When We Were Kings – Brian McKnight & Diana King
Today we have a double-billing of sorts, featuring both the sporting documentary When We Were Kings and the song of the same name featured in the film.
I have mentioned the film and Muhammad Ali’s colossal feat on other occasions, but it’s nice to now have a dedicated post to the documentary, including the beautifully inspiring song and video attached to it.
When We Were Kings is centred around the “Rumble in the Jungle“, the heavyweight championship boxing match held on October 30, 1974, in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) between reigning world heavyweight champion George Foreman and Muhammad Ali.
It remains one of my favourite documentaries and, for sporting enthusiasts, is about as close as you are going to get to obligatory viewing. It focuses on one of the most significant sporting achievements ever, which took place in a country few people would have associated with hosting such event.
For film purists, however, it is much more than a film about a boxing match. It is also a fascinating cultural portrait of Zaire and its people, capturing the atmosphere, politics, music and extraordinary sense of occasion surrounding the fight.
The film was released in 1996 and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 1997 Oscars. It is also widely regarded as one of the finest boxing documentaries ever made.
The film ends with today’s featured song, accompanied by a spectacular montage of images from Muhammad Ali’s career. I can’t really think of another song put to film that is quite as impactful, rousing and moving as this one, particularly because it is so closely tied to the heart of the film. You can’t really separate the song from the film; such is their unison in feeling and context. I never grow tired of hearing it, even after more than perhaps a hundred listens over the years. People do say I exaggerate a million times ;-P
As someone commented beneath the video:
“This song does something so few songs have accomplished. It captures the essence and power of an individual creating a lasting legacy for all that were there and for those who were not.”
It’s a shame that the duet “When We Were Kings“, performed by American R&B singer Brian McKnight and Jamaican reggae-pop artist Diana King, doesn’t have a dedicated page containing more information about its creation and recording. Of all the songs that deserve some background about their realisation, this is certainly one of them.
The Rumble in the Jungle
Below are some extracts from other articles where I have referred to this legendary documentary and fight:
Most journalists in the lead-up to the Rumble in the Jungle thought Ali was toast. Some even suggested that Ali might die in the ring. If I had seen Foreman hitting the heavy bag at the gym in Zaire, leaving concave fist imprints, I might have thought the same.
Ali’s fight against Foreman remains one of the greatest sporting comebacks in history. Ali entered the fight as a 4–1 underdog against the unbeaten and devastatingly powerful Foreman.
Ali did what almost no-one thought he could do: withstand Foreman’s relentless attack, employ what became known as the “rope-a-dope” strategy and allow the younger champion to exhaust himself. In the eighth round, Ali knocked Foreman down and reclaimed the heavyweight championship of the world.
Muhammad Ali had this amazing glare in his eyes between one of the rounds realising he was getting pummelled and had to do something. It’s a surreal moment of concentration, composure, determination and creativity. It’s now or never. The scene was perfectly captured in the film here, where an astute boxing journalist covering the event said the following:
Ali went back to the corner. The nightmare he’d been awaiting in the ring had finally come to visit him. He was in the ring with a man he could not dominate. He was stronger than him. Who was not afraid of him. Who was going to try to knock him out and punched harder than Ali could punch. This man was determined and unstoppable. And Ali had a look on his face that I’ll never forget. It’s the only time I saw fear in Ali’s eyes. Ali looked as if he looked into himself…’Alright this is the moment.This is what you’ve been waiting for. This is that hour. Do you have the guts?’ He kind of nodded to himself. Like, got to get it together boy. Really got to get it together and you are going to get it together. He nodded some more as if he was looking into the eyes of his maker. And then he turned to the crowd and yelled ‘Ali boma ye‘ and a hundred thousand yelled back ‘ Ali boma ye‘.
After losing the title to Ali, Foreman entered a long period away from boxing and experienced a profound personal crisis. He eventually returned to the ring in 1987, more than a decade after his defeat.
