Sequel Songs #3: Wild Horses

Mick 'n' Keef wrote Wild Horses in 1969, recording a rough demo which they decided wasn't really worth taking any further. Mick denies popular speculation that the lyrics are about the end of his relationship with Marianne Faithful, while Keef reckons the song is about being sick of touring. 

The Stones gave a copy of the demo to their mate Gram Parsons who liked the song more than they did, recording it for the second Flying Burrito Brothers album, Burrito Deluxe, in 1970.

Hearing the Burrito version encouraged Mick 'n' Keef to give the song another chance, recording it properly for the album Sticky Fingers and releasing it as the follow-up single to Brown Sugar in the US.

Neither version made the UK charts, but in 2009 the song made our Top Ten thanks to a version recorded by Susan Boyle following her performance on America's Got Talent. Boyle chose the song because for her it reflected "a personal story about how achieving such massive success extremely quickly has affected her life". Before you pour scorn on Susan's version, you might be interested to read that Mick considered it a "ghostly version... much better than anything I had ever done".

Other memorable versions include...

The Sundays - Wild Horses

Leon Russell - Wild Horses

Alicia Keys - Wild Horses

None of these are sequels though - they're just covers. 

The sequel didn't arrive until 2022, thanks to this gorgeous story song by First Aid Kit from their album Palomino, in which two young lovers drive across America with Wild Horses on the car stereo... highlighting irreconcilable differences in their relationship.

We passed a canyon

We passed a fire brigade headed up the mountains

They said "The wood's ablazin'" and then we got hungry

Stopped at a diner

You flirted with the waitress and I didn't even care

Where do you go to when you look past me?

Do you see yourself miserable and free?

Such a strange notion, to see you clearly

When love's shadow stood up and left the room

We played Wild Horses on the car stereo

You prefer the Rolling Stones' and I like Gram's

No mention of Susan Boyle in this story. That really would have tested their relationship!

2023: To Countdown Or Not To Countdown?

Half Man Half Biscuit - Oblong Of Dreams (#1 in 2022)

For as long as I've had a blog, I've filled most of December with a year end countdown of my favourite albums (and on my old blog, I used to do films, books, TV shows and comics too).

Frank Turner - I Haven't Been Doing So Well (#2 in 2022)

Since 2018, I've been doing a list as long as the final number in the year - 18 for 2018, 19 for 2019... last year, it was my Top 22 of 2022, but I think it's fair to say that the top four at least were all better records than anything I've heard this year. 

Craig Finn - Messing With The Settings (#3 in 2022)

That's not to say it's been a bad year for music. A lot of my favourite artists have put out new discs (or, in Kevin Morby's case, not bothered to put them on a disc at all, just plonked them on the interweb), but none of those records felt like they came from performers at the very top of their game. Unlike the ones I selected by Half Man Half Biscuit, Frank Turner, Craig Finn and American Aquarium this time last year.

American Aquarium - Chicamacomico (#4 in 2022)

I'm also frustrated by the fact that December is never the best time to decide your favourite albums of the past year, since you're still listening to half of them and haven't even heard a bunch more. A good example of this is that I just managed to squeeze the most recent First Aid Kit album into my Top Ten last year after only a few listens. I then continued to listen to it well into the summer, by which time my appreciation had rocketed - it's equally as good as any of the records mentioned above.

First Aid Kit - A Feeling That Never Came

Anyway, the way I feel right now is that there's been a lot of great songs this year, but not as many great collections of songs. (This opinion may well have changed by next March.) Many of the old faithfuls delivered, but didn't quite scale previous heights. That doesn't bother me - I'm not one of those people who expects every record to be better than the last one. But I just didn't think I could subject you all to 23 reviews of 23 albums I liked, but didn't quite love. I managed to cobble together a Top Ten, just like in the old days (sometimes I have to remind myself what this blog is called), but the rest of the time between now and the end of the year, I'm just going so share some of my favourite songs. Like this one...

Spanish Love Songs - Lifers

Spanish Love Songs are one of those cool hipster bands that Ben likes and he's gradually been persuading me to do the same. I was particularly impressed with their song The Boy Considers His Hair Cut, which I featured on a Self-Loathing Friday just over a year ago. And their new album, No Joy... well, that's clearly a no-brainer. They remind me a little bit of Ezra Furman doing their best attempt at Springsteen, or (don't tell Ben) The Killers back when they were cool. And then the write lyrics like these...

