OK, so here I sit at 11:37 PM on Thursday night knowing that I am going to throw out an obscure flashback after the clock tolls midnight. It has been a while since I did a flashback, and sometimes you just gotta go with what feels right (well, most of the time you SHOULD go with what feels right). Given my current state of affairs, nothing makes me feel better than the following ditty by a one SIR Paul Weller.
Now, if you're a Brit, SIR Paul Weller needs no intro whatsoever...he's fairly well known on the Isles. Most of my readers, I assume, have NO idea who Paul Weller is. I got to know his work intimately just before his iconic band, The Jam, broke up. A much maligned break up which was indeed engineered by the eponymous Mr. Weller, who formed his follow-up act, The Style Council, before actually disbanding The Jam.
While his follow-up act issued a few note worthy tunes, it did nothing even remotely as influential or important as the music produced by that famous three man band, The Jam. Damn, I miss those guys and their vastly underappreciated (at least here in the States) music.
Classified mostly as Mod or New Wave, influenced mostly by The Who, The Jam was and will always be one of my absolute favorite bands of all time (and that says a lot, as you know if you've seen my flashbacks and know I enjoy a wide range of music).
Ghosts isn't their most 'rocking' tune, to be sure, and came toward the end of their legendary run, but DAMN just listen to it and be amazed at the musical perfection therein.
Enjoy Ghosts by The Jam!
Not much of a vid unless you want to follow the lyrics. Minimize and I bet you replay it again before the day is over. CRANK it way up. By the time you are enjoying this one I will be on a plane to St. Louis for a few days.
See ya when I return.
~Sham,
oh and I almost forgot, Quixotic Referee
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6 comments:
Just a few post post comments.
I know I'm probably in the minority that finds that 'Ghosts' truly speaks to them. I find it a masterpiece of lyricism.
To quote:
'One day you'll walk right out of this life'
'How do you feel at the end of the day, as if you've walked over your own grave'
and
'Pick up your lonely heart and walk right on through'
Those lines in particular really speak to me in ways few other rock lyrics can.
What are they saying? As with all good songs, the personal interpretation is somewhat open ended and might mean something entirely different to you, the listener.
Aside from the drum machine (which, mind you, sounded hip and modern when this song was produced) I can't find any reason to not call this song 'flawless'.
My $.02.
One of my personal favorites as well, my favorite Jam song is Eton Rifles. Hip hip hooray.
I like "The Eton Rifles" because there's a reference to Slough in there, where I used to live (and where my father was born). My favorite Jam song period is probably "Strange Town" though.
Have you heard Paul's latest solo album, Sham-ster?
No, I have not really kept up with Paul Weller since just after Style Council came to an end (and that's been a long time now).
I saw him on (iirc) London Live last week doing a solo song, and then a Jam song. He sounded great. Should I seek out his newer solo stuff?
~Sham
Yeah, I would say if you like The Jam you'd like most of his solo stuff. I'd try 1995's Stanley Road or 2005's As Is Now, or maybe one of his greatest hits albums to get a sample of everything.
Completely unrelated to this awesome Jam post, and in a totally different vein, I just wanted to share this clip I ran across today. Thought you might appreciate it:
http://sirlarkins.livejournal.com/189786.html
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