A lesson in how to make despair sound appealing and seductive. An under played female vocal relays the vision of an unhappy soul to surreal lyrics and lush orchestration and all distilled and inspired into the name of a building firm seen on the side of a van "Hobart Paving" ,a real building firm still in existence .
Reminiscent of Brian Wilson and The Zombies at their most reflective and a french horn solo that will give you a lump in the throat .
from the single Hobart Paving available on CD - Smash The System
04 Jun 09 ·delicado: Alright geezer?
Yes - a really lovely track. It took me several years to be converted to the band but I'm hooked now. 04 Apr 14 ·psansom: Hi - I have been seeking the Hobart Paving track, specifically as you mention, the one with the lovely french horn solo. I bought the St Etienne \"So Tough\" CD but the version of Hobart Paving on that has a different solo, a really wishy washy harmonica type event. Are you able to let me know please on what specific St Etienne CD is that best version of Hobart Paving with that french horn solo? Many thanks - Peter (email: [email protected])
A breezy ,loose fresh sounding slice of country rock but with the element of British austerity to temper those American influences .
Imagine if Liam Gallagher had joined The Charlatans and they had eloped to Virginia together then that might hint at the sound of this superlative slice of summer.
In which Costello lands the role of Smokey Robinson,a bittersweet lament to the unluckiest man in love in the style of The Miracles at their best,the usual lyrical brilliance assisted by the wonderfully eclectic Attractions,a pop masterpiece in the form of homage to one of his own idols
from Punch The Clock available on CD - Punch the Clock
An acoustic verse,which in any lesser band would have been a great chorus bleeds in to a glammed up sneering chorus,this process is repeated for the rest of the track ,rendering this epic song strangely upbeat/downbeat with no clear winner
A breezy acoustic Bacharach influenced song played faithfully by a talented group of scousers in the early eighties ,sounding like it was recorded in 1967 ,aided by trumpets and strings as the song progresses before ending far too soon on an exquisite jazz chord.
This band should have been huge but faded from view before returning as SHACK (more later)
