WWE Wrestlemania 36 Weekend Special – Bruce Springsteen – “The Wrestler”

April 4, 2020 — 7 Comments

He is Dancing In The Dark at The Showcase Of The Immortals! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Bruce Springsteen performing “London Calling” at a concert in Hyde Park, London (2009) (via Rolling Stone)

Tonight is the night where no-fan WrestleMania hits the Big Time! (mid-00’s WWE fans, that one’s for you!) and since it’s an event built on spectacle and nostalgia, what better way to signal it’s arrival than covering a single from the legendary voice of Bruce Springsteen?, who had particularly touched the heart of Javed, a Pakistani teenager, in “Blinded By The Light”, a 2019 biopic film! Another film which Springsteen played a big part of is “The Wrestler”, a film starring Mickey Rourke as Randy “The Ram” Robinson, which was released back in a limited capacity in 2008 and then expanded to a nationwide release in January 2009 in the US. It’s an excellent film about a retiring wrestler struggling to make a living while he tries to recapture the glory days of his 80’s heyday and tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter. It was an awards contender for the Oscars, the BAFTA’s and the Golden Globes. Springsteen penned the title song for the film after he was contacted by Rourke, a lifelong friend of Springsteen, who wrote a letter of persuasion. The track appeared as a bonus track on “Working On A Dream”, a Springsteen album released in 2009. I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, which – for today – is Bruce Springsteen’s “The Wrestler”. Let’s have a listen with the video below!

An acoustic rock piece which sounds downcast and solemn, “The Wrestler” is in no way a compromise of Springsteen’s beloved songwriting principles, yet it’s also a good fit for the dark subject matter of the film it was written for. Springsteen laments artistic themes of a final shot at stardom: “This place is the home that I cannot stay/My only faith’s in the broken bones and bruises I display”, under a quiet arrangement of sparse bass guitar licks and a light synthesizer display. Springsteen strums his acoustic guitar and croons: “If you’ve ever seen a one-trick pony in the field so happy and free?/If you’ve ever seen a one-trick pony, then you’ve seen me”, a sad refrain Springsteen repeats with variations like Scarecrow, Dog and finally… man! Springsteen is narrating from the viewpoint of “The Wrestler” himself and he’s admitting that he’s past his prime and that his body cannot take the physical cost of his bodies toll any more, but it’s his passion for the career and it’s the memories that he’s made with it that keeps him going and drives him forward as much as his steering wheel will allow him to control. It’s a track which journalist David Marchese of Spin reviewed as: “‘The Wrestler;. from the film of the same name, has an intensely affecting emotional specificity that the aforementioned nominees lack”, a riff on the Oscar Awards which I agree with. The track has the classic Springsteen lyrical motifs that his fanbase love him for and it goes beyond the limits of professional wrestling as a topic. The vocals are repetitious, but not tedious and the instrumentation is simple, but it’s emotive and well-structured. The end result is a minimalist and poetic, Blues-inspired Americana track which is cerebral and brooding, but heartfelt and affecting!

Pictured: Mickey Rourke starring as “Randy “The Ram” Robinson” in “The Wrestler” (dir. Darren Aronofsky) (2008)

Thank you for reading this post! I kicked off my WWE WrestleMania 36 Weekend Special yesterday with The Nick Atoms’ “El Santo: The Silver Masked Avenger”, it has a very fascinating story of Mexican heritage behind it, so check out here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/03/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-the-nick-atoms-el-santo-the-silver-masked-avenger/! To get more of your wrestling fix, I’ve also written about Reverend & The Makers “The Wrestler” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/11/todays-track-reverend-and-the-makers-the-wrestler/ and Bowling For Soup’s “Alexa Bliss” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/12/todays-track-bowling-for-soup-alexa-bliss/! I’ll be back tomorrow, with the final entry of our trilogy of wrestling-based posts! WWE WrestleMania 36 streams tonight and tomorrow on WWE Network!

