleman and... erm... Kevin Parrott) an unexpected Number One at the height of punk in 1978. The charts used to be SO much more unpredictably interesting than they are now.
I make no secret of the fact that I consider Jimmy Webb one of the greatest songwriters to ever walk the earth, although his songs are usually more famous when performed by others. This one's all Jimmy though. Lovely.
In which Mr. Richman finds a truly wonderful rhyme for the name of one of the art world's most famous sons...
Well some people try to pick up girls
And get called assholes
This never happened to Pablo Picasso
He could walk down your street
And girls could not resist his stare and
So Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole
Jonathan Richman also wrote a song about Van Gogh. But someone else beat him to that...
1. Paul Simon - Rene & Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War
I always thought that was a funny name for a dog.
A beautifully evocative tribute to not only the Belgian surrealist painter, his missus and their dog... but also a host of 50s doo-wop bands Simon imagines might populate the Magritte's record collection.
I also found songs about Dali, Hopper and Toulouse Lautrec... but which one is hanging on your wall?