Then, remarkably, at the age of 45, Foreman defeated Michael Moorer in 1994 to become the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history. There is a wonderful short documentary about this remarkable comeback called How Big George Foreman Took Back His Title (20 Years After Ali).
In every heart there is a drum that beats
Steady and strong, it does not know defeat
I feel it pound and know the sound of true beliefs
In every soul, there is a memory
Of standing tall, the proudest we could be
I cannot fall, for I recall we were born in majesty
And when the long fight
Has been fought and won
We’ll stand in the sun
And we will raise out hands, and we will touch the sky
Together we will dance in robes of gold
And we will leave the world remembering
When we were kings, when we were kings
Now is the time, here is the mountain top
When one man climbs, the rest are lifted up
With every step we’re closer yet to a higher destiny
And when we reach out
To claim the thrown
Every man will know
And we will raise out hands, and we will touch the sky
Together we will dance in robes of gold
And we will leave the world remembering
When we were kings, when we were kings
Do you remember when we were kings?
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee
And when the long fight
Has been fought and won
We’ll stand in the sun
And we will raise out hands, and we will touch the sky
Together we will dance in robes of gold
And we will leave the world remembering
When we were kings, when we were kings
References:
1. When We Were Kings – Wikipedia
Tagged with: Brian McKnight, Diana King, George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, When we were kings, Zaire
Posted in Movies and TV, Music
Posted in Movies and TV, Music
When the Ship Comes In – Bob Dylan
When I hear When the Ship Comes In, I feel cast back to a centuries-old traditional English song, perhaps something Dylan might have covered on his 1992 record Good As I Been to You. No, instead he wrote this in August 1963 at just 22 years of age. Quite astonishing, since it evokes such elaborate allegory and images of seafaring that seem to come from the memory of someone old and distinguished, recalling tales from their days at sea.
What’s even stranger is that, according to Joan Baez in the 2005 documentary No Direction Home, Dylan’s inspiration came from the most unlikely of scenarios. He had been refused entry to a hotel by a clerk because of his unkempt appearance, and it was only after Baez vouched for him that he was allowed inside.
The song has been linked by biographer Clinton Heylin to Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s Pirate Jenny in which an oppressed woman imagines a mysterious ship arriving and destroying those who have mistreated her. That makes the transformation from hotel insult to grand ship allegory seem rather less random.
Wikipedia:
Dylan’s former girlfriend Suze Rotolo recalls that her “interest in Brecht was certainly an influence on him. I was working for the Circle in the Square Theater and he came to listen all the time. He was very affected by the song that Lotte Lenya’s known for, ‘Pirate Jenny’.“
The glorious moment in Dylan’s song when the ship comes in is so illustrious and grand that even “the fishes will laugh as they swim out of the path / And the seagulls, they’ll be a-smilin’. The fervent and prophetic atmosphere and setting feel most like an Odyssey-like homecoming, where everything seems to stand still, even the seas and winds, evoking images of an epic journey and triumphant return.
Even its foes submit and are conquered, with the grandiosity and scale taking on biblical proportions – “And like Pharaoh’s tribe, they’ll be drowned in the tide / And like Goliath, they’ll be conquered. The ship becomes a symbol of liberation and the arrival of a new order, embodying all that it has overcome as it comes into shore. The images are so vividly etched and have such a grainy, coarse quality that it’s almost like watching a painting come alive.
