Monthly Archives: July 2014

My iPod #324: The Beatles – The End

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It all came down to this in 1969. This was The Beatles’ last song ever. Well, it was meant to be. “Let It Be” was released a few months later after “Abbey Road“, and even on the latter album itself “The End” is followed up by “Her Majesty“. But even then, the track was recorded with the full understanding between the four guys that this would be the last thing they would do together. How did they decide to it? In one of the most epic ways possible. And all in two minutes too.

If you have “Abbey Road”, you know that the second half of it is the famous medley where all the songs run into each other. So not only are you treated to that, a musical movement beautifully put together with orchestra and guitars everywhere, but this is the climax of it all. The big finale. With a drum solo by Ringo Starr (the first and only one he ever did with the group) symbolising his recognition 0f being the steady, solid drummer and the rotating guitar solos by Paul, George and John which seem to go on and on and on until a piano plays, the four members sing ‘that’ line and the finishes on a rising chord progression.

Now you may read that and think “Well, that doesn’t sound that good. What’s all that about?” And I know I can’t do it enough justice in writing. You do have to hear it to be convinced. Actually listen to ‘The Abbey Road Medley”. Search it up on YouTube. You will not be disappointed.

My iPod #323: Gorillaz ft. Little Dragon – Empire Ants

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“Plastic Beach” was a big deal in 2010. It was Gorillaz’s comeback after a five year disappearance after “Demon Days”, and the commotion for its arrival began once the first single “Stylo” featuring the late Bobby Womack and Mos Def in January of that year. You got the sense that something big was coming. It eventually did in March with sixteen tracks (and a few others if you ordered on iTunes or live in Japan) and a great amount of guests varying from Snoop Dogg to Mick Jones and Paul Simonon of The Clash. “Plastic Beach” was good. It still is. Probably my favourite album of the group.

“Empire Ants” comes from that album and features the vocals of Yukimi Nagano, singer from the Swedish electronic band Little Dragon. Now before I actually heard “Plastic Beach” in full, I decided to go online to YouTube and search it for a reason that I can’t think of thinking about it now. But when I did, there was this guy who had heard it (the channel was GD Entertainment or something like that; the channel’s gone now) reviewed each track and noted “Empire Ants” as being one of the album’s highlights.

Why was that? Just because it does one of those things where it sends the listener in one direction for about half of its duration before taking a sudden turn and going down a different route…. like “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac or “2+2=5” by Radiohead. For the first half, Damon Albarn sings about the joy of the taking pleasure in the sun’s arrival amongst a wave of calming noises and acoustic guitar. Very beautiful. It’s the perfect type of music to listen on a beach, gazing at the sea as the sun sets. Then a disturbing, almost distorted synthesizer signifies the abrupt change where the funky beat kicks in and Nagano takes over on the singing. At this point the red sky as drastically turned black, the stars are shooting across the sky and the tidal waves are coming in. The whole song is sick, but that second half is too much.

My iPod #322: Sex Pistols – EMI

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What’s up.

A social gathering prevented me from writing a post yesterday. By ‘social gathering’ I mean I went to my friend’s house to watch the football. And what a boring match it was. Very disappointing. Germany will beat Argentina, I think. There will be two songs today. The first one is by Sex Pistols, and is the song “EMI” from the punk band’s first and only album “Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols“.

The track is about the famous EMI record label, who the band were signed up to for a while in the 70s. They signed a two year contract with it, but left (or were fired) after only three months ‘cos of controversial and delinquent behaviour. The band wrote this, what can be considered an attempt to challenge the label’s credibility or simply a big ‘fuck you’, in reply.

Is it just me or does Johnny Rotten sound even more snotty and annoying on this track, than he does on every other one on the album? I always get that feeling, just because of the subject matter. He is taking the piss and basically announcing why EMI were rubbish, so it wouldn’t surprise me. The vocals on the album in general neither grate on me, nor should they grate on anyone else. They just add to the attitude and mood each track tries to convey. That’s good singing if you ask me. But it really shows on this particular one. Especially in the last verse before the finale where Lydon has a sort of dumb-robotic delivery going on, and the raspberry blown at the very end.

Basically it was the perfect song to end their only album on because it practically summed up what the band were all about: Not giving a shit about anything, or anyone. But themselves.

That’s cool.

My iPod #321: Green Day – Emenius Sleepus

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This is “Ememius Sleepus”, a song by Green Day on their classic album “Dookie“. It’s one that has lyrics written by the band’s bassist Mike Dirnt, and according to their Rock Band contains some of the most difficult drumming in a Green Day song. Being part of those four under-two-minute tracks near the end of the album, the track may be overlooked and underestimated by some. I actually really like this song. I don’t even have “Basket Case” on my iPod, that’s how highly I regard this track.

The track is from the point of view of a person who sees a childhood friend after a period of not seeing them. They have changed…. for the worst. The narrator is disgusted by this, and wants to go home. I haven’t experienced this as of yet, but I get the feeling that when I’m much older I definitely will. In the end, the narrator ponders on whether anyone tried to help the friend, but forgets about it and decides to actually go home.

So, like every other song on “Dookie”, there is probably only four/five chords on this song. All very typical on punk albums like “Dookie”. I think all the magic is in the rhythm section. Tré Cool goes ape on the drums as per usual as you can see in that Rock Band video above (even though doesn’t really represent real drums), and Dirnt plays his trademark bass lines where he plays on the low strings before skipping to a higher one for a brief second before returning to the low ones again. His playing during the bridge section is quite nice too.

It is a short track, that is very true. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s just as important as all the other thirteen (fourteen?) tracks that accompany it on the album.

My iPod #320: Hot Hot Heat – Elevator

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“Elevator” was Hot Hot Heat’s newest album back in 2005. It took me about five years to eventually listen to the thing in full. Why did it take so long after hearing tracks like “Goodnight Goodnight”, “Middle of Nowhere”, and “Island of the Honest Man”? I’m not quite sure of that myself. But after hearing it for the first time in 2010, I thought it was alright. Some critics thought it was a bit of a let down after the hype built up after their first album, especially as “Elevator” was their first on a major label. Whatever, I maintain my statement that I think the album is alright.

The title track is the last song on the album. It may be the only track to feature a piano on there which you can blatantly hear in the song’s introduction and other various parts, so you know there’s got to be some real emotional depth to the track’s topic. The track is about a relationship in which the song’s ‘protagonist’ is apprehensive on taking it to the next step with their other half,  instead wanting to keep things simple and not so serious. They that if the former happens, it will only lead to disappointment. And all these commitment issues are compared to an elevator going up and down, possibly to symbolise the instability of it all.

Yeah, this song’s alright too. If you haven’t heard it, or listened to anything else by Hot Hot Heat for that matter, the lead singer’s vocals may irritate you. They don’t for me, I think they’re funny sometimes. But to each their own.