Tag: Retro

Categories
Tunes

Best tunes of 1994: #30 Beck “Loser”

#29 >>

I’m starting off this list of my favourite tunes of 1994 with an artist with whom many of you are likely quite familiar. In fact, you’re all probably more familiar with Beck Hansen (also known mononymously as Beck) than is this humble blogger.

I remember hearing this very track on alternative radio and watching the video on MuchMusic ad nauseum back in ‘94. I found it amusing at first, deeming the tune catchy yet quirky, but soon grew to dislike it, as well as the other single* that was being slogged from “Mellow gold”. The singles from his next album, “Odelay”, though they too were overplayed, rang more true for me and I purchased that album on CD. I very nearly became a fan after that, if it weren’t for the Britpop explosion that followed, dragging my tastes in a completely different direction for a time. Still, I paid attention when I heard his name spoken on commercial radio over the years that followed but it took catching him at Osheaga back in 2013 to finally hook me for good.

In truth, “Loser” was originally released as a single in 1993. It was released by indie label Bong Load Custom Records with a limited pressing and somehow got picked up by college radio stations along the west coast. Modern rock stations started playing it next and pressings quickly sold out. Our hero musician, who from his folk roots had always been indie at heart, found himself signing with a major label, DGC, to keep up with demand. They re-released the song in 1994 as a preface to Beck’s third album but first on a major label, the aforementioned “Mellow gold”. The rest, of course, is history. A dozen or so albums released, millions of units sold, Brit awards, Grammys, household name.

“You can’t write if you can’t relate
Trade the cash for the beef for the body for the hate
And my time is a piece of wax falling on a termite
That’s choking on the splinters”

In hindsight, this is a crazy tune and crazy that it became so successful. Beck mixes and matches with genres and sounds, throwing blues, folk, and hip hop into the meat grinder and cranking away. He’s got samples, a wicked drum machine beat, slide guitar, and sitar**. Above it all Beck is spewing nonsensical words at random in a rough hewn sing-speak that some have strangely compared to Dylan. By contrast, Beck has called out his own rapping prowess, which incidentally, is the real basis for chorus line that became like a clarion call for the so-called slacker image of generation X.

“Soy un perdedor
I’m a loser baby, so why don’t you kill me?”

*I remember making the connection for a university acquaintance between “Beercan” and the artist that performed “Loser”, without realizing until later I was sounding arrogant and making her feel small. Not one of my finer moments.

**When I saw him at Osheaga, he had Elephant Stone’s Rishi Dhir playing the sitar on stage with him.

For the rest of the Best tunes of 1994 list, click here.

Categories
Tunes

Eighties’ best 100 redux: #86 Public Image Ltd. “Rise” (1986)

<< #87    |    #85 >>

At song #86, we’ve got “Rise” by John Lydon’s (aka Johnny Rotten) other band, Public Image Ltd (or PiL).

Fans of the band might call this pick an obvious choice because it was one of PiL’s biggest hits and one of their more accessible tunes. To be frank, I’ve never considered myself a fan of either of John Lydon’s bands. I get that both are groundbreaking (though PiL was around infinitely longer than The Sex Pistols, their influence is not quite as wide-reaching) but they’re both bands that I could never get into. So why did this song make it to my top 100? Let me tell you a story.

I got a hold of the very excellent alternative 80s box set, “Left of the dial” by Rhino records, a number of years ago and began listening to it with only a cursory scan at the track listing. The compilation is filled with a nice mix of songs I already loved, songs that were new to me, and lost nuggets. One of these nuggets came upon me towards the end of the third disc. I can’t remember what I was doing at the time (I might’ve been at work) but I had instant recall at the song’s first few notes and was bopping along to the groove (yes, I just said “groove”) so much so that I had to check to see who it was. To say I was surprised to see it was Public Image Ltd. is an understatement but it made total sense once I got over the shock. I think what sets “Rise” apart from the others for me is the juxtaposition of Lydon’s discordant vocals with the melodic, almost singalong background vocals.

I shortly thereafter went back to listen PiL’s greatest hits album to see if maybe they’re a band I just didn’t get at the time but could only make it halfway through the disc. So I still wasn’t a fan at the time but I did and do love this song. Maybe it’s time to give them another go.

Original Eighties best 100 position: #84

Favourite lyric: “They put a hot wire to my head / ‘Cos of the things I did and said / And made these feelings go away / Model citizen in every way” John Lydon: rebel with a cause.

Where are they now?: Public Image Ltd. reformed with a new lineup in 2009 and released “This is PiL” in 2012, their first album of new material in 20 years. This was followed by album reissues, a new compilation, further touring, and two albums of new material, including last year’s “End of world”.

For the rest of the Eighties’ best 100 redux list, click here.

Categories
Tunes

100 best covers: #38 Teenage Fanclub “Mr. Tambourine man”

<< #39    |    #37 >>

Scottish alt rock legends, Teenage Fanclub have appeared many times over on these pages since this blog’s inception. In fact, they’ve already graced this particular list once with their cover of a great track by another iconic Scottish alt-rock band and – spoiler alert – you’ll likely see them again on this list before it reaches its end.

I first heard this particular cover of “Mr. Tambourine Man” when a friend of mine put it on a mixed tape for me. I later learned of its provenance when I found a used copy of the 3-CD compilation “Ruby trax” at Penguin Music in the late 90s, a compilation that has also received due mention in relation to this list of great covers. I remember thinking it quite apt that the Fannies chose to cover this particular track given that I had found that the jangling guitar and harmonizing vocals on their 1993 album “Thirteen” harkened back to the folk rock sound practically invented by The Byrds. Of course, this was before I learned that Teenage Fanclub was just as enamoured of Big Star and that The Byrds’ “Mr. Tambourine Man” was itself a cover of a Bob Dylan track*.

The Teenage Fanclub cover has way more in common with The Byrds version than with Bob Dylan’s original. Indeed, it’s almost an exact replica of The Byrds’ rendition, only a slightly bit shorter and perhaps a bit more raw in the vocals. The Byrds released their cover in spring 1965, less than a month after Dylan released his original. Both of these versions were very successful for those artists, topping charts and inspiring generations of musicians. The Byrds cut a few verses from Dylan’s composition, changed the time signature, and the recording is half the length. It’s 12 string jangle rock versus pure balladeering folk.

You can definitely tell that Teenage Fanclub owed more a debt to The Byrds than to Bob Dylan with their faithful ode. Some might knock them for it, but not me. And though the two covers are quite different from the original I love them all and refuse to go with one over the others.

Cover:

Original:

*Having only had limited exposure to both Dylan and The Byrds via my parents’ oldies radio station listening, I would later go on to learn that The Byrds covered many Bob Dylan tunes while exploring both of their catalogues much, much later.

For the rest of the 100 best covers list, click here.