Thursday, October 19, 2006

Number 763 - Adam & The Ants


Number 763

Adam & The Ants

"Antmusic"

(1980)
.
.
Genre:Alt Pop
No, not everyone wore toilet paper in their hair and stuck bandaids across our faces. Like i only did it for a month. Honest.
Which is not as bad as wearing dresses like Boy George or tight bicycle shorts like Guns n' Roses or even mascara like Dead or Alive.
You get the picture

"One of the seminal figures of new wave, Adam Ant (born Stuart Leslie Goddard) had several distinct phases to his career. Initially, he explored a jagged, guitar-oriented post-punk with his group Adam & the Ants before giving way to a more pop-oriented, glam-tinged musical direction that brought him to the top of the charts. After that had run its course, he refashioned himself as a mainstream singer, which enabled him to stretch his career out for a couple of years. Once it seemed like his musical career had evaporated, he made an unexpected comeback in the early '90s as an adult alternative artist. During all this time, he recorded several great pop singles and had a surprisingly large impact on alternative rock. "
"Driven by a relentless driving beat and chanting melodies, the new band's first album, 1980's Kings of the Wild Frontier, became an enormous hit in the U.K., launching three Top Ten hit singles, including the number two "Ant Music." The band's success was helped by a series of visually enticing videos, prominently featuring the skinny, handsome Adam Ant decked out in pirate gear. Prince Charming, released the following year, retained the same formula as Kings of the Wild Frontier, spawning two number one singles, "Stand and Deliver" and "Prince Charming." Even though the album was a commercial success, the formula was beginning to wear thin" ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
What does Rolling Stone Magazine think about Adam & The Ants?.....
"Adam Ant was committed to a psychiatric hospital on Monday in the wake of his January 12Th arrest in London on charges of firearm possession and assault. Ant, a.k.a. Stuart Leslie Goddard, may be held for observation for up to twenty-eight days under the U.K.'s Mental Health Act, which would postpone a court appearance that was initially set for this Friday until it is decided whether or not he is fit to stand trial. "
Yea...but what about their music?
"Ant was arrested at the Prince of Wales pub in north London, but claims that he was carrying a replica, rather than a real gun. According to the singer's official Web site, Ant's family asked that he be admitted to a hospital for care, as he has previously admitted to being manic depressive. "Adam is not suicidal, however, family and friends are concerned that Adam is not receiving the care that he requires and they do not wish to see him become a potential threat to himself," reads a statement. According to an interview with The Mirror Ant also admitted to falling off the wagon on his forty-seventh birthday last November, after twenty-three years without drinking."
Yea..but what about their music?
Ant had planned to kick off an eight-city U.K. Tour on April 18Th. There is no word yet as to whether the itinerary has been altered. Which is good news because their music is crap!
What the .... !
Its ok, they really didn't say the last part.
Now to enjoy the vid from a blast in the past. This is still a ripsnorter of a song!
For Guns n Roses see Number 795
For Dead or Alive see Number 762
Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (Did you say Adam & The Beatles?) and the Album ranked at Number ( We must check out the EMI back catalogue )
This song has a crowbarred rating of 65.4 out of 108
Search Artist here:1-2-3-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z
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posted by crowbarred at 9:29 pm 0 comments

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Number 444 - UK Squeeze


Number 444

UK Squeeze

"Cool For Cats"

