Category Archives: Music

#811: Manic Street Preachers – Marlon J.D.

1 Reply

This song is a bit of a recent addition to my phone library. Journal for Plague Lovers is one of my three favourite Manic Street Preachers albums, and it’s been on my computer storage since late 2013. Then, I’d already established a few highlights from there that I liked right away. One of those should be coming up in the next few weeks. ‘Marlon J.D.’ I didn’t really appreciate until, maybe, about last year. I don’t think I even listened to the album. Its chorus line just started ringing in my head and I guess I needed to listen to it to properly remember what it sounded like.

This blog post, found on a site dedicated to Manic Street Preachers, actually covers a lot of what I would have wanted to talk about here. Probably in better detail too. I’m also all for its driving energy, the slashing guitars and the pulsating drum machine that relentlessly keeps the song moving. There’s an opening-theme-song-to-a-police-detective-TV-show vibe to this song that I sense too, though that’s just me. Like all of the other songs on Plague Lovers, its lyrics were written by Richey Edwards, the band’s original co-lyricist and guitarist who disappeared in 1995 and was presumed dead 13 years later. According to bassist Nicky Wire, Edwards was fascinated by Marlon Brando as a figure of success and self-destruction. A lot of the lyrics are also taken from the film Reflections in a Golden Eye featuring Brando and Elizabeth Taylor.

Wire and lead singer James Dean Bradfield give more information about the song in the video below. Some points covered: Wire wrote the song’s music, and originally sang the song’s demo. You can see him demonstrate it around 2:34 in this video. And neither of them know what the J.D. stands for. I think the answer’s a lot closer then they think. To the point that I think they actually do know, but I don’t know why they would say they don’t. You know what I mean? Anyway, the song’s up there.

#810: Ween – Marble Tulip Juicy Tree

Leave a reply

I could never have predicted what I would be in for when I chose to listen to GodWeenSatan: The Oneness for the first time back in 2015. Before then, The Mollusk was the only Ween album I’d heard. And I thought that album was fantastic. Still do, today. So I went on Spotify, searched up Ween and thought, “Why not?” and pushed play. ‘You Fucked Up’ started and finished, and I was into it from then on. The madness started there and for another 70+ minutes just kept coming. I would describe ‘Marble Tulip Juicy Tree’ as the grand finale of the entire album. It’s what the previous 24 songs (or 27 if you have the ‘Anniversary’ edition) have been leading up to. Even though ‘Puffy Cloud’ is the album’s actual closer, I think of it as more of a credits song. Or at least something that comes in the stinger.

So what’s ‘Marble Tulip Juicy Tree’ about? If you were to guess that it would be about nothing just from looking at the title, you would be right. You’d also be a bit wrong too. It’s about everything, and nothing at the same time. It’s no secret that members Gene Ween and Dean Ween dabbled in a lot of drugs in their younger age. The lyrical content would probably have been inspired by some mushroom-LSD-hallucinogenic trip. That doesn’t stop it from being one of the most uplifting and glorious punk rock songs that I know. I think this song is made up of only five chords, but the way everything’s just executed is brilliant. Backwards guitars, guitar solos that pan from one ear to the other. There’s this booming speech by one of the band members friends that comes in as the song nears its end, and when that finishes the track climaxes with these strident guitar strums and what sounds like some sampled strings. It’s a massive song, honestly.

Listening to GodWeenSatan that one time sent me on a journey. 2015/2016 was my Ween year. I started a song discussion thread thing on the Ween reddit, I was so hyped about them. And coincidentally, the band reunited while I was gradually making my way through their discography. It was a good time to be a Ween fan. Glad I did become one sooner rather than later.

#809: The Knife – Marble House

1 Reply

I’ve always admired this one just for how it sounds. ‘Marble House’ by Swedish electronic music duo The Knife arrives in the middle of Silent Shout. After that comes ‘Like a Pen’. The midsection of that album is probably my favourite part of it. While ‘Pen’ is a bit more hectic and bustling, ‘Marble House’ moves along with a relaxing flow, but has a sense of mystery and eeriness provided by its minor key and melody.

Taking a closer look at the lyrics for you people at home, it seems that the they concern a relationship. I mean, I always kind of knew that just by listening, but what kind of relationship it could specifically be is up in the air. Some can say a familial one. Others could say romantic. You’re all right. But the titular house is where this relationship is taking place, and where the song’s narrator physically and emotionally cares for their other half.

Again, another highlight of this track like almost all the other Knife songs is singer Karin Dreijer’s vocals. Such a great tone and delivery to them. She’s accompanied by fellow Swedish singer-songwriter Jay-Jay Johansen who sings on the second verse; he fits in quite perfectly on there. I guess he provides the voice from the perspective of the person who is being cared for. Whatever the deeper meaning and inner machinations may be, this song makes for some good listening. It has a stop-motion animated music video of these woodland creatures living in this wooden house. It’s below, but it doesn’t use the full version of the track which I like to listen to more. It was also uploaded in 2008, so the quality’s not too great.

#808: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps

Leave a reply

I saw the video for this track the first time on TV a long time ago. Wasn’t through MTV2, but through some other channel. I think The Amp, if anyone out there remembers it. There was no message or sign showing the band name or the song name, so I remember being confused as to whether this was a music video or a really long advert for a dramatic music television show or something. I was quite young when this happened, so forgive me. Wasn’t until a bit later that it was revealed to me. ‘Maps’ was a very much a real song by a real band, Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Could do with a new song by them.

The track’s quite an emotional one. The music video even more so. Lead singer Karen O’s boyfriend at-the-time was meant to show up the shoot, but he was very late and she was about to go on tour and didn’t think he was going to show. During the performances, the tears start falling from her eyes while all these warm lights of fluorescent colours are glaring in the camera and she sings, “They don’t love you like I love you.” Sometimes I go on about songs that can be made so much more emphatic with the right music video. This is another of those instances.

Amidst Brian Chase’s rolling drum pattern and O’s silky vocals is Nick Zinner’s guitars which really keep the track moving. The one note loop is the first thing you hear and the last as the song fades out. In between, he provides that staccato line during the verses and those twinkling high notes in the choruses. I guess he also provides the bassline in those sections, even though the band don’t use a bass guitar. His playing is a highlight for me on this one. ‘Maps’ is a bit of an indie classic, and its cultural legacy cant be understated. Beyoncé took the chorus’ main lyric and used it in one of her songs. So there you go, I guess.

#807: Supergrass – Mansize Rooster

1 Reply

I received I Should Coco for what I think was my 14th birthday. Might have even been my 13th. But by the end of that first full listen, I was sure it was another 10/10 by the group. As time’s gone on, I do think some songs on there do sound a bit dated. ‘Mansize Rooster’ falls under that category. Everything from the jaunty piano, the walking bassline, and those horns that come in the chorus. Those are just a few things. But it’s just so darn catchy, still.

The track is about a young man who is well-endowed for his age. The narrator’s strapped for cash and things aren’t looking too great in life, but with his package he might just be able to turn things around. It took me a while to get the joke in the song’s title. What’s another name for a rooster? There you go. And although the music sounds dated, I think it definitely works to give off this strange childish and horny tone of the lyrics. It’s a swinging number from the beginning before switching to a frenetic, fast-paced freakout for the choruses. It alternates between those tempos every time. It’s a crazy ride of a listen.

As you can see, Supergrass were very, very young in this music video. The members were practically children, it’s quite surreal to see. Some strange things happen in it. The three guys share a bathtub, guitarist Gaz Coombes appears in women’s clothing for a brief moment. It’s all a bit campy. It’s a good time for all.