Scuzz Sundays: Rocket From The Crypt – “On A Rope”

March 29, 2020 — Leave a comment

Here’s a semi-radio hit that blasted off in 1995! It’s time for a new Scuzz Sundays post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Scream, Dracula, Scream!” (released on 10th October, 1995) (via Interscope Records)

Good morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog as always – however – the clocks have gone forward, a seasonal occurrence that I’ve never been able to get my head around! It’s still time for another weekly trip down memory lane with Scuzz Sundays, a celebration of the emo, pop-punk and teen punk tracks which defined THAT phase of my pre-teen life. “On A Rope” is the highest UK-charting single by Rocket From The Crypt, an American 6-piece hard rock band best known for their archetypal 1992 record, “Circa: Now!”. Rocket From The Crypt were originally active between 1989 – 2005, setting up their Swami Records label in the process after they cut ties with Interscope Records in 1998 after they faced disappointing sales for the band’s fifth studio album, “RFTC”. Rocket From The Crypt reformed between 2011 and 2013. “On A Rope” was a single from “Scream, Dracula, Scream!”, the band’s first major label release, and it became a hit, especially in the UK, where it reached #12 in the UK’s Singles Chart, as well as receiving decent airplay on the likes of MTV, Kerrang and, obviously, Scuzz! The album received rave reviews from the press, such as NME, and the band even performed on Top Of The Pops. Their tour featured Rancid and Soundgarden. This is significant because the band were known for their stage antics, where the band frequently held raffles on-stage in live shows, as well as perform chaotic fire-breathing stunts. Let’s hear “On A Rope” below!

Lively and energetic, “On A Rope” seems to capture the rebellious spirit and the strange showmanship of the band through it’s melodic, technical guitar riffs and it’s gritty, propellant drum rhythms. John Reis isn’t far off a rock-and-roll Elvis Costello on vocals: “Saw right through me/Staying started to unglue me/And I knew that I couldn’t win” over a timely bass guitar riff and a gristled, low pitch that complements the repetitious lead guitar hook that crumples and moulds itself around the ferocious metal influences of the clear 90’s punk sound. Reis leads a thuggish chant: “on a rope/on a rope/got me hanging on a rope” above a layer of frenzied guitar chords and a static bass guitar section, with the drums acting as the driving force behind it. The track firmly places itself in the “headbanging” and “mosh-pit” culture more akin to heavy metal textures, with a sing-along pace and a sharp contrast of momentum. The tempo is constantly edged in the upper gear and the lyrics are tedious, but they’re led into a repetitious post-punk groove which make them catchy and memorable, rather than getting on your nerves a bit much. Overall, I think it holds up rather well as the instrumentation is natural, with the band’s fluid chemistry and their aura of fun entertainment holding up, with no use of my so-called “auto-tuned nonsense” or “indie bollocks” to damper it’s quality. There’s nothing intriguing about it lyrically, but I can definitely see why it’s retained it’s status as an anti-pop radio hit – as it’s accessible and it’s been written around the context of a rowdy, live environment – a substantial focus of the band’s style. A laddish and brash, but likeable 90’s throwback.

Pictured: John Reis (Lead Vocals/Backing Guitar), Andy Stamets (Lead Guitar), Pete Reichart (Bass Guitar), Paul O’ Beirne (Saxophone), Jason Crane (Trumpet) and Adam Willard (Drums) (1996) (Photo by Patrick Ford/Redferns)

Thank you for reading this post! I can’t believe that we’ve nearly reached a new week already! Join me tomorrow, as I’m going to be kicking it off in style with an in-depth look at a track released last autumn by an American R&B/Soul musician and songwriter who is well-known for being the vocalist of Alabama Shakes and she has been nominated for 11 Grammy Awards, winning four as both as a solo artist and for her work on group projects. She appeared on Jools Holland’s Annual Hootenanny on New Year’s Eve and I would describe her as The Real Deal! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today's Track: Jill Scott – "A Long Walk"

March 26, 2020 — 1 Comment

We are allowed to do one of these walks for exercise per day! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Jill Scott ahead of her 20th Anniversary World Tour (February 2019) (Photo Credit: Gail Mitchell/Billboard)

I’ve got a 00’s classic to write about today! It’s Jacob Braybrooke, hoping that you’re staying healthy of course, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! I rediscovered this classic earlier in the week, as it was played during Lauren Laverne’s Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 6Music. “A Long Walk” is just one of the beloved singles taken from Jill Scott’s “Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1”, her Grammy-Award nominated debut LP record. Though it’s predominantly an R&B record, she also fused elements of neo-soul, electronic jazz, trip-hop and gospel into the neat, cohesive album. It was certified platinum and Scott went on to receive positive acclaim for her future releases, namely “Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2” in 2004 and “The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3” from 2007. Scott went on to earn three Grammy Awards and, in more recent years, has become a successful actress in the likes of a 2015 biopic film “Get On Up” as well as starring in the lead role of Mma Ramotswe in the BBC/HBO co-produced TV series “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency”, based on the critically acclaimed novels of the same name written by Alexander McCall Smith. So, let’s take “A Long Walk” with Jill Scott below…

