The Best 40 Crossover Tracks (25 – 23) – A Bleeping Mass of Beats and Tweaks

In late 1993, the NME tried once more (and they would try again two years later) to try and convince its readership that indie and dance music had always been the best of friends.  To do this, they grabbed an up and coming dance duo named The Dust Brothers, and got them to produce a mixtape of their favourite songs on a cassette which they then stuck on the cover – they called it “The NME Xmas Dust Up”, which again at the very least showed that the NME could still write a headline or two.

The ‘Dust Up‘ cassette was really rather good, it featured (amongst others), one of the bands tracks (An early version of ‘Leave Home’), a Leftfield Mix of a Renegade Soundwave track, A Prodigy Track and in a deliberate attempt to appeal to the NME’s target audience, a specially done remix of a Manic Street Preachers track.  That remix didn’t appear on the official release of the track and I didn’t hear again until around two years later, when a computer game called ‘Wipeout’ stuck it on its official soundtrack (that soundtrack by the way was pretty much staple indie disco crossover music and got dragged out of the box on a regular basis)

Which was handy because the Dust Brothers remix of ‘La Tristessa Durera’ is about nine hundred times better than the original.

25 – La Tristessa Durera (Scream to A Sigh – Dust Brothers Mix) – Manic Street Preachers (1993, Columbia Records)

The remix tape was good and bad for the Dust Brothers, it was good because it made them massive stars, pretty much everyone wanted them to turn their indie guitar records to a bleeping mass of beats and tweaks designed to slay all types of dancefloors.  Literally everyone.

See Also – I Think I’m In Love – Spiritualized (Chemical Brothers Mix) (1997, Dedicated Records)

The bad thing was that the relatively well known American producers The Dust Brothers, took umbrage at their name and forced them to change it but even that wasn’t such a bad thing because it lead to the birth of the Chemical Brothers and the rest is pretty much history. 

It wasn’t just bands like the Manics and Spiritualized getting in on the remix act.  By the late nineties you were pretty much a nobody if you didn’t have a superstar DJ, or a high profile producer or remixer queuing up to give your tunes a once over so that they appealed to a wider audience.  Of course, it didn’t have to be a superstar DJ…..

24 – Buzzin’ (Dylan Rhymes Mix) – Asian Dub Foundation (1997, FFRR Records)

See Also Chinese Burn (Lunatic Calm Mix) – Curve (1998, Estupendo Records)

Of course, I love ‘Buzzin’ by Asian Dub Foundation, and if I got the chance early on in the evening, just after the doors had opened, I might have chucked it on and bopped away in the DJ Booth on my own whilst the punters dripped in from elsewhere.  Then Dylan Rhymes got his hands on it (or rather I flipped the record over and realised there was an incredible remix on the over side) and turned it into a sort of Big Beat monster that everyone danced to.  The same can be said about Lunatic Calm, no idea at all who they are, but their remix of ‘Chinese Burn’ the lead track from Curve’s underwhelming third album ‘Come Clean’ brought about all sorts of insanity.

Regardless of whether indie music was getting into bed with DJs and such like, there was always a crowd on the dancefloor who wanted and expected to hear the likes of Nirvana, Metallica Rage Against the Machine and such like and usually we had a sort of thirty minute rock bit all set to go until one night Johnny, who owned one rock CD compilation, was taken ill and I had to diversify slightly to appease the sweaty hair brigade.  Enter Tricky, and his rather barnstorming cover of a Public Enemy track, which allowed us to go in a sort of sideways direction into angry hip hop and back again.

23 – Black Steel (Been Caught Steeling Mix) – Tricky (1995, 4^th & Broadway Records)

See Also Bang Your Head – Gravediggaz (1995, Island Records)

A month all about music’s greatest females- #11 Polly Jean Harvey

Bring me, lover, all your power

Long Snake Moan – PJ Harvey (1995, Island Records, Taken from ‘To Bring You My Love’)

I’ve tried and failed to find footage of the first time I saw Polly Harvey on stage.  I have failed, largely because it was when she ambled on stage with The Family Cat to sing backing vocals on their 1991 non hit ‘Colour Me Grey’ at the Tuffnall Park Dome sometime towards the end of 1991.  I had no idea who she was back then, although I do remember the crowd going crazy and PJ Harvey being introduced as ‘Dorset’s very own Polly Jean’ or something similar.

Six months or so later Polly Jean Harvey was everywhere after her debut album ‘Dry’ flew up the charts and made her a star and pretty much everything else we know is history.   Of course, by then I knew exactly who Polly Jean Harvey was.  I owned ‘Sheela Na Gig’ on twelve inch for a start.

Sheela Na Gig – PJ Harvey (1992, Too Pure Records, Taken from ‘Dry’)

I bought this twelve inch because a female called Rachel told me too.  I’d been wasting time in a branch of Our Price when Rachel – whose mum and dad owned the book shop next door – had popped in, gone straight to the twelve inches, picked up ‘Sheela Na Gig’ and purchased it there and then.  An hour earlier, Rachel had rejected the advances of my mate Chris.  Largely because he was 16 and a half and she was 21 and virtually living with her boyfriend Mark, (might have been Matt, I forget) at the time. 

