My iPod #279: The Who - The Dirty Jobs

Maybe I should have tweeted that there wasn't going to be a post yesterday. It would save time in having to explain why. I was out, and for anyone that was desperately waiting for that usual update in their Twitter feed.... I am sorry. Dreadfully sorry. But it's here now, and will be followed by another one soon.

Here's one random question I want to ask..... Is it wrong to be young and really like The Who? This randomly came up as a thought when I was listening to The Who on shuffle, when I was on the train back to university from Liverpool. I think The Who are amazing (or were); "My Generation" through to "Who Are You" speak for themselves. But I've never met in person or seen on the internet anyone my age who feels the same way. I feel as if The Who's the kind of band who are only listened to by middle-aged men trying to make their name in the rock music business or something. You see, hear or research about new bands who say that they are influenced by The Beatles.... or material that the members went on to produce in their solo careers. But you never really see any new and talented vocalist say they are inspired by Roger Daltrey, or a bass player inspired by John Entwistle. I stress that this is new bands that I'm talking about here. There are loads of bands I listen to who admire each and every member. But.... I don't know. Maybe it's a generation thing..... That pun wasn't intentional.

That's something you guys can think upon.

But enough of that. Today's track is "The Dirty Jobs", a song from the band's second 'rock opera' "Quadrophenia". At this point in the album's 'plot', the narrator has left home and meets these workers who do 'the dirty jobs', such as looking after pigs and driving the miner bus. The narrator criticises them for not sticking the middle finger up to 'the man'. That sums the song up lyrically.

It's astonishing how though in this song - hell, through the whole album - it is the four members of The Who who play every instrument you hear. Except for the piano part that's played a session musician. I brick-walled the track using Audacity (something I still have polarizing feelings about now). It's very loud, mostly thanks to the constant cymbal thrashing and drum pounding from Keith Moon, but I can't listen to it any other way. Just everything about the song is brilliant. Awesome. Great. Fantastic. Can't think of superlatives to emphasise how good the track is.

Actually, just listen to "Quadrophenia". You must. You won't forgive yourself if you don't. Arguably The Who's creative peak as a group.

My iPod #248: The Beatles - A Day in the Life

"A Day in the Life" is the grand finale of The Beatles influential 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Many consider this to be the greatest song the group did, and see it as the pinnacle of the experimentation the four guys had been undertaking during the mid 60s.

2007 was its 40th anniversary, and it was of an immense deal that the cast of Eastenders did a cringeworthy tribute of it for Comic Relief (take some time to think before you go to this) and a whole bunch of other bands (from Stereophonics to The Fray) got together to do a cover album as a tribute too. But it was two years later in 2009, when I first listened to the album and therefore the song. I did not think that it was worth all that fuss. I found out that it was. It's still not my favourite of theirs though.

In terms of the track... I think I was looked at its article on Wikipedia one time (God knows why) and the overwhelming detail it listed about "A Day" - its background, the dates it was recorded on, the crescendos of the brass, the combination of Lennon and McCartney's separate song ideas, the almighty piano chord at the end - it made me think I was missing out on a song of epic proportions. I had to listen to it.

Funnily enough, I didn't care for it so much the first time. I was thirteen. This opinion has changed. It is one of the greatest album closers ever.

My iPod #247: Soundgarden - The Day I Tried to Live

"The Day I Tried to Live" is a track, and also was a single, from Soundgarden's album "Superunknown", which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The band plan to reissue the whole album along with b-sides, outtakes and some cool t-shirts. You can pre-order the bundle here!

The song is another one of those which I heard for the first time when its video (above) appeared on MTV2. I liked it from that moment on. The descending bass riff at the beginning and its weird time signature (it changes from 7/4 to 4/4 throughout) was what caught my attention. The song also showed me how amazing Chris Cornell actually is as a vocalist. "Cochise", "Black Hole Sun", "Original Fire" - all those sung by him were some tracks that I'd seen on the TV before "The Day", but they never exhibited the range the man possesses. At some point in "The Day", Cornell's sings in a low register before screaming like a banshee in a split second. All in what is probably one take too. It is incredible.

