There are some things you can’t cover up with lipstick and powder
Dave Edmunds broke into music with a band called the Raiders but it was his solo career that actually took off in the 1970s. He had a hit with “I hear you Knockin” (yes you have heard that song – youtube it).
But it was his recording of an Elvis Costello song (Costello later admitted probably should have recorded Girls Talk himself), backed ably by the truly outstanding Nick Lowe that delivered Dave Edmunds his finest hour.
How can you not love lyrics like:
“You may not be an old-fashioned girl, but you are gonna get dated” – that’s high quality word play.
The Fixx have recorded some great albums and had some gigantic hits during their career (which continues to this day – their album Beautiful Friction – released last year was outstanding).
What always set the Fixx apart from many other bands of the 1980s was that the Fixx consistently commented on the world around them and asked some tough questions. In 1991 when this song was released the question was “How much is enough?” Just exactly how much stuff do we need?
And the video from 1991 is classic
Can’t you see that time is slipping away? But I’ve got to say – how much is enough when your soul is empty?
Hey – I admit it. I’ve been saving this song for Black Friday. I’m all for the Christmas shopping and gift exchanges – don’t get me wrong. But when stores are opening on Thanksgiving – we’ve got a problem.
While we were dreaming, something slipped away. We’re drowning in possessions, playing tricks with our minds; Lost from one another…
Christmas season is upon us folks and don’t get me wrong – if you were shopping today among the lunatics – I hope it was a really fun time and found lots of bargains.
But I’m a little concerned we might be losing our perspective when we are convinced by the media that we have to gulp down our thanksgiving turkey and take off to the same lousy stores we go to any other weekend, in order to buy some discounted product that we may not even need.
Can’t we just eat dinner with our famiily?
Dr. Seuss:
And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: “How could it be so?
It came without ribbons! It came without tags!”
It came without packages, boxes or bags!”
And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!
“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.
“Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”
The way Dolby tells the story – apparently he had an Uncle who was a submariner during WWII and was killed during manuevers not in battle – making the story even more poignant. So Dolby wrote this song and used the lost submarine as a metaphor for England’s fading empire.
The red lights flicker, sonar weak Air valves hissing open Half her pressure blown away Flounder in the ocean
That’s clever and sad at the same time.
Dolby will always be remembered for his quirky tunes like she blinded me with science, but this is his best song. It is haunting and catchy simultaneously – no small feat.
Bye-bye empire, empire bye-bye Tired illusion drown in the night
Let’s take it way back to the days of 35 cents a gallon gas.
Procul Harum is sort of dismissed as a one hit wonder – but these guys actually had a nice bluesy rock sound and if you see their greatest hits laying around in a bargain bin for $1.99, just buy it.
The sound is dreamy, the words are a bit psychedlic and this song makes us all look back. It’s one of those tunes that forces us back in time – no matter how old we are.
It’s a great song (except for groovy clothes these guys are wearing in the video).
The world is all around us The days are flying past And fear is so contagious But I’m not afraid to laugh
Neil Finn is an incredible song writer. I’d put him up against any writer of songs in the last 50 years. he has had an incredible career with Split Enz, Crowded House, and the Finn Brothers (with Brother Tim Finn).
But his solo album, One Nil, produced this song and I am tempted to say is my favorite song of all time by anyone. There’s nothing safe about this life…
Check it out:
I feel like I’m in love With a stranger I’ll never know Although you’re still a mystery I’m so glad I’m not alone
cjcheetham 