Time for a bit o' sooooul. Weren't expecting that were you? The D section has been very rock-oriented so far it has to be said, but it is not as if I just added this song yesterday to try and add some 'variety'. Admittedly I have known "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" for less time than the majority of the other tracks on here. I listened to its album some time last year when I was on a 'quest' to listen to the best albums ever. This is a very fine song though, so I had to add it. And it deserves to have a post.
"Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" is the penultimate track on Stevie Wonder's 1973 album "Innversions". It has a Latin vibe to it, started off by the stomping piano and exotic percussion which occur throughout, and comically referenced by Wonder's mock-Spanish dialogue for the first forty seconds. After those forty seconds though, it's serious business. Wonder delivers an outstanding vocal performance becoming more passionate with each chorus and key change, rising octaves until he eventually starts belting the song title from the top of his lungs.
Essentially it's a song about being positive. If you didn't get that from the title. It is a classic.
After a year and a bit of waiting, "Do You Want To" was Franz Ferdinand's 'we're back' single in 2005, their first one from their then upcoming second album "You Could Have It So Much Better" with Franz Ferdinand. The band went on to shorten the name.
I remember the first time I watched the "Do You Want To" video well. And the second time.... and the third. And so on. That's because (after, again, premiering the day before on Channel 4) it was repeated every hour on MTV2. The band pretend to be drunk, or just act really stupidly, at a casual gathering. It seemed that they were pleased that everybody's favourite Scottish
band had returned, after what seemed like a long, long... long year and a
bit. It was very hard to hear the same thing over and over without getting a bit sick of it; fortunately it isn't an annoying track.
The anticipation towards a night out is the subject of many songs. Take this one, for example. That is what "Do You Want To" is about too. But in this case, Alex has his eyes on someone that he wants to take out for a night in the town. That someone is the listener... and we are very lucky to be chosen. With the infectious "doo doo doos" and the memorable chorus, it's very hard to refuse Alex's offer.
This is the second track from The Kinks' 1968 album "The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society", a collection of fifteen songs about living in the country, nostalgia, and general English culture. Without listening to the albums that came before it, I have come to the conclusion that the album was the group's last best one. I've heard "Arthur" and "Muswell Hillbillies" but they were such a drag to listen to. The only song on "Village Green" that I can't really listen to casually is "Last of the Steam-Powered Trains", but the rest are light-hearted, carefree, sometimes tragic but still upbeat. "Walter" fits in with those last two adjectives.
Did you have a friend in primary school who you felt was like a brother to you? Were you inseparable? You thought you could take on the world together when you were grown ups? (Or at least keep in touch with each other every day at the start of Year Seven?) That's nice. I had one of those friends.... We haven't kept in touch so much. I actually haven't spoken to him in about three years. He's got new friends; I have mine. But the memories of our times in school stay strong.
That's essentially what "Walter" is all about. I'm sure a lot of you will be able to relate to it.
There are more songs to talk about from this album. Their time will come. Have fun with this one for the time being.
This is "Do What You Want", a song by OK Go released as a single from their second album "Oh No" released in 2005. What a track this one is too. After seeing "A Million Ways" and being captivated by the band's creative dance routine, I didn't see anything from the band for a few months until this unexpectedly popped up in a random music chart on MTV2. It may have been in a "New Music" segment thing, but the memory's a bit fuzzy.
I've never cared to think about what the song's about. Not in a bad way; I've always liked the way it sounded. Really bright, with a clunky guitar riff and a smooth and deep bass line. Along with a nice positive message of doing what you want. It's something to play at those parties where all you play is indie tunes. It's bound to get some people on their feet. I've never been to any of those kinds of parties, so I wouldn't know. Then the song was part of the soundtrack of Burnout Revenge, and it buried itself into my head that much more. Something about racing down the street and taking out cars at high speeds caused a proper adrenaline rush. This song, as well as the many others, made the experience so worthwhile. I should play that game again, I haven't even completed it.
There's not much I can say about "Head Around You". I remember trying to watch the video on Windows Media Player from the band's official website circa 2004. It was in terrible quality, which made the multi-camera concept much worse.
It's a short but sharp song - only two and a bit minutes long - but it always feels a lot longer when I listen to it. I don't know what it is about it that makes me feel that way. It's probably the riff, it virtually plays throughout the whole thing bar two times. It is a simple punk rock song, that's what it is.