As she was leaving she said hi to me and in between mortally embarrassing myself by sniffing this poor young lady and telling how nice she smelt (I mean she did, I wasn’t trying to be weird, it just erm, came out wrong) and her leaving the shop in a rush, she told me that I should buy ‘Sheela Na Gig’ because its brilliant.   I mean you can’t ignore advice from lovely smelling older women with great taste whose parents own bookshops.  Can you?

Possibly. Regardless Polly Jean Harvey is amazing and I’m glad I sniffed Rachel in order to find that out.

Polly Jean Harvey is fast becoming considered to be a National Treasure, the indie rock equivalent of Olivia Coleman if you like.  Everything she touches is brilliant, from her early indie work with the Family Cat through her more mainstream work with Nick Cave, Thom Yorke, John Parish, Josh Homme and many others  – like these two for instance.

Eyepennies – Sparklehorse (and PJ Harvey) (2001, EMI Records, Taken from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’)

Broken Homes – Tricky (and PJ Harvey) (1998, Island Records, Taken from ‘Angels with Dirty Faces)

But of course then there is Polly’s standalone work – as good a back catalogue as any artist in any genre in any country anywhere.  Barely a bad note, a duff second, a rubbish track amongst the lot of them.

There have been 75 different acts so far chosen for the Nearly perfect Album series and none of them gave me such an agonising choice as PJ Harvey did.  I love ‘Dry’ for its feral intensity, I adore ‘Rid of Me’ for its ferociousness, ‘To Bring You My Love’ is one of the sexiest records ever made, ‘Stories from the City…’ is a bloody masterpiece.  ‘Let England Shake’ is songwriting as its very best.  I could go on – I will in fact but not before some music.

We Float – PJ Harvey (Taken from ‘Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea’)

Man-size – PJ Harvey (Taken from ‘Rid Of Me’)

Words That Maketh Murder – PJ Harvey  (Taken from ‘Let England Shake’)

The last time I saw PJ Harvey she was dressed from head to toe in a white suit and was playing to a couple of thousand people at the Eden Project in Cornwall.  She looked and sounded immaculate.  She ended her set with a roaring version of ‘Good Fortune’

Good Fortune – PJ Harvey (Taken from ‘Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea’)

Precisely eight minutes after she had left the stage the heavens opened and gave us the sort of rain that made Noah built a big bloody boat.  Even the weather knows not to interrupt Polly Jean Harvey.

Tomorrow sees a guest post from the wonderful JTFL, or Johnny The Friendly Lawyer to you and I.  Here is a lyrical clue to who he is writing about.

I hear a wind Whistling air

Nearly Perfect Albums – #43 – Maxinquaye – Tricky

Black Steel – Tricky (1995, Island Records)

I have said numerous times in this very series that there are only eight actually perfect albums.  If there were to be a ninth, then it would be ‘Maxinquaye’ the astonishingly raw and groundbreaking debut album by Tricky.  For a long time this album sat in the ‘Perfect’ category, and it is only in recent years that it has been downgraded to ‘Nearly’ perfect, but even then only just.  It is a 9.98 out of 10 album. 

Nearly thirty years have passed since its release and in all that time, not one second of ‘Maxinquaye’ has aged.  It came at a time when pretty much everything that was released was guitar driven white boy indie pop.  The mainstream radio shows were only ever playing songs about “living forever” and “dirty pigeons” and Tricky offered a paranoid and doubt ridden relief from Britpop.

‘Maxinquaye’ takes you on several journeys, its twists and turns like a bobsleigh on the Cresta Run.  It is a proper kaleidoscope of visions, sounds, textures and attention grabbing lyrics (“I drink until I’m sick and smoke until I’m senseless”).  It is an incredible record, sure its paranoid and racked full of doubt, but it’s also unique and unrepeatably brilliant.

One of the most remarkable things about this record is the way that the music (and smoky vocals) conjured up by Tricky combine with the wispy, beautifully melancholy vocals of Martina Topley Bird over the first three tracks.  ‘Ponderosa’ for instance is incredible, an evil lullaby of a song that was catalyst enough for Island Records to be persuaded to sign Tricky and his devilishly devilish musical ideology.  Martina Topley Bird by the way is one of rocks unsung heroes, her contribution to this album is what ultimately makes this record so utterly essential.

Ponderosa – Tricky (1995, Island Records)

It is the sort of album that asks all sorts of questions, not only about its repeating themes of identity, perception and trust but also of its creators Tricky and Topley Bird, most of the answers to these questions are skirted around leaving a deliberate air of mystery around it.  The answers are not important really, because the music that does the talking.  The way the vinyl scratches on ‘Hell is Round the Corner’ (which rides the same sample as ‘Glory Box’ by Portishead), the constant contrast of voices, the way a guitar strikes up out of nowhere during ‘Aftermath’ and almost shoves that haunting flute out of the way, the way at times the beats threaten to suffocate the very life out of Tricky’s voice.

