Blue Moon Playlist Review Club - Season 2 - Episode 24 - RobMCFC – Primary and Secondary Colours (pg 412)

[threespires]

Well thanks to @bennyboy I've just had a fantastically nostalgic lunch break and the good thing is it all pretty much still stands up today I think.

The Skids, there's an art to having a good opening track to an album and Animation fits the bill (as does your next pick). Had a little play of Into The Valley too and also had a little think about the late lamented Stuart Adamson, can't believe it's overs two decades since he passed away. Jobson has always struck me as a slightly arsey but fiercely intelligent guy.

Prefab Sprout, as you say on his day Paddy Mcaloon the equal of almost all and the better of many. Steve McQueen was my first introduction to them as I'd not heard Swoon at the time. Faron Young was a great way to kick off an album that made no apology for being different from what was doing the rounds at the time. To this day, when Mrs Spires has had enough of my wittering she sings 'why don't you give it a rest' in the style of Goodbye Lucille #1.

Was more familiar with the Mekons than The Three Johns but this is alright albeit a bit derivative in parts.

The Redskins made me very nostalgic. I'll have thrown it away years ago I'm sure but somewhere I had a list of 'appropriate' songs to play before LPYS meetings that I was once 'issued' with, suspect it would make entertaining reading now. I remember at Summer Camp people arguing whether the Dead Kennedy's could be played or not because it didn't sufficiently "raise the consciousness of the youth". The Redskins very danceable and always a floor filler at events but I knew people who objected to them on principle because they were SWP. Fuck me, no wonder Thatch got a free run at screwing over the country! :-(

The Wedding Present was the one I thought might not have aged that well as haven't listed to them in a long time but it's a good song with a pithy and slightly biting lyric, like so much of that album.

For the rest of the afternoon, I've queued up four out of the five albums these tracks game from. I know we're not scoring but best playlist so far, an absolutely top set of tunes.

 

[RobMCFC]

I can offer a nice opposite view to threespires!

Unfortunately, this kind of 80s alternative/indie is not for me. I want the music, the guitars, the organ, (and the banjo!) and could do with less of the attitude.

I can imagine that if you listened to this stuff in your formative years, it would have sounded great in the clubs (or on the night shift) but I'm afraid it leaves me cold.

The Prefab Sprout track wasn't too bad, but not the rest.

I think I prefer how @bennyboy 's musical taste has evolved as I gave his Lucinda Williams choice a 10/10.

 

[threespires]

I can offer a nice opposite view to threespires!

Unfortunately, this kind of 80s alternative/indie is not for me. I want the music, the guitars, the organ, (and the banjo!) and could do with less of the attitude.

I can imagine that if you listened to this stuff in your formative years, it would have sounded great in the clubs (or on the night shift) but I'm afraid it leaves me cold.

The Prefab Sprout track wasn't too bad, but not the rest.

I think I prefer how @bennyboy 's musical taste has evolved as I gave his Lucinda Williams choice a 10/10.

As someone who gave Lucinda Williams 9/10 and had Steve Earle and Neko Case on my longlist for my first album nomination I understand where you're coming from, but you've hit the nail on the head re. formative years.

I was fully expecting some of these to not have weathered very well, but my smartarse inner stroppy teenager is clearly still going strong :-)

 

[bennyboy]

I can offer a nice opposite view to threespires!

Unfortunately, this kind of 80s alternative/indie is not for me. I want the music, the guitars, the organ, (and the banjo!) and could do with less of the attitude.

I can imagine that if you listened to this stuff in your formative years, it would have sounded great in the clubs (or on the night shift) but I'm afraid it leaves me cold.

The Prefab Sprout track wasn't too bad, but not the rest.

I think I prefer how @bennyboy 's musical taste has evolved as I gave his Lucinda Williams choice a 10/10.

My pre alternative country years.
Just shows you how each decade your musical influences change over each decade.Well at least mines did anyway.

 

[OB1]

I can offer a nice opposite view to threespires!