Apparently, people have taken this track to be something of a suicide kind of thing, but Cornell stated that it is simply about getting out of the house and doing normal things instead of being a recluse. It is meant to be optimistic. He said so here almost twenty years ago. I will continue to listen to it with that mindset.

My iPod #246: Guttermouth - A Day at the Office

"A Day at the Office" is a song from Guttermouth's third album "Teri Yakimoto". I didn't find the track by actually listening to "Teri", but was listening to my own customised radio station on Launch. I always talk about this site... but I'm not sure if anyone knows what I'm talking about. It looked like this.

When the song came on, it was listed to be on the soundtrack for the film "Godmoney", a movie that I've never bothered to watch after all these years and probably won't in the near future. I also assume that the site didn't have "Teri Yakimoto" in its database or something.

The phrase 'a day at the office' is defined as 'an ordinary or typical event' by thefreedictionary.com. The track details a kid who is electrocuted by the next door neighbour, a guy who falls off a roof while his family go on a trip and eventually the death of everybody when a power plant 'blows' unexpectedly and sends deadly toxins into the sky. These are not ordinary or typical events. But obviously that's the joke.

What also adds to the humour is that the melody is really cheerful, so the lyrics don't really affect you until you properly read them.

"Pleasant dreams and thanks for listening."

My iPod #245: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Date with the Night

How's everybody doin'.

I didn't know Yeah Yeah Yeahs until 2006, the year the band's second LP came out. It was that year that my sis started to like the one-woman-two-men group and borrowed "Fever to Tell", the band's first album released in 2003, from a friend.

"Date with the Night" was Fever's first single. It is about getting ready for a night out, looking forward to what awaits and wishing to fulfil expectations.

This song is noise. It isn't one you want to listen to if you need to relax. Guitars are screeching, drums are booming, lead singer Karen O moans and howls endlessly at various points of the track. Pretty hot stuff. Very hot actually.

I'll stop there.

My iPod #241: Franz Ferdinand - The Dark of the Matinée

"The Dark of the Matinée" was the second single from Franz Ferdinand's debut album, released in February 2004.

According to Kapranos, or what I could make from him before he introduced this song at a festival, the track is about skiving off school and hiding away in the shadows of the matinée. Every music channel showed the song as simply "Matinée" which is (I'm guressing) what everybody generally calls it. Maybe even some Franz Ferdinand fans if they're too occupied to say the full title. Either way it is the same song, but it is the darkness of the matinée which is being specified that is being established as the hiding place, and not just the building itself.

Whatever.

It is remarkable to think it has been ten years since I first heard this. This was one of my favourite songs at the time. I thought the video made the song even better. The 'robotic' choreography, Alex Kapranos' fringe and the huge painting of Terry Wogan during the final verse. I had daydreams of being in a band and making a video like it. I wanted Looking at it now makes me want to that eight years old who would wake up early in the morning to watch MTV2, actually watch music videos and discover bands for the first time all over again.

It wasn't as successful as "Take Me Out", which I'll get on to ages from now, but to me it certainly brings back some good memories.

My iPod #227: Billy Talent - Cut the Curtains

I just completely messed up my dinner by leaving it on the cooker for too long. I am a bit depressed now. I had to throw it in the bin; there was no way it could be salvaged. I had the same thing to eat yesterday and it was so good...... :( ffs. I think that cooker is too OP, I didn't even have it on a high flame.... I'll just cook it tomorrow.

It almost the end of the C section on my iPod, and it is getting to the year anniversary of when I actually first started this thing. Expect the 'D' (hehe) next month sometime. Late Feb.

"Cut the Curtains" is a track from Billy Talent's self-titled debut album. The ninth track on it to be exact. I first listened to the track many years ago, when I wanted to hear all the songs the band made after I'd seen them on the television when I was eight or so.

Even then it was only thirty second samples of it because I didn't know any downloading sites where you didn't have to pay. I did eventually get it as a present for my tenth/eleventh birthday, I am not too sure.

After all these years, I still enjoy this album just as much as when I first got it. "Cut the Curtains" isn't the sole reason why, it is one out of twelve songs that never diminishes on energy, volume, and overall awesomeness.

