Another song that needs no introduction. This is a classic rock ballad known to all, by one of the greatest bands ever. The music has this grand, anthemic feel to it which I really like. I don't think it's trying to be pretentious at all, as some people might think. It's a great ballad that uses orchestral music, with an amazing guitar running through it.
from Use Your Illusion Vol. 1 (Geffen GEFD24415) available on CD - Greatest Hits (Geffen)
I've recently decided to sell all my records, on the grounds that they are a bit 20th Century. So I went through them to see if there was anything worth replacing; and in general, the answer was no: I had several hundred records, and they were all rubbish.
However
I DID discover 2 records by Gallon Drunk which were absolutely fantastic - I can't believe that I haven't listened to them for so long. Both this album and the follow up (From the Heart of Town) are really good, very exciting and dynamic records. I picked Two Wings Mambo but almost any song of these
would do - Just One More, Jake on the Make, Arlington Road etc, they're all grrrrrrrrrrreat.
TWM has this huge introduction, beginning with the trademark super-cheap maracas sound, before all kicking in with the mambo beat. It has the sort of quiet verse/ loud chorus deal perfected by Nick Cave over the years only with a slightly funkier beat than Nick normally has. James Johnston eventually joined the Bad Seeds of course.
His singing definitely got better over the years - if I have sold this to you, I recommend that you start with From the heart of town.
from You, the night... and the music, available on CD
I must confess, I don't really get My Bloody Valentine. Their music is a little too hot and sexual for me, a veritable ice queen. Like this song...it's so crowded, with Shields' voice trying to push its way through. But then, at exactly 4.20, the dust settles--the storm clears! All of the steamy static cools down and cleans up, like a hand smearing away condensation on a car window, and it's so beautiful. It sounds like a revelation. Yeah, it sounds like somebody who has been stuck in limbo for about a million years but finally earns their right to go to heaven. It's just great.
This song helped turn me on to Alt-Rock. There was a homemade-looking video that MTV aired a few times. It was kinda grainy and unfocused, which suited this song well as it sounds like it's coming from far away. Still rocking, though. There are moments of shimmery clean guitar that compliment the grunge perfectly. The intro is also shimmery & cool. It takes it's time washing over you before the drums come in. A classic. This whole album is a classic. Only one misfire on it, Bandwagonesque was Spin Magazines record of the year for 1991, eclipsing Nevermind and a host of others in that magical year.