Elvis Costello - Man Out of Time

Love is always scarpering or cowering or fawning...

Elvis Costello - Everyday I Write The Book

Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal
I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel...

Elvis Costello - Chelsea

Inspired by this post of yours, I'm starting an Elvis Costello segment. What I like most about Costello is the way he combines great melodies with ironic, playful, clever lyrics. First up, this classic...

The Sisters of Mercy - Temple of Love

This is one of two bands (the other being The Damned) that remind me of Alastair Leyland. Haven't seen Al seen since college.

Spear of Destiny - The Wheel

I remember going to a Spear of Destiny concert in London with Ron Belgrave and Dagger many many years ago. Ron was a huge fan, and used to play this song a lot. I also remember Ron and I going to a few schools in the Southamption area to do skits and information sessions on Apartheid, which was very much alive and kicking at the time. Mandela was still behind bars and PW Botha was Prime Minister I think. In any case, this post is for Ron.

The Psychedelic Furs - Pretty in Pink

Another post for Dagger, to go with this one...

The Clash - The Card Cheat

My favorite track from one of the best albums ever recorded. I remember seeing The Clash in concert in Brixton but by that time they had descended into Rock the Casbah banality. I went to that concert with Eliseo "Dagger" D'Agostino, my best friend in college, to whom this post is dedicated. In fact, Dagger introduced me to much of the music I've posted this month, and we went to a bunch of great concerts together, including Orange Juice in Birmingham, The Psychedelic Furs in Southamption, and Spear of Destiny and Killing Joke, both in London. Dagger was events manager at Southampton University for a year and booked some interesting bands, including The Fall, Thompson Twins, Monochrome Set, Dead Kennedys and Maximum Joy. I'll post some of these too at some point.

Elvis Costello - Red Shoes

That Joe Jackson album 'Look Sharp' always reminds me of this Costello song. Shoes I guess. They were released one year apart, I think. The Elvis first.

Joe Jackson - It's Different for Girls

And while we're being memorious, as usual: this one reminds me of Ann Rohini, specifically in her flat in Ravenscourt Park.

Iggy and the Stooges - The Passenger

Used to remind me of Rachel Sharpe, now reminds me of Ruchir Joshi. Sadly. And it may remind you of Siouxie! I read that Iggy Pop decided he wanted to be a singer while riding with his father as a kid, when this came on the car radio.

The Stone Roses - I Wanna be Adored

This one's for Rajesh Joshi, who brought a Stone Roses tape with him when he visited us in Brooklyn all those years ago. Raj had such interesting and varied taste in music and I wasn't sure what to post for him. He liked REM and The Pixies, but also Cliff Richard and bhajans. I was tempted to post this or even this for him...

The Style Council - You're The Best Thing

Another reminder of college days... I'll post The Jam sometime soon, but meanwhile here's Paul Weller after he switched gears. A lot of Jam fans hated The Style Council and I saw Weller pelted with mud at a free outdoor concert in London once. The band played two songs and then walked off. This post is for Susan Pettit, who used to like the Style Council a lot if I remember right.

Roxy Music - Same Old Scene

Bit bland, but brings back memories...

Simple Minds - Promised You a Miracle

This reminds me of Nigel Couch, whom I knew in college but haven't been in touch with since... when he wasn't listening to Simple Minds he was playing Roxy Music. I'll post Same Old Scene next.

Squeeze - Up the Junction

Continuing with the theme of melancholy lyrics, although this one is not as piercing as the last two I posted...

Dire Straits - Tunnel Of Love

Another very lovely and sad song from Making Movies... it's worth listening closely to the lyrics.

She took off a silver locket, she said remember me by this
She put her hand in my pocket, I got a keepsake and a kiss
And in the roar of dust and diesel I stood and watched her walk
      away
I could have caught up with her easy enough but something must
      have made me stay...