This track is quite different to the others. It uses a riff, one which I think Ian D'Sa referred to as a chicken, that is practically repeated throughout the song (intro, verses, choruses and all). It probably contains the only part on the album when a track goes quiet for a few seconds. It's not as quick and pacy as the others, but has a menacing tone and smoothness about it that you still have to move about to it. It's cool.

The subject matter.... Artifice in a relationship? Maybe? Just a guess.

My iPod #208: The Beatles - The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill

Finally! After almost three years from its release, I have seen the last Harry Potter film. The feels! I kid you not, just two minutes ago I finished watching it. Thank you MegaShare. I never thought I could get an actual working link as the top result on Google, but there you go.

Today's track is one that would not be acclaimed by a lot of Beatle fans. It was one of my most played tracks in iTunes, which would either impress some people or gain some curious looks by others.

Well I don't care! I like it. The song's quite funny. And one based on real events. An American man went to visit his mother in India, where John Lennon and the rest of the band were staying at the time, and set out on elephants to hunt a tiger. A tiger was killed, John didn't like it, the rest is history.

The song is also noted for the one and only appearance of a female lead vocal on a Beatles track. This pisses off some people, as it was provided by Yoko Ono. For me.... meh. I am indifferent. It is over before you know it.

My iPod #207: The Raconteurs - Consoler of the Lonely

Sorry for the late post, I had started writing at around seven and then some events occurred which prevented me from finishing it... But here it is.

First day of the new year but the posting doesn't stop. You think I would take a day off for this momentous occasion? You is stupid. I would never do that. Even though I am at my friend's place and easily could have missed today. But I feel as if it would have been a waste to let this day go without making a mark on it, so here we go.

I bought "Consolers of the Lonely" in 2008 just because I really liked "Salute Your Solution" and wanted to listen to it on repeat without waiting for it to appear on MTV2. That resulted in me a skipping the almost title track when I first got the album. That was a silly mistake.

I did have a reason as to why I did. The slow guitar introduction did not impress me so I skipped the whole song altogether, not knowing that the song actually changed into a full-on hard rock tune.

Something that I really liked about the first single from the album was the change of the band's sound. I know that's said for a lot of artists, but compared to "Broken Boy Soldiers" which sounded like a band writing their tracks and then recording them in a small studio, "Consolers of the Lonely" was the sound of a band ready to take on the biggest festivals and fill the largest stadiums.

With the track beginning on a quiet note, a bunch of studio chatter and aforementioned guitar I wasn't expecting much. That was until the count-in from the drumsticks appeared and the real song began. The first chord accompanied with the pounding rhythm section hit me like a ton of bricks. It sounded so good. Brendan Benson's vocals sound as rich as ever, and work ever so well as the 'lonely' character as detailed in the album name.

Then the middle begins. The song slows down, and the guitar from the introduction is the backbone of it. Very clever! So it wasn't some sort of random lick that they just threw in, it actually has purpose. Jack White strides in as the 'consoler' as he offers the loner 'something good to eat' and slap-bang we're back to the pumping verses again.

It's all done really smoothly. This song is one containing a lot of changes. The best one is saved for the last minute when the song suddenly gains pace and the band execute one of the best breakdowns I have out of all the songs I have on my Apple product.

My iPod #196: Maxïmo Park - The Coast Is Always Changing

"The Coast Is Always Changing" is a track from Maxïmo Park's first album "A Certain Trigger" which was released in 2005. The eighth track on that album if I remember correctly.

It was a single too. Their very very very first single. Like even before "Apply Some Pressure". I didn't know this song existed until the video played on MTV2, and that was way after the album had been released anyway.

One thing that irks me about this song, and others on "Trigger", is that it sounds a lot different from "Apply Some Pressure", "Graffiti" and "Going Missing". Has anyone else noticed this apart from me? In terms of production this song, "I Want You to Stay" and "Signal and Sign" for example sound really rough. A bit like demo recordings. Whereas the former three sound really polished. I don't know if that's just me. Maybe it is.

I do like this song though, however different it sounds to the other singles.

My iPod #170: Supergrass - Caught by the Fuzz

Supergrass' first official single as a band. Sounding like it was recorded in a few minutes in cramped and compact room, "Caught by the Fuzz" is an autobiographical account of lead singer Gaz Coombe's first time of being arrested by the police when he was only 15.

