DarceysDad - this picture is for you.
I have to admit I'm very confused. I was planning to post a few prison-related songs on the 'Spill tonight and then I found these wonderful beach-themed playlists hanging around, looking attractive in their revealing two piece ... sorry, where was I?
Yes, playlists. So I thought I'd take a radical approach and post a two-entirely-unrelated-themes playlist. And this is it:
1. Dragons - Prefab Sprout You might know the Jimmy Nail version of this. Much as I like it, Paddy's own, stripped-down take on the song has a far more adventurous and 'genuine' feel to it. The song just about fits the prison theme as it's about someone being held captive - but don't worry, Paddy's on his way...
2. He's On The Beach - Kirsty MacColl Perhaps not one of the late, much-lamented, singer's finest moments but I always liked Ms MacColl and her 'Best Of' is never too far away from the ToffeeBoy/ToffeeGirl stereogram.
3. Prison Food - Ben Folds As I said yesterday over on the mothership, I have no idea why this is called Prison Food and what it has to do with prisons. Probably nothing, but, hey - any excuse to hear Ben Folds...
4. Orpheus Beach - The Go-Betweens Another classic from another dead pop star. A Grant McLennan composition from the under-rated 'Friends of Rachel Worth' album - and it has the word 'beach' in the title.
5. A Prisoner Of The Past - Prefab Sprout And talking of under-rated albums, this is from the Sprout's 1997 album, 'Andromeda Heights' which is jam-packed full of 'drippingly gorgeous' songs (thanks, fp) - and this is just one of them.
6. The Beach - Jonathan Richman What can I say? Just lose yourself in the joy that is, Jonathan Richman. Altogether now: "See whose bum you like the best, see who's got a hairy chest". Genius.
7. Walking In The Rain - The Prisonaires I can't quite believe that I'm following that with this. From the (quaintly) ridiculous to the sublime. This songs speaks for itself so, I'll shut up and let y'all listen.
Enjoy.
18 comments:
Blimey, look at that - Everton have finished building their new ground already!!
Apols, ToffeeBoy, it was too easy a target to resist. For what it's worth, I was one of those firmly in the groundshare camp. I've never been a confrontational Red, I only ever want your lot to lose two games (+ cup meetings) a season.
Re the playlist, I've been busy and haven't yet got my head around how we've ended up with a combined prison/beach theme.
[How do you do a confused emoticon?]
Agree completely re Kirsty's Galore LP. Never been a Sprout-er: on some unidentifiable emotional level, they just have me reaching for the skip button. I wish I'd had that Jonathan Richman song for the in-car entertainment for our holiday last month. The Prisonaires info on RR/here has been a revelation; another little piece chipped off the monolith of my musical ignorance!
Thanks, and I'll go on record now to say good luck for (most of) next season!
Hi Toffee. That list is going to be making its way through the speakers chez nous today - 2 Sprouts' tracks! Yeyy! And Jimmy Nail is a bit of a trade secret - don't tell everyone will you? Guy has very fine voice. Did you hear his version of 'Love don't live here any more?'
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Just to explain the beach thing - I was looking at my big deezer selection of prison songs ready to make the ten. The weather was so nice and sunny that I was not in the right place mentally to go behind bars and hear the 'clunk' of the chain gang. To top it all, somebody mentioned 'holidays' and I thought, 'sod it, I'm breaking out'. I'd been sitting on that beach list for a while, and so whipped it out of the oven, steaming. I hope Maddy chooses the theme in the future, though. We've far from exhausted it...
Thanks for the Go-betweens track- a fine one. I thought Mclennan/Forster deserved a mention on that lyrics thread on GU a week or two ago, no-one really took me up on it though. Still, this track is a good example of how brilliant their texts were.
Sitting with tears in my eyes at 'Dragons'. He's so talented. 'Swoon' made my 'A' levels bearable (just). And every stage of my life has been accompanied by a Sprouts album. He has literally written the soundtrack to my existance. How I'd love to tell him that... But what album is it from? I have them all and have just discovered that song today. Thanks so much for that. Listening to the rest of the list and new lump in throat at Kirsty. Wonderful list, Toffee.
Another fab list, shame the last track looks like it's brought back the grey clouds and my washing is about to get another hammering...