Jill Scott paints a romanticized picture of a sunny afternoon stroll on “A Long Walk”, as she takes a break from her busy life with her partner. Scott starts: “You’re here/I’m pleased, I really dig your company/Your style, your smile, your peace mentality” in a mid-tempo speech-talk style over the top of a layered downbeat Soul sample. She has a flaunting Jazz aura, crooning: “Let’s take a long walk around the park after dark/Find a spot for us to spark conversation, verbal elation, stimulation” and “Share our situations, temptations, education, relaxations, elevations/Maybe we can talk about Surah 31:18”, a religious nod that feels very self-referential to the Gospel era of the late 70’s. She later suggests further activities: “Or maybe we can see a movie/Or maybe we can see a play on Saturday/Or maybe we can roll a tree and feel the breeze and listen to a symphony”, a refrain which continues at a steady pace under a relaxed keyboard riff and a quiet trumpet section. It’s 11 years old, but it still seems beautifally arranged and I love her Afro in the music video. I feel the songwriting is a tad basic and rather predictable in places, for example: “Let’s take a long walk around the park”, of course the next line is going to be “after the dark”, a slightly juvenile way of rhyming. I like the suggestive lyricism though, and it’s delivered with an engaging soul wit and an early talent for sampling material. A decent bit of exercise for the ears.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds (Vol. 1)” (Released in 2000) (via Hidden Beach)

Thank you for reading this post! Stay inside – I’ll be back tomorrow with my in-depth thoughts on a recent favourite track of mine which comes courtesy of a famous American singer, bassist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who was the lead vocalist of the legendary US indie rock pioneers The Walkmen, of which he recorded seven well-liked and critically-acclaimed albums with! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today's Track: Loyle Carner – "Ice Water"

March 25, 2020 — Leave a comment

I don’t think he’ll be getting any summer vibes with that title! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Loyle Carner (Hip-Hop Musician/Songwriter) in a press shoot to promote “Not Waving, But Drowning” (2019)

Good morning! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog to accompany you during this dark period of isolation and distancing, as it’s still my day-to-day pleasure to do so! I’ve been meaning to write about how much I love Loyle Carner for quite a while now and since it’s a quiet week for new releases, I thought I’d introduce you to him with a post about “Ice Water”, one of the tracks on his second album, “Not Waving, But Drowning”, which was released in April last year. Carner is a hip-hop musician from South London, one of many alternative soul-inspired artists coming from the recent boom period of that genre in the area, who has been nominated for two BRIT Awards. He’s got much more of a reflective, calm and mellow style when compared to many of his contemporaries – such as Stormzy, Dave, J-Hus and Aitch – in the British grime scene, being described as “sensitive and eloquent” by NME’s Tom Howard and The Guardian categorized his style as “confessional hip-hop”. Oh, and he loves his Mum too! Let’s watch him perform “Ice Water” on COLORS below.

Not released as a single and placed on his latest record as the third cut on the track listing, “Ice Water” gives Carner a platform to express his relief of finding a romantic partner who he can trust with his vulnerabilities! Carner questions his new-found glory over a radiant, groove-ridden backing beat, an unashamed sensibility of classic hip-hop that reminds me of De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. Carner raps: “It took the third time before I finally caught her name/I held it with the clarity of autumn rain” and “I’m with somebody else, I’ll probably let it fall to flame/But with her, it’s like we share the same sort of brain”, a very down-to-earth sentiment about falling in love, although he later begins to ponder a self-assured fear of heartbreak when the track conveys a darker texture, aided by slowed-down synths and a more chilling style of vocal delivery : “One false move and we’re history, call me Mr. Moyer/Maybe you’re genuine, maybe I should let you in/Maybe I should focus on myself and get to shed this skin, or maybe not”, a refrain that he mixes with a soulful progression of instrumental verses as he delves deeper into the story of his date, and later his relationship with his partner, itself. “Ice Water” is one of my favourite tracks from his latest LP because it feels quite diverse in it’s different samples and it’s musical influences, but the narrative framework gets backed up by an internally emotional conflict that feels very easy to resonate with and I’m especially a fan of the backing melody, which almost sounds dance-able due to the broken aesthetic of the composition, such as the start-and-stop funk nature of the samples and the interweaving Gospel-inflected backing vocals. Above all, I like him! Carner has a very likeable personality and I feel as though his self-aware, anecdotal delivery helps me to feel reassured and comforted, getting me invested in his life as the clock ticks along. If you watch him perform in the video above, he’s smiling while he performs his craft and he grins when he misses a cue towards the end of the video, but the raw expression gives it a burst of colour. Weirdly, he’s signed to a major record label, Virgin Records – who seem to be giving him enough creative freedom to flourish in his work, so that’s a good thing to hear. Overall, I absolutely love how everything that he does comes from the heart and although his mellow, laidback style of hip-hop is more low-key than most of his British hip-hop peers, I think that’s also his greatest strength.