The song is very quick. Quite punk-esque, with a semi-talking verse and a belter of a chorus which all end with the word 'tonight'. Well, it's not really a chorus. But if you listen to it, you will understand what I mean.

The film "Hot Fuzz" has this track playing during the credits, so if you wanted to know what that song was called.... here it is.

It is the second song on the band's first album "I Should Coco", a bit of Cockney rhyming slang for those of you who aren't familiar.

My iPod #166: They Might Be Giants - The Cap'm

"The Cap'm" is the second most popular They Might Be Giants song from "The Else" according to TMBW, coming in at #40 on the overall song rating chart. Why is this? Well, I can't speak for all of the fans who rated it. What I can tell you is why I like it though. That is probably what you expect, as that is what I have done for every song on my iPod since February.

What is probably the most interesting aspect of the song is the incongruous relationship between the lyrics and everything about the music. The music itself sounds very uplifting, from the chord progressions to the vocals. But the lyrics are from the point of view of a pretentious and egoistic narrator. Almost like "And Your Bird Can Sing" by The Beatles.... That's another song I like. Maybe, more bands should go with that formula, because the two songs I know of that use it have done no wrong.

Jamie.

My iPod #153: Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way

Well, here I am. The end of another letter. It's the end of 'B'. I've been doing this since the day I finished my A-Levels, and now I'm in university. That's crazy. It's weird to think about. It seems very fitting for it to end on this note.

When will 'C' start? God only knows. I wouldn't say this is the end of "My iPod", but I can't see a point in the near future when I'll start writing about my favourite songs in alphabetical order. It's a shame. It will be back... soon. Hopefully.

----------

The video for this song is now censored when it plays on "MTV Rocks" in the UK. It takes out all the best scenes too. Why?! I don't get it.

"By the Way" was the Chili Peppers' first single and title track of the band's eighth album in 2002. The song proved to be very popular in the USA and the UK reaching number one in the many charts they have in the former, and number two in the latter.

The music video features Dave Sheridan (Officer Doofy) who kidnaps Anthony Kiedis with his taxi, a lot of other shit happens, Anthony escapes and Sheridan picks up Chad Smith at the end. It's action-packed to say the least. If you haven't seen it, it's probably one of the best videos that accompanies the tone and mood of the song.

The song initially trolls you with its quiet, Scar Tissue-esque introduction before launching into a pumping combat/style instrumental break driven by Flea's bass and Anthony's rapping before launching into the uprising chorus. It's brilliant stuff to listen to.

I guess that's it. I'll see you when I see you. I hope you'll be waiting for......... me.

Jamie.

My iPod #149: Queens of the Stone Age - Burn the Witch

"Burn the Witch" was released as the third single from Queens of the Stone Age's fourth album "Lullabies to Paralyze". That album was their most recent when I started listening to the band's music in 2005, and I can remember the video for the song being shown multiple times on the television.

"Lullabies" is a much darker album, believe it or not, compared to "Songs for the Deaf". The guitars are much harsher and there is an overall sense of gloom and obscurity that is built in each song. "Burn the Witch" is no different. The song begins with these harsh whispers before jumping into its ominous stomping beat which carries on throughout the song along with the contrast of Josh Homme's falsetto vocals with Mark Lanegan and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top's gravelly, lower tones. The bass line which mimics the vocal melody of the verses repeats throughout too, and all of these combined make up a tune which will disturb you to your soul.

The music video builds this feeling of doom with very freaky imagery. It does look quite cheap and you don't know whether to laugh because everything looks fake, but who wouldn't feel a little discomfort if you witnessed a witch with an army of skeletons coming towards you? You wouldn't just feel a little bit frightened. You'd run away, duh.

Have fun. Sweet dreams.

Jamie.

My iPod #148: Billy Talent - Burn the Evidence

"Burn the Evidence" is the closing track from Billy Talent's second album, "Billy Talent II", released in 2006.

By that time I'd been listening to Billy Talent for about a year or so, but it was only their material from their first album. When were they going to release something new? Well, it was when they uploaded their demo for "Red Flag" on their myspace page that I found out that something was coming pretty soon. It was an exciting time.

"Billy Talent II" came out and for me was just as good as their first. The band had a lot less anger in their sound but you could sense that it was still there. The album cover summed up that statement.

