One Night In Bangface

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Listening, as you do, to Murray Head's "One Night In Bangkok", it strikes me that this is a fairly straight-faced attempt by Benny and Bjorn to make an electro record - even - perhaps - a rap record. What on earth might ABBA have sounded like if they'd not split up, I wonder.

(The circumstance was making a CD for someone at work containing Western pop songs about the Far East. I drew some kind of moral line at Turning Japanese. Any opportunity to hear "Cambodia" again is a good one, though.)

Ban this now!

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

So, since we were redecorating at the w/end, I spent too much time listening to Radio 1's coverage of their 'Radio 1's Big Weekend' (carefully branded -- Trevor Nelson was told off for referring to it as 'One Big Weekend' which was apparently a couple of years ago). Many many things about this whole event puzzle me.

( Perhaps you can help? )

The History of Pop Part 44 aka So you're a rocket scientist?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

The big news on Now 44 is the first appearance of Britney, on a highly pop-centric compilation. Beyond that we have a host of solo Spice singles, Steps, Shania, S Club and a great deal of pop-trance. I would write more but I'm a bit busy - anyway it's an intriguing selection and I'll look forward to seeing what you make of it.

Now 43 was clinched by the Chemical Brothers, leading Basement Jaxx by two votes and "Coffee And TV" by five.

( I must confess I still believe )

WORLD CUP TOMORROW!

New Musik - This World of Water

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

YSI: New Musik - This World of Water

This, my fellow poptimists, emerged from my naughty ID about a week ago. I'm not conscious of hearing it in over 20 years (the album came out in 1980 and the singles around 81) and i have NO IDEA what prompted it's re-emerging from the grubby depths. I found myself humming the rythmn on the main chorus and then slowly i zero'ed in on it using the wonderful internets, and finally wikipedia which came up trumps with a 30-second sample of the song. Cor. Then Amazon marketplace got me a copy that just popped up in my pigeonhole. This is the modern world. P2P is for suckers.

Great vo-coder stylings, and an xtc pop stylee that was obv big at the time. The other single "Living By Numbers" is still well remembered by some, and did better in the charts, but tiny synthpop-enthralled Alan obviously had his ear infected with this one. Love it. A great sensation to hear the whole thing again.