The Enigma of CD #87: Part 4

More tracks from another randomly chosen CD compilation. The purpose of these CDs wasn't to show off my cool (ha!), eclectic tastes... it was just to expose my son to a wide a variety of old pop music as possible in his formative years, before I lost him to spotle-fy.

Track 11: The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger

Confession time: I find The Fratellis a bit annoying. And most of the time, I find Chelsea Dagger, their biggest hit, very annoying. Actually, I’m not sure I can remember any of their other songs, but this one… it’s hard to get away from. Because of the yobbish terrace anthem chorus which, the more I hear it, the more I can’t help but think, “Knees up, Mother Brown!”

I was therefore surprised to discover that the Fratellis are, to quote George, Weegies. I would have sworn they were Landahners, like the Libertines who they clearly owe a sizable debt to. I also didn’t know that they took their band name from The Goonies. Clearly I need to watch The Goonies again. I did know that they called their debut record Costello Music, but apparently that has nothing to do with Elvis, it’s just the name of an old studio they used to rehearse in.

Why are they here if I don’t care for them that much? I guess because I thought this would be the kind of easy-to-singalong indie gubbins that might stick in Sam’s head and persuade him that guitar music was the way forward rather than Juice WRLD, Imaginary Dragons and Youngboy With A Broken Neck.

All those efforts were ultimately in vain…

 

12: Fine Young Cannibals - Good Thing

Is it better to burn out than fade away? The Fine Young Cannibals burned very brightly in the late 80s, and they were a band I had a lot of time for while I was otherwise falling out of love with the singles chart. Turns out that Roland Gift and his two mates – Andy Cox and Davis Steele, both formerly of The Beat – had even greater success in the US where both this song and its predecessor, She Drives Me Crazy, were Billboard Number Ones.

And then, by 1992 it was all over. Two albums, a clutch of hit singles, then the pressure of fame, musical differences, the same old story. Maybe it’s better they went out on top rather than the slow decline that kills so many bands.

 

13: The Clash - London Calling

Some of you will be wondering how I could do 87 CDs before getting to The Clash’s best song. 

The Clash are a harder sell than The Jam or The Undertones – maybe they’re a more mature proposition? Or maybe they just didn’t have tunes that were quite as catchy? Should I Stay… and the Bobby Fuller Four cover (originally recorded by a post-Buddy Crickets) had already featured by the time I got to this one, but after that there was a long gap and I’ve only recently started adding less obvious Clash songs to Sam’s compilations… long after I pretty much exhausted the early Weller output.

Or, to put it another way, London Calling is a far, far better song than Chelsea Dagger. But I bet if you played them both to the average eight year old and asked them which they prefer, Joe and Mick would be going home with second prize.

 

14: Dobie Gray - The In Crowd

I wonder if I included this one as a subtle hint at a moral message? “Don’t worry about getting in with The In Crowd, son. Just find people who accept you as you are.” That’s a lesson I’m still trying to learn as my regular carping about not being one of the cool kids on the blogosphere will clearly show.

Dobie Gray, of course, wants to be part of The In Crowd… so actually, the message is the opposite of the one I’d like Sam to learn. Did Dobie ever get to be part of that auspicious group himself? Well, he came from nowhere, born to Texas sharecroppers – there’s even a question over his real name… was it Lawrence Darrow Brown or Leonard Victor Ainsworth? He then achieved a fair bit of success over a fair few years… most notably with the song Drift Away, a hit both in 1973 and again in 2003 when it was covered by country-rap-rock dude Uncle Kracker* who took it back into the US Top 10, with Dobie on guest vocals.

(*I was unfamiliar with Uncle Kracker until today. He looks like that kid you went to school with who started working in McDonalds in the Sixth Form... and he's still working there.)

When he died in 2011, Dobie left 100% of his musical assets and royalties to charity. Surely that qualifies him for membership of a very select group, even better than The In Crowd?

Snapshots #406: Songs About Weapons

Yesterday, we had Britney SPEARS at the top of the page... today, it's Bruce Lee, whose whole body was a weapon.

And here are 15 more weapons for Your Arsenal...

15. Packed.

The missing faces belong to The Jam.

The Jam - The Eton Rifles 

Or...

The Jam - A Bomb In Wardour Street

14. Go on, go on, voice of Russia.

Sigue means go on. Sputnik was the voice of Russia.

Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Love Missile F1-11

13. Pop art from Indiana (Robert).

This is Robert Indiana's LOVE sculpture...

Love Sculpture - Sabre Dance

12. Enjoy heavy metal in the café with a Friendly waiter.

Gunther was the waiter in the Friends café... not the Hard Rock Café.