Unfortunately, this kind of 80s alternative/indie is not for me. I want the music, the guitars, the organ, (and the banjo!) and could do with less of the attitude.

I can imagine that if you listened to this stuff in your formative years, it would have sounded great in the clubs (or on the night shift) but I'm afraid it leaves me cold.

The Prefab Sprout track wasn't too bad, but not the rest.

I think I prefer how @bennyboy 's musical taste has evolved as I gave his Lucinda Williams choice a 10/10.

I do have a thing for the 80's sound as it coincided with my 20's and I'm particulalry enjoying a box set of music from John Hughes movies that includes lots of songs from that era I don't own. This playlist is ok but is not something I'd return to. The Skids track is my favourite of this bunch but I have that on a Skid's best of.

 

[Coatigan]

Looking at this, didn't think it would be my thing. Know of the bands, never got into them.

However I have been enjoying it. Five pretty good songs in their own right. Enough similarity in style to get a mood across, without feeling overbearingly samey. Nicely put together playlist. The last one is the pick of the bunch for me.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

The Skids is the best of the bunch for me. Prefab Sprout is s decent tune but can’t help feel they robbed the riff from Dr. Feegood’s Roxette.
After that, I liked the Three Johns tune but don’t like the extended remix.
Same goes for the next one, I m just not and never was into 12” remixes.
Not really into the last one either.

Most interesting playlist so far, but still it fizzled out.

 

[journolud]

This is a playlist that promised a little more than it ultimately delivered for me. The genre and the era I'm quite happy with. A couple of bands I'd heard of, a couple I hadn't and one that I've previously dismissed so let's start with them.

The Skids, based admittedly on a single or two at the time I never thought much of with a sense that they are a bit lightweight. This song didn't do much to change my mind.

Prefab Sprout are a band. that by all accounts I should like and there are a couple of tracks of theirs I do have on the occasional playlist. For some reason though I can't connect and this track also didn't do much to change my mind.

The Wedding Present. Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft is frequently on my playlist, mainly the memories of a break up it saw me through... I had George Best at the time but the Wedding Present have a muddy kind of sound I think. In fact they do sound similar to a band that will be on my playlist when it's my turn (and toured with them once) but again they fall just a bit short I think.

I'd never heard of the Three Johns or the Redskins. Both decent enough tracks but didn't engage me to the point of wanting to explore them further.

So, not the best representations of the era but not the worst playlist by any means and as you do I let it run for a while and enjoyed the avenues Spotify took me down.

 

[Mancitydoogle]

Like @journolud its an era I’m familiar with, I never liked The Skids for some reason ,this is ok but it sounds like Richard Jobson doing his best Lou Reed.
Prefab Sprout we’re an amazing band and this track is one my favourites too.
The Three John’s I hadn’t heard of and didn’t really like,sounds like a lot other bands from this era.
The Redskins track is my favourite track here, I had this album back in the day and
haven’t played it for decades until now ,thanks @bennyboy.
The Wedding Present another band i never gotinto and this track doesn’t change my opinion.
it’s been fun going back to that era, but I’ll stick with my Americana and whatever the Album thread throws up.

 

[bennyboy]

Like @journolud its an era I’m familiar with, I never liked The Skids for some reason ,this is ok but it sounds like Richard Jobson doing his best Lou Reed.
Prefab Sprout we’re an amazing band and this track is one my favourites too.
The Three John’s I hadn’t heard of and didn’t really like,sounds like a lot other bands from this era.
The Redskins track is my favourite track here, I had this album back in the day and
haven’t played it for decades until now ,thanks @bennyboy.
The Wedding Present another band i never gotinto and this track doesn’t change my opinion.
it’s been fun going back to that era, but I’ll stick with my Americana and whatever the Album thread throws up.

Looks like you have had a musical journey like myself from the 80's onwards.
Americana.
Whiskeytown,Uncle Tupelo,Lucinda Williams and I discovered The Flying Burrito Bros all at the same time.