It's the notion that your body is never gonna change

The baby fat that's hiding in your cheeks won't fade

And you're not sure why, but when you leave the house you circle the block to cry

And these...

So do you think that we'll outrun it?

Get past the pain of simply being?

Every time you want out of your body

Or can't get your head around this dream

You swore you loved it more

When you couldn't guess the end

It's never adding up

But don't write yourself out of the equation

Is 51 a good time to turn Emo?

Meanwhile, as I mentioned First Aid Kit above, I might as well throw this in to close today, a song in which they help out one of their recent tour-mates on backing vocals. Lola Kirke is a singer and actress (quite successful, it appears, though I can't claim to have seen anything she's been in). Born in London, raised in New York, yet she makes sparkly Americana that verges on good old fashioned Country & Western. George Strait, I'm sure, would approve of the song title below. Judging from the video though, Lola is probably spending time in Alcatraz for indecent exposure. Hopefully she'll be back out soon...

Lola Kirke feat. First Aid Kit - All My Exes Live In LA

My Top 22 of 2022: #10 - 8

10. First Aid Kit - Palomino

Every year I do these countdowns, I have a little whinge about the artists who wait till late November to release their records. Yeah, you might sell a few more copies in the Christmas shopping rush, but you don't really stand much chance in year end lists against records we've been living with for months. 

This is the fifth album by Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, who weren't even born until the 90s, but live forever in music's best decade, the 70s. Another gloriously catchy set of West Coast Americana-flavoured tunes that sound like you've known them all your life... though it's still unfair to ask them to compete, after only a couple of weeks, with the year's constant companions. Ask me again in March and this might well be in my Top 3.

First Aid Kit - Palomino

First Aid Kit - Turning Onto You

9. Jim Bob - The Essential Jim Bob

By contrast, here's another late entry, and another record that seems immediately familiar... perhaps because much of it was. Yes, it's a compilation, a "greatest hits" from the best chronicler of modern society in the world of "pop". I feel Jim Bob would appreciate those inverted commas. Did someone decree we can't have compilations in our Year End countdowns? Oops. You won't like the next entry either then.

Never mind. Here are three songs Jim Bob did release this year, from his excellent Beach Ready EP. None of them are on The Essential Jim Bob, though they're all strong enough to deserve a place. Jim Bob can do no wrong.

Jim Bob - Beach Ready Boys

Jim Bob - Step Back (Take A Minute, Breathe)

8. The Divine Comedy - Charmed Life (Deluxe Edition)

Another Greatest Hits collection (albeit one that does feature some actual hits), though it earns its place in my countdown from disc 3 of the Special Edition, the “Super Extra Bonus Album”, a collection of new and unreleased recordings. You well might expect a ragbag of outtakes and B-sides (although nothing wrong with that, depending on the artist, as has been demonstrated elsewhere in this countdown), but the quality of the tracks here makes this one of the best releases of the year for me, full of Neil Hannon's Coward-esque wit and self-deprecating wisdom. A wonderful treat, well worth paying £3 more than the double album.

The Divine Comedy - Don't Make Me Go Outside

The Divine Comedy - I'll Take What I Can Get

Snapshots #221: A Top Ten New Year Songs

It was hardly the toughest link to work out, but how often does Saturday Snapshots fall on New Year's Day? Here are the Auld Lang Answers...

10. Often mistaken for space aliens.

I was watching a documentary recently where the US government claimed that when people saw UFOs, they were actually seeing U2 spy planes. Which aren't shaped like flying saucers at all. Far more likely they're seeing Bono's halo...

U2 - New Year's Day

9. Half T-Rex, half King.

T-Rex was a Dinosaur... half of that almost gives you Dina.

And then there's Carol King.

Dina Carroll - The Perfect Year

8. Found inside Superb All Boys Club.

SuperB ALL BOYs Club.

Ballboy - Welcome To The New Year

7. A Trifid Skit.

Anagram! (Not a brilliant one, I'll admit.)