Pictured: Track listing on CD for “Not Waving, But Drowning” (Released in April 2019) (via Virgin/EMI Records)

Thank you for reading this post! Stay inside – but don’t forget to check up on me and the blog tomorrow, where I’ll be looking at another hip-hop track, but from 2001, from an American songwriter and model who is also a well-liked actress, having played the role of the second wife of James Brown in a 2015 biopic film, “Get On Up”, as well as being featured in a prominent role in “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency”, based on Alexander McCall’s novels of the sane name, a BBC/HBO co-produced TV series! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Scuzz Sundays: Hoobastank – “The Reason”

March 22, 2020 — Leave a comment

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers in the UK! It’s time for a Scuzz Sundays post!

Pictured: Doug Robb (Lead Vocals), Dan Estrin (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals), Jesse Charland (Bass Guitar/Keyboard) and Chris Hesse (Drums/Percussion) (2017) (Photo from http://www.hiddenjams.com)

Also the performers of their well-known singles “Crawling In The Dark” and “Running Away”, Hoobastank made a name for themselves in the early 00’s commercial emo-punk scene with their second studio album, “The Reason”, of which today’s track is named after. Of course, it’s time for another Scuzz Sunday on the blog, written by me – Jacob Braybrooke, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different song every day on the blog. Sundays are “Scuzz Sundays”, the centerpiece of a stroll down memory lane to some of the artists that would be played on the now-defunct Scuzz TV music video channel. With their nonsense name and their silly hair cuts, Hoobastank managed to eventually sell over 10 million records worldwide since the group were formed in Agoura Hills, California in 1994 and decided to sell their souls to their major label, Island Records. “The Reason” reached #2 in the US Billboard Charts and it also earned a Grammy nomination for “Song Of The Year” at the 47th Grammy Awards in 2005, losing to John Mayer’s “Daughters”. Let’s revisit “The Reason” below!

The amusingly named Hoobastank match images of a jeweller’s shop heist with some emotive, character-driven lyricism and a firmly post-grunge guitar sensibility. Doug Robb sings the likes of: “I’m not a perfect person/I never meant to do those things to you” and “So what should I do?/Just lay next to you as though I’m unaffected” to the concoction of a simple drum melody and a symphonic bass guitar riff. Robb croons: “There has to be somewhere that we can be safe from the lives we live each day”, an internal dreamboat vocal that ponders a question of self-reflection. The chorus is also pure, as a stark reduction of teen angst soundtracks the nicely handled guitar element and an acoustically driven production style while Robb deems: “I’ve found a reason for me, to change who I used to be / a reason to start over new, and the reason is you”. It reminds me very much of Nickelback, with an obvious pop ballad influence controlling the slow pace of the track. The problem is, however, that it just feels rather bland and watered-down. It sounds like it’s followed the “soft-rock ballad” trope of the 00’s a little too closely, leaving us with a track which doesn’t have anything new to bring to that table and it feels overplayed on a first listen. The songwriting is centered on a digestible soft-rock format that equates to a decent vocal performance, but I feel the material for Robb’s vocals to work off is incredibly lacking and lacks any real personality or message of it’s own. There’s nothing inherently wrong about the use of acoustic guitars, but the sentimentality feels generic and formulaic. Overall, I think there’s some talent here, but it just sadly hasn’t translated creatively. The record label got their hit out of it – as they were obviously trying to get.

Pictured: Cover Art for “The Reason” (Album) (Released on 26th April 2004) (via Island Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, to provide my in-depth thoughts on a track by an artist born and raised in Reykjavik, Iceland who was parented by established musicians in Iceland and picked up a guitar at an early age to start writing music! The artist was requested by my housemate, Chelsie! Ask and you shall receive! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: The Avalanches (feat. Rivers Cuomo & Pink Siifu) – “Running Red Lights”

March 20, 2020 — 1 Comment

What did the traffic light say to the car? Don’t look, I’m changing! It’s new post time…

Pictured: Robbie Chater (Mixing/Production/Guitar) and Tony Di Biasi (Keyboard/Synths/Bass) (2020) (via press shot)

Good morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and as always, I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! It has been a pretty miserable week for us all environmentally, but a nice array of light burst out of the tunnel during my week when The Avalanches, an Australian Plunderphonics now-duo, released a new single as they continue to tease a new album or a large scale project of-sorts. For regular readers of my blog – firstly, thank you so much for the support – but, most importantly, you know that it delights me to be a big fan of The Avalanches work, so I’m not going to bore you with the details again. In February, the sample-based duo released “We Will Always Love You” featuring Blood Orange, which felt like a decent little teaser for a much bigger album. This time – they’ve recruited the skills of Rivers Cuomo, the frontman of the well-known pop/punk band Weezer, with additional contributions from Pink Siifu, for “Running Red Lights”, the lead single for their rumored new album – which will be their first in four years! Let’s watch the music video – starring previous America’s Got Talent hopeful Erik Cavanaugh – below!