Hardrock Gunter - Rifle, Belt and Bayonet

11. Barry Judd in negative.

Barry Judd was the character in Hi Fidelity played by Jack Black. In negative, he would be...

Jack White - Blunderbuss

10. Did you know that Henry VIII wanted to form an Eastern European football team, but he didn't have quite enough players?

If you have to explain the joke, it stops being funny...

Ten Pole Tudor - Swords Of A Thousand Men

9. Ian thought he was sweet.

Ian Dury sang about Sweet Gene Vincent.

Gene Vincent - Pistol Packin' Mama

8. Italian brothers.

Fratelli is brother in Italian...

The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger

7. Myanmar Tower of Strength.

Tower of Strength was a song by The Mission. Myanmar is Burma.

Mission of Burma - That's When I Reach for My Revolver

6. Oh, Tony, tax is such a mess, isn't it?

"Oh, Tony, tax" was an anagram.

Hoyt Axton - Torpedo

5. Paddy's Omen.

Paddy fields produce rice. Damien was in The Omen.

Damien Rice - Cannonball

4. You can't beat these nuns.

The Rhythm Sisters - Pocket Hand Grenade

3. Marvin gets jumpy.

Lee Marvin, that is.

Leapy Lee - Little Arrows

2. Stretch and massage...

Ways to relieve the cramps...

The Cramps - Bikini Girls With Machine Guns

1. He'll happily adjust any dam bras you give him.

"Any dam bras" was an anagram too.

Bryan Adams - Cuts Like A Knife

A much less threatening edition of Snapshots next Saturday...

Self-Help For Cynics #17: The Imposter

Elvis Costello - The Imposter

The esteemed SWC over at No Badger Required asked members of his Musical Jury to vote for our favourite tracks of the year, and I made a somewhat botched effort to offer mine last Friday. Botched because I chose two tracks rather than one (fail) including one that I knew would go down like a lead balloon with the NBR readership (fail) and another track which actually came out last year (fail). It's a privilege to be invited to vote in the various polls and countdowns SWC hosts on his blog, but I always end up feeling like a fraud when I do so. This is a regular problem for me as a member of the music blogosophere. Whenever I'm aware that my own opinions don't match up to those of the cognoscenti (i.e. most of the time), I end up feeling like Wayne and Garth meeting Alice Cooper...

 

Welcome to the world of Imposter Syndrome.

Lucky Soul - Could Be I Don't Belong Anywhere?

Another blogger who invites regular contributions from the 'sphere is our old pal John Medd. His Photo Challenge gets grander every month, and I'm always happy to send in an old snap or two... though I've never really worried about doing so. I don't consider myself a photographer, and I know very little about angles or composition or light sources, but if I can find a decent image that fits the brief: great. So I was rather surprised to read Khayem's comment this month...

I’ll confess to feelings of Imposter Syndrome - akin to Forest Green Rovers suddenly finding itself in the Premier League - but 2024 will undoubtedly inspire me to practice, practice, practice…

As with most of the other mental health issues I've written about in this series, there's a tendency to believe I'm the only one who experiences them... though the more I do this, the more I realise that's not the case. Healthline.com defines Imposter Syndrome thus...

Imposter syndrome, also called perceived fraudulence, involves feelings of self-doubt and personal incompetence that persist despite your education, experience, and accomplishments.

The Fratellis - Imposters (Little By Little)

I wonder why I feel Imposter Syndrome when asked for a musical opinion... but not when asked to send in a photo? I guess music matters more to me... but it must also link to an issue I've discussed a couple of times recently: tribalism. 

Still he done nobody wrong,

He knew he didn't belong,

But he went along.

The Band - Ferdinand The Imposter

Imposter Syndrome doesn't just affect me online though.... I've felt this way throughout my entire working life. It's probably another thing that stopped me succeeding as a writer, but even when I worked in radio, I felt it. When I started out, I was presenting (hospital radio) and co-presenting (local radio). Confidence was never an issue when I was on air... off air though, it was a different story. I worried that my voice wasn't as good as other DJs, my Yorkshire accent was too strong, I'd never be good enough to present my own show. 

Morrissey - Oh Phoney

Then, when I moved onto writing adverts, I was fine at coming up with ideas and presenting them to clients, but I always felt other people were better at it than me, and I'd never be good enough to work at a proper ad agency (not that I wanted to as I was pretty certain they were full of wankers... but still, wankers who were better paid and more respected than I was). When I was made redundant, I briefly tried to set myself up as a self-employed copywriter, but nothing came of it. 

Philwit & Pegasus - Pseudo Phoney Mixed-Up Croney 

Verywellmind.com gives the following as a good example of Imposter Syndrome...