(1979)
.
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Genre: New Wave
cool cat? maybe, top cat? definately
Seeing this old picture of Top Cat sure makes me miss the old cartoons we had when we were kids [Gen X]. Hong Kong Fooey, Pink Panther, Flintstones, The Jetsons, Roadrunner, Foghorn Leghorn and anything with Goofy from Disney were my favourites of the day. Today's cartoons are rubbish compared to what i had when i was a terror tot. Click the links for some nostalgic memories.
Speaking of memories, UK Squeeze or just plain Squeeze as we called them, are one of these rare unique bands with a defining sound with the same likes of "The Clash", "Madness", "The Cure", "Tubeway Army" or "Adam & The Ants", all had a sound that was unique to the turn of the 80's. Now, you can see a connection between yesterdays cartoons & yesterdays music vs todays artificial and processed plastic packed crap we have today. And no, i am not stuck in a time warp, i just miss quality. Give me Beatles, Led Zeppelin and The Doors anyday over Brittney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Scissor Sisters!
Head spin
Rebounding after a difficult debut, Squeeze hunkered down with producer John Wood -- the engineer of U.K. Squeeze -- and cut Cool for Cats, which for all intents and purposes is their true debut album. More than U.K. Squeeze, Cool for Cats captures the popcraft of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, while also sketching out a unique musical territory for the band, something that draws deeply on '60s pop, the stripped-down propulsive energy of pop/rock, and the nervy style of new wave. Although this is considerably less chaotic and aggressive than U.K. Squeeze, Cool for Cats feels like it belongs to its time more than its predecessor, partially due to the heavy emphasis on Jools Holland's keyboards and partially due to the dry British wit of Difford, whose best work here reveals him as a rival to Elvis Costello and Ian Dury.
Get out of my mugshot bro
Chief among those is "Up the Junction," a marvelous short story chronicling a doomed relationship, but there's also the sly kinky jokes married to deft characterizations on "Slap and Tickle," the heartbroken tale of "Goodbye Girl," and the daft surrealism of "Cool for Cats." These are subtle, sophisticated songs that are balanced by a lot of direct, unsophisticated songs, as Difford picks up on the sexually charged vibe of John Cale and gets even kinkier, throwing out songs about masturbation and cross-dressing, occasionally dipping into how he's feeling slightly drunk. Tilbrook pairs these ribald tales to frenzied rock & roll, equal parts big hooks and rollicking rhythms, including a couple of showcases for Holland's boogie-woogie piano. It's all a bit scattered but in a purposeful way, as the impish wit lends the pub rockers a kinky kick while Tilbrook's tunefulness gives it all an identity. Cool for Cats winds up being wild and weird, angular and odd in a way only a new wave album from 1979 could possibly be, but this is a high watermark for its era with the best moments effortless transcending its time. ~ [Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide]
For the Clash see Number 999
For Madness see Number 794
For the Cure see Number 881
For Tubeway Army see Number 945
For Adam & The Ants see Number 763
For the Beatles see Number 489, #587, #894 & #947
For Led Zeppelin see Number 577 & #957
For the Doors see Number 729, #746 & #851
For Elvis Costello see Number 876
For Ian Dury see Number 619
What does Rolling Stone think about the Squeeze?
Formerly U.K. Squeeze, this British fivesome mostly blends pop frivolity with arty synthesizer textures on its second album, which owes as much to the Beatles and 10cc as to the progressive fringe of the New Wave. Squeeze's format certainly has its pleasures—"Slap & Tickle" combines clever sexual nonsense verse with what sounds like the mating squeals of laboratory animals—but Cool for Cats too often offers more tedium than titillation.
The band's chief problem resides in its two alternating lead vocalists, Glen Tilbrook and Chris Difford, both of whom usually sing with puzzling and dull reserve. The tongue-in-cheek lyrics of "It's So Dirty" and "Touching Me Touching You" (the latter an ode to masturbation) demand real vocal verve to sustain interest. Not surprisingly, Squeeze is most successful in parts of "Slightly Drunk," "Goodbye Girl" and "Slap & Tickle," where the singers let loose to harmonize endearingly.
If Tilbrook and Difford were more convincing, it'd be easy to admire this record. There are plenty of perky melodies ("It's So Dirty," "Up the Junction"), some shadowy synthesizer work ("The Knack") and lots of engagingly understated guitar lines. Maybe next time, Squeeze will come up with a winner. As Cool for Cat's best moments suggest, they have it in them. ~ [Source: Rolling Stone MITCHELL SCHNEIDER -RS 296]
Rolling Stone magazine deemed their '444th Song of all Time' was "I Got You Babe" by Sonny & Cher. Cher has appeared in The Definitive 1000 @ Number 889
Other songs with reference to UK Squeeze #814, #960
Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (well .. you got one on us) the Album ranked at (We didn't know it)
This song has a crowbarred rating of 77.3 out of 108
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Friday, October 20, 2006

Number 762 - Dead or Alive



Number 762

Dead or Alive

"You Spin Me"

(1985)
.
Genre:New Wave
"A British dance-pop group which found fame thanks to the antics of androgynous frontman Pete Burns, Dead or Alive formed in Liverpool in 1980. Burns first surfaced three years prior in the Mystery Girls, later heading the proto-Goth rockers Nightmares in Wax; he founded Dead or Alive with keyboardist Marty Healey, guitarist Mitch, bassist Sue James and drummer Joe Musker, debuting in 1980 with the Ian Broudie-produced Doors soundalike "I'm Falling." "Number Eleven" followed, but just as the group was gaining momentum they were swept aside by the emergence of the New Romantic movement, with Burns subsequently charging that fellow androgyne Boy George of Culture Club had merely stolen his outrageous image."
"Undaunted, Burns forged on with a retooled Dead or Alive roster including future Mission U.K. guitarist Wayne Hussey and bassist Mike Percy; over the course of records including the 1982 It's Been Hours Now EP and the follow-up single "The Stranger," the group evolved into a true dance band, and ultimately landed with major label Epic. A series of singles appeared over the course of 1983, including "Misty Circles" and "What I Want; " Hussey soon exited, and it was a line-up comprising Burns, Percy, keyboardist Tim Lever and drummer Steve Coy which scored Dead or Alive's first major hit, a 1984 cover of KC and the Sunshine Band's disco classic "That's the Way (I Like It)" which fell just shy of reaching the British Top 20." "Dead or Alive's full-length debut Sophisticated Boom Boom also fared well with audiences, but they achieved true stardom in early 1985 with the Hi-NRG smash "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)," the first Number One hit for the production team of Stock Aitken and Waterman."
What does Rolling Stone Magazine think about Dead or Alive?.....
Wha?

Who ?


HUH?

.
Yes, well, er... Moving along
Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (Honestly...we don't know who your talking about) and the Album ranked at Number (Do you mean the Bon Jovi song?)
This song has a crowbarred rating of 65.5 out of 108
Search Artist here:1-2-3-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

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