Friday 13 February 2009

I'm the king of the divan....

Earworms time then. I've been lazy, as usual, and done nothing to get a Guest Editor lined up for this slot. Luckily for me, someone ignored my inertia and took matters into their own hands... so, in spite of my total lack of effort, for the first time since September last year, I do actually have a guest this week.

Ladies and gentleworms, without further ado, it is my great pleasure to introduce for your earworming pleasure.......

Earworms of the week - guest editor #93 - Fiery Little Sod

Hello to all and best wishes for the weekend - hope this sets you up well. I have had a lyrically driven week where I have not even needed to hear the songs to be nudged in certain musical directions..... we begin with a cover:

> Love Machine - Arctic Monkeys

Courtesy of the Radio 1 Live Lounge from a couple of years back, remarkably shows that its not a bad song, but there is still a quality moment when even Alex Turner can't stop himself laughing while the coolest guitar band of the moment lets rip on a a pop-tastic tune.

> Somewhere - West Side Story

No idea where this came in from, but something about precious time and the sense of aspiration. Does feel like it should be heard out of a back window on a fire escape......

> Mirror Man - Human League

The simple chorus in this song hides the rather searching verses, but matches up with their other work easily and the mid-song change of pace helps fix it in the internal jukebox

> One (Blake's got a new face) - Vampire Weekend

Recently re-visited this album and was reminded it contains more than just commentary on some punctuation. This one stuck after I randomly discovered an old public burial ground near my office contains the grave of William Blake, so I was to find some symmetry

> Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees

Courtesy of a work colleague pretending to be 'street' but left looking daft when I busted him for nicking someone else's words. Still had to stop myself strutting out of the office though......

> Ca plane pour moi - Plastic Bertrand

Even the most basic translation of this song makes it sound utterly bonkers, however the hook makes it impossible to get out of your head once it has sneaked in there, Whatever the heck it may be about, it works for me.

> The Message - Grandmaster Flash

Frankly this is rather hardcore for my usual day-to day listening but find myself incapable of hearing anything approximating the first line of the chorus without following up with the rest of it. Cannot honestly relate to everything he comments on, however he shows a (grand) mastery of lyric work that has been virtually unmatched since

> Letter from America - The Proclaimers

I would guess this is probably their second-best known song and it popped into my head on the back of a melody rather than random words. Once it got in there, there was no getting it out again. Still makes me wonder what the rail tracks would look like. No complaints mind. Quality tune.

> My Way - Frank Sinatra

Oddly, I don't think is the best version of the song I've heard. Once you have experienced this tune sung by a male voice church choir and been overwhelmed by the clarity of the words, Ol' Blue Eyes don't quite cut it. As for the tune..... hopefully I have, just with fewer comebacks

> One - Metallica

This slipped in late - winning its place over something almost diametrically opposed on the music scale and it is still a mighty hard listen, even after 20 years. No apology. Barely any explanation. Just proper, brutal, heavy metal of a kind that is rarely heard nowadays.

So there you go, I feel I may have thoroughly abused my earworm limits, but am finding them strangely addictive. Hope this week had something for everyone and that the ever-lengthening days bring a little light to all you readers. Lastly, for those yet to try this game - give it a go! You are bound to come up with something fresh and funky and it is excellent therapy too. So make the leap and get worming. My fine friend Mr Toni (thanks as always) can give you all the necessary. "

That should do the trick....

---

Thanks FLS. A rather peculiar coincidence that you were earworming Plastic Bertrand in the same week that he came up in the bontempi organ round of the Leftlion pub quiz.... There weren't any bonus points for pointing out to the team that guessed it was "that French bloke singing that French song" that the man in question is actually Belgian, but my overall smugness increased markedly. We won, naturally.

They hate us in there, they really do.

Thanks for playing, and you're welcome around here anytime.

Another guest next week, perhaps? Well, we'll have to see about that. Let's not be hasty, eh?

Have a good weekend y'all, and stay classy.

[Previous Guest Editors: Flash, The Urban Fox, Lord Bargain, Retro-Boy, Statue John, Ben, OLS, Ka, Jenni, Aravis, Yoko, Bee, Charlie, Tom, Di, Spin, The Ultimate Olympian, Damo, Mike, RedOne, The NumNum, Leah, Le Moine Perdu, clm, Michael, Hyde, Adem, Alecya, bytheseashore, adamant, Earworms of the Year 2005, Delrico Bandito, Graham, Lithaborn, Phil, Mark II, Stef, Kaptain Kobold, bedshaped, I have ordinary addictions, TheCatGirlSpeaks, Lord B rides again, Tina, Charlie II, Cody Bones, Poll Star, Jenni II, Martin, Del II, The Eye in the Sky, RussL, Lizzy's Hoax, Ben II, Earworms of the Year 2006, Sarah, Flash II, Erika, Hen, Pynchon, Troubled Diva, Graham II, Cat II, Statue John II, Sweeping the Nation, Aravis II, Olympian II, C, Planet-Me, Mike, Michael II, Eye in the Sky II, Charlie III, The Great Grape Ape, asta, Ben III, Earworms of the Year 2007, Cat III, JamieS & Wombat, Pynchon II, Briskate, Craig Cliff, Fiery Little Sod, Cody II, J, Yoko II, Rol, Lisa, Pollstar II, Joe the Troll, Eye in the Sky III, Jerry Cornelius, Stevious, Luke, FLS II]

4 comments:

  1. http://www.pauldaniels.co.uk/blog/ - may appeal!

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  2. do you not remember back in the day when I featured PD as 'blog of the week' and got a comment from the great man himself? I peaked at that moment. It's been all downhill ever since!

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  3. , I remember that you wrote about him, but not the blog itself. The one where he is on holiday in a balaclava is fab.

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  4. ...not to mention the sly bikini shot of the lovely Debbie McGhee!

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