Noise For Heroes, February 1982: Difference between revisions
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The disc is expensive ($15 from Second Coming Records) but it partially atones for this in its length, about 55 minutes. The sound is closest to the first lp: fairly mellow rocking going on behind the less angry than usual vocals; but it's immediately clear that the band isn't Clover, the band that played on ''My Aim''. Pub rock, I believe, is the term that applies. | The disc is expensive ($15 from Second Coming Records) but it partially atones for this in its length, about 55 minutes. The sound is closest to the first lp: fairly mellow rocking going on behind the less angry than usual vocals; but it's immediately clear that the band isn't Clover, the band that played on ''My Aim''. Pub rock, I believe, is the term that applies. | ||
The most interesting cuts are on the first side. "Living In Paradise" has the same chorus and a few other lines as the song on ''This Year's Model'' but is otherwise totally different. Two versions of something called "Radio Soul" follow. It goes: ''"I was seriously thinkin' about hidin' the receiver when the switch broke 'cos it's old..."'' but instead of continuing with ''"they're sayin' things that I can hardly believe / they really think we're getting out of control"'' it goes ''"and a voice inside said 'Are you a believer in this sincere radio soul?'."'' Don't want to offend the radio programmers, so they also added a Jimmy Buffet-style production treatment. The song seems to just ramble on and on it's really amazing that it evolved into the classic statement on today's radio. | The most interesting cuts are on the first side. "Living In Paradise" has the same chorus and a few other lines as the song on ''This Year's Model'' but is otherwise totally different. Two versions of something called "Radio Soul" follow. It goes: ''"I was seriously thinkin' about hidin' the receiver when the switch broke 'cos it's old..."'' but instead of continuing with ''"they're sayin' things that I can hardly believe / they really think we're getting out of control"'' it goes ''"and a voice inside said 'Are you a believer in this sincere radio soul?'."'' Don't want to offend the radio programmers, so they also added a Jimmy Buffet-style production treatment. The song seems to just ramble on and on — it's really amazing that it evolved into the classic statement on today's radio. | ||
"Pay It Back" is really good here; the lyrics are the familiar ones, but the tune is a straight-ahead rock cut. The result is equally good to the final quirky version. The real drag cut of the record is "Imagination Is A Powerful Deceiver," about whose origins I know nothing, and which is given three (!) different treatments, all of which are guaranteed to cure insomnia. | "Pay It Back" is really good here; the lyrics are the familiar ones, but the tune is a straight-ahead rock cut. The result is equally good to the final quirky version. The real drag cut of the record is "Imagination Is A Powerful Deceiver," about whose origins I know nothing, and which is given three (!) different treatments, all of which are guaranteed to cure insomnia. | ||
"I'm Packing Up" on side two is a fairly good funky-sounding cover, which takes three abortive attempts to get going. Two takes of this are followed by "Don't Stop The Band" which immediately recalls Mungo Gerry's early 70's single "In The Summertime," and the closing Burt Bacharach/Hal David cut "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself," which was better on the ''Stiffs Live'' compilation. | "I'm Packing Up" on side two is a fairly good funky-sounding cover, which takes three abortive attempts to get going. Two takes of this are followed by "Don't Stop The Band" which immediately recalls Mungo <!-- Gerry --> Jerry's early 70's single "In The Summertime," and the closing Burt Bacharach/Hal David cut "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself," which was better on the ''Stiffs Live'' compilation. | ||
Out of context this lp is not particularly good, and wouldn't (and probably didn't) raise any eyebrows. But it's kind of interesting to see the roots of the career of an angry young man like Costello; certainly a lot more interesting than listening to him living out his private fantasies in public on ''Almost Blue'', an lp that a lot of people who normally wouldn't touch a country record with a ten foot battle lance are falling for left and right. The struggling artisan often produces the best work, and while Costello's best isn't on ''Our Aim'', the potential shows. | Out of context this lp is not particularly good, and wouldn't (and probably didn't) raise any eyebrows. But it's kind of interesting to see the roots of the career of an angry young man like Costello; certainly a lot more interesting than listening to him living out his private fantasies in public on ''Almost Blue'', an lp that a lot of people who normally wouldn't touch a country record with a ten foot battle lance are falling for left and right. The struggling artisan often produces the best work, and while Costello's best isn't on ''Our Aim'', the potential shows. | ||
Latest revision as of 20:08, 18 March 2024
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