And now I'm searching through these carousels and carnival arcades
Searching everywhere from Steeplechase to Palisades
In any shooting gallery where promises are made
To Rockaway, Rockaway... Rockaway, Rockaway
From Cullercoats and Whitley Bay... out to Rockaway

Dire Straits - Romeo and Juliet

This is from the Making Movies album, which has some of the most heartbreaking lyrics I've ever heard:

Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet, and you exploded into my heart
And I forget, I forget... the movie song
When you gonna realize, it was just that the time was wrong?

Come up on different streets, both were streets of shame
Both dirty, both mean, yes and the dream was just the same
And I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real
How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?

When you can fall for chains of silver, you can fall for chains of gold
You can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold
You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin, yeah
Now you just say "Oh Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a
      scene with him"

Juliet, when we made love, you used to cry
You said "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die"
There's a place for us... you know the movie song
When you gonna realize, it was just that the time was wrong?

I can't do the talk, like the talk on the TV
And I can't do a love song, like the way it's meant to be
I can't do everything, but I'd do anything for you
I can't do anything except be in love with you

And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be
All I do is keep the beat, and the bad company
And all I do is kiss you, through the bars of a rhyme
Julie, I'd do the stars with you anytime...

Echo and the Bunnymen - Silver

Must remember to post Ocean Rain and Killing Moon also at some point...

Prefab Sprout - When Love Breaks Down

I remember when we first started talking to each other about music, this is one band that came up a lot (along with Lloyd Cole, Echo and the Bunnymen, Elvis Costello, Clash and Smiths). I'll post Silver next.

Lloyd Cole and the Commotions - Charlotte Street

Had a hard time posting a Lloyd Cole song. Blocked for some reason. But this is one of my favourites from 'Rattlesnakes'.

James - So Many Ways

And from another debut album that year: 'Stutter'.

The Woodentops - Well Well Well

Gosh! Now that you've gone silent I'm going to catch up on that seminal period when we were both in inglan but didn't know each other. Three favourites from 1985. First the Woodentops...

David Bowie - In The Port of Amsterdam

Sorry can't avoid this chestnut--Bowie doing Jaques Brel. I really like it.

Spacehog - In the Meantime

And this guy frequently sounds like Bowie (and occasionally like Axl Rose)

Mott the Hoople - All The Young Dudes

I love "Low" generally. On a salacious note here:
Is Morrissey bitching about Bowie 'He was a fascinating artist in 1970-71'. But here are some Bowie protegés anyway.

David Bowie - Sound and Vision

This song is half-asleep for about a minute and a half and then suddenly comes to life...

Take a look at this music map. Looks like those who listen to Bowie also listen to Iggy Pop, Velvet Underground, and Lou Reed. Who knew? Actually the bands on the fringes are more interesting: Brian Eno, Clash, Talking Heads, Pogues, and yes, Bauhaus! All of these are worth posting at some point.

Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure

I had no idea how to follow your last post, so I'll just stick with the duo theme... this is a video remix made to look like a joint performance but it's all I could find.

Speaking of duos, do you remember the song we recorded for the gang of four (Malini, Madhavi, Bindu, Aaliyah) before they took off for Europe? Chidiya Jaise Bindu Khati, Malini to Jaise Haathi? Ronnie was on percussion with a saucepan lid...

Bob Dylan & George Harrison - If Not For You

Oh dear Rajiv, what with your last two posts and the incredible news about R I have to post this duet of the young coots.

George Harrison - My Sweet Lord

One more for Ronnie (a.k.a. Isaiah)...

Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay

I don't know much about the Allman Brothers but I do know that Ronnie loved Dylan. Maybe someday his son (Ravi Garcia-Basu) will come across this blog and discover something about his father.

Listening to this is making me feel terribly sentimental...

Alpha Blondy - Travailler C'est Trop Dur

Ronnie played Alpha Blondy all the time. This one seems kind of apt. From his pre-rasta phase he loved the Allman Brothers and he was a Lenonist I think

Shabba Ranks - Mr. Loverman

Another Ronnie favorite... I was thinking of starting a segment dedicated to him but aside from Reggae Dancehall, all I can think of is Bob Dylan... any ideas?

