R.I.P. Lou Reed…
While this is a little bit of a cliched track to post, it remains my favourite of his. It is taken from his classic 1972 album Transformer, which was his second solo album after quitting the seminal Velvet Underground in 1970.
Lou Reed:
/RjK
I heard the classic track Town Called Malice played in a bar last night. It has perhaps one of my all time favourite song openings.
This made me think that I had posted criminally few tracks by The Jam, who were one of the best British bands of the 70’s. This is taken from 1979’s Setting Sons. Also, how amazing is this video! The amazing Paul Weller (a big hero of mine) looks almost unbelievably young.
The Jam:
/RjK
CjK Guest Post – Summer Cover #2
Punk was at its height in 1978 when The Stranglers released the ‘Black and White‘ album. Anarchy was the order of the day. Here the Stranglers were thumbing there noses at Burt Bacharach and Hal David syrupy love songs, and turned it into a guitar driven rant, with an admittedly a long slightly indulgent solo.
Of course they also recorded ‘Golden Brown’ a syrupy love song to heroin. It is not recorded what Burt Bacharach made of this version but I suspect its not going into his desert island discs…
The Stranglers:
/CjK
The Sex Pistols* – God save The Queen
Punk isn’t a genre that has ever particularly grabbed me. It is a little too spiky and lacking in melody for my ears. However, this feels like the right song to post today. You have to give it up for HM, 60 years on the throne is no joke.
RjK
*Artist #457
Japandroids – Younger Us
As promised on Thursday I have slowly begun to sift through reviews of the SXSW festival in Austin to find some gems for you. Look out for some in the coming days.
These guys were favourites from last year and I read a glowing review of one of their festival shows. They are slightly noisier and more angular than the music that normally moves me but I find the youthful energy and vigour here just irresistible.
Also, Japandroids might be my favourite band name ever…
RjK
Stiff little fingers – Alternative Ulster
This seems like the right track to post today. It is sort of strange to be in London, where it is just a regular day with no one batting an eyelid. No parades, lambeg drums or bowler hats. I am not sure I miss it too much.
This is one of the few punk songs that ever spoke to me. It has a killer opening few bars. While times have changes significantly since it was released in 1979 the song’s message still rings true today.