Why I hate Death of a Ladies Man

[marnameow.livejournal.com]

In response to anthonyeaston's loving it. (I wrote this maybe ten days ago, but haven't gotten around to posting it until now.)


( lots of Cohen-tastic over-analysis under here )

Am really very not sure this is even poptimistic-tastic.

mp3-me-do

[mippy.livejournal.com]

Some songs I've been 'digging' over the past couple of days:

Chopper Harris - Jonah and the Whale

Shiny 80s indie seems to be back, back, BACK! And to prove it, 6Music have just played Frazier Chorus,  once winner of Smash Hits' Most Useless Promotional Item contest (it was a plastic 8ball. 'Yes, you will be twee'). I'm not complaining, I like Prefab Sprout. First Captain - it's all in the production, but it sounds good - and now Chopper Harris, the spiritual cousin of Ricky Ross, except closer to the Edwyn Collins branch of the family tree. The lyrics are possibly gibberish. I haven't listened that closely.

Otis Redding - Tramp
The best bit comes at 01:35 - 'Haircut?!'  Posted here because I'd forgotten how ACE it was, and I may not be the only one. 

Also, here is the John Hughes soundtrack retrospective. I once bought the soundtrack to Pretty In Pink on holiday in the States, in a Sam Goody store. Walking On The Sun by Smashmouth was No. 1 on the Billboard Charts.  I went to lots of malls. I did not see Molly Ringwald.

The History Of Jop Part 5 aka The Kid Is Not My Son

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

A delay in the poll caused by my having some work, but finally the ship of retrospective metapop criticism sails into the waters of 1983 - Jackson the winner, Culture Club getting some serious vote-splitting, and this year the P&J poll included a BEST VIDEO section for the first time, which we might well discuss in a separate YouTube-enabled poll later (I can't get YouTube at work).

Procedural Note: I've excised "Back On The Chain Gang" by the Pretenders as it featured last time.

You only get EIGHT votes this time - use them wisely.

( I dream at night I can only see your face )

The Joptimists Poll Remix for 1982:

1. Don't You Want Me (49 votes)
2. 1999 (46 votes)
3. The Message (43 votes)
4. Temptation (37 votes)
5. The Look Of Love (36 votes)
6=. Mickey (31 votes)
6=. Sexual Healing (31 votes)
8. Planet Rock (28 votes)
9. Rock The Casbah (26 votes)
10. Pass The Dutchie (24 votes)

utterly forgotten but NOT OBSCURE

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

by terming david byrne "obscure", alexmacpherson touches the exact, interesting nerve i think -- maybe even more than with his legendary "why SHOULD i have heard of john wayne?" argument

which is that in every generation (wait, that's how BUFFY starts!! -- er er focus) in every generation there are figures very well-known to all who have just VANISHED from mainstream radar by the next cycle

it's not that they're still popular but currently unfashionable; it's more that "what they meant" is no longer part of the pop discussion -- is that right?

so why has byrne vanished this way? or is it just not making "the right kinds of records" any more?

(disclaimer: i LOVED LOVE LOVED early TH and have i think every record they made --- BUT i went off them INCREDIBLY fast, round abt "true stories", and it took me years to rediscover any fondness)

Don't bore us get to the chorus

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Do you agree with this principle?