[Verse 1]
Oh, the time will come up when the winds will stop
And the breeze will cease to be breathin’
Like the stillness in the wind before the hurricane begins
The hour that the ship comes in
[Chorus]
And the sea will split and the ships will hit
And the sands on the shoreline will be shaking
Then the tide will sound and the waves will pound
And the mornin’ will be a-breakin’
[Verse 2]
The fishes will laugh as they swim out of the path
And the seagulls, they’ll be a-smilin’
And the rocks on the sand will proudly stand
The hour that the ship comes in
[Chorus]
And the words that are used for to get the ship confused
Will not be understood as they’re spoken
For the chains of the sea will have busted in the night
And be buried on the bottom of the ocean
[Verse 3]
A song will lift as the mainsail shifts
And the boat drifts onto the shoreline
And the sun will respect every face on the deck
The hour that the ship comes in
[Chorus]
And the sands will roll out a carpet of gold
For your weary toes to be a-touchin’
And the ship’s wise men will remind you once again
That the whole wide world is watchin’
[Verse 4]
Oh, the foes will rise with the sleep still in their eyes
And they’ll jerk from their beds and think they’re dreamin’
But they’ll pinch themselves and squeal and they’ll know that it’s for real
The hour that the ship comes in
[Chorus]
And they’ll raise their hands sayin’, “We’ll meet all your demands”
But we’ll shout from the bow, “Your days are numbered”
And like Pharoah’s tribe, they’ll be drownded in the tide
And like Goliath, they’ll be conquered
References:
1. When the Ship Comes In – Wikipedia
Tagged with: Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, The Times They Are a Changin, when the ship comes in
Posted in Music
Posted in Music
When I Come Around – Green Day
It’s uncanny that we have two heavily guitar-driven 1990s alternative rock tracks appearing back-to-back in the Music Library Project. Yesterday it was R.E.M.’s What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? and today it’s When I Come Around by Green Day. It’s one of those happy quirks of the alphabetical sequence that occasionally throws up these cool double features.
Today’s featured track was my first introduction to the Californian punk rock band Green Day, and it remains my favourite song by them. I remember owning the single and playing it to death in my early twenties. Hearing it today takes me straight back to those years. Also, many of you will recall that this is the same group that sent off Seinfeld in its closing with Time of Your Life. Oh, it’s hard not to reminisce fondly about the 90s. Great decade!
The guitar absolutely rips here, sounding gritty, raw and full of energy. Then the drums kick in, giving the song its driving, cyclical rhythm. The deceptively simple guitar riff runs throughout, yet it never feels repetitive or laboured. All simple but perfect technique for creating a slacker punk sound.
Vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong has that slightly faux-British punk accent which suits the song perfectly. It’s simply a mega-cool track that appeals to punk, alternative rock and pop fans alike thanks to its catchy groove and unmistakable 1990s sound. At a time when grunge dominated the charts, Green Day helped bring a brighter, more playful and melodic style of alt-rock into the mainstream.
Inspired by his long-distance relationship with his future wife, Adrienne Armstrong, When I Come Around captures Billie Joe Armstrong’s youthful insecurity and fear that constant touring might place too much strain on their romance. Rather than portraying himself as unworthy, he expresses the uncertainty and emotional vulnerability of a young man hoping the relationship will survive. In hindsight, the song has a happy ending, as the couple, who met in Minnesota in 1990, married in 1994.
When I Come Around comes from the group’s third studio album, Dookie. Released as the album’s fourth single, it became Green Day’s breakthrough hit on American radio, reaching No. 6 on the US Billboard. Internationally, it reached the Top 10 in Australia, Canada, Iceland and New Zealand. Dookie went on to sell more than 20 million copies worldwide, making it the band’s biggest-selling album.
[Verse 1]
Well, I heard you crying loud
All the way across town
You’ve been searching for that someone and it’s me out on the prowl
As you sit around feeling sorry for yourself
Well, don’t get lonely now
And dry your whining eyes
I’m just roamin’ for the moment, sleazin’ my backyard, so don’t get
So uptight, you been thinking about ditching me
[Chorus]
No time to search the world around
‘Cause you know where I’ll be found
When I come around
[Verse 2]
Oh, I heard it all before
So don’t knock down my door
I’m a loser and a user, so I don’t need no accuser
To try and slag me down because I know you’re right
So go do what you like
Make sure you do it wise
You may find out that your self-doubt means nothing was ever there
You can’t go forcing something if it’s just not right
[Chorus]
No time to search the world around
‘Cause you know where I’ll be found
When I come around
Hoo
[Chorus]
No time to search the world around
‘Cause you know where I’ll be found
When I come around
[Outro]
A-when I come around
When I come around
When I come around
References:
1. When I Come Around – Wikipedia
2. “When I Come Around” Meaning by Green Day Explained – ALT77
What’s The Frequency, Kenneth – R.E.M.
