Sunday 4 January 2009

Only words

I had decided to slow down on the YouTube clips but then earlier this week we were listening to last year's Chumbawamba album 'The Boy Bands Have Won' and there was a song on it begging to be passed on to you all. I plugged this album quite a lot last year but I'm carrying on because it really is a brilliant and interesting album. One of the reasons we've listened to it quite so much is because Small Girl loves it too and asks for it all the time (which means we listen to it in the car quite a lot – her other requests being the 'Annie' soundtrack, anything to do with 'High School Musical' or a Disney readalong 'Little Mermaid' CD).

The song I'm playing you today is possibly my favourite track from the album (Small Girl likes the funnier and/or livelier ones). This one features guest vocals from English folk singer Roy Bailey and he's not a singer I've listened to a lot but on this song he just gets it SO right. It is a beautiful song written about not very beautiful things. I hope you love it as much as I do.




19 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a lovely song. I've not heard any Chumbas stuff for ages so it's nice to know they are still doing the business.

I met Harry and Boff at a gig in Bradford a couple of months ago but didn't get chance to talk really. They both looked like they have some Dorian Grey-style picture in the attic, the swine!

Small girl has very good taste - but then small girls often do.

Happy new year to all.

xx

Rachel Fox said...

Glad you like it. See - you have good taste too!
This album is certainly my favourite Chumbas stuff. But then you all liked punk and I really missed it altogether. Now their sound is barely punk at all I love them!
The lyrics on this album are great and it's so varied in style and content - what you call a tour-de-force I think.
x

swiss said...

my daughter and i shared many comedy moments over the years but my favourite was once when i was in some wee independent record store (back when such things existed) in edinburgh and it was all blokes and very hi fidelity except for her, being female and about two or three. the record store bloke changed the cd at which point she looked at him, then at me and said - butthole surfers. cool.

we smiled at each other and exited gracefully under the approving gaze of out peers...

swiss said...

i should point out that this musical taste didn't continue and she is still, as far as i know, an afficionado of r'n'b, despire any protests by me that it is neither r nor b

Anonymous said...

Must say that is just about the coolest Butthole Surfers story I have ever heard Swiss!

Rachel Fox said...

I remember you talking about the B Surfers Smithy but I don't remember ever listening to them. Either that or I just blanked it out...

swiss said...

it's oe of my favourite butthole surfers stories too! but her favourite band at the time was buffalo daughter

it's a shame she's lost her way since but the wiring's all there should she ever come to her musical senses. don't think i'll ever get her to listen to opera tho

Anonymous said...

They're the band I went to see a couple of months ago but spectacularly failed to interview. The guitarist who looked like me, remember?

Forgive the blatant spamming Foxy but .. Swiss, there are a couple of Buttholes pieces on my blog:

That failed interview (in the recent posts)and an actual 'proper' interview from 1987 (in the interviews section, funnily enough).

Advert over. I'm sorry Rachel!

Rachel Fox said...

That doesn't count as spam. If you were selling yourself online that would be different...but just a bit of passing on information is more than allowed.
x

swiss said...

the original buttholes interview? no surprises! but flux of pink indians. i thought they was dead! lol.

big black tho. liking that. tell me where i can get mea copy of racer x and i'll be well happy

Rachel Fox said...

Although I do wonder how many other visitors will know what (or who) on earth you two are talking about! I only know the names of all those bands.
x

Anonymous said...

Good point Rachel. Apologies for the hijack! Swiss, I might be able to point you in the right direction. Drop me a line.

swiss said...

if they don't, they should! lol

smith, will be in touch

McGuire said...

I have only ever heard the football tune. Hideous I know. I heard they were a much more 'capable' band.

LLike the song, folksy.

Rachel Fox said...

You should look out this new(ish) album of theirs, McGuire, it's great and the lyrics are really interesting...lots of story songs. They've been around a long time as a band and have put out lots of different kinds of sounds as they've grown older (punk early on, folk most recently). The song you mention helped them all pay some bills I think.
x

Anonymous said...

Loved it!

Rachel Fox said...

Yes, Dick, maybe it's one you could listen to with the young family too. Small Girl loves the song with the line 'fur coat and no knickers'...amongst others.
x

Dave King said...

I'm not a great movie-goer, but I loved reading your post. Two other points: I thought Walk the Line perhaps the most disappointing (for mr) film of all time; and I do agree with your point re the tendency to pack biopics with more information than they can carry successfully.

Rachel Fox said...

Dave! You dropped a post! I have replied to you (and copied and pasted your comment) to the post above.
x