“Running, running red lights/red lights, red lights/I’ve been running red lights/to get to you” is a catchy vocal refrain which Cuomo chimes in with as The Avalanches address love and loss within the psych-pop driven sound of their new offering. It’s different to the light hip-hop sensibilities that we’ve heard on older Avalanches’ work, as a whimsical male hum and a glistening synth haze introduce us to a beat-driven, soulful pop ballad with a wistful, dream-like production style. Poetically, Cuomo recites: “I’m a thunder cloud/I’m ready to burst, like Schrodinger”, above a two-step drum punch, before later adding: “Hans is looking for Liesel/Living in Union Square”, as a myriad of voices chirp in the corners of the steady pop bassline.. as well as the left and right buds of your headphones! Pink Siifu brings the repetitous sweetness to a halt with: “The light of my life is going out tonight with a pink champagne Corvette/The light of my life is going out tonight without a flicker of regret”, before a pause, following: “Fly out to space/Listen to the music the stars are making”, before Cuomo adds a new hook: “California life is alright with me”, finishing it off with: “We are all we have” – the rumored title of the upcoming album. The track is undeniably pop-oriented, no doubt, and I’d even go as far to say that it’s more of a sample-based record than a totally Plunderphonics one. I wasn’t very keen on the track on my first listen, as I felt Cuomo’s delivery was a bit juvenile for my liking and the progression of the pop influences a lot more commercial than “Wildflower”, but I’ve quickly come to grow into the track… is it really that commercial? I appreciate the child-like qualities of Cuomo’s vocals and I feel the Pink Siifu sample in the second half of the track really picks up the momentum of the “togetherness” lyrical theme of the track, but the highlight is the sumptuous choral harmonies. This is the obvious choice for a single, due to it’s relative accessibility and it’s subtle way of conveying the themes of the new album across to new listeners. I don’t think it’s their strongest, but 2000’s “Since I Left You” isn’t the type of record that you can capture lightning in a bottle twice with, so it’s great to see The Avalanches heading in a different direction instead and I’ll always remember it’s release as a vibrant burst of excitement during a difficult time. The Avalanches have always been one of those “album” bands for me, with the singles sounding a bit less energetic outside of the context of listening to it as part of an album, so I can’t wait to enjoy the track even more when hearing it in a “full album” environment. It’s nice to have an album like this in a troublesome period such as this!

Pictured: Mural promoting the release of “We Will Always Love You” in Melbourne, Australia (2020) (via Stereogum)

You can also have a read of my thoughts on “We Will Always Love You”, featuring English R&B and electronic neo-soul producer Blood Orange, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/21/todays-track-the-avalanches-feat-blood-orange-we-will-always-love-you/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for the “Running Red Lights” single release (2020) (Released by Modular Recordings)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as always – with my in-depth thoughts on the latest release from a Guildhall-based experimental pop do who are currently signed to Warp Records – an ambient techno label which was home to the likes of Aphex Twin and Squarepusher in the late 1990’s! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Scuzz Sundays: Placebo – “Pure Morning”

March 15, 2020 — Leave a comment

The irony is how I’m typing this in the evening! It’s time for a new Scuzz Sundays post!

Pictured: Brian Molko (Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar/Keyboard/Percussion), Stefan Olsdal (Bass Guitar/Piano/Backing Vocals) and Steve Forrest (Drums/Percussion) (2003) (Photo Credit: Jamie Crossnan/NME)