"Burn the Evidence" describes the scene of a man who drives a luxury Sedan, crashes and plummets through the windshield. It's unclear whether this is intentional. I thought it was. Users on songmeanings.com say otherwise. It seems to me that the narrator was also built up for great expectations, those didn't go as planned and so he kills himself. It's not a sad song though. The instrumentation is delivered with determination and the lyrics depict a person thinking forward instead of feeling pity on himself. Whatever it is, it's a very good closer for an album.

Did you know it's in the same key as "Living in the Shadows"? I'm very sure they are the same structurally too. I sing the bridge from "Shadows" to the instrumental break in "Burn the Evidence" all the time. They are very similar.

Jamie.

My iPod #147: Feeder - Burn the Bridges

It was in the midsummer of 2006 when the advert for Feeder's brand new compilation "The Singles" started to be shown regularly on the television. If anyone doesn't know who Feeder are or you've never listened to their material, "The Singles" is a good place to start. Even though it is a compilation, it is one filled with 20 tracks of their most popular songs.

Out of the twenty, three new tracks were recorded for exclusive inclusion on the album. "Lost and Found" and "Save Us" were released as singles; "Burn the Bridges" was not, and it still amazes me that it wasn't.

In the wake of the compilation's release, Feeder's official website had a major overhaul in design. It was basically changed so it had the same colour theme as the album cover, but it also let users listen to short samples of the tracks that were included. "Burn the Bridges" was the one which I jumped around to and played my air guitar to all around my living room, but before I knew it the sample was over and I had to start from the beginning all over again.

My cousin bought "The Singles" for me and gave it to me as a present on Christmas Day. I then went ahead and broke my original Playstation 2 just as I inserted the disc into it. That was a bad time for me. That's a whole different story.

The point is "Burn the Bridges" is one of Feeder's best. I think it's great.

Jamie.

My iPod #139: Kings of Leon - The Bucket

There are creepy people out there. There I was going down the escalator in Stratford's Westfields so we could wait for a mate who needed to go to the loo, when these two guys came over to us asking if we were born again Christians. They then directed their attention to me, and told me to 'talk to them privately' to say the 'prayer' and I was like "FUCK THIS, I HAVE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE". So I told them a wrong phone number and made up a name for myself, and proceeded to leave the mall with my friends.

It was very scary. I've never wanted to be anywhere else in the world like I did during those moments. I'm really glad to be home. Typing to you.

-

Right. Kings of Leon. I've probably said as much as I can on what I think about them in other posts. Thinking about it now, I'm positive that I've only done one post. But in short, from Youth & Young Manhood to Because of the Times = good stuff, Only by the Night onwards = the bad stuff. Except "Supersoaker" and "Wait for Me" which depicts "Mechanical Bull" as something that will be a return to form. We can only hope. Well, I can only hope.

"The Bucket" was the first song to be released from the band's second album "Aha Shake Heartbreak" in 2004, which is my favourite album they've done. I can't remember when I first heard it. I'll just say it was on MTV2. Yes, it was on MTV2.

I wonder who yells "Wooooooo!"at the start. It sounds like someone fucked up and didn't know they were recording, but I can't imagine the song without that exclamation. I'm just used to it after listening to the track for all these years.

The subject matter of "The Bucket" is the band's bassist Jared Followill, who was having problems dealing with the fame of being in the band.

The thing that I've always liked about older Kings of Leon songs, especially those on the Aha Shake and Times albums, is Caleb's vocals. Now he's older he actually sings from the stomach, but I preferred those when his voice was breaking almost every time he tried to reach the high notes. There's a bit of this in "The Bucket".

Have fun listening to it.

Jamie,

My iPod #132: Linkin Park - Breaking the Habit

I don't like Linkin Park very much mow. They've done a Coldplay, which means they've changed their sound so much I don't even know who they are anymore. "Mylo Xyloto" is pretty shitty. I'm more of a "Parachutes" man. This is very much like Linkin Park. I think the only newer song I liked was "Waiting for the End", but I haven't bothered with their newest albums. "Meteora" is my favourite album, which will probably polarize a lot of you readers.

