scattered polaroids and sprinkled words around your collar....

Earworms of the Week

“I Know It’s Over” – The Smiths

Not the happiest song in the world for a beautiful day like this, but you can't help it when Morrissey's mournful tone seeps in, can you?
Oh mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head....
Even on a day like today, Moz?  Even you can't be miserable today, surely?
Oh.

“Hollywood” – Marina & the Diamonds

I understand that she has a new album out.  I've not heard it, but I have to admit that I was a little taken by surprise by quite how much I enjoyed her debut, and this song in particular.  Shakira doesn't look anything much like Catherine Zeta Jones though, does she?  Is that a crap lyric or an astute observation about US customs officials?

“How Deep Is Your Love” – The Bee Gees

It's always bad when you turn on a talk radio station and they're playing a medley of someone's songs.  It happened last week with Donna Summer, and it happened again this week for Robin Gibb.  They had some tunes, eh?

“Bad Moon Rising” – Creedence Clearwater Revival

This has been in my head all week - specifically that jaunty little bit of guitar work at the beginning.  Love me a bit of Fogerty.

“Ooh Aah Just a Little Bit” – Gina G

I've got the boys up for the weekend, crashing round ours so we can all attend the cricket up the road at Trent Bridge on Saturday and Sunday.  Amongst the usual emails about the weather and travel arrangements, I noticed one of my friends mentioning that the Eurovision song contest was on the telly on Saturday night and that it would be fun to watch it.   WTF? You're putting in a bid to watch Eurovision after a day on the pop at the cricket?  Are you sure?  Then I started thinking about British entries to the competition, and before long this one came to mind.  She's Australian of course, but at least it was memorable.  Who've we got this year?  Englebert?  Well, better than Scooch, I suppose.

“Knights of Cydonia” - Muse

 Fast becoming my favourite guitar solo of all time.

“Love Spreads” – Stone Roses
“Elephant Stone” - Stone Roses

Look, I wish them all the best with the comeback (they've signed a two album deal, apparently, as well as the gigs)... but no amount of revisionism or nostalgia can convince me that Second Coming was a great comeback album that has been much underrated.  It's muddy, cocaine-addled nonsense.  That said, their debut album and some of the other earlier songs are absolutely untouchably good.  At their very best, they were as good as anyone has ever been.  I saw the Roses around about 1995 and they were excellent (backed by Manic Street Preachers, as it happens).  I've seen Ian Brown a few times since, and he's not once been able to carry a tune in a bucket... but he remains the template for a certain type of frontman.  I shudder to think of the middle-aged gibbons that will make up their crowd at Heaton Park (including the Eurovision fan above, actually), but they could be amazing.  It's good to have them back, but could live without the uncritical fanboy reviews of their work.  I'm looking at you here, John Robb.

"The Phantom of the Opera" - Iron Maiden

Who doesn't think of that advert for Lucozade starring Daley Thompson when they hear this record.  Great song, and to be fair, a great advert.  You're probably all too young to remember, but you used to get Lucozade when you were ill.  That advert was the start of a change that is the classic example of a brand completely changing their image without changing their product at all.  Daley is a legend, obviously.

“Books From Boxes” – Maximo Park

New album due next month, I found out this week.  Love this band, and it has been too long since their last album.  I also found out an interesting fact about guitarist Duncan Lloyd.  I already knew that the Derby-born boy was best man for one of my colleague's brothers, but this week I found out from another colleague that he had an epic collection of He-Man dolls, including both Cringer AND Battle-Cat.  Duncan, if you happen to be reading this, Janet says that she always liked going round to your house to play for that very reason.   Amazing revelation.  They grew up on the same street, apparently.

Right.  That's it.  I'm off to round some stragglers up from the airport.  Have a great weekend, y'all.