At practically the last hurdle I completely forgot to do a daily entry for this series. Way to restore balance to the universe.
Well we’d better quickly get caught up hadn’t we?
Day 29: A song you remember from your childhood
2020: “Lust For Life”, Iggy Pop
Bouncing about on the bed at this, the opening track to one of those Essential Soundtracks CDs put out by Film4, and going so high I’d make the disc jump and skip about. Good times.
2025: “Sunflower”, Paul Weller
Thanks to the rose-tinted spectacles of childhood, this is comfortably a top five Paul Weller song for me. The opening riff never fails to make me warm and smiley, nor does the exemplary drumwork from Steve White. Would’ve gone apeshit if he’d played this when I saw him at the O2 in Newcastle last year. But we got three encores instead so it all balances out.
Right, be with you with the final part of this series in a bit.
This is where I’ve realised I’ve backed myself into a corner with my only-use-an-artist-once policy I’ve had for this series; loads of them have tremendous voices that I love. So who’ve I got left?
Day 28: A song by an artist whose voice you love
2020: “Perfect Day”, Lou Reed
That voice crack in the second chorus. Nuff said.
2025: “Life is Golden”, Suede
I’ve used up the other three quarters of the Big 4 of Britpop so now’s as good a time as any to round things off.
But if you are a Suede fan and you want me to highlight one of Brett Anderson’s many, many, many electric and enchanting performances, you probably have a whole myriad of songs you’d expect me to choose. However, for a cinematic album like The Blue Hour, Brett’s voice more than ever seemed ripe for use and “Life is Golden” is a shining example of that.
Honourable mentions though from each of the other albums: “Animal Nitrate”, “The Wild Ones”, “Saturday Night”, “My Dark Star”, “Jubilee”, “Obsessions”, “It Starts and Ends With You”, “Like Kids”, “Turn Off Your Brain and Yell”, and “Life is Endless, Life Is a Moment”.
On this coming Tuesday, this challenge will come to an end. Does that break your heart?
Good, because that’s what today’s song{s) should do apparently.
Day 27: A song that breaks your heart
2020: “No Distance Left To Run”, Blur
I mean, it doesn’t get more heartbreaking than this considering this performance was Damon coming to terms with his life at that point, telling himself that it was indeed over between him and Justine. Credit has to go to him for going to the effort of penning a song centred around the final, fateful breakup, when all he could have done instead was doing a more 13-style rendition of “To The End”. Same sentiment, but much more genuine and raw.
2025: “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, Joy Division
I’ve got a monthly entry coming up on New Year’s Eve and in it I’ll be talking about Joy Division and how, despite them being quality musicians, I do feel a little uneasy when listening to them. I know that’s likely the point given that they are a post punk outfit (arguably the poster boys for the genre to some), but like with the above song, real life context makes things that much more difficult to digest.
Most of all the single that sits neatly between Joy Division’s two albums, and maybe even above the pair of them. Ian Curtis laying himself so bare it’s a wonder this song isn’t sung by a skeleton. The title itself can be interpreted in different ways though. The love between Ian and Annik tearing apart his marriage to Deborah? Or tearing themselves apart inside, with all the metaphorical walls to their love keeping them separate? Poor sods, the three of them.
Those synth chords too. Cold, melancholy, funeralistic. Gives you the shivers.
Good morning, it is Boxing Day, and we are feeling the effects of what we indulged in yesterday. Me personally, I had salmon and nibbles for lunch, a delicious roast served up by my Dad, and half a Terry’s chocolate orange from m’stocking, all washed down by a couple of G&Ts.
No mistletoe though, which probably sets us up quite nicely for what is in danger of being a rather soppy part of our 30 Day Song Challenge.
Day 26: A song that makes you want to fall in love
2020: “Take On Me”, a-ha
Another one of the best songs of the 80s, and along with “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” a song I had on my personalised radio station on a game called Saints Row 2. “Take On Me” makes for a surprisingly good backing song when you’re being chased by cops around the city.
2025: “Wild is the Wind”, David Bowie
I’ve gone this far into the month without dropping a Bowie song. Incredible.
And to be pedantic, this isn’t really a Bowie song at all, it’s ultimately a Nina Simone song. But that doesn’t change the fact it contains one of his best performances of his entire career. Heartfelt, and then some. Definitely makes a person want to fall in love, even if the narrator (Our old mate, the Thin White Duke) is one cold to the concept of what love even is. Ah, I want to listen to Station to Station now.
Merry Christmas! Today, we’re going to talk about dead people.
Tis the season to be jolly.
Day 25: A song you like by an artist no longer living
2020: “Crosstown Traffic”, Jimi Hendrix
You remember when I did my October monthly and I referenced an obscure compilation CD from Q Magazine? My Mum used to bung it on a lot in 2001 and I know this because Jimi Hendrix’s “Crosstown Traffic” ended up being one of the most played tracks in my early childhood. Between that and listening to “The Changingman” by Paul Weller and “Lust for Life” by Iggy Pop, I think I had a rather eclectic taste in music when I was a toddler. Not bad for the fact I wouldn’t truly give a toss about music for another couple of decades.
But yeah, “Crosstown Traffic”. One of the many fine examples of the guitarwork of Jimi Hendrix.
2025: “Forever J”, Terry Hall
A few Christmases ago we lost Terry Hall, which was a crying shame. A very talented bloke as evidenced by the many eras of his career. From the Specials, to Fun Boy Three, to the Colourfield, he was turning in greats left and right.
And I think fans of his would agree that continued into his oft-forgotten and short-lived solo career. Unfortunately, it never really got off the ground when it came to the charts, hence the fact that this song, his debut single, barely scraped into the top 100. And frankly, it baffles me considering not only the reputation Terry had carved out for himself in the preceding fifteen years, but also the who’s who behind the track – Produced by Ian Broudie of the Lightning Seeds, co-written by latter day Smiths guitarist Craig Gannon, and drums and bass provided by ex-La Chris Sharrock and wandering Bunnyman Les Pattinson respectively. Not only that, Damon Albarn would work with Terry on a sister EP the following year, and Pulp would remix “Forever J” (Although to middling results in my opinion. If it ain’t broke…).
Given all that, I can’t quite get my head around how this didn’t fit in with the Britpop scene which was coming into bloom around the time Home was released. “Forever J” may not have resonated as much given it could be regarded as a bit too straightforward and poppy for Terry, but the man pulls things off quite nicely. A sweet performance that counters his typically sour demeanour. Also, I guess that today, being told that ‘you’re no Mel Gibson’ would be taken as a compliment.
Underrated song, underrated album. And for me personally, a lucky find – Home was deleted after release, and I somehow found it amongst the CDs at a local market stall. Don’t think I’ve been so quick to buy an album in my life.
Right then, I’ve got meals to tuck into and crackers to pull with my Mum and Dad. Hope you have a lovely Christmas Day!
A-Side Glance 