I do also like the wah-wah effect during the instrumental break, that gets a special mention.
The song was released as the second single from the band's 2003 album "Splinter".
WARNING: INCLUDES SCENES OF NUDITY. It's only a few shots. But still.
I have heard more songs by The Dandy Warhols. Don't worry. I'm not that kind of person who's like "Ah, I listen to [insert band here] all the time" and only know the lyrics to their signature song. No, no. That's not me. I have two more songs ony my iPod by the band, so :p.
I don't need to prove anything. I don't listen to The Dandy Warhols anyway. I didn't know they were still together until I searched it up whilst typing this sentence. They are though, and that's all right.
I think I'm correct in saying that The Dandy Warhols are much more popular in the US than here in the United Kingdom. I think the only reason people here know of them is due to the Vodafone advert this song was on in the early noughties. I can't remember it at all, seeing as I was about six at the time. But thanks to that advert, the song reached number five on the charts. That wasn't really significant to me either.
In general, "Bohemian Like You" is one of those songs that you know you've heard before. Somewhere in someplace at sometime. The problem is you can't remember what the name of the artist was. Well, if you're in that situation, here you go. Problem solved.
The nude scenes were censored when they played on MTV2, so being the eager beaver I searched up the uncensored version. I was just curious that's all. Seeing the guy's private parts wasn't so great. That was years ago though. I'm much more mature now.
Ah... the joys of riding a bicycle. Something I can't relate to seeing as I've never owned one. However, it's an activity that be your own PET profoundly express their fondness in this song, and in just over two minutes.
The band are a force that ought to be recognised according to the track. The sky will turn brown, they'll change the eye colour of every lady (which could only suggest that some violence may occur), the sleepyheads will wake up due to their presence, they'll fuck shit up too! All this because they are on their bicycles, because cars are for idiots.
I didn't even make that paragraph up, those are all lyrics in the song. These are backed up with a very aggressively shouted vocal by lead singer Jemina Pearl and the rest of the band, and a rapid guitar riff capturing the urgency of theme. The instrumental break fools you for a bit, starting off slow like a train pulling out of a station but it then gradually becomes faster and faster before returning back to its normal velocity and in regards to the song, the final verse and chorus.
This is the first song I heard by Morning Runner.
I was watching music television one day. I think the channel was The Amp -which was a really good music channel; I don't know why it got removed - and I watched the video for it.
But you know how it goes. Time moves on, and songs get older and older until they eventually fade away and are hardly ever played again. I never forgot about the song though. I wasn't able to watch the video again until sometime in 2010. I downloaded the song, and I can have it on repeat whenever I want.
It's got that "Rush of Blood" Coldplay type vibe. Apparently it influenced Chris Martin to write songs with Coldplay for "X&Y", so obviously it must be good.
The song was released as the band's second single from their debut album "Wilderness Is Paradise Now". Their debut was also their last as the band then split in 2007. People may also know this band for "Gone Up in Flames", a song in FIFA 07 and the theme song for "The Inbetweeners".
Until tomorrow.
Jamie.
P.S. I created a Twitter account, so if you want to follow me please do @JamieKManteaw.
The end of the 'A' section that is. It's been a good two months.
When I first came onto Blogger, I didn't have anything in mind that I wanted to get off my chest. The first thing I had was just talking about things that were interesting to me, or events in my life that I had regrets about or whatever.
When I changed my mind and decided to focus on 'My iPod', I never thought I would be able to continuously talk about a song and why it meant so much to me for fifty-six days straight, and yet here I am about to post about another one.
I have exams. Those are very important, so I probably won't be posting on here as regularly. Maybe something will pop up here and there, but for the moment 'My iPod' won't be back until June.
And so, the song today is 'Awaiting on You All' by George Harrison, another one from his triple album, 'All Things Must Pass', in 1970.
Beatles fans will know that out of the four, George was the most religious. Or at least the one who most believed that there was an almighty, higher power who cared for the world and the people who inhabit it.
Any of you guys who also own 'All Things Must Pass' will definitely know the song, 'My Sweet Lord'. That song was George's first single as a solo artist, and topped the music charts worldwide upon release in 1970. It got to number one in the UK again after his death in 2001.
