"And Guess What I Found..." Part 5: 41-50

 

There was a little more disagreement with last week's list, but nothing major, and the comments were one or two people suggesting a specific song should be higher rather than en masse disapproval of the placing of any one track in particular. 

As I mentioned, I think that every song from last week onwards is a very good one, so I don't see any of the ones below as being 'low', despite the fact that this selection takes us to just past half way.

A reminder that there's a link to the main page at the bottom, where you can check out any posts that you might have missed and see the entire rank order so far.

50 I'm From Further North Than You / Edinburgh

(John Peel Sessions: Season 3, 2007)

Known as 'Edinburgh' to begin with, Cinerama played the song at a slightly pacier tempo than the Take Fountain version. Tidy enough, but being slowed down a little suited it better.

49 Get Smart

(Torino, 2002)

The second half of Torino contains a run of very decent but similar songs ('Close Up', 'Tie Me Up', 'Get Up And Go') that are characterised by a blend of twangy/tremolo Western-soundtrack guitar, stirring strings and David's familiar obsession with infidelity and betrayal. 'Get Smart', despite its strong melody, deft tempo changes and rather funky flute, is the least essential of the quartet, mainly because - unlike the other three - the epic chorus that seems inevitable never actually arrives.

EDIT: It has been pointed out to me (by Keg) that DLG may well have been inspired by the title of the 60s spoof TV spy show of the same name.

EDIT 2: And Leigh has pointed out to me that if I'd read the page about the song on Gedgesongs, then I would have realised that David said this:

'It’s my little nod to the classic 1960s American TV comedy series of the same name. It was a James Bond spoof, created by Mel Brooks, which I adored as kid.'

48    Spangle

(John Peel Sessions: Season 3, 2007)

As a TWP song, the two very different approaches of the Watusi and Peel session versions tended to divide opinion. Reviewing the song for Suddenly It's Tuesday, I expressed admiration for both versions, but preferred the innovative sound of the album take.

The Cinerama version, recorded live at Peel Acres in January 2002, has the same arrangement as on Watusi, albeit without the scratchy vinyl effects. It's as plaintive and moving, but lacks that little extra that the studio treatment brought.

It's a shame that the 'gorgeous' string quartet that JP mentions is as inaudible on the recording as it clearly was to the people 'upstairs' - it would have been interesting to hear what that brought to the song.

47 Close Up

(Torino, 2002)

A steamy tale of infidelity ('did he touch you there and did it feel like bliss?'; 'when he made you come, was it more thrilling doing something like this?') told from the point of view of the cuckolded partner. There's a sense of 'too much information' about the lyric, but the chorus is undeniably, sweepingly epic.

46 Tie Me Up

(Torino, 2002)

Torino has more than its fair share of salacious details, and this is one of its most intimate moments. After the rather obvious rhyme of 'caressed me / undressed me' we get down to some seriously saucy stuff: 'you tied my hands and whispered commands... then my whole body shook as you began to suck / I cried your name and then I came...'

The swirling strings and powerful melody make for a rousing concoction, although David ventures into some falsetto territory that's a bit of a stretch for him.

45 Sparkle Lipstick

(B-side of Careless, 2002)

A sultry examination of a couple's first steps towards intimacy ('moving close for that very first kiss') that, like 'And When She Was Bad', involves a bit of bosom-leering ('did you catch me staring at your breasts?') The song has a powerful underlying tension to it that erupts into a gloriously expansive chorus. 

It's not flawless: the chorus refrain is a little mundane, and 'as I hang our coats up on the pegs / you keep self consciously crossing your legs' intrudes a little prosaically on the atmosphere of simmering desire. However, the epic Western-style trumpet parts, carefully deployed strings and bursts of grimy guitar make up for it.

44 Estrella

(Torino, 2002)

Yet more more infidelity, but a little bit of a twist this time, as the narrator despairs of his girlfriend's trusting nature ('you don't even know when you're being lied to') and seems to want to force her hand being being very obvious about his philandering - although she appears to remain oblivious. Neither character comes out very well to be honest.

Musically it's straightforward but effective, with a typically soaring chorus, nicely grinding guitar and extensive use of the tremolo, a notable characteristic of Torino.

43 Gigolo

(B-side of Wow, 2000)

Not much going on lyrically (let's skip quickly over the 'gigolo' / 'stoop so low' rhyme), but this is a bracing, bubbly burst of rough-edged of garage rock with some lovely abrasive guitar. Flimsy but fun.

42 Always The Quiet One

(John Peel Sessions: Season 3, 2007)

Decent Peel session version of a too often overlooked track from Take Fountain. 

41 Nickels And Dimes

(John Peel Sessions: Season 3, 2007)

A song that eventually became a TWP b-side and made it to around two-thirds of the way down the Suddenly It's Tuesday list. There's not a lot to choose between the two versions of a song which, as I said at the time, 'bears the hallmarks of the Cinerama-back to TWP transition, combining noisy clatter and delicate melodicism'.

Thanks, as ever, for reading, and I look forward to you all telling me how wrong I am!

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