Tag Archives: me

My iPod #319: Pavement – Elevate Me Later

1 Reply

After the opening track “Silence Kit” from Pavement’s second album “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain” is “Elevate Me Later”, a song which I believe is Stephen Malkmus’ critique of celebrity lifestyles and other things that are considered to be of higher statuses. He clearly doesn’t give a shit about those, and the song title shows that he’d rather pass on being associated with them.

It took me a while to get into it. Didn’t think it was that great of a track. But the ascending guitar riff got stuck in my head one time and I just wanted to listen to it repetitively.

The song itself is very laid-back and easy to listen to.  There isn’t a lot to it except two verses, both of which are sung with a very simple but enjoyable melody and a part where the band execute this faux big rock ending where they ploughing in as much noise as they can from their instrument, with Malkmus yelling something which is buried deep in the mix….. only to begin playing the guitar riff again until the song actually ends and the album continues with “Stop Breathin'”.

It sounds simple. That’s not a bad thing. Simplicity is all you need sometimes.

My iPod #292: The Beatles – Don’t Let Me Down

Leave a reply


Let me make it clear that this is the “Naked” version of “Don’t Let Me Down” that I’ll be talking about. Why is this? Because I much prefer it to the original released back in 1969.

Both recordings were made during a period when the four members barely wanted to be in a room together. The thing is you can really tell this when listening to the original. The performance is slow, lethargic and so loose that it sounds like it could collapse at any moment. Paul’s a bit full on with his harmony, and it’s not John’s greatest vocal either. Maybe that’s why Phil Spector dropped it from “Let It Be”, although it would have been a better option than “Dig It” and “Maggie Mae” for sure. I can’t get into it – it lacks that tight-knit delivery and closeness that we all associate The Beatles with.

But the “Naked” version…….. Ah. It’s beautiful. If only the technology of 2003 existed back in the 70s. “Let It Be…. Naked” was Paul McCartney’s vision of what the album should have been had Phil Spector not put on his choirs and various orchestras into some of the tracks. “Maggie Mae” and “Dig It” were taken off and replaced with this wonderful version of “Don’t Let Me Down”, made up of two performances of the song the band did during the infamous rooftop concert.

The track is given a lift by a subtle change in tempo and a higher key, but what makes it so much better than its 1969 counterpart is how brighter it sounds. You can sense that the atmosphere whilst performing this version was a lot less tense. George’s lower harmony vocal in the chorus is a nice little addition, the instrumentation is tighter, the singing is terrific…… Everything sounds better.

Oh, and that bass playing by Paul after the final iteration of the title until the end of the song. Absolutely glorious. I’m very sure John looks at him as if to say “Damn…..” in appreciation, but he can’t because he’s still singing. Oh well.

Watch them perform it, by clicking on thiiiiiiiiiis.

My iPod #281: Arctic Monkeys – Do Me a Favour

Leave a reply


“Do Me a Favour” is a song from Arctic Monkeys’ second album “Favourite Worst Nightmare”. Have I mentioned that this my favourite album of theirs? I may have done before. I’ll assume that I’ve stated why that is my opinion, so I won’t go into that again.

Placed after the mellowest track on the album, “Do Me a Favour” starts off the second half of “Nightmare” with a minor-key track about the end of a relationship from the point of view of a man who has cheated on his girlfriend and feeling so guilty about it eventually tells her.

The track begins with ominous rolls on the tom-toms, followed by ascending bass line and Alex Turner’s vocals. It continues to slowly build brick by brick (hehe), as the guitars are introduced later on. The majority of “Favour” is calmly delivered, before launching into the explosion near the end where Turner sings the last verse and everything comes to a close.

As it is only an album track, there is not much extra information I am able to provide. Sorry. The point is, it’s a decent one. If you haven’t heard it, spare a few minutes.

My iPod #163: The Libertines – Can’t Stand Me Now

Leave a reply
 

A “hate you but I love you” type of song at its very finest.

Pete Doherty and Carl Barât were not getting along with one another as they did in the years before 2004. Pete was doing drugs, Carl did not like it, they argued and the band split up later.

But what better way to express their feelings to one another than through song? With memorable call and response verses, the two lead vocalists express their feelings to each other. No metaphors or other literary devices are used which may try to place ambiguity on any lines… it’s just pure emotion. Not like soppy emotion. But the truth. Straight from the heart.

The song is the lead track from the band’s last album. It almost got to number one in the charts. It peaked at number two. It got beaten by this.

Jamie.

My iPod #158: The Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love

Leave a reply


Another wonderful vocal performance by Paul McCartney. Sings it right from the gut. It was almost ear-piercing when I was always messing up the audio in Audacity and amplifying their tracks to ridiculous levels. I used to like my music very loud; I know now why audiophiles exist.

The first time I heard the song, The Beatles weren’t singing it. It was a cover version that played in a Simpsons episode. From what I recall Bart and Lisa volunteer to work at the Retirement Castle and they persuade the old folk to have fun outside or whatever, which leads to a montage very similar to the original video by The Beatles which you can see above all of this.

That occurred when I was a child. I didn’t see “A Hard Day’s Night” until I was fourteen, so that whole montage was something that I thought was silly and comedic, rather than a parody.

“Can’t Buy Me Love” is a joyful and bouncy song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, but mostly by the latter. You cannot listen to this song and feel sad at the same time. When Paul sings money can’t buy him love, he sings it like he believes it. You want to believe him when he sings it too. This is all very cliché, but it is true. Money’s bad. Love is good. Money does help a bit…. but compared to love it’s nothing. Love is all you need.

Jamie.