It seems as if the late 70’s/early 80’s was full of Photo-related songs. Photography in the 80’s must have been what the I-Phone App craze is nowadays. Why don’t I hear any “App This” songs? Artists these days have no imagination. Anyway, here is another excuse to post about Blondie, or, as my wife would call her, my second love. I found Debbie Harris in fine singing voice on Top of the Pops (OK, yes, it’s obvious the performance is lip-synched). It’s always entertaining watching the evolution of the live studio audience on TOTP trying to dance. The early days would show a scattering of awkward, bored looking, jerky-dancing audience members within inches of the performers. But as time passed on, the audience would be crammed in so the only dancing occurring would be the clap-above-your-head dance, and the level of crazed screaming would go insane whenever the host introduced the next talentless chart-topper.
Following on from yesterday’s Def Leppard post, here is another photographic song. Depeche Mode – again, another band that has blown by me, were formed in 1980 and released Photographic in 1981 on their debut album “Speak & Spell”. I had a good friend at University that loved Depeche Mode, but it didn’t convince me to become a fan. Yesterday was the first time I head “Photographic”, and I couldn’t keep still in my seat. I wanted to dance with my Polaroid air-camera.
I take pictures. Photographic pictures
Bright light. Dark room. Bright light. Dark room.
Depeche Mode… Def Leppard… maybe the 80’s are beginning to warm on me.
Def Leppard are one of the most successful rock bands of all time, and they formed in Sheffield, England, a few miles from where I spent my childhood. Shouldn’t I like this band? Honestly, I never gave the band much listen time – their peak came and went whilst I was still in junior school, in my least favorite decade of music. But this is a band that has sold over 65 million albums, and “Photograph”, a tribute song to Marilyn Monroe, was ranked the 13th best hard-rock song of all time. I am warming to Def Leppard, but I still can’t get past the 80’s hairstyle.
You aren’t missing anything if this is the only song by Texan rock band “Deep Blue Something” that you recognize. Trust me on that one, I want to save you the time of rushing off to listen to one of their “best of” collections. I did just that today, and well, apart from this signature tune, nothing outstanding came my way. What a shame, because this is such a great song, resplendent of the glories of 90’s music… you would have thought the band would be able to build upon and add to this hit from their debut album. What happened!? Did the band make so much money off of this 1995 single to be able to lark about and shop at places like Tiffany’s.
Ice Cream Van’s are creepy at the best of times, but the local one in my neighborhood has to rank amongst the creepiest. As a parent, you must be out of your mind to allow your child to run down the road after an Ice Cream Van with “Mr. Ding-a-Ling” painted on the side of it. Really?!
Glasvegas, an alternative rock band from Glasgow were nominated for best new band and best album in last year’s NME awards. They didn’t win either, but it shows the bad has the approval of the music-press. Musically, Glasvegas remind me of “The XX” – the chords are stretched out into tomorrow, the lyrics slow and trance-like. Mind you, I have only listened to this song, and only because I had snapped a photo of Mr. Ding a Ling’s mode of transport earlier today – I probably should listen to a few more before I categorize them.
Nessun Dorma is probably one of the most famous pieces of Opera music in existence, brought to world-wide attention with Luciano Pavarotti’s recording of it for the the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. It subsequently reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart, the highest placing ever by a classical recording.
Jeff Beck, former guitarist of The Yardbirds, and later with his own band, “The Jeff Beck Group”, and later still as a soloist, is a legend amongst lead guitarists. It is in his latest solo album, “Emotion & Commotion” that the Sexagenarian tackles this Classical aria with his lead guitar and the backing of a 64-piece orchestra. For me, this doesn’t work – I can’t find a place for a lead guitar. Some people will probably disagree with me here, I won’t hold it against them. I think the choice of song is a big factor in why I don’t like this – maybe it is because I am wanting to hear a strong tenor voice such as Pavoritti’s over the notes of an electronic guitar. It’s like a picture book that contains only words – something is missing here. It’s the “Ma il mio mistero e chiuso in me, il nome mio nessun sapra!” Thank you, Luciano Pavarotti.
I have a new favorite worst song. The Michael Jackson howls, the Scissor Sisters disco beat, the band’s name, the lyrics – this is all too much. There is a official video for this song, but it is so bad I didn’t want to damagemy blog anymore than it already has been by even featuring this song. The two founding members of “The Lovemakers”, Scott Blonde and Lisa Light were at the time of forming the band in 2002, lovers. Not surprisingly, their time in the band outlasted their relationship, though not by much. “The Lovemakers” called it a day in 2009.
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