What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? is quite simply one of the best guitar-driven alternative rock songs I’ve ever heard. There is something hypnotic about its sustained guitar sound and bursts of reverb. It almost feels like an engine idling throughout the entire track. To me, it captures exactly what a great guitar tone should sound like. The volume is never loud enough for this song.
I can’t get enough of it. It’s easily my favourite R.E.M. song. I can happily play it on repeat for ages, and I certainly have on more than one occasion. It’s a masterclass in restraint, taste, and atmosphere, proving that a band doesn’t need to overplay to create something powerful.
R.E.M. rightly earned enormous respect for their influence on alternative rock. By the early 1990s, bands such as Nirvana, the Pixies, and Pavement had acknowledged them as pioneers of the genre. They disbanded amicably in 2011 after selling more than 90 million records worldwide, leaving behind one of the most influential catalogues in modern rock.
Snippets from Wikipedia:
“What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” is from their ninth studio album, Monster (1994). The song’s title refers to an incident in New York City in 1986 in which two assailants attacked journalist Dan Rather while repeating “Kenneth, what is the frequency?”
The song was the first single taken from the album and was released by Warner Bros. Records on September 5, 1994. It peaked at number 21 on the US Billboard. Internationally, the song reached number two in Canada, number four in New Zealand, and number nine on the UK Singles Chart.
The song was one of the band’s most-played songs at live gigs, and was played at every show on their 2008 Accelerate tour.
[Verse 1]
“What’s the frequency, Kenneth?” is your Benzedrine, uh-huh
I was brain-dead, locked out, numb, not up to speed
I thought I’d pegged you an idiot’s dream
Tunnel vision from the outsider’s screen
[Chorus]
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh
You wore our expectations like an armored suit, uh-huh
[Verse 2]
I’d studied your cartoons, radio, music, TV, movies, magazines
Richard said, “Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy”
A smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth
You said that irony was the shackles of youth
[Chorus]
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh
[Verse 3]
“What’s the frequency, Kenneth?” is your Benzedrine, uh-huh
Butterfly decal, rear-view mirror, dogging the scene
You smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth
You said that irony was the shackles of youth
[Chorus]
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh
You wore our expectations like an armored suit, uh-huh
I couldn’t understand
You said that irony was the shackles of youth, uh-huh
I couldn’t understand
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
I couldn’t understand
I never understood, don’t fuck with me, uh-huh
References:
1. What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? – Wikipedia
Anne of Green Gables – Kevin Sullivan
I revisited this 1985 Canadian made-for-television drama two weekends ago with my daughter Katherine. It was one of the most watched movies in our family while I was growing up, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. I hadn’t seen it in almost four decades, so I was excited to share it with my 10-year-old daughter, who is about the same age I was when I first watched it.
This coming-of-age story about the orphan Anne Shirley is one of the finest examples of storytelling I have ever seen put to screen. I’m no stranger to getting glassy-eyed and shedding a tear during a movie, but I think I set a personal record with this one. There are so many genuine and heartfelt moments that I couldn’t help but be deeply moved seeing it all again, especially through the eyes of my daughter.
IMDB Storyline:
At the turn of the century on Prince Edward Island, Matthew Cuthbert and his sister Marilla decide to take on an orphan boy as help for their farm. But they get an unexpected jolt when they’re mistakenly sent a girl instead: Anne Shirley. Anne’s a dreamer with an unusual point of view, far removed from Marilla’s pragmatic ways, and it’s only on trial that Marilla agrees to keep Anne…if Anne can keep out of trouble, only Anne has a positive genius for it. As Anne falls into a series of scrapes (and off a roof), makes a bosom friend, searches (and finds) several kindred spirits, Matthew and Marilla discover that their lives have become a great deal richer, now that Anne is at Green Gables.
