The History Of Jop Part 14 aka Let me understand your plan

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

After the blockbuster commentsfest of 1991, the Poptimists pollmasters bring you.....1992, obviously. Will punk keep breaking? Are we all ternative? Whose trousers were on back to front? ect ect.

"How I Could Just Kill A Man" has been left off this list because it was on the last one, thus leaving you NINE ticks to make.


[Poll #848522]


1991: Other People's Poptimism

1. Smells Like Teen Spirit (36 votes)
2. Losing My Religion (28)
3. I Touch Myself (27)
4=. Enter Sandman (25)
4=. Unbelievable (25)
4=. Mama Said Knock You Out (25)
7. Gett Off (23)
8=. Set Adrift On Memory Bliss (22)
8=. My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style (22)
10. Bring Tha Noise (20)

Comments

REM - Drive

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I have been trying to work out why I (still) like it - it is very difficult (though there was never any chance of me not ticking it).

I think it's a bit like why I like Matthews Southern Comfort doing "Woodstock" - same sort of reach for significance, same sort of fear and defeatism - the way the song continually rallies and falls back to gloom. A lot of what's bad about political rock is how comfortable it sounds, in fact this is true of a lot of 'outsider rock': "Drive" is hardly difficult listening but it doesn't sound comfortable or resolved.

(Rhead's "Creep" has a similar structure to "Drive" but I never get the feeling Thom Yorke is as troubled by his squalling creepdom as Stipe is troubled by the big rumbling bassy questions that "Drive" can't answer. The rest of Automatic For The People is I suppose an attempt to answer them, or get angry at them or turn away from them.)

Re: REM - Drive

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I didn't actually realise until many, many years later that "Bush-whacked" was a pun!

Re: REM - Drive

[koganbot]

Stipe has a beautiful voice, but often he undercuts its impact by just diving into its sound and chewing on it. He doesn't do that here. Also, this one hasn't subsequently been played to death. (I suppose those are virtues of omission rather than commission; this was a borderline tick, as were the Maddy and that silly KLF'er, but unlike those two this was straightup in its emotion.

Re: REM - Drive

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

This seems like a good summation! And I suddenly want to go back to it and figure out why I like it. Except I think I gave AFTP to the charity shop when I moved house.