Good evening to you, you’re reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke on this fine Scuzz Sunday evening – of course, it’s the time of the week on the blog where I take you on a leisurely stroll down memory lane as we revisit the late 90’s-mid 00’s era of emo, punk and pop-punk, as we dust the ashes from the landmark tracks played by the likes of Scuzz TV, a freeview music video channel, which housed a lot of the bands from this particular scene. I have decided to write about Placebo’s track, “Pure Morning”, which was released in 1998 as the lead single of the British alternative rock band’s debut album, “Without You I’m Nothing”. The track was the first single to ever be released by the Brian Molko-fronted band at the time and it was a huge hit, having reached the #4 spot on the UK Singles Chart in August 1998 (before I was born!) and it’s still certified silver in the country. The album also struck a chord with mainstream audiences, although it was less commercially successful than it’s main single, which is not a staple of the group’s live sets. Placebo were primarily known for addressing gender issues and the LGBT community within the Britpop music movement during the late 1990’s, with “Nancy Boy” being a controversial punk anthem which openly discussed the topics of sexuality, mental health and drug use. The band was originally set up by Molko as a duo with bassist and guitarist Stefan Olsdal, later to be joined by original drummer Robert Schultzberg, who left in 2007, citing creative differences. Placebo also got to collaborate with the likes of true icon David Bowie and REM legend Michael Stipe in their prime era. Let’s revisit “Pure Morning” in it’s glory below.

The sound of “Pure Morning” is centered upon a post-punk guitar riff and a semi-aggressive bass guitar riff, matched by an ostensibly gloomy synth riff which makes it sound very contemporary and reflective of it’s time. There is a minimalist simplicity to the electronic instrumentation and the simplistic layout of the guitar, bass and drum formula. The lyrics are simply: “A friend in need’s a friend indeed/A friend with weed is better/A friend with breasts and all of the rest/A friend who’s dressed in leather”, which are delivered as a monotonous backdrop to a constantly thumping drum rhythm and a fiery, although self-contained, synthesizer pattern. There’s a slight Kraut-rock influence buried deep in the repetitious melodies of this track, a genre of experimental rock which burst out of Germany in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Overall, it’s rather difficult to say much more about this track due to it’s simplistic nature and it’s conserved style of lyricism – however, I feel it manages to express a late 90’s teenager’s desire to get battered every night with a certain level of artistry, as care and thought seemed to be involved in the songwriting process. The focus on the harmonized electronic guitar riff is somewhat reflective of a settled 70’s funk-groove in the way that it feels repetitious, but with an ideology behind it to carry a meaning along. I find the lyrics to be a little bare-bones for my liking and the pacing of the track seems a little off in places, where it doesn’t seem to change it’s synthesized patterns up very much as we draw near to the end of the track, but these are minor flaws since I’m not really a part of the London post-punk world that it’s been created for. Due to it’s simplicity, I can hear the mainstream appeal because of it’s accessibility and it’s well-defined target audience, but as far as that market goes – there’s a decent level of artistry which adds something more to the pop-punk sound.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Without You I’m Nothing” (Released on 12th October, 1998) (via Hut/Virgin)

Thank you for reading this post! As always, I hope that you enjoyed it! I’ll be back tomorrow and I’ll be kicking off the week with an intriguing track from a Slovakian electronic math-rock artist who recently played a live set at the 2020 Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, which is the main municipality and the capital city of The Netherlands. Geography fact! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Dread Zeppelin – “Your Time Is Gonna Come”

March 13, 2020 — Leave a comment

Mentally drained, the time for bedtime has almost come… It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Un-Led-Ed” (Released on 24th July, 1990) (via I.R.S. music label)

It’s almost the weekend… The time is gonna come! Good evening to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! For a band which is essentially a novelty tribute band for a 70’s classic rock band, Dread Zeppelin are strangely prolific, having produced and recorded a whopping total of 15 albums between 1990 and 2011. Obviously, Dread Zeppelin are a Dub-plate take on the 1970’s British Heavy metal pioneers Led Zeppelin, having produced each of their tracks as covers of Led Zeppelin tracks, with a Reggae style. The band were formed in California in 1989, which led to an extensive touring schedule as a part of a long tenure with IRS Records – led by an Elvis Presley impersonator named Tortelvis on lead vocals. Dread Zeppelin have also been publically endorsed by Robert Plant, the lead vocalist of Led Zeppelin, who has stated that he prefers Dread Zeppelin’s 1990’s cover of “Your Time Is Gonna Come” to his own band’s original version. Compare for yourself with Dread Zeppelin’s cover below!

