In 9th place for 3 points comes Rexx with “Lady d’Arbanville” by Cat Stevens and Alun Davies
I have to confess I’ve always really disliked Cat Stevens. He wrote a few good songs but there was always something fake hippy about him, while using the word “fille” and pronouncing it “fill” really grates on me here (Elton John’s version appeared to recognise this by replacing it with “pill” to maintain the rhyme).
So when this apparent peace loving hippy supported the Ayatollah’s fatwa (death sentence for blasphemy) against Salman Rushdie (after Stevens had converted to Islam), a few people I knew said they saw something like it coming.
Trying to separate all of that from this song (which preceded it) is tricky, but it’s an Ok track and not the worst here for me, though writing a song about his ex as though she’s literally a corpse, I find a bit creepy.
In 8th place for 4 points is cassette with “Monique The Freak” By Ween
wiki tells me this was first released on the MP3 album Craters Of The Sac which featured guess what on its cover? Yes, as advertised, a band member’s scrotum. Nice.
This '97 rock/funk track didn’t reach many of the parts of me that Prince did and there’s something a bit frat boy about its obsessions, but it does have some interesting guitar.
Are you into Ween? This track is rather obnoxious outside of the context of the whole album and much the same can be said of any of their stuff. Fair enough!
Ok, that’s the first tranche of tracks that I didn’t like. The next set all found favour in some way and I’d be happy to hear them again (which I usually do while typing these write-ups).
Ok, that makes sense then. They are jokesters who put out albums where every song is a different genre for the most part. Being great musicians who can actually pull that off helps.
In 7th place with 5 points comes smrk4 with “Jackie Cane” by Hooverphonic
This unusual choice features a modern take on Morricone-ish guitar, and this Belgian band sound as if they’re enjoying their foray into tongue-in-cheek theatrics on this single from 2000.
I feel I shouldn’t like it because it’s so daft, but it’s a fun song and has a decent melody to boot.
Apparently they’ll represent Belgium at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest so they’re not up their own arseholes at least - no band with an album titled The President of the LSD Golf Club is taking itself too seriously - and I’ll be cheering them on (if I can bring myself to watch it).
In 6th place for 6 points, microbet with “Angie” by The Rolling Stones
A hit single and a shining light from their first disappointing album in a (then) long time, it showed that rock’s best songwriters could still turn out a good ballad when Keef put his addled mind to it, which wasn’t so often any more.
It’s still no Sister Morphine, Wild Horses or I Got The Blues etc, and marks their transition from debauched subversives into jet-setting tax-avoiders, a sad demise for a band so brilliant for the previous five years or so.
Point dockage again for familiarity, but a solid choice.
In 5th place for 7 points we have Pauwl and “Sally Where’d You Get Your Liquor From” by Reverend Gary Davis
Oh this is different for this walrus, an original blues singer and guitarist and mentor to many others.
Sally, where’d you get your liquor from?
Man downtown
All you’re good for, woman, is to get drunk and clown.
While the song originates from the 20’s this recording sounds a lot more recent (possibly the 60s when, thanks to the folk/blues revivals the old blues artists were in vogue and recording again) but that doesn’t detract from it (though I do love the crackles and tape hiss of very early recordings).
It’s a charming and likable track that belongs to a genre we don’t get many submissions from, alas. On the other hand he’s no Skip James or Robert Johnson.
One of the things I really enjoy about these walruses is the sudden switch from one musical form to another.
In 4th place for 8 points is MimosaDef with “Annalillia?” by Aceyalone
A 1995 track from his debut album, this is a crisp and spacious sounding rap track with a jazzy vibe and an engaging and humorous lyric that’s a million times better for me than Gangsta rap, and even if I do find the chorus perhaps a little grating after a while the lyrics are witty and sharp enough to compensate.
Overall I think it’s pretty good but not quite great.
Great write-up. Hate to just miss the podium, but this feels fair to me. (Also, sorry @JohnnyTruant if it feels like I’m just blatantly hitting on you at this point).