Anne of Green Gables shares such wonderful old-fashioned morals and values through the relatable scrapes Anne finds herself in. You can’t help but wish that more young people today could experience these lessons in such an entertaining and heartfelt way. Originally named simply “Ann”, she insists her name be spelled “Anne” with an “e”, believing it gives her name a little more distinction.
Anne is exceptionally well read, has an imagination that knows no bounds, and is wonderfully curious, sometimes to her own detriment. As the storyline above describes, she often finds herself in the most unlikely predicaments, causing no shortage of worry for her elderly guardians.
But what’s so revealing, and ingeniously counter-intuitive, is that while Anne is surrounded by deeply religious, conservative, and often rigid townsfolk who constantly try to guide her along the straight and narrow, they themselves are gradually transformed by the exuberance of her youth and her vivacious spirit.
Anne speaks her mind, has an enormous heart, and possesses a delightful wit. Through her kindness, affection, and strength of character, many of the older, more reserved townsfolk find themselves learning just as much from her as she learns from them.
As the story unfolds, you gradually see Anne changing the hearts of those around her. The townsfolk become warmer, more expressive, and more compassionate in the way they treat one another. Who would have thought that one spirited orphan girl could have such a profound effect on an entire community?
Although many people simply refer to it as a film, it originally aired as a two-part television mini-series and was later followed by sequels. It is exquisitely photographed on Prince Edward Island. To give you some idea of just how beautiful the cinematography is, I’ve included below the wonderful buggy ride from Bright River Railway Station to Green Gables with Anne Shirley and Matthew Cuthbert.
When Matthew says ‘Green Gables, yonder’; you know you are witnessing ‘greatness’.
The casting also deserves special praise. I honestly can’t imagine a better group of actors bringing these much-loved characters to life. The production is based on the 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, and many readers believe this adaptation comes remarkably close to capturing the spirit of the book. I’ve even read several IMDb user reviews suggesting that, rare as it is, this may be one of those occasions where the screen adaptation rivals the original novel.
The mini-series first aired on CBC Television on 1 and 2 December 1985, with both parts becoming two of the highest-rated television broadcasts ever shown on a Canadian network at the time.
I couldn’t recommend it more highly to anyone who has yet to see it. And for those who have, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
References:
1. Anne of Green Gables (1985 film) – Wikipedia
2. Anne of Green Gables – IMDB
Tagged with: anne of green gables, kevin Sullivan, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Megan Follows
Posted in Movies and TV
Posted in Movies and TV
What’ll I Do – Bob Dylan
‘I don’t see myself as covering these songs in any way. They’ve been covered enough. Buried, as a matter a fact. What me and my band are basically doing is uncovering them. Lifting them out of the grave and bringing them into the light of day‘.
– Bob Dylan
Today I present to you one of my favourite latter-day Bob Dylan songs, the beautifully romantic Irving Berlin composition What’ll I Do. It comes from his 2015 record Shadows in the Night, which consists of traditional pop standards associated with Frank Sinatra, chosen by Dylan. It was recorded in 2014 at Capitol Studios in Studio B, where Sinatra often recorded.
When it was announced he was doing what was essentially a traditional crooner standards record, I had to admit I was very sceptical he could pull it off. These songs had been sung by some of the most well-regarded vocalists in contemporary music history. Not only that, but Bob Dylan, at the age of 73, would have to make the extraordinary leap into the world of traditional pop and the Great American Songbook, a genre that up to that point had been so far outside his musical wheelhouse that it made me giddy just contemplating it.
