The History Of Pop Part 39 aka Life In Plastic, It's Fantastic

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Now then, the last couple of Nows have been described - perhaps rightly - as the "worst ever". Could the series turn the corner as it headed into 1998? The answer is a mighty YES IT COULD - this Now is a MONSTER: whether you love or hate the records here you'll probably find it contains stacks more memorable pop than recent polls.

So - pausing only to inaugurate Gala's "Freed From Desire" into the Pop n Poll Hall of Fame - I'll leave it to you.


[Poll #715994]


Can Now 40 follow that? Well...no. But it can have a very good go.

(Pop World Cup match to appear tomorrow, by the way)

Comments

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

In amongst the stellar pop some curious mysteries lurk i.e.

Lutricia McNeal
Camisra
Warren G doing an song called "PRINCE IGOR"!!??

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

I have that Warren G song somewhere. It sampled the Rapsody Overture from Alexander Borodin's 19th century chart smash hit album, Prince Igor.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I KNEW IT. I knew from the moment I saw the track listing that Lutricia McNeal would be the forgotten classic, esp up against such monsters.

It's absolutely gorgeous retro-soul, also v catchy - "ain't that just the way that life goes down, down, down...gettin' up, gettin' high, gettin' no, no, nowhere" (descending chords a-go-go!)

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Camisra is the hardbag track by Tall Paul (name meaningless unless you've read more than 3 late 90s copies of Mixmag in your life evah) that effectively ripped off Sandy B's handbag track 'You Make My World Go Round' from a few years beforehand.

Viewers of Spaced will recognise it from the clubbing episode.

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

You're right, this is a classic. Lutricia McNeal, All Saints, Natalie Imbruglia, Tin Tin Out... what a Now!

And Rest Assured's cover of Bittersweet Symphony that actually made it into a bearable song!

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

Wow - Vanilla made it to a Now! So I will be able to listen to 'No Way No Way' again one day, and will not have to regret forever chucking out my 12" of it!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

MNA MNA

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I think, a lot of the time, I think 'Never Ever' is the most perfectly constructed and crafted pop song EVER. I always see it criticised for being pathetic and un-feminist, but it's so exquisitely gorgeous precisely because it is so unashamedly abject. The spoken word intro is CHILLING.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Was it cited during the girl group thread on ILM recently?

It's one of the songs that I first heard on the radio and it really stopped me in my tracks, complete shiver down the spine, "my god they've pulled something amazing off here" etc.

Since then I've got slightly bored of it but it's still a monster.

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

Agree, although it's also one of the least gramatically correct pop songs ever.

You can tell me to my face or even on the phone
You can write it in a letter, either way, I have to know

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

I'm a bit disappointed to see Never Ever walking off with this one -- it's a good record, and I liked it a lot at the time, but partly because I went off and bought a Shangri Las compilation and listened to that instead. Listening to it recently, it sounded a bit dull, and went on a bit :-( (All Saints, not S-Las, who are obv genius)

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

you only like abject when it's wimming ;)

i think the intro to 'Never Ever' is awful - the Appletons even TALK out of tune.

i hated the video too because Shaznay's top lip area is just a bit unpleasant.

[aqua blokes]

[vivalabridgetta.livejournal.com]

Rene from Aqua used to annoy me.
Just - what was the point of the corny porno responses?

Bridgey xxx
Still no reappraisal of his 'talents' 8 years down the line.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Haha so the so-called country ballads (LeAnn and Shania) gets no love :(

They're both fantastic! You can't beat a good Monster Pop Ballad (unless it's by R Williams) and I think this is easily the peak of either woman's career.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Did I not tick Shania? Oversight.

I don't remember the LeAnn.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

This is a cracking Now!

Vanilla = comedy vote.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

IT IS NOT. They're like a pop version of the Raincoats.

Songs that rly pissed me off tho:

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

All Seeing I.

Re: Songs that rly pissed me off tho:

[juror8.livejournal.com]

They were Peter Kay before Peter Kay was Peter Kay

Re: Songs that rly pissed me off tho:

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

WHY OH WHY. That's a great song, a great original, and a great re-working. love them. love i monster more tho, obv

The case against Jason Nevins

[juror8.livejournal.com]

I did tick "It's Like That", because it allowed DMC and Jay to live for a few more years despite Run ripping them off during their career (allegedly), but: explain it to me. You listen to Run DMC for the BEATS, not for the nursery rhyme lyrics, surely? Why remix it? It's like taking the African chanting out of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", innit?

Re: The case for Jason Nevins

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Some ace breakdancing in the video.

See also Xtina & Lil Kim in that song where the girls and boys are having beef in the street cos Xtina is wearing purple pants.

Lost 3rd album

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

miss_newham, I am TERRIBLY jealous of you getting to see Aqua in their dying throes!

Re: Camisra

[(Anonymous)]

I'd have voted for Prince Buster, but I can only get the results here, not the tickyboxes.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I'm stunned here really - I think this is a mediocre NOW! at best. I may even have ticked more on the last one. The tracks that are good here are GREAT but there's so much mediocrity generally bleh.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

very weird to see Goldie on here tho with his tangential 'Loose Ends' effort.