Archive for the ‘Kate Bush’ Category

Transgendered Cabin Boys, Religious Symbolism and Gay Dance Duos – Just Another Day in 80s Pop Music

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Seriously, the musical landscape of the 90s didn’t have shit on the randomness of the 80s.

Kate Bush
Alternative Hounds Of Love
The Handsome Cabin Boy
I’m going to level with you,I don’t know what’s so “alternative” about this mix of “Hounds Of Love’ aside from the fact that it’s about 50 seconds longer than the original album version. It has the “do-we-do-do do-we-da-da” and those awesome drums still, so it still kicks ass.

The real star here is the B-side, “The Handsome Cabin Boy.” I had never heard of this tune before, but after some quick online research, I’m now absolutely fascinated by it. This is a traditional folk song…about a woman who tries to pass as a man on a ship, only to have an affair with the captain and his wife (and possibly some of the crew as well) before she ends up pregnant. Bisexuality, transgender issues and the prevalence of homosexuality on the seas! That’s a mighty progressive traditional folk song! Anyone out there now how old this tune is?

Bush’s treatment of the song is absolutely haunting, its nothing more than her voice and some very subtle synthesizers-as-chorus melodies. Its haunting, and it leaves the message and meaning of the song bare for your to take in. It was completely the right way to go. Any attempt at “mainstreaming” this song as a single would probably just make it come off as a joke in poor taste. Best to let the lyrics and the message speak for themselves.

Book Of Love 
Counting The Rosaries (Full Confession Mix)
Counting The Rosaries (Full Confession Dub)
Counting The Rosaries (Happiness & Love Mix)
Counting The Rosaries (Crying Angels Mix)
Sunny Day (Heal Your Positive Body Mix)
I rarely wish I was a religious person. Okay, scratch that, I almost never wish I was a religious person. The only times I do is when it could help my understand of pop culture with religious overtones. For example, I hear songs like this and am left with absolutely no clue as to what it is about due to my blissful ignorance. Anyone care to fill me in? Regardless of what this song is actually about, these remixes are pretty great. Best dance tune about…something religious(???) that I’ve heard all week.

Pet Shop Boys
Always On My Mind (12″ Verision Phil Harding Mix)
I somehow had this 12″ single in my “to record” bin for two years and never got around to it. Stupid me. Now that I have it recorded and filed, however, it brings my Pet Shop Boys singles collection to an even 40. I think that gives me an official ranking of “fabulous.”

Posted in B-sides, Book Of Love, Kate Bush, Pet Shop Boys, remixes | 7 Comments »

Better Living Through Orgone

Friday, May 8th, 2009

Not much to say tonight. Actually, I have a bit to say about various non-inportatant things, but I am very tired. Quick review notices:

Julien-K – Death To Analog: My original review for this was just going to be “Fuck these guys.” but my editor said that lacked impartial critisism.

The Future Sound Of London Presents The Pulse EPs: If you like Acid House and you do not own this CD collecting some of FSOL’s most essential (and woefully out of print) tracks then you are fucking up.

Now some tunes.

Kate Bush
Cloudbusting (The Organon Remix)
I was torn on putting this one up because the quality of the recording isn’t that great. There are quite a few pops and crackles and such, but I decided to post it because I’m sure the people who really want to hear it don’t give a shit. Besides, it’s a totally awesome song. How many other songs have you heard about machines that can disrupt the weather using the unseen forces that are created from orgasms? I thought not. This remix is from a 12” single.

Mental Note: I need to buy more Kate Bush 12” singles.

OMD
If You Leave (Extended Version)
La Femme Accident (Remixed Version)
Speaking of shitty recordings…I put this song up a very long time ago, back when I had a retarded turntable that spun too damn fast. I meant to repost this one in March, but I couldn’t find the damn thing in my horribly unorganized record collection. I finally did, so enjoy and spend the weekend waxing poetic about Molly Ringwald.

Todd Terry
Let It Ride (12” Edit)
Let It Ride (Tee’s Mix)
Blackout (Tee’s Out Mix)
And now for the drum ‘n’ bass portion of tonight’s program. Todd Terry is a house legend whose remixes you’ve probably heard before (on this blog most likely) having done remixes for artists as diverse as Garbage and Yes. I didn’t know he was into DnB as well, so these tracks were a pleasant surprise. They are all from the same 12” single.

Bedrock
Set In Stone
Forbidden Zone
Ah those wacky House DJs and their stupid-ass pseudonyms. Bedrock is John Digweed and Nick Muir, and while they aren’t as successful as Digweed’s other collaborative project (Sasha & Digweed) they do alright for themselves. “Set The Stone” is just alright, but “Forbidden Zone” is great, peaking wonderflully near the end. Pure house brilliance. These two trance/house tracks are from a 12” single. Immature sidenote: Having a name like “Digweed” must have sucked in junior high.

Posted in B-sides, Bedrock, Kate Bush, OMD, remixes, Todd Terry | 1 Comment »

The Final (Re)Post

Saturday, March 21st, 2009

Well this is it…for reposts anyways. Don’t worry, it takes more than a fucking DMCA for me to go away. However, a shitload of work and an unforgiving deadline will cut down on my productivity, as was the case this week.

As for the DMCA notice, I still don’t know what exactly was the offender, so until I do find out I’m withholding comment. You can bet that once I do get the facts I’ll have something to fucking say about it though. For those of you who like my rants, stay tuned, this motherfucker is going to be epic.

Now, I know I didn’t get to everyone’s reposts. I tried to hit as many peopleas I could, but a lot of my old stuff really sounds like shit, in fact I was so unhappy with a lot of stuff that I deleted them and I haven’t gotten around to re-recording it. Some of the ones I’m puting up tonight don’t sound too hot either, but it’s better than nothing right? Sorry if you feel snubbed but to quote the best movie of all time “Life is pain, get used to it.” If you still really want something then email me and offer me something in return. Shit ain’t always free.

Wang Chung
Dance Hall Days (Extended Remix)
Kind of awesome.

Seal
Killer (William Orbit Remix)
Kind of stupid.

Grace Jones
She’s Lost Control (Long Version)
Kind of…no, scratch that….fucking terrifying.

Robert Plant
Tall Cool One (Extended Version)
Ditto.

Ministry
Work For Love (Extended Version)
Fake British accents are awesome.

Kate Bush
Sexual Healing
Ditto for Kate Bush

The Crystal Method
You Know It’s Hard (Koma & Bones Gaping Axe Wound Remix)
Hehe, they said “hard.”

Siouxsie & the Banshees
Cities In Dust (Extended Eruption Mix)
Insert inappropriate “hard” joke here.

Pixies
Born In Chicago
The rarest Pixies song in the world.

P.M. Dawn
Set Adrift On Memory Bliss (Extended Version)
A Watcher’s Point Of View (Don’t ‘Cha Think) (Youth Extended Mix)
Man…anyone got any weed?

See you next week. And if you like The Sugarcubes get ready to be so happy that you’ll shit…which now that I think about it sounds kind of fucked up.

Posted in B-sides, Grace Jones, Kate Bush, Ministry, P.M. Dawn, remixes, Robert Plant, Siouxsie and The Banshees, The Crystal Method, The PIxies, Wang Chung | 9 Comments »