it doesn't really matter to me what you people say. the kaiser chiefs' cd is really enjoyable stuff. if you like blur from around 1999 you will like this -- with the addition that blur albums were always about 40% filler, whereas the KC album is nice and listenable from front to back.
a good soundtrack for driving and nice for jamming with a band too, if you have one and your co-musicians can pick up a tune quickly.
kaiser chiefs
This album is like the lost sequel to Blur's Parklife.
No wonder NME made them the headline of their Summer tour.
I've been listening to this for a few months now and I am definitely a fan.
I heard a sample track on a complilation and it was 'Na na na na naaa' and I thought wow that sounds like bad Blur meets the ugly stick. But once you get the album it sounds like good Blur meets the Clash (except that I don't really like the Clash).
IMHO if you like edgy Britpop get this disc.
No wonder NME made them the headline of their Summer tour.
I've been listening to this for a few months now and I am definitely a fan.
I heard a sample track on a complilation and it was 'Na na na na naaa' and I thought wow that sounds like bad Blur meets the ugly stick. But once you get the album it sounds like good Blur meets the Clash (except that I don't really like the Clash).
IMHO if you like edgy Britpop get this disc.
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Tommy Martyn
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Pete McCarthy talks about it in one of his books. The Road to McCarthy or McCarthy's Bar. He makes a compelling case.
You may or may not know that our Shane was the son of a diplomat and attended Westminster School.
Now over here in the states our Shane does enjoy an image as something of a rebel. Even during the worst of the IRA outrages, (Enniskillen for instance, when they blew up a ceremony for those who died in the war. 50 dead was it? Imagine a terrorist group blowing up a veterans parade on memorial day here.) there is a strand of the Irish American community that thinks there is something noble about this type of "rebel." (Although 9/11 dented that considerably) Those sad shits probably think that our Shane grew up hurling Molotov cocktails at Squaddies in the bogside. Westminster school is attached to Westminster Abbey (Where the Queen got crowned) across the road from Palace of Westminster (Where the house of commons and the house of Lords are located) Apart from the fact that this a massively expensive school, you can't get in unless you are VERY VERY well connected. It is the very heart of the establishment.
Shane McGowan and George Bush probaly have some mutual friends. There is no doubt, none whatsoever, that Shane and Prince Charles know the same people. No shame in that. Yet I can't quite remember a Pogues song that goes, "A year at my school cost more than your house yer cunt."
You may or may not know that our Shane was the son of a diplomat and attended Westminster School.
Now over here in the states our Shane does enjoy an image as something of a rebel. Even during the worst of the IRA outrages, (Enniskillen for instance, when they blew up a ceremony for those who died in the war. 50 dead was it? Imagine a terrorist group blowing up a veterans parade on memorial day here.) there is a strand of the Irish American community that thinks there is something noble about this type of "rebel." (Although 9/11 dented that considerably) Those sad shits probably think that our Shane grew up hurling Molotov cocktails at Squaddies in the bogside. Westminster school is attached to Westminster Abbey (Where the Queen got crowned) across the road from Palace of Westminster (Where the house of commons and the house of Lords are located) Apart from the fact that this a massively expensive school, you can't get in unless you are VERY VERY well connected. It is the very heart of the establishment.
Shane McGowan and George Bush probaly have some mutual friends. There is no doubt, none whatsoever, that Shane and Prince Charles know the same people. No shame in that. Yet I can't quite remember a Pogues song that goes, "A year at my school cost more than your house yer cunt."
I guess I better check McCarthy out. Anyone who puts a pint of Guinness on the front cover of his book can't be all bad, even if he has a thing against fake Irishmen.
But if we analyze the argument by the facts I have, by being given a life of tea and crumpets with the queen and then rejecting that and choosing a life of sleeping in gutter, singing for his pay, and drinking and taking pills from morning to night makes him a fake?
It sounds like jealousy to me.
Because by that logic everyone is a fake something.
