Girls grow up faster than boys do
Girls grow up faster than boys
Girls grow up faster than boys do
So, baby, I’m old enough for you
Once you used to date my big sister
Now, baby, she’s too old for you
Won’t you take a look at me now
You’ll be surprised at what you see now
I’m everything a girl should be now
36-21-35
I don’t really know where to start but any analysis of the words ought to leave a skeezy taste in your mouth.
However, what really gets me is that this is a Goffin and K…, thank goodness, not King but a Goffin and Keeler song. Gerry Goffin is a lyricist and so he is responsible for these words and those of “He Hit Me (and It Felt Like a Kiss)”. I understand the background to “He Hit Me” but to translate the complexity of a troubled relationship into a three minute pop song is sometimes beyond the scope of talented wordsmiths like Goffin. I do rather wish he hadn’t bothered trying.
Anyhow, Keeler co-wrote the theme to the charming Bewitched starring the equally charming Elizabeth Montgomery.
PS On the other hand:
I can recall the time
When I wasn’t ashamed
To reach out to a friend
And now I think I’ve got
A lot more than
A skipping rope to lend
A feminist classic. Is she really wearing a macramé halter-neck bra thingy? The audience seems unenthused or are they just awestruck? Her hair is nice. And those guitar doodles are ace.
I’m not a big concert goer partly because the experience of being at a gig is generally poor for a woman of average height, partly because not everyone is there to listen with the same devotion as I am and partly because they often don’t offer me anything more than I get from the music at home.
However, I was happy enough to go to Brighton for Andy’s birthday for a Fatcat night at the Theatre Royal (particularly since they were circle seats). Silje Nes was excellent but she didn’t have the same stage presence to go with her amazing music. Frightened Rabbit were a huge contrast and not quite my thing. However, when The Twilight Sad came on with their angsty singer (angsty about what though? I didn’t understand a word) who didn’t need that microphone stand I wanted the Rabbits back. Apologies to all fans but…they ain’t no Nina.
Nina Nastasia came on and I’m pretty sure she gave the best live performance that I have ever seen. At first, with the acoustic guitar and no sign of an accompanist and no sign of foot operated technical wizardry as Silje Nes had demonstrated I was fearful of a performance I would fall asleep to. She asked for requests and I, unbelievably, shouted out (for “Stormy Weather”) and she didn’t hear me so I had to pluck up my courage and do it again. Then she started and got a bit unravelled on the guitar playing and swore and it just didn’t seem promising. However, she then proceeded to sing and play guitar almost impeccably for the rest of a very long but magical night. She was only supposed to play for forty minutes but an hour and a half later (or more) she had to definitely come to a halt when the theatre staff put the house lights up permanently.
I’m rubbish at titles (except “Stormy Weather” obviously) but she definitely sung that, “This Is What It Is”, “Oh My Stars”, “Brad Haunts A Party”, and “You Her and Me” and many, many others in a truly mesmerising, absorbing way.
I had never listened to Electrelane before, despite several albums in the house, but when I saw No Shouts No Calls, I was struck by the great cover and gave them a go and now I like them (just as they go on hiatus…).
All these albums are in our collection and only include music I regularly listen to so
there will be no reference to Blind Faith’s Blind Faith (eww) or to Luna’s The Days of Our Nights.
Covers that work for me:
Electrelane - No Shouts No Calls - I like the simple colours and the fact it looks like a badge.
Espers - II - This cover in no way misleads as to the content of the album.
Aimee Mann - Lost in Space - Aimee’s covers are usually unenticing and this I suppose for many would be no exception but the songs on the album are gloomy and you get what you pay for. Pylons are oddly beautiful, I think.
Audrey - Visible Forms - This is pretty.
Nina Nastasia - On Leaving - I like images of black and white trees a lot.
Mirah - Advisory Committee - To be honest, this cover makes me feel a little uncomfortable and yet it is intriguing.
Laura Veirs - Carbon Glacier - Another black and white image which I find arresting. If I was flicking through the racks in a record shop I would definitely stop at this.
Paula Frazer & Tarnation - Now It’s Time - Aww, this is so beautiful.