@ DsD - I know quite enough 'confrontational' reds to be going on with, so it's nice to know that you're not one of them. I'm not sure that I'm quite as magnanimous and gentlemanly though. I suppose it's different when you're the little brother - easier for the older one to be kind and considerate - and perhaps the junior partner sometimes resents the potentially patronising attitude - which yours isn't all! I think I'd better stop before I dig myself into a hole the size of Stanley Park...
@ nilpferd - I have to admit that I rarely stray from the Readers Recommend blog (and of course the ever-wonderful 'Spill) so I didn't get involved in the songwriters debate. I would most certainly have supported any votes for Forster/McLennan. A bit like Difford & Tillbrook and Sean O'Hagan & Cathal Coughlan in that the whole was always greater than the two parts!
@ tracyk - sorry about that. We need the clouds so that we can appreciate the sunshine all the more (end of cod psychology for the day - promise)
@ frogprincess - if you'd like to join me in the Sprout corner, I'll tell you everything you need to know. We can talk there without fear of disturbing, or being disturbed by, the non-believers amongst us! See you in the next post...
FOR SPROUT EYES ONLY!!!
Dragons is one of the b-sides from the Electric Guitars single. Prefar Sprout b-sides have a bit of a chequered history - the early ones were by and large gems but the quality soon dropped off a bit and you get the idea that Paddy was messing about and recording the first thing that came into his mind. Then there was a lengthy period when all the extra tracks on the singles were re-releases or versions of album tracks. Finally (well, I hope NOT finally) we were treated to a glut of new tracks on the singles from Andromeda Heights.
I have 202 Prefab Sprout tracks on my iTunes - many of which are there more than once. There are actually 113 official, unique Sprout recordings (and yes, I have them all!) - this doesn't include Paddy's solo album (I Trawl The Megaherz) and it doesn't include remixes, live versions but does include two very different versions of 'Diana'.
Of these 113, 28 never appeared on a Sprout studio album. A couple of them have been included on compilations: 'If You Don't Love Me', 'Where The Heart Is' and the debut single 'Lions In My Own Garden' but there's still a large body of work (some of it magnificent, some of it, to be honest, utterly disposable) which has never had an official CD release.
Hope that all makes sense.
Over and.. er.. Sprout! Thanks!
Very witty D'sD. We smirked a lot.
toffeeboy, I'd not heard that Kirsty song before. Sometimes her more dextrous lyrics come with songs that don't reach pop nirvana. (as anyone covering Billy Bragg/ Ray Davies songs would be aware of). I'm a big fan of her poppy numbers like 'Perfect Day' and 'He'son the Beach' is one of those.
Wish she HAD stayed on the beach. I didn't really type that did I?
By the way Prison / Beach kind of makes sense:
Where do bank/trainrobbers tradionally hang out with their illgotten gains?
Think Ronnie Biggs in Brazil on 'No-one is Innocent' promo posters.
And have you ever been to Port Merion in Wales? Nice beach. Those big bouncy balls sort of ruin it though.
Maybe I'm suffering from McGoogan's Blues but I can see the connection between beach / prison as total opposites.
What view does Hannibal Lecter negotiate for when helping the Feds with their enquiries?
Even Bootle would look good to a Lifer.
Oh, and there's 'Rooming House on Venice Beach' which also be one of the best JR songs we got. I went there recently. It was a bit like Camden Sur La Mer. Sorry to shatter illusions but...
Maybe it was better in 1967.
@ proudfoot - despite being a massive Jonathan Richman fan, I have to admit to being about five albums behind so I'm not familiar with 'Rooming House on Venice Beach'. I think it's time to remedy that - eBay here I come...
Ooooh. Do that toffeeboy. "I Jonathan' is a good 'un. Tracks 3,4,5 & 6 are my favourites. You know with a song title like "I Was Dancing In The Lesbian Bar" you can't go too far astray.
I heard him do that live at the Shepherd's Bush Empire a few months back - everyone else seemed to know and I felt my Jonathan crown slip just a little...
Good playlist - although sad to learn that Kirsty McColl is no longer with us. Also have tended to lose track of Mr Macaloon & Mr. Richman over the years, so I appreciate your advocacy.
Will your next playlist have 6 themes & 6 Sprout songs?
Not a Sprout devotee (although 'Faron Young' is one of my favourite pop songs). I once spent weeks walking around Greece, singing a song to myself I'd heard on local radio (they never told you who songs were by. It was called 'Look at Snap'. As in 'Look at Snap, some things hurt more much more than cars and girls'...Blush.
@ shoegazer - 6 themes - 6 Sprout songs? Don't tempt me!
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