You are a fake Englishman, I am a fake American, McCutcheon is a fake alcoholic, and McCarthy himself is a fake writer because he was born illiterate. Maybe that's his point, but I doubt it. I think he feels some hatred for McGowan because he is accepted and loved by a diverse array of people? I think most of the people I have met (no I can't remember any names it was in pubs) who say SG is a fake are jealous.
Also, most Americans supported the IRA because they felt that the English tried to impose their will on them by killing their language and culture, and people. True, Americans do the same thing, but your own shit always smells better than others.
But if we analyze the argument by the facts I have, by being given a life of tea and crumpets with the queen and then rejecting that and choosing a life of sleeping in gutter, singing for his pay, and drinking and taking pills from morning to night makes him a fake?
It sounds like jealousy to me.
Because by that logic everyone is a fake something.
You are a fake Englishman, I am a fake American, McCutcheon is a fake alcoholic, and McCarthy himself is a fake writer because he was born illiterate. Maybe that's his point, but I doubt it. I think he feels some hatred for McGowan because he is accepted and loved by a diverse array of people? I think most of the people I have met (no I can't remember any names it was in pubs) who say SG is a fake are jealous.
Also, most Americans supported the IRA because they felt that the English tried to impose their will on them by killing their language and culture, and people. True, Americans do the same thing, but your own shit always smells better than others.
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Tommy Martyn
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Sloth, I've got to tell you, you hurt me. Yes, I am a fake Englishman. I don't pay taxes there. I don't live there. The place didn't fall down when I left.
Having said that , I can speak with authority about my place and time in England. In that sense I'm not a fake. Alexie Sayle ( a native Liverpool son) once moaned that there were a few things the rich could never do. Among them were, swearing and dancing. These were the domain of the working class. He was annoyed when posh kids did them. Now obviously, posh kids can and do swear and dance. His point was, that they have everything else: the education, the jobs, the network, and all else that goes with it. He just wanted there to be some law of cultural fairness by which they should let the oiks have something of their own. Posh kids would just have to make do with everything else.
Shane Mc is not a fake because of where he went to school. (England) He is a fucking fake because he never sings about that. Sure he is Irish. He is very rich Irish. His Irishness isn't the source of his fakery, it is the denial of his own life. As someone who grew up poor, I'm telling you, Shaun,you don't get to pretend to be me without all the fucking heartache that growing up fucking broke entails. Having lived in housing condemmed by the local authorities as unfit for human habitation for two years (along with my mum and dad and brothers and sisters etc) I get annoyed when the mega rich pass themselves off as extras from Angela's Ashes.
To put into terms which you will enjoy. Shane Mc is not an Irish Shaun Ryder and if he had come from Manchester at the same time as our Shaun, he would have got his teeth punched out through his arsehole.
Having said that , I can speak with authority about my place and time in England. In that sense I'm not a fake. Alexie Sayle ( a native Liverpool son) once moaned that there were a few things the rich could never do. Among them were, swearing and dancing. These were the domain of the working class. He was annoyed when posh kids did them. Now obviously, posh kids can and do swear and dance. His point was, that they have everything else: the education, the jobs, the network, and all else that goes with it. He just wanted there to be some law of cultural fairness by which they should let the oiks have something of their own. Posh kids would just have to make do with everything else.
Shane Mc is not a fake because of where he went to school. (England) He is a fucking fake because he never sings about that. Sure he is Irish. He is very rich Irish. His Irishness isn't the source of his fakery, it is the denial of his own life. As someone who grew up poor, I'm telling you, Shaun,you don't get to pretend to be me without all the fucking heartache that growing up fucking broke entails. Having lived in housing condemmed by the local authorities as unfit for human habitation for two years (along with my mum and dad and brothers and sisters etc) I get annoyed when the mega rich pass themselves off as extras from Angela's Ashes.
To put into terms which you will enjoy. Shane Mc is not an Irish Shaun Ryder and if he had come from Manchester at the same time as our Shaun, he would have got his teeth punched out through his arsehole.