Covers that don’t work for me:
Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther - Wtf were they thinking? It must have been fun to dress up like that but how many casual sales did they lose?
Kate Bush - Aerial - Kate Bush’s sleeves are generally naff (except The Dreaming) but this is plain horrible. I bought Aerial regardless but I think this is dated and ugly. Kate, take at look at any Espers album cover, that’s what your music is like.
Bat for Lashes - Fur & Gold - Flipping heck, thank goodness Natasha Khan’s music is in better taste than her costumes and artwork.
Kristin Hersh - Hips & Makers - This is actually not that bad for a work of art. I can imagine it on my wall but in miniature on a CD case (or LP sleeve) its too messy and dirty looking.
Au Revoir Simone - The Bird of Music - Snore.
It’s the time of year when everyone is trotting out their lists of their favourite albums and songs from the previous year. Well, I’m going to be different mainly because I can’t do the new album thing convincingly and because my favourite music from this year isn’t necessarily from this year e.g. Lida Husik, Aroah, Mirah, and even Bat for Lashes. So this is a list of the albums and songs that I have listed to the most in 2007.
The songs I have listened to an awful lot this year include:
“Another Day” and “Bitter Rose” by Paula Frazer & Tarnation - the former has a simple piano based refrain which I find utterly endearing while in the latter Paula manages to make the line “my love is deeper than the deep blue sea” sound like the most profound statement ever
“Ginger” by Lovers which is one of those songs that instantly hook you in with a splendid strings arrangement followed by Carolyn Berk’s fragile and tremendously sad voice
any version of “La Familia” by Mirah with its catchy chorus and a line like “makes me want a little sugar in my bowl” is irresistible
“Now, Now” by St Vincent is inventively orchestrated and shows off Annie Clark’s charismatic vocals, the line “you don’t mean that, say you’re sorry” is hypnotic and it builds up to a bonkers finish
“Long Shot” by Aimee Mann is rock pure and simple with Aimee’s weary vocals summed up in the word “whatever”
“Easy to be Around” by Diane Cluck has (I assume) sumptuously double tracked vocals by a woman I know nothing about except her voice is stunning on this track
“Horse and I” and “What’s a Girl to Do” by Bat for Lashes - I have not been this excited about a middle class posh woman from the south east of England since Kate Bush - her work is full of interesting sounds and arrangements particularly the percussion and her voice is indeed lovely
“Mother Richard” by Lida Husik is an odd thing because her voice is almost flat but it flows over the bass like chocolate
“Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before” by The Smiths - I wasn’t a fan when I was a younger - however, I love them now and I adore this song with its hilarious lyrics and delightful guitar sound
the first time I heard “Captain of Your Ship” by Reparata & the Delrons I loved it - from the ship’s horn to the twangy thingy to the falsetto “you’re going to lose a good thing” it is huge fun
“I Insist” by Barbara Manning & the Go-Luckys is yet another classy song by a little known songwriter - her vocals are sombre but arresting and the guitar is rich
the start of “Mansfield and Cyclops” by Espers is so utterly gorgeous that it usually stops me in my tracks and that’s before Meg Baird’s vocals even begin - if you don’t adore this song by 1.45 then psychedelic folk isn’t for you!
“An Orchid is a Flower That Thrives on Neglect” by Aroah - guitar, drums and a humming thing and Aroah’s understated vocals make this a perfect opening track
There are a handful of tracks that I never skip when I’m listening to music randomly (which I do a lot) which include “Red Vines” and “Ghost World” by Aimee Mann, “Little Black Egg”, “There’s Someone” and “The Well” by Tarnation (Paula Frazer) and “Almost” by Sarah Harmer.
How totally cool is it to see Honey Lantree banging the drums in this clip from Pop Gear aka Go Go Mania? It’s 1964 folks! The Honeycombs were produced by Joe Meek who was barking.
Following on: Meg White, Karen Carpenter, Moe Tucker, Debbi Peterson, Georgia Hubley, Janet Weiss, Lindy Morrison, Kate Schellenbach, and, of course, loads of other artists I am ignorant of. I would be really interested to hear of any other female drummers not in all-women bands.
