So this is actually today's as far as I can tell, hope you've enjoyed today's mixed bag of entries, will be doing my utmost to keep up as I keep saying, but here we go with another one!
Song: Wolf Kidult Man
Album: Imperial Wax Solvent
Year: 2007
So this is a rough-as-hell bluesy number with some very cool vocals, cooly delivered I mean, its MES visiting film noir again, this is a great big dirty number and sounds as if it has been scraped along a concrete floor before being mastered.
The guitars buzz with that 'garage band' feel MES has been so keen to deliver for years, her sounding like they have been recorded in one, the earthed amps you can almost see, their grills shaking the cobwebs of long-dead spiders loose. This is The Fall getting mean and meaning it, the drums clatter and crash, the production on Mark's vocals seems to hiss and steam.
The lyrics here are part-mythological, concerning a werewolf I imagine, the sample at the start, a primeval howl, signals the dark nature of the song, but as usual, MES mixes in some current references, 'Where is your mum?' being a particularly funny example, taking out the serious side of an often po-faced legend (you know the type of thing, that Twilight nonsense being a good example).
Mark's love of The Twilight Zone (the only twilight show worth watching) rears its head again, as a recording of the episode Printers Devil appears at the end, again cementing the weird, sci-fi elements of the song. I love the fact he can slip in references like this now and again, something completely self-indulgent, but something we fans can sink our teeth into (no pun intended).
Showing posts with label the twilight zone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the twilight zone. Show all posts
Saturday, 21 May 2011
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Day 57: Enter the Twilight Zone.
Today's song is a belter from This Nation's Saving Grace, which is fast becoming one of my favourites, this song is named after an episode of The Twilight Zone, a science fiction/fantasy show that has run in sporadic fits and bursts since 1959. I can see how the show fits with MES's world view, it featured interesting, off-kilter storylines and underwent crazy plot twists. I really must seek out the DVD compilations.
This song's Twilight Zone episode is about a salesman who can sell people whatever they need before he or the person buying whatever the item is know they need it. I'd say that Mark's lyrics here are very little to do with the episode, but take the theme of giving people advice or guidance and pushes it relentlessly.
Song: What You Need
Album: This Nation's Saving Grace
Year: 1985
So this song has some amazing instrumentation in it, a walking bassline courtesy of Steve Hanley and some great keyboard work from Simon Rogers, it almost sounds like the incidental music you hear at American baseball games, very original. The lyrics are delivered in this great way, the band backing MES up all the way through with group vocals, quite a rare thing, but it works, it gives it an unhinged, manic aspect. Mark's lyrics almost become a call and response later on, he makes lists out of lines all the way through, the band cutting through this with their collected shouting. All very impressive. I'd say the lyrics are a response to advice or things people have mentioned to MES and he is simply ignoring their advice, the backing vocals almost act like a backdrop, they could be the people telling him what he needs and his solo vocals could be the reaction. I like the references to The Brothers Copeland and Iggy Stooge, The Fall have many influences and The Stooges is one that comes up all the time, maybe this is either an acknowledgement or a refusal to accept that comparison. As ever it's very open to interpretation.
This song's Twilight Zone episode is about a salesman who can sell people whatever they need before he or the person buying whatever the item is know they need it. I'd say that Mark's lyrics here are very little to do with the episode, but take the theme of giving people advice or guidance and pushes it relentlessly.
Song: What You Need
Album: This Nation's Saving Grace
Year: 1985
So this song has some amazing instrumentation in it, a walking bassline courtesy of Steve Hanley and some great keyboard work from Simon Rogers, it almost sounds like the incidental music you hear at American baseball games, very original. The lyrics are delivered in this great way, the band backing MES up all the way through with group vocals, quite a rare thing, but it works, it gives it an unhinged, manic aspect. Mark's lyrics almost become a call and response later on, he makes lists out of lines all the way through, the band cutting through this with their collected shouting. All very impressive. I'd say the lyrics are a response to advice or things people have mentioned to MES and he is simply ignoring their advice, the backing vocals almost act like a backdrop, they could be the people telling him what he needs and his solo vocals could be the reaction. I like the references to The Brothers Copeland and Iggy Stooge, The Fall have many influences and The Stooges is one that comes up all the time, maybe this is either an acknowledgement or a refusal to accept that comparison. As ever it's very open to interpretation.
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