My point is keeping real to your class is like keeping real to your skin color or your sex or your nationality.
Now you may never realize it, but maybe your kids will. Having money as a kid means nothing. You don't appreciate it because you always had it. Money is only a source of comfort to those who don't have it.
The stereotype I would like to propose is that rich people have less emotions, less soul. Just like the Jarvis Cocker song Common People. They develop complex neuroses based on lack of social acceptance by the masses and other things. They hobnob at parties with the Pope (or whomever has fancy underwear) and then have sex with transvestities in public toilets like Hugh Grant, etc.
I should really shut up about Shane McGowan. I love his discs, both with the Pogues and solo. To me they are timeless, especially Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash. His social class is totally irrevelent to me because I was born in a country where there is no ingrained class system. I think the whole thing is a bit ridiculous. Not being British I can just say I don't care.
But there must be a paralell. Perhaps...
Maybe it would be like Bush's daughter making a string of very artistic gangster rap discs that sold well in Britain, and this poor guy from Detroit would say to a visiting Brit... "Yo, Jeeves, that skank ain't never sold her cootchie at 16 for no chedddah yo, she grew up in da fucking White House. She's a fake ho."
Now you may never realize it, but maybe your kids will. Having money as a kid means nothing. You don't appreciate it because you always had it. Money is only a source of comfort to those who don't have it.
The stereotype I would like to propose is that rich people have less emotions, less soul. Just like the Jarvis Cocker song Common People. They develop complex neuroses based on lack of social acceptance by the masses and other things. They hobnob at parties with the Pope (or whomever has fancy underwear) and then have sex with transvestities in public toilets like Hugh Grant, etc.
I should really shut up about Shane McGowan. I love his discs, both with the Pogues and solo. To me they are timeless, especially Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash. His social class is totally irrevelent to me because I was born in a country where there is no ingrained class system. I think the whole thing is a bit ridiculous. Not being British I can just say I don't care.
But there must be a paralell. Perhaps...
Maybe it would be like Bush's daughter making a string of very artistic gangster rap discs that sold well in Britain, and this poor guy from Detroit would say to a visiting Brit... "Yo, Jeeves, that skank ain't never sold her cootchie at 16 for no chedddah yo, she grew up in da fucking White House. She's a fake ho."
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mccutcheon
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I must say I'm shocked to learn of Shane's silver spoon. It's not that one would assume he was working class, necessarily, but...jeez you damn sure wouldn't think he was upper class either. I give up, I don't know anything anymore. So Tommy why then does he have such bad teeth? Sorry I know this is a sensitive thing for some Brits but it's still a mystery to me, the condition of many people's teeth over there. I asked this guy from Wales about it and he said they do have flouride in their water, but that they just don't take oral hygiene particularly seriously. Is that it? Does Shane just have bad genes? Had he done speed at some point? I'm not trying to judge Brits on this negatively I'm just honestly curious to understand. There's a reason there's a compilation of UK mod music called "Bad Teeth".
Well I suppose many of us are off topic now. But I wonder if Martino will get mad about that. Since after all, I'm not the one who derailed this thread. Maybe he only gets fed up when *I* get off topic. Maybe it's okay for everyone else *but* me. That could actually be it. Hadn't thought of that.
I suppose I'm supposed to comment on Kaiser Chiefs but then that means giving them another listen. And I'm afraid I'm just not optimistic enough for that, at least not until I'm certain that Martino doesn't have something against me personally.
Well I suppose many of us are off topic now. But I wonder if Martino will get mad about that. Since after all, I'm not the one who derailed this thread. Maybe he only gets fed up when *I* get off topic. Maybe it's okay for everyone else *but* me. That could actually be it. Hadn't thought of that.
I suppose I'm supposed to comment on Kaiser Chiefs but then that means giving them another listen. And I'm afraid I'm just not optimistic enough for that, at least not until I'm certain that Martino doesn't have something against me personally.