You've started your own business; however, you don't like to promote yourself because you don't have the same level of experience or expertise as others in your field, making you feel like a fraud.

Alexander O'Neal - Fake

And so I retrained as a teacher, with the saying "Those who can, do..." echoing through my mind. I got a job at a college very easily. And I progressed up the ladder quickly. After only a few years, I was a Course Leader, in charge of English for the entire cohort of over 1000 GCSE resit students. How the hell did I get there? Who on earth thought I was capable of doing that job? I spent my entire time looking over my shoulder, certain I'd be found out any second. The only thing that prevented that from happening was a dawning realisation that most of the people above me were even more incompetent than I was. They were imposters too! Except they didn't seem to realise it... or just didn't care. There are lots of people who bullshit their way to the top and don't worry about it for a second. "Fake it till you make it!" they cry, relishing the trick they're getting away with. Oh, to be one of them...

Angelica - You Fake It, You Make It

Two years ago, I started my new job, and there were no more course leader or line manager responsibilities... I was just a teacher. I've written before about how blessed I feel to have got this job, but the Imposter Syndrome hasn't gone away. For one thing, most of my colleagues are former school teachers. Not second-rate college teachers. These guys really have survived the trenches!

The Gents - The Faker

Actually... I've heard some horror stories about what it's like to work in certain schools these days, but being a college teacher was certainly going the same way... for far less pay. That doesn't stop me feeling like a fraud working alongside "proper" teachers now, even though nobody here makes me feel that way at all. Is it all just in my head?

How do you know what you feel?

Is it real, is it?

How do you know what you see?

Is it seen, is it?

The Idle Race - Imposters of Life's Magazine

Work, relationships, being a parent... even being out in society, going to the shops, driving down the road... there's not one area of my life where I don't feel like a phoney. Like everyone else is doing a better job of it than me.

Moody Scott - I Don't Dig No Phoney

The online experts claim that Imposter Syndrome is linked to all kinds of other mental health matters, including perfectionism, lack of self-esteem and over-responsibility. To find out if you're a victim of Imposter Syndrome, Very Well Mind suggests asking yourself the following questions...

Do you agonize over even the smallest mistakes or flaws in your work?

Am I a pedant? Yes.

Do you attribute your success to luck or outside factors?

Absolutely. I also attribute my lack of success in certain endeavours to bad luck... but also my own incompetence. (I recognise that many people who are successful don't really deserve it - but that just adds feelings of jealousy and resentment to my self-recriminations.)  

Are you sensitive to even constructive criticism?

What are you saying?

Do you feel like you will inevitably be found out as a phoney?

Inevitably.

Do you downplay your own expertise, even in areas where you are genuinely more skilled than others?

This really is the worst music blog on the internet. I don't know why you bother reading it.

Well, some days life feels like a play that you have not rehearsed
But one thing's true of all of us sharing this universe
Is we could all be doing better and we could all be doing worse
And everyone you know feels like a fraud 

Grace Petrie - Nobody Knows That I'm A Fraud

So what can we imposters do to feel better about ourselves? Healthline advises...

Sharing imposter feelings can help them feel less overwhelming.

Hence, this post. 

Opening up to peers about how you feel encourages them to do the same, helping you realize you aren’t the only one who feels like an imposter.

Well, there's me and Khayem, at least.

Avoid comparing yourself to others.

Sorry, K. 

You may not excel in every task you attempt, but you don’t have to, either. Almost no one can “do it all.” Even when it seems like someone has everything under control, you may not know the full story.

One of Louise's friends told her recently that she didn't know anyone who wasn't either on some kind of mental health medication, taking part in some form of counselling, or on the verge of a break-up. Maybe a lot of people are just better at hiding it?

When imposter feelings surface, ask yourself whether any actual facts support these beliefs. Then, look for pieces of evidence to counter them.

Hmm. Now it's getting trickier...

Offering yourself kindness and compassion instead of judgment and self-doubt can help you maintain a realistic perspective and motivate you to pursue healthy self-growth.

Yes, yes... but can we really change the habits of a lifetime?

But I'm a creep

I'm a weirdo

What the hell am I doin' here?

I don't belong here

Celebrity Jukebox #85: Harry Belafonte

Certain stars just appear effortlessly cool. Harry Belafonte was one of them. Actor, singer and close friend and confidant of Martin Luther King, Harry was a legend. 

Let's see how he's remembered in the jukebox, starting with Tony Bennett, making up his own lyrics to a classic...

And if I never had a cent

I'd be rich as Harry Belafonte

With Barry Goldwater at my feet

On the sunny side of the street

Goldwater was a conservative Republican whom, I imagine, Harry had little time for.