So how did Bob do on Shadows in the Night? Well, I like to recall this quote from The Irish Times, which mirrors my own reaction when I first heard it:
“Those who complain that Dylan can’t sing are treated to a masterclass in timing, phrasing, nuance and interpretation. Even the cracks in his voice leave a poignant trail.”
His renditions of songs like What’ll I Do, Autumn Leaves, Stay With Me, Some Enchanted Evening and the album’s closer, That Lucky Old Sun, were the highlights for me from this wonderful record and contained some of his best work of the 2000s, in my opinion. I was staggered, to put it mildly, and whenever these songs come on my music player I know I’m going to be treated to a masterclass in vocal technique and instrumental subtlety.
On that point, the finesse and nuance of his vocal technique are something to behold. It’s this intimate, almost whispering-in-your-ear delivery, where every intake and exhale of breath makes us think he is singing to each of us individually. Literally so, because if you listen closely enough you can hear his breathing between the lines; now if that isn’t cool! Bob is like an elderly storyteller here, quietly inhabiting the songs rather than simply performing them.
Also, the band’s stunning musicianship could not have suited Bob’s voice any better. Musically, Dylan avoids Sinatra’s lush orchestras. Instead, he uses a small band with pedal steel guitar, upright bass, restrained guitar, and only occasional horns. The result is a cosy, late-night atmosphere that feels almost chamber-like.
The songs were recorded live, with Dylan singing and his five-man touring band performing together in the same room without headphones. The album’s recording engineer, Al Schmitt, stated: “He would listen to the songs over and over and get Sinatra’s intention on what he was doing with the song. Then he would only do two or three takes on each tune, but he would make it his own. It had nothing to do with Sinatra.”
I consider Shadows in the Night a modern masterpiece from Bob – certainly a top-tier album in his catalogue. I think What’ll I Do goes a long way towards demonstrating, in just one song, what is so endearing and timeless about it.
What’ll I do
When you are far away
And I am blue?
What’ll I do?
What’ll I do
When I am wondering who
Is kissing you?
What’ll I do?
What’ll I do with just a photograph
To tell my troubles to?
When I’m alone
With only dreams of you
That won’t come true
What’ll I do?
What’ll I do with just a photograph
To tell my troubles to?
When I’m alone
With only dreams of you
That won’t come true
What’ll I do?
References:
1. What’ll I Do – Wikipedia
2. Shadows in the Night – Wikipedia
Tagged with: Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, irving berlin, Shadows in the Night, what'll I do
Posted in Music
Posted in Music
Walk Like a Man – Bruce Springsteen
Walk Like a Man is yet another Springsteen track I’ve added retrospectively after it somehow slipped through the cracks all these years. So I’m trying to make amends now, and I hope I do it some justice. I was so enamoured with it back then in my mid-teens, and having been reunited with it only very recently, I can declare that none of that adoration has waned.
This moving coming of age song from the Boss, as aforementioned, made quite an impression on me and now, with nearly four decades of living under my belt, it’s hard not to be nostalgic when listening to it. As a middle-aged man I can relate directly to many of the lyrics here. Moreover, I find that my leanings towards Bruce’s slower and lesser-known tracks resonate more with me now than they ever have.
Walk Like a Man was released on Bruce’s more introspective and country-tinged 1987 album, Tunnel of Love. It was a strong departure from the hugely successful commercial sound of its predecessor, Born in the U.S.A. Actually, many of the themes that course through Tunnel of Love can also be found on his 1982 acoustic detour, Nebraska.
That record was also not so much about the charts as it was about Bruce channelling some deep and aching memories that, quite frankly, he needed to process and get off his chest. Then, in the wake of his recent marriage to Julianne Phillips, which was very much crumbling at the time he was writing Tunnel of Love, many of the songs on the album became reflections on the difficulties of mature love.
This song, like the album itself, is one of deep introspection for Bruce, and it’s a pleasure to be able to go along for the ride. Now, if only we could turn back time – as one astute listener put it in the comments on this song. I hope Walk Like a Man resonates strongly with you as well. Thanks, as always, for reading.
