The Wedding Present: Brassneck

Track of the Week - 12 May 2024

It's rare I step out of writing about my little world and reference actual news but I'm going to do it this week as I was shocked and saddened to hear of the death of record producer/audio engineer/musician Steve Albini.

Albini's work with two of my favourite bands, Pixies and the Wedding Present helped to form and reinforce my musical tastes. Some albums by the groups that he worked with remain among my favourites. (Torino by Cinerama also deserves a shout and as no one else has mentioned Just Fred by Fred Schneider I will!)

The Wedding Present were already very good when they went to to work with Albini.  He absolutely made them better. I think he did it by making them more. 

They were already the Wedding Present, he just found a way to make them more Wedding Present.  Brassneck had originally appeared on the excellent 1989 album Bizarro. The Albini-influenced version was released as a single the following year and reached number 24.

I've chosen that this week as it's a moment in time when a band with two albums under their belt, with the help of a talented and committed collaborator in the shape of Steve Albini, worked out where to go next. And I was very much on board.

Spandau Ballet: Mandolin

Track of the Week - 5 May 2024

I was up in London this week with Mrs Tea at Johnny's. The main reason for going was for her to meet with a conservator of antique stringed instruments to discuss mandolins.

It was much more interesting and fun than that last sentence might suggest to some.

Mandolin is a track on Journeys to Glory, the 1981 debut album by Spandau Ballet.

Decent song this. I don't mind some of their very early work, it had a bit of oomph in it. Before they found the best way to success was to produce a lame radio-friendly take on pop and soul.

The Fall: Service

Track of the Week - 28 April 2024

We had to Mrs Tea at Johnny's' car for a service this week.

So here's Service by The Fall from their 1993 album The Infotainment Scan. It's a more reflective vocal from Mark E Smith, the piano line that runs underneath recalls The Smiths' instrumental Oscillate Wildly and the lyric is largely unfathomable.

It's not their best work but still alright though.

Art of Noise: Beat Box (Diversion One)

Track of the Week - 21 April 2024

All the time we've lived at Tea at Johnny's Towers we've had a box hedge at the front of the house. Last year, for the first time, it was attacked by the box caterpillar.

We cut a couple of bits out and the rest seemed to survive but this year the caterpillar was back with a vengeance. The whole hedge has got to go. I started on that job this week but as the green recycling bin is now filled with hedge the rest will have to wait.

So, does that mean we've beaten the box caterpillar by getting rid of the hedge or has the box caterpillar beaten us by making us get rid of the hedge? I don't know.

And there are no clues in Beat Box by avant-garde synth-pop combo Art of Noise either. A 1983 single this instrumental, experimental piece can be seen as fun, clever, annoying or possibly all three at times. Lovely bit of piano at the end if you get that far. And yes, it pretty much was the theme of The Krypton Factor for a while.

The The: Infected

Track of the Week - 14 April 2024

Following on from last week's 'not feeling well' post, I still wasn't at my happy-go-lucky best this week so went to see the pharmacist for a chat.

After describing symptoms he said I was most likely working through an infection and to carry on with hydration and resting up.

So, having been infected by something I can choose Infected by The The. Big fan of the album of the same name* that was released in 1986 and this single may be the best of it. Only reached number 48 though, travesty.

* There are a couple of tracks, Heartland and Sweet Bird of Truth, that lyrically are very much late 80s but also very appropriate to the world we live in today.

Pixies: Head On

Track of the Week - 7 April 2024

I've been unwell this week. Some sort of sinusitis thing I think. I'm not a doctor. Nor have I seen a doctor yet but I might have to if I can't shift it soon.

I don't usually get headaches but this has come with many headaches, or not many of long duration. I can't tell. What I can say is that it made me want to be like Worzel Gummidge or Kryten and be able to put a new head on.

Hey, 'head on'... that's a song!

Head On was a 1989 single by Scottish noise-merchants The Jesus and Mary Chain which also appeared on their album Automatic from the same year. But I'm not going with that one.

I'm going with the 1991 cover version by Pixies which was a single and featured on their tremendous album Trompe Le Monde. There weren't many who could out-Mary Chain the Mary Chain back then but this does comfortably. 

 

Hospitality: The Right Profession

Track of the Week - 31 March 2024

Something a bit different this week as my friend and former colleague Craig invited me to join him in the hospitality suite for Swindon's game against Notts County.

Good company, good food  and a good result. A 2-1 win engineered by comedy defending from the away side. (Although I do agree with Craig's daughter about the annoying way the host for the afternoon chose to quieten down the attendees.)

So, looking for a hospitality song this week I found an American indie band actually called Hospitality. That'll do. As Craig was clearly in the right job to get the tickets then The Right Profession fits the bill. It's from their 2012 self-titled album.

I know nothing about them or this song other than what I've found out writing this so let's all learn together.