First Aid Kit - New Year's Eve

6. Album of the film of the town.

The album of the film is the Motion Picture Soundtrack. These guys are the...

Motion City Soundtrack - Together We'll Ring In The New Year

5. He gets on Agatha's Wick.

John Wick versus Agatha Christie. I'd watch that movie.

John Christie - Here's To Love (Auld Lang Syne)

4. Herr Flick meets Blackadder Captain.

Herr Flick was in Allo Allo. Captain Darling was in Blackadder.

Allo Darlin' - Will You Please Spend New Years Eve With Me?

3. Double Acne.

Anagram!

Deacon Blue - Queen of the New Year

2. Eat brains.

Not an anagram! Zombies eat brains.

The Zombies - This Will Be Our Year

1. Sheep cry out for well-developed stomach muscles.

Abs go Baa. Or Something.

Wishing you all a better year than the last two...

Positive Tests For Positive Times

So this happened.

Under normal circumstances, not the best of news. But considering I still have five weeks to serve in The Bad Place...

Snapshots #181 - A Top Ten Silver Songs

Yesterday's link was Silver Songs... so here's Phil!

And here are the answers...

10. Total Landscaping.

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Silver Star

9. The only way.

...is Essex, apparently.

David Essex - Silver Dream Machine

8. Rock hard.

Diamonds are very hard rocks.

Jim Diamond - Hi Ho Silver

7. Risk getting muddled up twice when the offers are on.

Muddle up risk and you get Kris, twice, with the Offers On.

Kris Kristofferson - The Silver-Tongued Devil & I

6. Lil' Yorkie.

Anagram for...

Rilo Kiley - Silver Lining

5. Con charm.

Another anagram...

Marc Cohn - Silver Thunderbird

4. I was born pretty much slap bang in the middle...

According to the interweb, to be part of Generation X, you must have been born between 1965 and 1980. 1972 is pretty much slap bang in the middle of that.

Generation X - The Prime of Kenny Silvers, Pt.1 & 2 

3. Where Band Aid came from.

From the First Aid Kit, of course!

First Aid Kit - My Silver Lining

That is gorgeous.

2. Once upon a time, a home for rabbits.

Once upon a time, he was Hutch. (Not Warren.)

David Soul - Silver Lady

1. Donnie's Frank. (Frank, Frank.)

This is Frank, from the movie Donnie Darko. (Is there an echo in here?)

More next week.

My Top Ten Country / Americana Songs of 2018

It's been a fine year for new music, so as well as my Top 18 countdown, I also wanted to shine a light on some of the tunes that didn't make my final list. Here's ten great country songs I discovered this year...


10. Courtney Marie Andrews - Took You Up

I'm still working on appreciating Courtney Marie Andrews as much as other people do, but there's some great lyrical detail here to draw me in.

Karaoke on a Monday night

Television when we want to hide

Frozen dinners when money's tight

Makin' love on a laundry pile

Ain't got much, but we got each other

Not much but love to offer

I took you up

9. Kacey Musgraves - Slow Burn

With splashes of pop and even disco on her most recent album, there's a sense that Kacey hankers after following Taylor Swift to the dark side. She can still write a great song though.

8. Dawes - Living In The Future

Couldn't get into the most recent Dawes album as much as I have their previous offerings, but this lead track certainly blew the dust off my speakers.

7. First Aid Kit - Ugly

Their latest album was pretty good, though I didn't love it half as much as their last one. This is from the follow-up EP, and suggests they're heading back to top form.

6. Eric Church - Hippie Radio

With his last couple of albums, Eric Church would have easily made it into my favourites of the year list. His latest record, Desperate Man, plays it a little safe and leaves the Waylon-esque outlaw stuff on the back-burner. Still some fine tunes on it though.

5. Mary Gauthier - Got Your Six

A soldier's life is not a happy one one Mary's outstanding new album. More here.

4. Dave Giles - Devil In A Green Dress

Dave Giles calls himself "an American artist from London", and to be fair, this was recorded in Nashville. Sounds more like Nick Lowe meets Frank Turner to me. Classic songwriting.

3. Midland - Drinkin' Problem

Like The Eagles crossed with Dr. Hook. If that sounds like your idea of hell... well, you and me comes from different places, I guess.

