Are You Having A Laugh?
I must be doing something right: today I was asked to take my music off the office stereo not once, but twice. But two more different problem tracks you could not ask for. First on was Cat Stevens, out of respect to the closing track from Extras. Extras is not good. This is a problem, because you watch it hoping, almost expecting that it will be, but it's not good. There's almost an element of hoping that it's intentional, that it's supposed to refer to the sub-standard sitcom that Ricky Gervais finds himself in. But no, it's just not very good.
However, redeeming features come in many flavours, not the least of which is Tea For The Tillerman, the title track from Stevens' 1970 album of the same name. The track is always played over the credits a little bit louder than you expect, like the producers are giving due prominence to a great, classically-formed song. Which it is, like most of Stevens' output at the time - it's on the same album as Wild World and Father & Son, for a start.
So Cat went on the office stereo, and apparently not a popular choice, was replaced by Autechre.
The Music
Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman
The other offender was altogether more expected. In fact, Psychocandy was put on in the almost-certain knowledge that someone would ask for it to be taken off at some point. In the event, they did admirably, and I think it was Some Candy Talking, which is track 8, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. This album has taken a long time even to get to a listenable stage for me, so I can appreciate others' anxiety at the barrage of trebly, scraping distortion that passes for a Jesus & Mary Chain song. It's not easy going. I was going to pull the "it was the closing track on Lost In Translation" trick, but stopped myself when I remembered just how often I've had to use the Pixies' Fight Club credits soundtrack for the same thing. I don't want to go down that route again.
The Music
Jesus & Mary Chain - Some Candy Talking
The 'fo
Artist: Cat Stevens/Jesus & Mary Chain
Websites: yusufislam.org.uk/subpop.com
Recommended: Tea For The Tillerman/Psychocandy
Label: Polygram/Subpop
Buy: Amazon CS/JAMC
More: Hype Machine CS/JAMC; elbo.ws CS/JAMC
Tags: Cat Stevens; Tea For The Tillerman; Extras; Ricky Gervais; Jesus & Mary Chain; Psychocandy
However, redeeming features come in many flavours, not the least of which is Tea For The Tillerman, the title track from Stevens' 1970 album of the same name. The track is always played over the credits a little bit louder than you expect, like the producers are giving due prominence to a great, classically-formed song. Which it is, like most of Stevens' output at the time - it's on the same album as Wild World and Father & Son, for a start.
So Cat went on the office stereo, and apparently not a popular choice, was replaced by Autechre.
The Music
Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman
The other offender was altogether more expected. In fact, Psychocandy was put on in the almost-certain knowledge that someone would ask for it to be taken off at some point. In the event, they did admirably, and I think it was Some Candy Talking, which is track 8, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. This album has taken a long time even to get to a listenable stage for me, so I can appreciate others' anxiety at the barrage of trebly, scraping distortion that passes for a Jesus & Mary Chain song. It's not easy going. I was going to pull the "it was the closing track on Lost In Translation" trick, but stopped myself when I remembered just how often I've had to use the Pixies' Fight Club credits soundtrack for the same thing. I don't want to go down that route again.
The Music
Jesus & Mary Chain - Some Candy Talking
The 'fo
Artist: Cat Stevens/Jesus & Mary Chain
Websites: yusufislam.org.uk/subpop.com
Recommended: Tea For The Tillerman/Psychocandy
Label: Polygram/Subpop
Buy: Amazon CS/JAMC
More: Hype Machine CS/JAMC; elbo.ws CS/JAMC
Tags: Cat Stevens; Tea For The Tillerman; Extras; Ricky Gervais; Jesus & Mary Chain; Psychocandy
3 comments:
Bah! You're lucky to have an office stereo. Though I did prompt a wee retro disco at ours one Friday afternoon by playing a selection of 80s YouTube videos...
FiL
amazing :) cat stevens is so wonderful.
i think extras is brilliant
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