'My Sweet Lord' is a very religious song, for obvious reasons. But for those who haven't heard it, Harrison incorporates the use of the "Hare Krishna" mantra and chants of hallelujahs which build up as a countermelody whilst Harrison sings, building an epic climax which eventually fades out. With Phil Spector's 'Wall of Sound' production technique, there is this gigantic albeit very echoey atmosphere.
'Awaiting on You All' is quite religious too, and if 'My Sweet Lord' is the music that plays on the organ in church when the service is starting, everyone is sitting down and the pastor or whoever is up on the stage announcing what will take place, then the former is when the first hymn starts and everybody is up on the feet, yelling rejoice to the heavens, bellowing the lungs to the skies above and break dancing in the middle of the aisle. Maybe I'm thinking of The Blues Brothers, but that's what it reminds me of.
'Awaiting' has more of a
political message to it than My Sweet Lord. Harrison desires to
experience spirituality directly whilst rejecting organised religion as
well as political and intellectal substitutes. That is basically what it
says on the song's article on Wikipedia. He criticises the Pope, and
includes jibes at John Lennon and Yoko Ono about their week in bed.
"THE LORD IS AWAITING ON YOU ALL TO AWAKEN AND SEE. BY CHANTING THE NAMES... OF THE LORD.... YOU WILL BE FREE!"
HALLELUJAH, TESTIFY!
Come on, that sounds like something a guy would say in church, am I right? Or am I right?
Oh well. That's the end for now. You won't be hearing from me for some time. Got work to do.
'My iPod' will be back in June! When the 'B' series begins!
I don't particularly know why or how. As a child I saw the video for 'Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)' on the TV. The band wasn't in it, and it only showed clips of children running around in a playground interspersed with the walking hammers that are seen in the film. Of course I had no idea what I had just witnessed, and was left quite confused by the whole thing.
I watched the movie for 'The Wall' when I was 13, and I guess I was just hooked from then. Bob Geldof was actually a good actor, the concept behind the album was enthralling and obviously the music played a big part. I ended up getting the double album for my fourteenth birthday.
'The Wall' is up there for being one of Pink Floyd's most popular albums. However, 'The Dark Side of the Moon' is the one that most people agree on for being their finest piece of work and one of the greatest albums ever.
'Any Colour You Like' starts rather abruptly; the song before it named 'Us and Them' segues right into it. There are no lyrics as it is an instrumental, but it's really funky and upbeat. David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright wrote the song, making it one out of three tracks that Waters did not contribute on.
The first minute or so is a synthesiser played by Wright, panning and echoing from one channel to the other. That then segues into a guitar solo, and the whole band joins in with additional scat singing.
I would think that most people would skip this song, but please reconsider. If you have this album, where the songs segue into each other (except one time), and you don't have this song... Well then, that just messes everything up doesn't it? It's also very important in the album's overall concept. Pink Floyd had a thing for concept albums.
All You Need Is Blood! Get it? It's almost like that Beatles song.
Test Icicles certainly weren't the band who sounded like they were influenced by The Beatles. Again, they were a band, but unfortunately the music that made was not the music that they were particularly interested in. They formed in 2004, and later split two years later in 2006.
The album this track was released on 'For Screening Purposes Only', was released to positive praise on Halloween 2005. Test Icicles were the next biggest thing in dance-punk indie rock terms. Considered to be 'bigger than The Beatles' by NME and 'all cobra' by Pitchfork Media, the album indeed is very eccentric and filled to the brim with bursting energy, backed up with crazy guitars and a booming, yet pre-recorded, rhythm section.
My sister went through a period around 2005/06 when she started borrowing various albums from her friends. She borrowed this one.
Test Icicles had three main vocalists who all brought their own sound to the table. The main vocalist on this song is Devonte Hynes, though you may know him better as Lightspeed Champion. In fact, Hynes only sings this song and the mindfuck that is 'Catch It!' Sam Mehran sings part of the chorus and pre-chorus too.
I don't know what this song is about to be honest. You would have to listen to it for yourself to try and get something, but you don't have to understand a song to enjoy it.
Look out for the backwards rap at the end of the song, also done by Sam Mehran.
If you want to know how the rap sounds like forwards, click here. That's my video :D
The song ends. Then, out of nowhere, a bass riff starts. Reminds you of Jaws doesn't it? It hypnotises you, sets you in a real mysterious, foreboding mood. It leads right into the next song. That's for another post.
