"There's a time in life for Hoagy Carmichael. There's a time in life for Claude Debussy. There's a time in life for Jerry Lee Lewis. There's a time in life for Destiny's Child. All these things have their moment." ~Elvis Costello
Angelic-voiced Moody Blues lead vocalist Hayward sets aside his trademark red Gibson electric for some nylon strings on this gorgeous ballad from a 1996 solo album.
The only thing that mars the performance is the apparent absence of a live drummer. Programmed tracks, assuming that’s what he used here, are inexcusable for such an established artist.
Having said that it’s a marvelous song, sung from a wizened perspective, about a midlife crossroads.
Breakups are always messy when there are records involved…
You can take ‘The Lexicon of Love’ away but I’m keeping Remain in Light’ You can take away ‘It’s a Shame About Ray’ but I’m holding on to ‘Country Life’ You can keep ‘No Need to Argue’ and I’ll keep ‘The Aeroplane Over the Sea’ But hold on to ‘The Boy with the Arab Strap’ ’cause I’m holding on to ‘Village Green’
I don’t know if the knot just needs untangling ’cause the tapes get stuck all the time Either way I’m keeping ‘Double Nickels on the Dime’
These were our greatest hits (Shalalalalalalala Shalalalala) The best of me and you(Shalalalalalalala Shalalalala) These were our greatest hits (Shalalalalalalala Shalalalala) The best of me and you
I still remember buying you ‘Band on the Run’ on the first day that we kissed But you always did prefer ‘McCartney I’ because it reminded you of being a kid
No way your having ‘This Nation’s Saving Grace’ you only listen to it when your pissed But when you sober up it’s always “why the fuck are you still listening to Mark E. Smith?”
I don’t know if the knot just needs untangling or if we forgot which way’s up and which way is down But still the tape keeps going round and round
These were our greatest hits (Shalalalalalala lalalalala) The best of me and you (Shalalalalalala Shalalalala) The best of me and you Of me and you
Still the tape keeps going round and round The tape keeps going round
Couldn’t decide between studio or live versions of this song–they’re both winners.
The video is from the same performance as their live album Getting Away With It, of which Amazon says:
Getting Away with It is a valedictory wave of the flower-petal handkerchief from James founder and singer Tim Booth, who announced his decision to leave the band late in 2001. Recorded at a celebratory hometown show (in Manchester) on the band’s farewell tour, the crowd–clapping louder than hailstones hitting a corrugated roof–egg the group on all the way to the checkered flag.
Waltzing Along:
Help comes when you need it most I’m cured by laughter Mood swings not sure I can cope My life’s in plaster
May your mind set you free (chorus: opened by the wonderful) May your heart lead you on May your mind let you see through all disasters (chorus: opened by the wonderful) May your heart lead you on
These wounds are all self-imposed Life’s no disaster, disaster All roads lead unto death-row Who knows what comes after
May your mind be wide open May your heart beat strong May your mind’s will be broken By this heart-felt song
May your mind set you free (Chorus: Be opened by the wonderful) May your heart lead you on May your eyes let you see through all disasters May your heart lead you on, lead you on (Chorus: May your eyes be opened by the wonderful) Set you free (Chorus: May your heart lead you on) Lead you on
Good power pop can make the hair on your arms stand up. Hope this song gives you a follicular boner too.
***Extraneous info alert***
For some reason the mix of this song included on the Dumb and Dumber soundtrack (and featured here) is superior to the original one found on Gigolo Aunts’ Flippin’ Out album. The harmonies, especially in the choruses, are just better balanced. This causes me the mild embarrassment of actually owning the Dumb and Dumber soundtrack. Sometimes you gotta be willing to pay the price.
Flaming Lips: “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Part 1” (2002)
Like the Magnetic Fields’ “Andrew in Drag” (Songs You May Have Missed #162) Flaming Lips’ “Yoshimi” follows a cardinal rule of pseudo-novelty songwriting: if it’s catchy enough, even the people who ought to think it’s too weird will find themselves liking it. “Yoshimi” actually made it into the video game Rock Band 3 and has been reworked for the TV show Friends (“Phoebe Battles the Pink Robots”)–pretty mainstream for a song so bizarre.
If you removed the lyric about a city employee charged with the task of defending citizens from…well, pink robots–and substituted more typical love song sentiments, the melody could have carried it to pop hit territory. But I like it better as a cult classic.
Songs like “Judas Unrepentant” are why I hang in there with prog rock. Despite the fact that 95% of what I sift through disappoints, and notwithstanding the genre’s current overall metal leanings, there are occasions when an ambitious practitioner of the long-form rock song produces pure gold. Songs like this one, and bands like Big Big Train, reward repeated listenings and have greater shelf life than more ephemeral pop music.
The song does a remarkable job telling a story that requires quite a bit of detail, as well as the language of the art world–without sacrificing listenability. Let’s face it, if your story is “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”, it isn’t difficult to keep it catchy. But weaving a tale with the complexity required here, well–that’s what we still have progressive rock for. That’s why it’s still essential, despite the multitude of claims that the only era of prog that mattered was the Yes/Genesis/Floyd heyday 1970’s.
Judas Unrepentant:
Venetian expertise Inspired by Titian Which he modified Fine tuned along dutch lines
He’s painting revenge Embittered by lack of success
With signature techniques Attention to details And fine tell tale brushstrokes Of badger and sable
Expressing contempt For greedy dealers Getting rich At the artist’s expense
Infamous forger and restorer Judas Unrepentant Branded a charming old lovable rogue Judas Unrepentant Hey Judas Unrepentant Hey Judas!
His time bombs are in place And anachronisms Clues pointing to the truth If ever they are X-rayed
Wrote legends in lead white To trick the experts And hoodwink Hoodwink the trained eye
Infamous forger and restorer Judas Unrepentant Branded a charming old lovable rogue Judas Unrepentant Hey Judas Unrepentant Hey Judas Unrepentant
Establishing provenance Acquiring old frames with Christie’s numbers Then paints a picture in the same style Specialising in minor works by major artists
All rise Thirteen watercolours by Samuel Palmer Have proven to be his undoing And so he confesses then he is arrested Charged him with conspiracy to defraud
Years of chain smoking and breathing in fumes from restorations The stress of the court case had taken its toll His trial was halted due to ill health
So now we can all buy Real genuine fakes That’s posthumous fame It’s always the same
Infamous forger and restorer Judas Unrepentant Branded a charming old lovable rogue Judas Unrepentant Feeling like Robin Hood Just as good As Rembrandt or Titian Hey Judas Unrepentant Hey Judas Unrepentant Hey Judas Unrepentant
