Wednesday, 21 June 2023

Loitering With Intent

The joy of the three-minute pop song in 1978*, however else you want to label it. I missed most of these first time around, as they were B-sides or album tracks, but this music refuses to be denied and at various points in my life have gatecrashed my consciousness and my record collection.

A collection of the usual suspects perhaps though when the songs are this great, is it any surprise? A rollercoaster ride that's over in under 36 minutes but packs a lot in to it's wild ride. Strap in!

* Or, in the case of The Stranglers, the six-minute-plus cover version of a stone cold classic pop song.

The selection includes several songs that appeared in JC's excellent 60 Albums @ 60 series, which revealed All Mod Cons by The Jam at #1. So today's post is dedicated to JC with thanks and love.

1) Friends (John Peel Session): Adam & The Ants
2) Radios In Motion: XTC 
3) Reasons: Skids
4) Action Time Vision: Alternative TV
5) Touch And Go (Single Version): Magazine
6) Just Lust: Buzzcocks
7) Billy Hunt: The Jam
8) Suicide A Go Go: Big In Japan
9) I'm Gonna Love You Too: Blondie
10) Drug-Stabbing Time: The Clash
11) Sand In My Joints (Album Version): Wire
12) Walk On By (Cover of Dionne Warwick): The Stranglers
 
1978: Action Time Vision EP / The Image Has Cracked: 4
1978: All Mod Cons: 7 
1978: Chairs Missing: 11
1978: Charles EP: 3
1978: Ever Fallen In Love... (With Someone You Shouldn't've) EP: 6 
1978: From Y To Z And Never Again EP: 8
1978: Give 'Em Enough Rope: 10
1978: Parallel Lines: 9
1978: Touch And Go: 5
1978: Walk On By EP / Black And White (ltd LP+7"): 12
1978: White Music: 2
1990: The Peel Sessions: 1
 
Loitering With Intent (35:51) (Box) (Mega)

4 comments:

  1. That's a corker of a selection - and what a year. That version of Walk On By (which I heard before I ever knowingly heard the original) is one of those songs which surprises you when you realise that even years later you can still remember every twist and turn and note in that keyboard solo, amazing how the brain stores these details.

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    1. Thanks so much, C. It's very likely the same for me, that I heard The Stranglers' version of Walk On By before hearing or at least being properly aware of the original. The memory that persists though is the thrill of getting my own copy of The Collection 77-82 on (secondhand) vinyl. Dave Greenfield's keyboard solo is as ingrained in my memory as Ray Manzarek's turn on The Doors' Light My Fire (the live at the Hollywood Bowl version), absolutely fantastic.

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  2. Great selection again, K.

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