Aftermath – Tricky (1995, Island Records)

Hell Is Round the Corner – Tricky (1995, Island Records)

Talking of guitars, whilst this mainly an album of whispers, and coyly uttered winks and nudges, the cover version of Public Enemy’s ‘Black Steel’ rocks like a rabid, foaming mouthed bastard and is a rare beast in that it is a cover version that is miles better than the original.  Elsewhere familiar samples crop up all over the place, ‘Pumpkin’ samples the Smashing Pumpkins, naturally enough, and ‘Brand New You’re Retro’ (which also rocks like a rabid, foaming mouthed bastard) samples Michael Jackson.

Brand New You’re Retro – Tricky (1995, Island Records)

‘Maxinquaye’ is an album that is possessed by a wicked glint in the eye.  It is beautiful, mesmerising, and whilst it may not be the easiest of listens (which is why it is not quite as perfect as I first thought it was) it remains the sort of record that should grace all collections.

100 Songs with One Word Titles (85 – 81)

Technically I never voted in this countdown.  I did however, create a list which showed the order I would have ranked them if it was left to me.  A list that I will only refer if one thing happens, which is if there is a tie.  Then I will refer to my list and the song that is higher will be given an extra point.  Three of todays songs (84, 83 and 82) all got the same points.  In my list there were 76 places between the song at 84 and the song at 82.  Just saying.

85. Grace – Supergrass (2002, Parlophone Records, Taken from ‘Life On Other Planets’)

On reflection Musical Jury Member 3 might have been right.  “WHY!” he shouted at me in an email “have you not gone for ‘Alright’ by Supergrass it’s a far better song than “Grace”, I’m not voting for it out of sheer annoyance!”  The answer, is because, I hate ‘Alright’ with its plinky plonky piano and its cheeky chappy chirpy geezer lyrics. ‘Grace’ is a much better song and it’s inspired by a children’s money box instantly making it more likeable than nearly everything Supergrass have recorded.  Although I agree ‘Alright’ would have definitely got more points.

84. Overcome – Tricky (1995, 4^th & Broadway Records, Taken from ‘Maxinquaye’)

‘Overcome’ is of course a cover version, of sorts.  More a remake of a track (‘Karmacoma’) that Tricky recorded with Massive Attack on their ‘Protection’ album.  Tricky turns what was originally a stoned sounding walk in the park into some sort of paranoid hazy dream of a song.  He even replaced the gruffness of the Massive Attack version and replaces it with the vocals of Martina Topley Bird and it’s effect is devastating.

83. Olympians – Fuck Buttons (2009, ATP Recordings, Taken from ‘Tarot Sport’)

It might be lazy but this only appeared on the blog a few days ago when it was featured as part of the ‘Nearly Perfect’ Series so I’m just going to direct you back to that review if no one minds, I mean it’s a very good review and should almost certainly be read twice.

82. History – The Verve (1995, Hut Records, Taken from ‘A Northern Soul’)

‘History’ is brilliant, an epic string laden twist on a conventional ballad.  It set the scene as far as The Verve were concerned for everything that followed it – huge songs weighed down with strings, soaring vocals with more than just a hint of bitterness.  It was, it was rumoured to be about Ashcrofts split with his girlfriend at the time, although he denies this, probably because around the time this was recorded, he was more probably than not carrying on with Jason Pierce’s girlfriend.  Might just add an ‘allegedly’ there.

81. Cornerstone – Arctic Monkeys (2009, Domino Records, Taken from ‘Humbug’)

Here are two relatively rare facts about ‘Cornerstone’ – you may of course already know these, apologies if you do.  Anyway, the vinyl release of ‘Cornerstone’ was only made available to buy in branches of Oxfam.  Which is a brilliant thing to do but it did rather limit the success of the record, as it peaked at number 94.  The B Side ‘Sketchead’ actually sold more copies on download than ‘Cornerstone’ and rose on its own to Number 80 in the charts.  This makes it one of the few singles in chart history where the B side has performed better than the A side.  I know, I bet you are even gladder that you woke up this morning.

The Never Ending Playlist Week #1

2. Makes Me Wanna Die – Tricky (1997, Island Records, Taken from ‘Pre Millennium Tension’)

The first Tricky album ‘Maxinquaye’ is a masterpiece. The kind of record that no matter how many times you listen to it, you hear something new, something different every time you hear it. The sort of record that thirty years or so after its release, some gonk will be writing about on a poorly designed blog, and call it ‘nearly perfect’.

The second Tricky album ‘Pre-Millennium Tension’ is not a masterpiece. Its way too strange and too threatening to be that. It’s a record that sounds smothered, and wrapped up in (probably anyway) drug induced paranoia to the point where it is suffering from it. Its bleak, its claustrophobic, and a little awkward.

But it has its moments, like ‘Makes Me Wanna Die’, which despite its title is actually rather uplifting if ambient ballads can be that .

Here is another one of better tracks off of ‘Pre Millennium Tension’

Tricky Kid – Tricky (1997, Island Records, Taken from ‘Pre Millennium Tension’)