Monthly Archives: October 2014

My iPod #373: Queens of the Stone Age – First It Giveth

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“No One Knows” and “Go with the Flow” all got their relatively big-budget videos, so I was a bit disappointed when seeing the one for “First It Giveth” for the first time. It’s one of those ‘band-on-tour’ montage things. But it does include some hilarious clips of Josh Homme jumping into a drum kit, wiggling his butt in front of a sleeping Mark Lanegan and Nick Oliveri swinging his bass around whilst naked on stage. Funny as those are, a cooler video would have been fun too.

“First It Giveth” is third in what are some killer opening tracks to Queens of the Stone Age’s third album “Songs for the Deaf”. After the shrieks and velocity provided in “Millionaire” and signature song “No One Knows” you wouldn’t think that the sheer level of consistency could be maintained. But when the faux-Spanish radio interlude that follows “No One Knows” ends, “First It Giveth”‘s drums enter immediately and you realise just what you’re in for.

Couldn’t tell you what the track’s about. It’s just very good. And dark. All the guitars play the same phrases and lines in unison throughout the track which is awesome. There is no time allowed for you to catch your breath except for one part that comes before the second verse, and even then that is interrupted as the track continues its momentum. By the end, even Homme gives a wayward sigh when he finishes singing.

Not a bad track at all.

My iPod #372: The Futureheads – First Day

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“First Day” is a tune from The Futureheads’ first album. The version you hear above is not the same as the one that is on the album. The version on the album is a lot cleaner, production’s makes everything a bit clearer. It’s also a bit faster too. Unfortunately that version is nowhere to be seen on YouTube, so what you get above will have to do.*

Just over two minutes long, “First Day” is a punky number filled with quirky guitar lines and those trademark harmonising vocals that the group utilised throughout the debut. I read an interpretation somewhere saying that this song was actually about life, with the first verse welcoming the listener to their first day and the chorus congratulating you on joining the human race….

To be honest, I just think it’s just a song about someone experiencing their first day at their new job. ‘Cause that is what’s explicitly said. It doesn’t get much deeper than that. It seems that on this first day however, the worker is pressured into doing more work and going onto the next stage even though they’re nowhere near ready yet. “Faster, faster” the employees yell, and just as they do the song pace changes too. Not just once, but twice.

*18/8/20 – The album version is now up, has been for quite some time at this point, you can listen to it below.

My iPod #371: Blink-182 – First Date

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“First Date” was the second single from Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, Blink’s album released in 2001. Mostly written by Tom DeLonge, the track is told from the perspective of a guy…. on the way to pick a lady up for their first date. Duh.

The verses capture the narrator in a doubtful mood. What if I dance, will she think it’s lame? My hair looks stupid. I can’t eat I’m so nervous etc etc etc. But the chorus changes that, seeing the narrator in a more hopeful and optimistic manner hoping that this first date will be the start of something that will last for a very long time. Very cute, to be honest.

The video for it is probably one of the funniest the band have done. Mostly because of Tom.

I think the first time I heard the track was waaay back when I was in Year 6 or something. A friend of mine started singing it spontaneously. We were both into the same kind of music at the time which was cool. Obviously I’d never heard the song before. I asked what he was singing. He gave the answer. Life went on from there. Good times.

My iPod #370: Gorillaz – Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head

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Looking through my iPod before I started this I found that, to my embarrassment, I have accidentally missed out a song. Silly me. I thought I had the order sussed out too. I’ll get to it one day. For now, the series must continue.

“Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head” begins the “End of the World” track trilogy at the end of the “Demon Days” album with “Don’t Get Lost in Heaven” and the title track coming after. Listen to those three songs in succession. I also don’t think they have an official name together, “End of the World” just seems like the most appropriate thing to call it.

The track is essentially a story, narrated by the late and great Dennis Hopper, about the ‘Happyfolk’ who live under the great mountain called Monkey. Monkey eventually explodes, consuming the Earth in a great wave of fire after the ‘Strangefolk’ dig deep into its centre, stealing the jewels that lie within it. A menacing, repetitive bassline plays with deep humming backing vocals and clicking guitar licks setting the tracks mysterious and creepy tone during the verses. Damon Albarn (2D) comes in with a few verses too, accompanied by a sole acoustic guitar.

I read an interesting comment on there that suggested that this track was the main track of the entire album. Every track preceding has essentially been parts of the narrative that is told in this one song where everything comes together. Kinda makes sense. The happyfolk being the “Last Living Souls” and everything, and “Feel Good Inc.” being that point where the happy people seem to realise that something is going amiss but try and block it out to all they’re might. It’s very long to describe. But I can see it. Can’t remember where I saw that comment though, must have been years ago. Oh well.

My iPod #369: They Might Be Giants – Finished with Lies

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A person decides that they will never tell a lie again in They Might Be Giants track “Finished with Lies”, the reason being that if no one believes anything they say now they never will in the future. Somehow though in the last verse when the narrator is being checked on by an examiner, telepathy is used to rig the results…. so it looks like it is another one of those unreliable narrator type tracks that TMBG usually do. Seems like this narrator has problems – which is something that is said right at the end of the track that comes before it… I see what they did there.

“Finished with Lies” is a very standard rock tune. Standard band ensemble of guitars, bass and drums with a few erratic synthesizers here and there and backing vocals in the chorus. It is a very simple track, and I like that. Originally the track was going to be something of a slow march which you can listen to on YouTube; it’s an interesting version and makes the lyrics sound a lot more serious. But I do prefer the one on the album.