People say I got a drinkin' problem

But I got no problem drinkin' at all

They keep on talkin'

Drawing conclusions

They call it a problem, 

I call it a solution

2. The Nude Party - Chevrolet Van

They call it Americana, but The Nude Party owe as much to the Stones and 60s garage rock. Whatever label you hang on it, this is a smashing pop song destined to put a grin on your face. The rest of the album is similarly fun. More here.

1. Ashley McBride - A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega

You know how some of the best indie music is written for outcasts and losers, those down on their look and living on lonely desperation? So is some of the best country music. This is one of my songs of the year - kinda like a country version of Drugstore's Say Hello.



Stay tuned for more great country and Americana music as I continue my 2018 countdown.

Saturday Snapshots #50 - The Answers

Welcome, creeps and weirdoes, to the answers to yesterday's Saturday Snapshots. Oh, don't be such a Paranoid Android - I wasn't talking about you!

Thank you all for playing along, and for your nice comments about Saturday Snapshots. Alyson returned to take the victory with some excellent detective work this week. 

Here are the answers. No surprises here...

20. Vigorous bloke wins lottery.

Vigour is verve.

A lucky man would win the lottery.

The Verve - Lucky Man

19. Exciting experiences with no adverts! Slow down.

Exciting experiences would be adventures, minus the ads.

The Ventures - Walk Don't Run

18. Vocal coaches for everyone! We've just started looking.

The New Seekers - I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing

(Yes, I went there.)

17. Would you rather study the early days of the Hebrides... or see an Olivia Newton-John movie?

The Mull Historical Society - Watching Xanadu

16. Are you fond of my curves?

The Contours - Do You Love Me?

15. That baked helianthus is as old as Taylor Swift.

A helianthus is a sunflower.

Baked beans.

Taylor Swift sang about being 22.

Sunflower Bean - Twentytwo

14. WWI soldier discovers ska punk and gets the number for one of Brandon Flowers' friends.

WWI soldiers were Tommies.

Ska-punk was Two-Tone.

The Killers (Brandon Flowers) sang Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine.

Tommy Tutone - 867-5309 / Jenny

13. Grisly ghouls from every tomb get canonised with paracetamol.

Vincent Price famously rapped about "grisly ghouls from every tomb" in Thriller.

Saints get canonised.

Paracetamol are pills.

St. Vincent - Pills

12. Bloody cheek - coming over here, desperately needing the loo!

Bloody foreigners!

Foreigner - Urgent

11. Peter Wyngarde tries to find the Vapour Rub at work.

Peter Wyngarde was Jason King who worked for Department S.

Vicks make Vapour Rub.

Department S - Is Vic There?

10. Smash a window with a big piece of chicken.

Superchunk - Break The Glass

9. White walrus attacks blokes saying hi on a Rio beach.

Barry White was The Walrus of Love.

Blokes saying hi would be Man-ello!

A beach in Rio is the Copacabana.

Barry Manilow - Copacabana

8. Lad from London tries to remember his pincode. May an early year of rock 'n' roll help?

A lad from London would be a City Boy.

An early year of rock n roll = 57. May = 05.

City Boy - 5705

7. Chubby Checker's relative refuses to put up with all that dancing anymore.

Chubby Checker's dance was The Twist.

His relative is his sister.

If she refuses to put up with it...

Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It

6. 12 years of hard labour brightens up the capital.

12 years a slave.

The Slaves - Cheer Up, London!

(It's a toss up for Video of the Week between this and Twisted Sister.)

5. Lee Harvey Oswald gets chivalrous all across the States.

Lee Harvey Oswald claimed he was a patsy.

Chivalrous = gallant.

Patsy Gallant - From New York To LA

4. Stomach ache caused by a late encounter with Jerry Dammers.

Stomach ache would feel like a lead belly.

Jerry Dammers was in the Specials.

Leadbelly - The Midnight Special

3. A bunch of converted apostles get surrounded by water.

The Brady Bunch.

Paul was a converted apostle.

Islands are surrounded by water.

Paul Brady - The Island

2. Emergency treatment for cloudy optimists.

First Aid Kit - My Silver Lining

1. Redial Tim - he's all confused by the lack of action.

Redial Tim is an anagram.



More next week... Karma Police permitting.