Tag Archives: my ipod

#703: Radiohead – Knives Out

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It took me a while to really appreciate this song. I’ve never been the biggest fan of Amnesiac as a whole, but it does contain some of Radiohead’s best work. In the past I would always hear this song and maintain my focus on Thom Yorke’s vocal. For a long time it never impressed me. Seemed kind of aimless. It rises and falls and that was about it. Quite run of the mill for his voice.

Then, some time last year, I revisited the album. Instead of focusing on Yorke’s voice, I turned my attention to the band’s performance. The ‘Paranoid Android-esque’ lick that opens the track, the wispy hiss that comes from Phil Selway’s ride cymbal… Colin Greenwood’s bassline. All these little things suddenly became much more apparent. ‘Knives Out’ isn’t all about Thom Yorke’s voice, but how every other instrument interplays with it. When you take all of those elements into consideration, it makes Yorke’s melody so much more engaging.

The song is a very atmospheric one. Dark and pessimistic in tone. There’s a lot of cannibalistic imagery in there, though it’s also based on the ideas of looking into a dying person’s eyes and someone walking out on their family. Not the cheeriest of songs but one of those you need when you’re feeling quite low.

#702: The Shins – Kissing the Lipless

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I’ve tried to get into The Shins but I’ve long conceded that their albums don’t do that much for me. Long ago I downloaded Oh, Inverted World and Chutes Too Narrow because I’d seen that they were praised very well. I do think Chutes is better – I deleted Inverted because I never returned to it – but even then there are two tracks on there that I listen to.

‘Kissing the Lipless’ starts off Chutes Too Narrow, an album that is now reaching twenty years since its release. It probably means a lot to many people. Been the soundtrack to many a formative year and important moments. Can’t say that for me. I’ve got to admit that I haven’t even listened to this song many times to properly gauge its meaning. I just really like James Mercer’s vocals on this. Usually, his vocals are what prevent me from really getting into a Shins song – but he sings the melody so strongly and with pure gusto that it’s hard not to feel some emotion from it.

In terms of what it’s about….? I can’t go into too much detail without copying it from somewhere else. But I believe it’s about a friendship that has ended and all the memories that it once contained. Something along those lines.

#701: They Might Be Giants – Kiss Me, Son of God

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When listening to They Might Be Giants’ second album Lincoln you wouldn’t think that, after starting with ‘Ana Ng’, the record would then go on to close with ‘Kiss Me, Son of God’. Musically uplifting, it’s led by a soundscape of rising violins, saxophones and a cello that provide the backdrop to Linnell’s lyrics which detail a dictator who has lost the respect of his closest friends and associates.

In typical TMBG fashion the song juxtaposes happy music and darker lyrical subject matter to create this undertone of tension and uneasiness. The listener however isn’t able to tell unless they really search out those lyrics just because of how upbeat and strident the melodies are. I’m thinking that, as the track is from the point of view of this awful, awful person, the music is meant to reflect the fact that the narrator truly doesn;t care about the hurt he’s causing these people and is in fact very happy about his situation.

Very descriptive in its language and vivid in its imagery, the lyrical highlight arguably occurs in the bridge:

I look like Jesus, so they say
But Mr. Jesus is very far away
Now you’re the only one here who can tell me if it’s true
That you love me and I love me

You see, ’cause as a listener you’re expecting Linnell to sing ‘I love you‘ in that final line but he turns it around and sings ‘me’ instead. You have to hear it to appreciate it.

Linnell and Flansburgh had originally recorded the track during the sessions for the group’s first album. It was released a B-Side on the ‘(She Was a) Hotel Detective’ single, and is very different from how it appears on Lincoln. With no backing music by The Ordinaires, it’s just the two Johns singing in harmony with an accordion at hand. Here is that version:

#700: Kings of Leon – King of the Rodeo

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This is another one of those songs where I was actually alive and could remember its video showing on the TV as opposed to finding it years later. One thing I remember about this track is that I, somehow, always managed to change the channel to MTV2 when the video for this song was almost finishing. I don’t think I ever saw the beginning until YouTube came along. Or maybe it was on the band’s official website when bands used to have their music videos on their in a .wmv format back in the day.

‘King of the Rodeo’ is on Kings of Leon’s second album Aha Shake Heartbreak, released in 2004. It was the album’s third single. I still don’t really know what Caleb Followill is saying throughout this thing. It’s never come to mind that I should find the lyrics and truly understand what he’s singing. I’ve always appreciated the sound of his voice here. The coarse tone, the breaks when he’s reaching for the high notes. It’s a characteristic that made the Kings of Leon those days very exciting to listen to. Yes, I’m one of those people. I think the real main highlight in the track is the guitar work of Matthew Followill. While Caleb pretty much plays two chords for the whole song, Nathan keeps the momentum going with the crunchy riffs and string bends. It’s in the left speaker if you’re using your headphones. Or the right, if you’re watching the video.

Now, I have read the lyrics. Apparently, there are a few references to the film Withnail and I in the track. I wasn’t expecting that. Other than that, there’s not much meaning to the lyrical content. I’ll take it that about they’re about some relationship between a guy and a girl in the South.

#699: The Tallest Man on Earth – King of Spain

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The Wild Hunt by The Tallest Man on Earth turns 10 in just over a week’s time. I got into the album around 2012/13, when I was on a folk tip and trying to find more acoustic-based albums to hear after listening to Pink Moon too many times. The Wild Hunt is much more optimistic in tone, with the songs within mainly threaded by themes of moving on, moving forward and having dreams for the future.

‘King of Spain’ is the sixth track on the album, was the second single from it too, and sees Kristian Mattson – the “Tallest Man” – dreams of becoming the song’s title after unexpectedly starting a new relationship with someone. In his eyes, he could be almost anything now that he’s got that someone who he thought was way out of his reach. And it’s just him and his guitar that do all the magic on here.

Now it’s not out of line to say that here, Matsson wears the Bob Dylan influence on his sleeve from the folk-centric music to the raspiness of his voice. This is something he has gracefully admitted himself. ‘King of Spain’ makes reference to the Dylan song ‘Boots of Spanish Leather’ too. But even so that shouldn’t get in the way of one’s enjoyment of this song. Or the album for that matter. It’s a tour de force delivered by a man and his guitar about daydreams of high hopes and wonderment. You can’t ask for more than that.