New Musical Express, October 24, 1981: Difference between revisions
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Down to detail. Side one opens with a brash rock work-out, in the [[Rockpile]] vein, "[[Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)?]]": it's the noise of a group enjoying itself, and not to the exclusion of our enjoyment, The remainder of the side is calmer — like "Success" (''“has made a failure of our home”''), Merle Haggard's "[[Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down]]", and the beautiful "[[Brown To Blue]]", all about the divorce that ''"changed your name from Brown to Jones / And mine from Brown to Blue..."''. If you've just opened a beer, stand by to cry into it. | Down to detail. Side one opens with a brash rock work-out, in the [[Rockpile]] vein, "[[Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)?]]": it's the noise of a group enjoying itself, and not to the exclusion of our enjoyment, The remainder of the side is calmer — like "Success" (''“has made a failure of our home”''), Merle Haggard's "[[Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down]]", and the beautiful "[[Brown To Blue]]", all about the divorce that ''"changed your name from Brown to Jones / And mine from Brown to Blue..."''. If you've just opened a beer, stand by to cry into it. | ||
Flip across and there's the year's best-deserved hit, "[[Good Year For The Roses]]," a poignant [[George Jones]] lip-trembler. The easy-rocking "[[Sittin' And Thinkin']]," "[[Colour Of The Blues]]" (yep, that colour again) and Billy Sherrill's "[[Too Far Gone]]" lead up to the pumping beat of the Jerry Lee/Joe Turner number "[[Honey Hush]]," then finally, "[[How Much I Lied]]" — more of that grief inhibited by the stern necessity for manly appearances. | Flip across and there's the year's best-deserved hit, "[[Good Year For The Roses]]," a poignant [[George Jones]] lip-trembler. The easy-rocking "[[Sittin' And Thinkin']]," "[[Colour Of The Blues]]" (yep, ''that'' colour again) and Billy Sherrill's "[[Too Far Gone]]" lead up to the pumping beat of the Jerry Lee/Joe Turner number "[[Honey Hush]]," then finally, "[[How Much I Lied]]" — more of that grief inhibited by the stern necessity for manly appearances. | ||
If you can find it in your moralistic modern heart to forgive the music's frequent lapses of character — the fatal tendency to take consolation in booze, the frankly reactionary sexist stereotyping (She hasn't made the bed! Our relationship's on the rocks!) you'll be rewarded by the very-human realism of country's emotional power. The tunes are lovely as well. | If you can find it in your moralistic modern heart to forgive the music's frequent lapses of character — the fatal tendency to take consolation in booze, the frankly reactionary sexist stereotyping (She hasn't made the bed! Our relationship's on the rocks!) — you'll be rewarded by the very-human realism of country's emotional power. The tunes are lovely as well. | ||
Seek out the best, bury the rest. Let ''Almost Blue'' be your primer, and Elvis Costello your guide. You know something? This is the kind of country where a man could build himself a home. | Seek out the best, bury the rest. Let ''Almost Blue'' be your primer, and Elvis Costello your guide. You know something? This is the kind of country where a man could build himself a home. |
Revision as of 18:06, 22 January 2017
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