Dread Zeppelin’s cover version of “Your Time Is Gonna Come” by Led Zeppelin starts off as you might probably expect, with the recognizable opening lead guitar riffs of the track being replaced by the bouncy sounds of a Sitar, before a fizzled synth-line and a funk-laden groove settles into a constant affair of mid-tempo arrangement, before Tortelvis enters the fray: “Women lie/You’ll be cheated, you’ll be hurtin’/Messing around with every guy in town/Puttin’ me down for thinking of someone new”, with Tortelvis adding a vintage 70’s rock-and-roll edge to the duelling Rastafarian backing vocals. He later continues “Made up my mind to break you this time/Won’t be so fine, it’s my turn to cry/Do what you want, I won’t take your brunt/It’s fading away, I can’t feel you anymore” over an acoustic layer of Cuica riffs and Harpischord sections. The chorus sounds as triumphant as Zeppelin’s classic original, but with a lack of stadium rock sensibilites and a replaced sense of care-free fun, created by a thumping steel drum rhythm and a soft dose of licked bass guitar melodies. On paper, it sounds like a horrific idea which simply shouldn’t work, but it does. I’ve found there’s a dark corner of my mind that tells me I like this song and I can’t help but nod in approval to that. It’s humorous and quirky, with a cheerful quality of light-hearted Dub textures and the anthemic chanting vocals of the chorus have managed to translate to a more pop-driven style with effective results. The joke doesn’t quite ware itself out and the varied instrumentation keeps it melodic enough to hold your interest. The result is an entertaining novelty track which strikes the balance of accessibility and credibility. Your time, to have a boogie to this, has come!

Pictured: Ed Zeppelin (Graphic Artist/Writer/Producer), Tortelvis (Lead Guitar), Jah Paul Jo (Lead Guitar), Carl Jah (Rhythmn Guitar/Backing Vocals), Put-Mon (Bass Guitar) and Charlie Haj (Drums/Percussion) (1989) (via WikiWand)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at the final track that I’m going to cover on the blog from “Our Pathetic Age”, the outstanding new double album from American EDM/Trip-Hop icon DJ Shadow, who claims to own a personal collection of over 60,000 records! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Reverend and The Makers – “The Wrestler”

March 11, 2020 — 3 Comments

My time is up (writing up this post) and their time is now! It’s time for your daily post!

Pictured: Jon McClure (Lead Vocalist/Writer), Laura McClure (Backing Vocals/Keyboard), Joe Carnall (Lead Guitar), Ed Cosens (Bass Guitar), and Ryan Jenkinson (Drums/Percussion) (2015) (press shot via Liverpool Echo)

Can you smell what The Rock is cooking? Good morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! For once, it’s a boring story of how I came across today’s track, which comes from Sheffield-born post-punk rock band Reverend And The Makers – as I saw them perform the track on an episode of Dick And Dom’s Hoopla, a CBBC TV show, back at the time of it’s release in 2012. Just the other day, I was watching a WhatCulture Wrestling video on YouTube, which was a list of their top 10 best songs about wrestling and it reminded me of this old-ish tune, as it wasn’t included on the list! “The Wrestler” is the second single of the band’s third album, “@Reverend_Makers”, a title which frontman Jon McClure (aka The Reverend) chose because he felt there was nothing else that could be more modern as the title of the album. The band are quite a successful one, having released six albums, five of which reached the top 20 of the UK Albums Chart – but they’re best known for having a top 10 hit with “Heavyweight Champion In The World” in 2009, a pop-rock anthem about “being a contender” and rising up to fame to lead a glamorous lifestyle. I think I spot a recurring theme in their discography! I’m gonna lay the smack down after the video for “The Wrestler” below!

On “The Wrestler”, Reverend and his Makers deal with the internal emotions of a male protagonist who’s grappling with the guilt of cheating on his romantic partner, through the lens of professional wrestling, the one true sport! McClure sings: “He’s taking her home, he’s had a few/Sally’s sold, because she’s had a few too/But the guilt is a foe that they’d much rather fight tomorrow”, before he fills his chorus with wrestling terms, as JR would say, whipping it like a government mule: “So if you get a grapple/Quick, don’t slip tonight/No Stone Cold Steve or men in tights/But there’s a 1, 2, 3 when your conscience pins you down”, before putting his educated feet to good use: “You could come at it with a drop kick, It’s quick to scar/And turn a tussle into no holds barred/You are the wrestler, and your conscience pins you down”, a line which is matched by an industrial, gritty synth line which adds a mechanical texture to the post-punk rock influences of the heavy guitar riffs and the electronic keyboard sensibilities, which have a few squelches and beeps popped in there to vary things up a bit. On paper, it sounds like it shouldn’t work – but, for me, it works rather well. The melodies are catchy, if a bit monotonous, and I like the references to professional wrestling terms and characters as it clearly shows basic research undertaken into the niche subject area as it was written. The tone has an optimistic spirit (“The warmth of the old/The thrill of the new”) and the songwriting is successful in telling a story through the lens of an unlikely influence. I think the guitar works a bit stiff (if you pardon the wrestling pun) and the sound isn’t really doing anything interesting in the genre it’s boxed into, but it’s a decent and likeable pop tune all the same. Lyrically predictable, so it’s not quite a clean pinfall or submission victory, but it’s nowhere near as bad as a dramatic heel turn either. If you don’t know wrestling – I’ve lost you!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “@Reverend_Makers” (Released on 18th June, 2012) (via Cooking Vinyl Records)

