My iPod #213: Blur - Country Sad Ballad Man

I'm back in uni! Yaaaaaaaaaay.

The three weeks back at home were good, well they were okay. It was nice being with the family but it did get very dull within a few days. Home just doesn't compare to university. I am sorry, sis.

"Country Sad Ballad Man" is the third track from Blur's self-titled album from 1997. Blur decided that they were done with the whole 'Britpop' scene by this time, and instead wanted to make some standard indie rock, Pavement influenced material instead of the character narratives that Damon Albarn had written for the last three albums.

I listened to "Blur" the whole way through during the late summer last year. I was lying in bed and was starting to fall asleep but I do remember hearing this tune. Coming after "Beetlebum" and "Song 2", the first and second singles which I knew inside and out, "Country Sad" was the first that left me in the place where I had no idea what was going to come next.

It takes quite some time to start. A steady, ticking drum beat along with an mouth harp start things off sluggishly, and then the deep bass and almost mono-aural guitar comes in. It all sounds very enclosed and compact. Damon alternates his pitch going from high to sounding weary and tired, whilst singing about self-pity and isolating himself from society. Entertaining stuff.

Weary and tired is very much the atmosphere that "Country Sad" achieves; that is until Graham suddenly brings in the guitars for the last minute or so which raises spirits for a bit but in the end, this song is not one to listen to if you want to make yourself feel better about something.

If you're disappointed with my 'thesis' on the song, here are some funny arrangements that you can change title too:

"Country Bad Salad Man"
"Country Mad Ballad-San"
"Country Mad Salad Ban"

.........Those aren't funny.

My iPod #212: Blur - Country House

"Country House" by Blur was the first single from the band's fourth album "The Great Escape". Released at the height of 'Britpop' in 1995, the single went head-to-head with Oasis' song "Roll with It" for the number one spot. "Country House" won, and stayed number one for two weeks before Michael Jackson knocked it off.

The song is about a man who buys a house in the country (no..... really?) to get away from the city but still isn't very happy with his life. You wouldn't be able to tell though. It reminds me of one of those songs that, when you're really drunk, you grab your mate and put your arm around their shoulder and start yelling the words along to it. Then the brass coda kicks in near the end and you start doing the can-can and stuff.

It never fails to cheer me up, even though it can become a bit grating if you were to repeat it over and over again. Just because of the over emphasised English accent and the cheery music. It just shouts out, "Hey! We're soooo British, look at us!" and that could annoy some people.

My iPod #211: Wings - Country Dreamer

I am late, I know, forgive me. I did have a good day today. I went to Romford with mates, had some Nandos and watched American Hustle (which is a good film that I recommend, unlike 47 Ronin). It is probably the last time I'll go out before I go back to university on Tuesday, which I am very much looking forward to.

"Country Dreamer" is a track that Wings recorded in 1972 for their album "Red Rose Speedway". It didn't make it on there, and was released as a B-Side to "Helen Wheels", a single they released the year after.

After starting to like The Beatles in 2009, 2010 was the year that I began to listen to each member's solo material. I knew Paul McCartney was in Wings, and what is generally considered to be the band's best album? "Band on the Run", duh. So I downloaded that, and this song was the last one. Apparently the version I downloaded was a re-release of the album from 1993.

This song's very frilly and a bit sappy. It is too happy. Paul sings about wanting to different things with 'you' and asks if you would like to do it too. The things he wants to do take place in the country (he was into that type of scenery a bit) because he dreams of doing that stuff there, and with 'you' he knows that it can all come true. That's basically it. If you like it, that's cool.