[Verse 1]
I remember how rough your hand felt on mine
On my wedding day
And the tears cried on my shoulder
I couldn’t turn away
Well, so much has happened to me
That I don’t understand
All I can think of is being five years old, following behind you at the beach
Tracing your footprints in the sand
Trying to walk like a man
[Verse 2]
By Our Lady of the Roses
We lived in the shadow of the elms
I remember Ma draggin’ me and my sister up the street to the church
Whenever she heard those wedding bells
Well, would they ever look so happy again
The handsome groom and his bride
As they stepped into that long black limousine
For their mystery ride
Well, tonight you step away from me
And alone at the altar I stand
And as I watch my bride coming down the aisle
I pray for the strength to walk like a man
[Verse 3]
Well, now the years have gone and I’ve grown
From that seed you’ve sown
But I didn’t think there’d be so many steps
I’d have to learn on my own
Well, I was young and I didn’t know what to do
When I saw your best steps stolen away from you
Now I’ll do what I can
I’ll walk like a man
[Outro]
And I’ll keep on walkin’
References:
1. Tunnel of Love (album) – Wikipedia
Whatever – The Beths
I can’t help but enjoy the vibe and looseness of the New Zealand indie pop band The Beths. Their relatable, down-the-block garage band image really works for me, and their music is full of upbeat, infectious melodies, and catchy riffs. And despite the no-frills, indie-cliché title, Whatever is performed with plenty of sincerity and conviction.
You can tell they genuinely enjoy what they do, and their songs – especially today’s Whatever – reflect that bright and carefree spirit. The groovy guitar here comes straight out of the 1982 hit Vacation by The Go-Go’s. Oh, and if you’re quick enough, you can catch The Beths performing tonight at The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California.
Lead vocalist Elizabeth Stokes must be a bit of a cycling enthusiast. She appeared in the last featured song here, Til My Heart Stops, riding and tinkering with her bike, and here she is again taking it for a spin through a typical New Zealand town. Interestingly she named the band after herself, inspired by how the Gilmore Girls character Lorelai Gilmore named her daughter after herself.
Whatever appeared on the band’s debut EP Warm Blood in 2016 and was released as its first single, complete with an accompanying music video. The Beths received financial support from the New Zealand Music Commission and NZ On Air, which helped fund the video. The Music Commission also backed three of the band’s international tours through its music market development grants.
Elizabeth Stokes and guitarist Jonathan Pearce (far right in above image) first met in high school. They later met bassist Benjamin Sinclair and drummer Ivan Luketina-Johnston while all four were studying jazz at the University of Auckland. Since then, The Beths have released four studio albums.
I’ve mentioned before how much they remind me of the Canadian indie band Alvvays, who have also featured here. Interestingly, Alvvays are among the bands The Beths have cited as inspirations of their work.
[Verse 1]
Blind, you’re blind
Full of breaths and sobs, and shakes, and shakes
Saying you will do whatever it takes
(Whatever, yeah, whatever)
Call declined
Say you’re ’round the corner, fine, okay
You think I will buy whatever you say
(Whatever, yeah, whatever)
[Pre-Chorus]
Now you’re getting me started, you’re pulling the yarn, and
You’re pulling it harder and I think I’m gonna (I think I’m gonna)
You’re getting me started, you’re pulling the yarn, and
You’re breaking my heart, you’re making me want to
[Chorus]
Crash the car, we’ll hit the water
Brush the rock and wait for the maker
And if he doesn’t show
Then heaven knows, heaven knows
I’ll make you feel so good
[Verse 2]
You arrive
Towing silence on a lively eve
Eyes are crying for another reprieve
(Another year, whatever)
And we’re blood and water but my back is blown
Your shoulders, slumped are saying
You should’ve known I’d let you down again
(Whatever, yeah, whatever)
[Pre-Chorus]
Now you’re getting me started
You’re pulling the yarn, and
You’re breaking my heart, you’re making me want to
You’re pulling it harder and I think I’m gonna (I think I’m gonna)
You’re getting me started
You’re pulling the yarn and
You’re breaking my heart
You’re making me want to
[Chorus]
Crash the car, we’ll hit the water
Brush the rock and wait for the maker
And if he doesn’t show
Then heaven knows, heaven knows
I’ll make you feel so good
[Bridge]
Baby, you’re breaking my heart
Baby, you’re breaking my heart
Why do you make it so hard?