"Meteora" gets a lot of crap for apparently sounding the same as "Hybrid Theory", but I haven't listened to that album. The singles are good enough. Meteora on the other hand, you've got the song seguing into each other and Chester and Mike get an equal contribution on everything. "Breaking the Habit" is the exception. That is Chester's song. For sure. Mike doesn't rap on it, there's no distorted guitars. Just a lot of keyboards and synth-strings. It's very emotional.

The "Breaking the Habit" video is the first of Linkin Park's that I can actually remember watching on the TV when it was released. It freaked me out. There's nothing wrong with it. It's just that when I was seven, my uncle got me this "Animatrix" DVD which is supposed to link in with "The Matrix" film series. It is also rated fifteen by the way. That DVD was so confusing and fucked up - I think I can remember a person's head being squashed or something - and the animation for "Breaking the Habit" reminded me of it. So I didn't want to watch the music video for a while. I got over it though.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.

My iPod #131: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Breaking the Girl

I'm very happy. Today marks the first time I make a blog from my new laptop.

No more will I have to suffer with the forever slow and freezing mess that is the family desktop. If you guys want a laptop, ASUS is the way to go. Forget Dell. My sister has a Dell laptop that's basically falling apart. Whether that's due to the manufacturer or if my sister abused it I'm not sure. I know that I'm not messing this mine up though.

Now with that intro out of the way, is this my first Red Hot Chili Peppers post? Because I'm pretty sure I haven't touched upon one song of theirs. They probably don't have a lot of songs beginning with the letter 'A' that I know of. Except for "Aeroplane" of course.

So... Red Hot Chili Peppers..... Ah! "Fight Like a Brave". That was the first song I'd ever heard by them, thanks to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. When they released "By the Way" in 2002, I had no idea that it was the band who wrote that song until I actually looked at the in-game menu.

In 2002, I wasn't really into music. Being six/seven at the time, I was either incessantly up at early hours in the morning to watch Cartoon Network or Thomas the Tank Engine videos. 2006 was the year that I can actually remember the build up towards a Red Hot Chili Peppers album, which we all know is the double album "Stadium Arcadium".

I can remember it now, the video for "Dani California" premiered at midnight on Channel 4. It was then played every hour on MTV2 the next day. My sister and I liked it. She had a friend who liked the band, who then gave her the "Greatest Hits" album. This is where "Breaking the Girl"comes in.

The song became a favourite of my sister's. I recall not liking the song as much as the others though. I thin it was the fact that amongst the others on the compilation, this was a tune that I had actually never heard before. Even when I did listen to it, I found it... boring.

However when I downloaded "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" a few months ago, I found myself wailing along to the chorus and air drumming to the trash-can percussion in the instrumental break. I loved it. "Breaking the Girl" isn't boring at all. The eleven-year old me was a silly child. If you are going to write a song about a meaningful relationship that went wrong and you feel as if you are to blame, you probably wouldn't want to make it a funky jam as the Peppers normally did around that time. Something more melodic will do. This is that song you want to write. Yes.

Well, until tomorrow you guys.

Jamie.

My iPod #128: Mystery Jets - The Boy Who Ran Away

"The Boy Who Ran Away" was Mystery Jets' third official single in 2006. Their first album "Making Dens" was out, and they were played a minority of the time on MTV2. Most of their airtime came in the NME Chart, before NME up and went to go and have their own channel.

At first, "The Boy Who Ran Away" wasn't to my liking. I would always skip the channel everytime the video came on. I take that back - it's not that it wasn't to my liking, it was just that I barely gave it a chance.

I did like their other songs though. "Alas Agnes" was a good one, as was "You Can't Fool Me Dennis" which weirded me out because the lead singer looked very similar to a friend I had in primary school. "The Boy Who Ran Away" must be alright then, shouldn't it?

Well, yes it is. I wouldn't be wasting my time on writing about a song I didn't like. The majority of people in the UK liked the song too; it reached #23 over here and remains to be the band's highest charting single.

The song tells a story about... a boy who runs away. From home apparently. But he ends up in a rubbish place, and goes home back to his parents even though he knows they don't like him. Pretty miserable. It's an upbeat song, so you probably wouldn't realise the tragedy.

Look out for the 'lo-lo-lo' bridge singalong too. That's catchy as hell.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.