Thank you for reading this post! As always – I hope you enjoyed it! Make sure that you check back with the blog tomorrow, where I’ll be sharing my in-depth thoughts on a recent single from a California-founded psychedelic rock 4-piece group who blend soft-rock, psychedelic soul. funk, Jamaican dub and tropicalia into one smoothie! The band once starred in a TV commercial for Johnnie Walker Scotch Whiskey, performing “This Land Is Your Land”, in 2018! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Róisín Murphy – “Murphy’s Law”

March 10, 2020 — Leave a comment

Just as it feels like Róisín Murphy’s at the top of her game, she decrees Murphy’s Law!

Pictured: Róisín Murphy perfoming a headline set at the BBC Radio 6Music Festival (2020) (Photo Credit: Sarah Jeynes)

Murphy’s Law has struck again! Good night, I’m Jacob Braybrooke – writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! It certainly comes as a pleasure to report on a new Róisín Murphy track being released – a follow-up track to her 2019 club banger “Narcissus”, a club track which made it onto the radio! Murphy is best known for being one part of an Irish electronic dance duo with producer Mark Brydon called Moloko. They had mainstream chart hits around the world, with the likes of “Sing It Back” and “The Time Is Now”, being particularly successful commercially in the UK. She’s been authoritatively re-assuring her position as the new queen of disco with a recent comeback of-sorts, which led her to become one of the headline acts at this year’s BBC Radio 6Music Festival, which took place at The Roundhouse in Camden last weekend. Evolution was a recurring theme of her set, following frequent costume changes and altered versions of the key tracks in her discography, both from her time as one half of Moloko and as a solo artist. She also dedicated her live set to the late-great Andy Weatherhall, which was a very touching notion. With a song called “Murphy’s Law”, you already know it’s going to be a banger! There’s a 3-minute edit available on YouTube, but I’ve attached the full version below!

A twinkling keyboard riff sets us off, as Murphy provides the narrative framework for her vocal performance: “I feel my story’s still untold/But I’ll make my own happy ending” as a percussive layer of hand-clap effects take us through the refrain: “I think maybe I’ve outgrown this old town/I see you almost every day/And every time I turn around/Our love is stuck on replay”, a line which echoes the sentimental tone through a melodic, old-school pop rhythm. Murphy continues: “Ever since we broke up/I’ve been afraid to go out”, as Murphy matches a 70’s disco throwback style with more emphatic songwriting functions. An expertly polished synth line draws the chorus in: “It’s Murphy’s law/I’m gonna meet you tonight/Just one match could relight the flame”, a static bass guitar riff underlines the sonic direction, “And just when everything is going ‘alright/Murphy’s law is gonna strike again”, with the track gradually adding layers of wavering drum loops and interweaving guitar licks, as Murphy writes from the perspective of an ageing character visiting her old town to rekindle interest with an old flame: “All of my hard work keeps going down the drain”, while feeling unfulfilled and untapped. A mature dancefloor filler, Murphy anchors the end of the track with: “Keep on/Keep on/Keep on/Keep on…”, a sentiment which evokes the disco classics of “Saturday Night Fever” or Chic’s older work on classics like “Le Freak” in the late 1970’s. In comparison to Narcissus, Murphy’s Law detracts from the string-based arrangements and provides a larger variation of moods with it’s more gentle pacing. It manages to live up to the lofty expectations of the track’s title, with Murphy’s personality, as an artist, really managing to hold your attention throughout the long, 8-minute duration of the track. The lyricism is memorable and the style is nostalgic, albeit progressive. I think Murphy’s great – your Queen Of Disco!

Pictured: Róisín Murphy in a photoshoot for an interview with London In Stereo (2019) (Photo Credit: Nicola Nodland)

You can read my thoughts on “Narcissus” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/01/09/todays-track-roisin-murphy-narcissus/

Pictured: Róisín Murphy pictured with her co-producer and co-lyricist Mark Brydon in their Moloko days (date unknown) (Photo Credit: Alwaysontherun.net)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as always, with an in-depth look at a wrestling-themed track, released in 2012, by a British post punk band who were formed back in 2005, had a UK top 10 hit with “Heavyweight Champion Of The World” and were invited to support Oasis on their final tour – playing a blockbuster show at Wembley Stadium! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

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