Monthly Archives: March 2014

My iPod #256: The Beatles – Dear Prudence

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“Dear Prudence” is the second track on the first disc of The Beatles’ self titled album from 1968. It was one of many to be written by John Lennon when the group visited India earlier in the year for a meditation course, in order to get away from all the added attraction the band brought onto themselves the previous year. Many people joined the band on their visit and would be entertained by the group whenever there weren’t any lectures occurring, but there was one who would retreat back to their room, meditate some more and barely keep in contact with anyone. That person was Prudence Farrow, this was John’s message to her.

That’s just a bit of background info.

I became a huge Beatles fan in late 2009. Around the time the new album remasters and The Beatles: Rock Band came out, coincidentally. I downloaded (almost) every Beatles album as I was awed at just how consistently good their songs were, even as they changed through the years.

If only I was typing this to you from the computer back home, I could tell you when I actually first downloaded “The Beatles” and therefore listened to “Dear Prudence” for the first time. I can’t remember if I had seen its dreamscape from the game before listening to the whole album, or vice-versa……. It’s nothing to dwell upon, really.

I don’t think I’ve typed anything that would have convinced you to listen to the song. I’m not able to tell you just how good this song is with the less-than-satisfactory vocabulary I have.

It is one of Lennon’s best – a beautiful and timeless track.

My iPod #255: Paul & Linda McCartney – Dear Boy

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“Dear Boy” is the fourth track on Paul McCartney’s second solo album (credited to both he and wife-at-the-time Linda) Ram, released all the way back in 1971.

Paul believed he was very lucky to have Linda as his wife, and wrote this song as a tribute to her. It is also an address to her former husband; they married years earlier in 1962 before divorcing in 1965. McCartney ‘tells’ him that he was a silly man to let Linda go, and that he will never find another one like her.

Although most of it is in a minor key, the dramatic, layered backing vocals and airy rhythm make things a little lighter. You can probably imagine the smugness he had when writing and singing this: “I hope you never know, dear boy, how much you missed/And even when you fall in love, dear boy, it won’t be half as good as this”.

Burn.

My iPod #254: Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks – Deado

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“Deado” is the last track on Stephen Malkmus’ first ‘solo’ album after his former band Pavement split up. The term ‘solo’ doesn’t really count though; “Stephen Malkmus” was recorded by the band he formed immediately after, known by the name of The Jicks. Malkmus wanted to release it under the band’s name but the record label ‘insisted’ that he release it under his own. On iTunes and any other music service, you can only find the album under Stephen Malkmus, but I will label it under the group’s actual name whenever I do a song from this album.

When listening to the album for the first time, I couldn’t help but notice Malkmus’ enthusiasm in his vocals compared to those in Pavement’s last album “Terror Twilight”. From sounding like a guy who wrote his songs and sang them just to get them over and done with, he sounded more confident – ready to embrace the challenge of doing something new – and as a result the album is quite upbeat and fun, with some laid-back parts here and there.

“Deado” is very laid-back. The acoustic guitars, various synthesizer noises and sound effects and the double-tracked vocal give the song a hazy and ethereal feel. It’s the track that plays when relaxing and sitting in a chair in your back garden, or sinking your head into the pillow when you’re about to go to bed. Soothing stuff to the ears.

Lyrically, I haven’t a clue what it’s about. My interpretation of it is that, somehow, it is from the Ess-Dog’s point of view after becoming estranged from Jen who is referred to in the chorus (Listen to the preceding track “Jenny & the Ess-Dog” for more information). Apart from that… nah-I couldn’t tell you. The song ends with a minute ‘reprise’ of another song from the album “Vague Space” before fading to silence, bringing to a fine debut album to a close.

My iPod #253: Green Day – Deadbeat Holiday

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“Deadbeat Holiday” is the seventh track on Green Day’s sixth album “Warning”, released in 2000. The album is one of Green Day’s ‘softer’ albums with less of a punk rock oriented sound and incorporating more acoustic elements (thank you Wikipedia). For this reason, it is not one of the band’s most acclaimed albums. But at a time when punk rock was not as big, it showed that the band were able to look in a new direction.

For myself, “Warning” was the last Green Day album I listened to. The Green Day:Rock Band had recently come out and the only albums of theirs I physically possessed (and still do) were “American Idiot“, “Dookie“, “Smoothed Out Slappy Hours” (which is quite a strange choice looking at it now) and the “International Superhits!” compilation, which I got way before realising that compilations are not the way to go. Buy original albums, people.

“Minority”, the title track, “Waiting” and “Macy’s Day Parade” were tracks that I had heard when I initially started listening to Green Day about ten years ago. They were singles, and their videos were available to watch on the band’s website. It was only the album tracks I had to go through now, and “Deadbeat Holiday” was another that was rather enjoyable. It’s about living an empty life and feeling miserable which isn’t so great, but the narrator’s knowledge that they are not alone in this situation is somewhat of a comforter. It is very poppy though, which does lighten the mood.

My iPod #252: Muse – Dead Star

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Whilst fans waited for a new album after “Origin of Symmetry”, Muse released a video showing two performances in France the band did in October 2001. That video was simultaneously released with its accompanying soundtrack the following year in July. “Dead Star” was a new song the band recorded to promote the album and was released as a double A-side single with another song “In Your World”.

I was seven when this song was released so I had no idea the song existed until about 2006. “Black Holes” was coming out, and MTV2 practically dedicated half-an-hour slots to the band so I can only guess that I found out about the track when its video came up during the time.

The track is not one of their most popular (not appearing on an actual album may have that effect on a song) but to be fair, it is just as good as anything on “Symmetry”. Very loud as expected from early-noughties Muse. Great vocals by Matt Bellamy… as always. Brilliant instrumentation from Chris Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard. Overall, a decent track. And probably the most metal thing they’ve ever done.