You’re breaking my heart
[Chorus]
Crash the car we’ll hit the water
Brush the rock and wait for the maker
And if he doesn’t show
Then heaven knows, heaven knows
I’ll make you feel so
References:
1. The Beths – WIkipedia
What You Need – INXS
“This song is almost 40 years old.
Michael Hutchence died at age 37.
The song has been here longer than he lived. And still we all love it.”
This is one of my favourite ’80s Australian songs and, hands down, my favourite by INXS. I never grow tired of hearing it. Its snarling sound has so much bite and it’s mostly a drum-and-guitar-driven song. I mean, nearly all conventional modern rock songs have guitars and drums in them, but few are as penetrating and sharp as they are here. Everything about this song is brilliant. It kills at clubs and parties. The bassline, the drumming, the lyrics, the singing, the rhythm – this is one of a kind. This is ’80s rock at its best.
Hutchence’s voice brilliantly captures the desperation in the song. The saxophone parts, interspersed throughout, add so much sizzle to the flame. It’s a damn sexy song. The climax for me comes at around the 1:50 mark. Every time I hear it with other people, I tell them, “Here it comes… you ready?” There are few drum passages that appeal to me more than that one. Then it’s soon joined by the wicked guitar, and the two become like a duet – an accompanying act all of their own. It’s pretty badass.
The video presentation below is fantastic. It’s like a splattering of paint on a canvas, reflecting the frenetic pace of the song. Kids, this is what you call a music video!
Snippets from Wikipedia:
What You Need was the lead single off INXS’ 1985 album Listen Like Thieves. The album was considered an international breakthrough album for the band peaking at No. 11 on the US Billboard. What You Need was the band’s first American Top Ten hit, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard.
After the album Listen Like Thieves was recorded and ready to be given to the record label for inspection, producer Chris Thomas was worried that the album didn’t have a “hit”. As Andrew Farriss recalled in a 2005 interview; “‘What You Need’ is another example of a huge hit that essentially took no time at all. We’d already finished the Listen Like Thieves album but Chris Thomas (the producer) told us there was still no ‘hit’. We left the studio that night knowing we had one day left and we had to deliver ‘a hit’. Talk about pressure. The band’s performance on that track is amazing. We absolutely nailed it.“
[Verse 1]
Hey, here is the story
Forget about your troubles in life
Don’t you know it’s not easy
When you gotta walk upon that line?
[Chorus]
That’s what
You need
Ooh, that’s what
This is what you need, I’ll give you what you need, yeah
[Verse 2]
Oh, don’t you get sad and lonely
You need a change from what you do all day
There is no sense in all your crying
Pick it up and throw it into shape
Ooh yeah
[Chorus]
That’s what
You need
Ooh, that’s what
This is what you need, I’ll give you what you need, yeah
[Bridge]
This is what you need, I’ll give you what you need, yeah
This is what you need, this is what you need
I’ll give you what you need, yeah
Mmm, yeah
Let’s go
[Verse 3]
Hey you, don’t you listen?
This is not the end of it all
Don’t you see there is a rhythm?
It’ll take you where you really need to be
Woah
[Outro]
Woah
Oh woah, woah
Yeah, yeah, this is what to be, what to be
Give it all, give it all, give it all
Yeah
I’ll take you, I’ll take you where you wanna be
It’s right
Take you
References:
1. What You Need (INXS song) – Wikipedia
Observation Blogger 