I don't know if it has anything to do with the looming significant milestone of a birthday but I have been listening to a lot of stuff from my spotty youth and comparing it to what I'm listening to these days and trying to find the similarities and influences. What got me from there to here if you like. A process that even up until a couple of months ago I would have been reluctant to do as I tend to see these kind of reflections kind of wanky and don't want to turn into a look back bore.
Nothing wrong with listening to tunes from a bygone era but comparing them to today's music is totally irrelevant as you don't get the same intensity from the rush of hormones that you did when you were a teenager.
Anyway, I was listening to this album at the weekend and the rush of mixed up emotions, the hair standing up on the back of my neck when the drums start, the melancholy and joy of the song are all still present and just as vivid as when I bought the single from Menzies in Airdrie and took it home to play it for the first time. I swear I could even smell the weird plasticky smell that the shop had.
For the record, in my opinion there isn't a recent band that holds up in comparison to Blondie at their best and this is a fine example of them at their best.
God I'm begining to sound like an old git.
Blondie - Union City Blue
and before they stop allowing us to look at such things, here's the video.
6 comments:
There's a box to the right of the vid with 'url' and 'embed'. Copy the embed code and paste into your post. The magic of the internet will do the rest!
I love Eat To The Beat; it's such a huge sounding album, without sounding like a stadium rock thing. The guitars chime and Debbie's voice just seems to glow. And as for Clem Burke, what a drummer...
Thanks Simon, you're a star.
You're right about Clem Burke much overlooked drummer.
I've always done that comparison thing, but not necessarily over the great divide of time, but more because I like the thrill of seeing where people get their stuff from; being a Weller fan you're pretty aware of what he's into, he's never hid his influences and inspirations and thefts!
I probably listen to more old music than new, - but then I've always tempered new with old. - some of the earliest albums I picked up (aged 10 - 12) were Elvis 40 Greatest and The Beatles, Red and Blue Albums.
It's always worth doing as it puts newer tunes in context - although generally I find a year on from finding new bands/acts I won't be listening to them, but the oldies will still be getting a spin.
I loved Blondie but was very badly let down by a truly dreadful live gig at the Glasgow Apollo on 31st December 1979.
Any big plans for the big number???
The plan was to follow the Fall round the country on their regular march/april tour but MES being the contrary bastard he is is not touring yet this year.
There is talk of a party out here in the sticks, you would be more than welcome.
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