JC Lodge - Telephone Love

Transitioning from Roots to Dancehall now... I remember Ronnie blasting this in the Brooklyn apartment and it will always remind me of him.

Black Uhuru - Youth of Eglington

I still have no idea where Eglington is...

Gregory Isaacs - Night Nurse

This skips a couple of times at the start but settles down... no video unfortunately but the audio is pretty good and the segment wouldn't be complete without it...

Dennis Brown - Money in my Pocket

Another Classic...

Sugar Minott - Good Thing Going

A classic...

This starts a segment dedicated to Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, the most prolific rhythm section and production team in history, who have produced and performed on albums by Sugar Minott, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Black Uhuru, Chaka Demus & Pliers, and dozens more. Rumor has it they've done around 200,000 tracks, which I don't think is too much of an exaggeration...

Alpha Blondy - Cocody Rock

Back to basics...

Epik High (ft. Kensie) - I Remember

High quality audio here.

Bally Sagoo (ft. Gunjan) - Noorie

Can't get this song out of my head... better audio here

Asian Dub Foundation - Riddim I Like

Live at the Fuji Rock Festival, Japan...

Asian Dub Foundation - Fortress Europe

Amazing how much things have changed in the UK. Not only can you get curries in pubs now, but Asian kids can listen to stuff like this. All we had were Bid of the Monochrome Set and maybe Freddie Mercury...

High quality audio here

Bally Sagoo - Gori Naal Ishq Mitha

Starting an Asian segment now... Chura Liya is sadly all alone down below but here's Bally Sagoo again...

The Pointer Sisters - Fire

Hey, welcome back... the opening guitar riff in the Tom Waits song you posted is almost identical to the opening here, not sure which came first...

Tom Waits - Downtown Train

And this though it's just a heartbreak song I guess. Got this in Duesseldorf too. I remember reading a 'marxist' review in a student rag in NYC slamming the song for the lines about working class Brooklyn girls on the downtown train.

Gang of Four - Damaged Goods

And this... which I think you knew before but I heard via Drew Simpson in Brooklyn.

Violent Femmes - Add It Up

And sticking with thwarted love/frustration in the 1980s (I know you've raced ahead to other genres but I have to catch up). This was a brilliant album. I bought it in Duesseldorf 1986?

The Smiths - Handsome Devil

"There's more to life than books, you know--but not much more." Was sulking ever since you did The Smiths after Joy Division because I tried to post this and it didn't work. I think I fixed it now.

Bally Sagoo - Chura Liya

Still by far the best of the Bollywood Remixes... Asha Bhonsle and Mohammad Rafi on the original vocals...

Everything But The Girl - Missing

One of the many remixes...

Everything But The Girl - Each and Everyone

Can't decide whether Tracey Thorn's voice is naturally melancholy, or whether it's her singing style that makes her sound so sad... in any case, my favorite EBTG song.

KT Tunstall - Other Side Of The World

Or at least the other side of the Atlantic...

Regina Spektor - On The Radio

No, this is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took
And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood
And walking arm in arm
You hope it don't get harmed
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again...

Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meeets Body

Killers naturally lead to Death...

The Killers - Mr. Brightside

Great bands influenced by The Smiths: #3

Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees

Great bands influenced by The Smiths, #2.

The Cranberries - Dreams

Great bands influenced by The Smiths: #1.

The Smiths - William, It Was Really Nothing

As promised...

The Associates - Party Fears Two

From one Scot (Edwyn Collins) to another (Billy Mackenzie). Like Ian Curtis of Joy Division, Mackenzie committed suicide. Apparently "William, It was Really Nothing" by The Smiths is about him, I'll post that next.

Orange Juice - I Can't Help Myself

Nothing worth finding is easily found, try as one might... That was supposed to sound very profound, probably sounds trite... Just like the Four Tops, I can't help myself... brilliant.

The Monochrome Set - The Jet Set Junta

One of the smartest, most underrated bands ever...

The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Well, you seem to have disappeared for a while so I'll keep posting. Hard to follow Joy Division. There's nothing by New Order I really like, and I can't find good versions of early Cure. So I settled for this, probably my favorite Smiths song. And its suitably moody.

Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

I had to post this sooner or later, might as well do it now. Lots of musical histories begin with a Joy Division performance, and there are so many interesting directions you could take from here. Looking forward to see what you come up with.

Cocteau Twins - Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops

I can't make out a word of what Elizabeth Fraser is singing and even if I could it probably wouldn't make any sense. But I guess that's the point. In any case, the Cocteau Twins were ahead of their time, anticipating the emergence of trip hop by a decade. This particular track is brilliant.

The Human League - Empire State Human

This is from the original Human League, before Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh left to form Heaven 17. Actually it sounds very Heaven 17ish as you'll see.

Soft Cell - Say Hello Wave Goodbye

Interesting that you posted Are Friends Electric... I was thinking of posting Cars but will wait for a while now.

We can't exit from synth without some Soft Cell, right?

Sparks - #1 Song In Heaven

Sorry, but I had to whack this in from the old blog while we're still on synths. I was saving it for the Irony list but what the hell.

Tubeway Army - Are Friends Electric?

You're not going new romantic on me? Can we take the synths as a theme? This was one of the first songs I heard and liked in England in 1979.

Kraftwerk - The Model

Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier...

OMD - If You Leave

Transitioning out of ska mode now, we can always come back later. Here's a song that has stood the test of time and still gets a fair amount of airplay.

Not sure where to go from here though. I'm definitely not posting Spandau Ballet or Classix Nouveaux. Maybe you'll think of something.

Regarding the PC stuff, once we get there, we should remember Barack the Magnificent by Mighty Sparrow.

Oh, and I changed the artist name on your last post to The Beat, which is how I remember them. For some reason they were marketed in the US as The English Beat.

The Beat - Mirror in the Bathroom

And before you post this...

Dandy Livingstone - A Message To You Rudy

Tried and failed to post toots and maytals '54-46 was my number' twice. Let's see if this works. Original version of course. And hey I was saving 'Mandela' for the PC list. And Dammers for the Indian! list.

Special AKA - Free Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela has long been free but this is still a good song and there was a time when it would get everyone dancing at college parties in Southampton. There's also a slightly weird recent live version by Amy Winehouse that you can find on YouTube.

By the way, did you know that Jerry Dammers was born in India?

Why aren't you posting? I've done three in a row now...

Bad Manners - Lip Up Fatty

I know it's your turn to post but I wanted to get this classic up before we move on from the ska segment...

The Selecter - On My Radio

Sticking with the ska theme, here's one of my favorites from the British revival, with the amazing Pauline Black on lead vocal. The volume is a bit low on this so crank it up...

The Ethiopians - Train to Skaville

Then this, I'd put it on the musicblog too. The third one I can't find on youtube. I've got it on cassette so I'll try to put it up myself but there's a clip here. It's Leonard Dillon the lone 'Ethiopian' and 'Locust' Great

Amy Winehouse - You're Wondering Now

Finally, Amy Winehouse, live in Berlin. I really like this version.

Andy and Joey - You're Wondering Now

Next, the original... check out the dancing.

The Specials - You're Wondering Now

I'm posting three versions of the same amazing song. First up, The Specials, from an amazing debut album...

Camera Obscura - Lloyd I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken

An 'answer song' to the last track of my favourite album of 1984: Lloyd Cole and the Commotions 'Rattlesnakes'. This one reminds me of the Bunnymen as well somehow.

Elvis Costello - Watching The Detectives

I remember watching this performance live on Top of the Pops. It was so much edgier and more interesting than anything I'd seen before and it opened my eyes to a whole new world of music. Favorite line: Now fear is here to stay, love is here for a visit...

Thin Lizzy - Whiskey in the Jar

Musha ring dum a doo dum a da. Whack fol my daddy o!

Bob Marley - Trenchtown Rock

Here it is, the song that inspired the blog title and url. Like all good poetry, simple and precise. We'll be posting all kinds of music videos here, with occasional commentary, so stay tuned.