Comments on: Video Friday (Saturday Edition) is Good Lovin’ Gone Bad

By: Lex

Lex — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 04:14:19 +0000

Matt: I dunno ’bout 12, but I’d take 18.

Wait. No, I wouldn’t.

Henry: Cough all you want. Yeah, Hendrix’ guitar work created a whole new dimension, but I’m talking about the total experience, music + lyrics + production … and as an ex-singer, I give the lyrics added weight. C’mon, did Jimi ever open a song he wrote with a line as powerful as “Now that your picture’s in the paper being rhythmically admired … “?

By: r@d@r

r@d@r — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 18:18:02 +0000

1978: import of “in the city” appears in our local record store

1979: my brother, his best friend and i start a band in our garage

this is the benchmark of true rock and roll.

By: Matt T.

Matt T. — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 05:00:06 +0000

Lex,
Actually, the first time i ever heard “Every Picture” was the Satellites’ version. The summer of ’86, my cousin bought that album (with “Keep Your Hands To Yourself”), and I discovered not only The Faces (and eventually NRBQ thanks to the Sats), but rock & roll past 1959 had worthiness.

Ah, to be 12 again.

By: -1334

-1334 — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:06:28 +0000

I could be wrong, but I don’t think the Damned was trying for the punk rock idiom by the time they were making “Music for Pleasure”. If I remeber the story correctly, Brian James wanted a member of Pink Floyd to produce their second album in order to piss off the “Punk Rock” establishment and re-fashion themselves as “Rockers”.
I also had heard that it was actually Nick Mason’s rather expensive car that was vandalized; an act that the band refused to own up to. Given the studio story though, I can see why Mr. Mason believed the culprits to be the band.
But if it hadn’t been for all the tension during this period, the band would’ve never broken up, ditched Brian James, reform and become the band I appreciate today.

Here’s to youth angst! Hooray!

By: Henry Holland

Henry Holland — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:10:55 +0000

I was never a big fan of The Jam except for Town Called Malice, which was used brilliantly in the movie Billy Elliot and The Eton Rifles, but I've always respected Paul Weller for breaking them up when they were arguably the most popular rock band in England because he didn't think Foxton and Buckler could play the soul music he wanted to do. Well, OK, and the fact that he couldn't stand being in the same room with them anymore, but still. Nice Mason's book about his years in Pink Floyd has a good story. He was producing The Damned at the Floyd's Brittania Row studios. The studio had this really expensive wood or something to help the sound and one of The Damned got drunk and scrawled graffiti all over it (how punk rock!). The drunken Damnster got yelled at like a schoolboy and had to pay to have it replaced. Yeah, punk rock, it was just soooo rebellious. "The Pretenders" = 2nd-best debut rock album evah (behind Elvis Costello's "My Aim Is True," of course). *Cough* Are You Experienced? *cough* I mean, AYE? wiped the slate clean as far as the electric guitar goes, in addition to having great songs and fiery performances; the other two are fantastic records that are just...fantastic records.

By: It's A Wonderful Lie

It's A Wonderful Lie — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 07:14:37 +0000

I totally agree about The Damned. I was a bit too young to have seen them back in the day, but their first record is absolutely fantastic. I finally did get a chance to catch them about 5 years ago on some reunion tour and it was an entirely different experience than I had hoped for. It was, you’re right, like some weirdass glam-cabaret act with cheesy keyboards and Dave Vanian warbling like a post-ironic Elvis. I guess there’s something vaguely punkrock about that but…

By: -1334

-1334 — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 06:42:54 +0000

Hey! My wife and I met because of the Damned!

I’m still a huge fan, and even though their new stuff isn’t groundbreaking by any means, getting the Captain back has helped recapture a lot of their lost energy…

..one can always argue though that most bands kinda seem to drop as soon as they stop the drugs.

By: Lex

Lex — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 04:48:50 +0000

“The Pretenders” = 2nd-best debut rock album evah (behind Elvis Costello’s “My Aim Is True,” of course).

But MattT is tellin’ the truth about “Every Picture Tells A Story,” too. The title song was so great even the Georgia Satellites couldn’t ruin it completely.

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 01:32:19 +0000

Oh my God, the Jam…what a great song and still as relevant today as 1980. I’m not sure I ever saw a better live act.

Agreed about Style Council but I’d like to know which songs you thought were worth listening to ’cause I would say they ALL sucked.

By: Dreamweasel

Dreamweasel — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:14:00 +0000

Thanks for the trip through the wayback machine… I miss The Young Ones like crazy, and “Tattooed Love Boys” knocked me on my ass in 1982.

As for Weller, I’ve always thought the Style Council were unfairly given a bad rap. The Jam loyalists I’ve encountered tend to disagree, but I can’t see how anyone can listen to “Have You Ever Had It Blue?” (from the Absolute Beginners soundtrack) and not get chills down their spine.

By: Pinko Punko

Pinko Punko — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 19:25:08 +0000

amen, RETARDO

By: RETARDO

RETARDO — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 17:20:01 +0000

great choice. tattooed love boys is the best pretenders song ever, being tied with “message of love”.

By: Marsupial

Marsupial — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 07:30:01 +0000

Video Saturday goes 3 for 3! Wheeeeeeeeeeee!

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 06:49:44 +0000

Arggh, Paul Weller. My roomates subsequently were hugely into The Style Council, despite my pointing out how lame and stylistically void they were. Not even good lounge music. I think they did it just to get back at me for constantly playing The Jam.

Been waiting for Weller to get it back ever since.

By: Tak, the Hideous New Girl

Tak, the Hideous New Girl — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 02:01:29 +0000

I am a huge Damned fan. So it’s always good to see the “Nasty” clip.

I actually like the gothy stuff, but then again, I flirted with the Goth thing back in the day.

Just so I blow any and all credibility with you regarding my taste, I love “In Dulce Decorum.” It was my most favorite song when I was 16.

By: GoatBoy

GoatBoy — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 01:57:07 +0000

Hell yeah, Joe Tex!

By: Matt T.

Matt T. — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 18:36:56 +0000

I never cared much for the Damned, the Pretenders, or new wave or punk rock in general (rock & roll from the suburbs, thanks a lot, white people), but I do feel your pain. For I am a Faces fan, so I tend to spend a lot of my time saying “Seriously, Rod Stewart did some really cool shit back 30 years ago. No, I’m not being ‘ironic’, Every Picture Tells A Story is an awesome record.”

And then there’s Joe Tex…good gravy, Joe Tex.

By: Pinko Punko

Pinko Punko — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 15:44:07 +0000

I think Tattooed Love Boys is my fave PRetenders song. That album I have on vinyl and it just sounds better that way. And you realize how damn strong the album is.

Hey, I think I have this random Damned picture disc, live in Shepperton 1980?

I gotta find that. The key on this one is when the rest of the band comes in on the vocals…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 14:14:21 +0000

I’m not sure that the Pretenders belong here. I think that they are known primarily for “Pretenders” and “Pretenders 2.” Of course, there’s nothing wrong with “Learning to Crawl” either.

By: robert green

robert green — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 13:56:53 +0000

by “refund” i mean not give you any money back. or apologize. just wanted to clarify.