Tony Bennett - Sunny Side of the Street

Quite a lot of rappers name-drop Harry, understandably given his prominent civil rights activism over the years. Here's Black Thought from The Roots with Danger Mouse...

Ayo, don't even worry 'bout it, my legendary stylin'

Between Harry Belafonte and Harry Allen

Danger Mouse & Black Thought -  Close To Famous

And here's some proper Old Skool, more my vintage...

If you compare the Big Daddy to a Caddy

I'd be an Allante, suave as Belafonte

Interplanetary and extraordinary

Big Daddy Kane - Git Bizzy

Whether rap or country, Harry was important to them all...

Raindrops thumping on my white-walled Chrysler

I'm keeping rhythm with the window wipers

Farmland's drinking every drop that falls

Lightning dancing to the fiddler's call

Black baby squeeze a hot dog bun

Grandpa's got wrinkles from too much sun

Harry Belafonte and the Dixie Dregs

Everybody's drinking from the same cold kegs

Michael Martin Murphey - Pilgrims on the Way (Matthew's Song)

Meanwhile, Aussie rockers The Church place Harry in very fine company...

Brian Wilson and William Tell
We welcome you
Harry Belafonte and Alexander Bell
We welcome you
Archangel Gabriel and Richard Hell
We welcome
And Tom Miller

The Church - Welcome

...while Jonathan Richman supported many of the same causes.

So join Nelson Mandela

And Susan Sarandon

Join Harry Belafonte as the list goes on and on

And protest with a letter, or maybe a phone call

For there on death row, stands Abu Jamal

Jonathan Richman - Abu Jamal

It seems like everyone wants to be as cool as Harry. Even the Fratellis...

Well, I'm gonna be imperious

I'm gonna be the next Harry Belafonte!

The Fratellis - Halloween Blues

Today belong to Joe Strummer though, who mentions Harry in not one, but two, of his tunes. Let's face it, if Joe Strummer namedrops you twice, you must be a legend.

Somebody's got to draw a line somewhere,
And it might as well be Harry Belafonte

Joe Strummer - Dizzy's Goatee

Because the noise inspectors with the sound detectors 

Were coming on down the beach 

And the counselors wanna pounce on us

There we go disturbing the peace 

And the Cornish sun had only just begun

To sink into the western sea 

So to keep it low so the cops don't know

I spun my Harry Belafonte 

My Top Ten Hollywood Songs

Back to my American tour... with ten songs about Tinseltown.

Special mention, of course, to Frankie. Relax!


10. Suede - This Hollywood Life

Brett Anderson's songwriting has always combined glitter and grubbiness, so an ode to the capital city of both seemed inevitable.

9. Kasey Chambers - Hollywood

Kasey laments the fact that real life ain't like the movies. A cliche, perhaps... but that voice!

8. Ryan Adams - Goodnight, Hollywood Boulevard

Yeah, right.

7. The Blue Nile - Tinseltown In The Rain

 Glaswegian genius, from their debut album... 28 years ago. (Ouch.)

6. Father John Misty - Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings

One of the more interesting new records I've discovered this year comes from ex-Fleet Fox J. Tillman aka Father John Misty. This is a standout track from his debut album (as FJM), Fear Fun.

5. The Wedding Present - Spider-Man On Hollywood

Comic book fan David Gedge obviously didn't think Hollywood's version of Spider-Man measured up to the one he read as a kid. And of course, he turns that into a metaphor for disappointing relationships.

4. Eminem - Say Goodbye To Hollywood

Another woe-is-my-awful-life ode from Slim Shady, but when he writes lines like this...

Bury my face in comic books, cause I don't want to look
At nothin', this world's too much

...well, obviously, I can relate.

Not to be confused with...

3. Billy Joel - Say Goodbye To Hollywood

Look, if you don't like Billy Joel... you don't like music. The Phil Spector-esque production on this BJ classic proved irresistible to Phil's ex, lead Ronette Ronnie Spector who went on to record her own version... with a little help from the legendary E Street Band.  

2. Codeine Velvet Club - Hollywood

Sometimes side projects prove more exciting than an artist's day job. Codeine Velvet Club was the brainchild of lead Fratelli Jon Lawler and Glasgow club singer Lou Hickey. The male/female harmonies and big 60s production numbers they created on the band's 2009 debut album promised great things... though sadly, it doesn't seem they're destined to work together again.

1. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Hollywood Nights

One of beardy-Bob's bristling best.

In those Hollywood nights
In those Hollywood hills
She was looking so right
In her diamonds and frills
All those big city nights
In those high rolling hills
Above all the lights
She had all of the skills

Which Hollywood hit is your heartthrob?