Swiss Toni's Shuffleathon

The incomparable Swiss Toni organised a Shuffleathon recently: lots of volunteers were to make CDs of songs that were important to them and send them to someone else, drawn out of Swiss' hat. Once we get our CD we have to write a review. I received my CD yesterday. Funnily enough, it came from Lord Bargain, who is the only other person I link to that Swiss links to at the moment. I can't tell you what was on my CD yet because I haven't sent it... can't walk, you see, and people keep forgetting to buy me padded envelopes when I ask them to.

Anyway, here's my review of Lord Bargain's CD. As usual, where I could have used a few words, I've used a lot. The CD arrived without a tracklisting, so I wrote the review before I knew who some of the artists were. He emailed me the tracklisting on request, which is how I know who they all are.

“A Little Respect” – Erasure.
This is a great pop song. It manages to have a verse that’s as catchy as the chorus, which is rare. However, it always conjures up the uncomfortable image of Andy Bell in a tight-fitting, extremely revealing leotard. The song often worms its way into my head, actually, so I’ve had to come up with a strategy to stop the image from appearing too. In my head, I slow the song right down and imagine that Morrissey sings it. Not only does it get Bell out of my head, but it makes the song more melancholy and possibly even slightly better. Try it! Great start to the CD.

Track 2 - Sounds like “High and Dry” by Radiohead sung by Enrique Igleasias with a poppier edge and less obscure lyrics. This is catchy, melancholy and pleasant.
I later discovered that it was “Say Something” by Haven.

Track 3 – No idea what this is. Sounds like something from a film starring Michael J Fox or Bruce Willis. Also sounds a bit like Phil Collins, so I suppose it could be Genesis. I recognise the chorus, which seems to go “All I Neeeeeeeeed!”, because it's been remixed into a great house record. Very heavy reverb on the vocals and cheesy stabs of synthesized brass with some superb flams. Perfect 80s pop.
I later discovered that this was “Valerie” by Steve Winwood.

Track 4 – Starts with piano… I’m expecting some Keane, knowing that LB is a big fan. This isn’t Keane. It’s a love song claiming that love moves in mysterious ways. More reverb turned up to 11. Plaintive, yearning, sincere. Peaceful verses with dynamic choruses introduced by a snare that sounds like it’s being played in a cathedral. Nice dynamics, in other words. There’s even a key change. I can imagine the video for this: wind blowing through the singer’s hair as she clutches at air, closes her eyes and gently cries, so dumbfounded is she by love’s way of moving mysteriously. She’s in a red dress and has an unforgettably massive perm. I like this song in the same way that I like “Alone” by Heart.
I later discover that it’s Julia Fordham’s “Love Moves In Mysterious Ways”.

Track 5 – Great start. Sounds a bit harder, this one. It’s very familiar. Could be Embrace or someone? Singalong chorus. Finishes with a sustained high note reminiscent of John Travolta’s at the end of “Summer Nights”. The singer can’t hold the note and sounds as if he’s falling out of an aeroplane. They really should have re-recorded that. I like this song. It’s a feelgood winner.
I later discover that it’s “You Can Talk To Me” by The Seahorses. That’s John Squire et al, isn’t it? Did they do anything else that was this good?

Track 6 - Sounds like it might be Gene? Great tune and inventive guitar work. Like the voice too… you can hear the pain of loss in it. “Is there a country just for the lonely?” he asks. It’s an interesting question: there should be, of course. It’s an even more interesting concept, which could have been developed further by the lyrics, I think. What would such a country be like? Everyone would know how everyone else felt and would be able to genuinely say, “I know how you feel”. If it was full of lonely people, there’d be no need to be lonely anymore, because they could all visit each other easily or even share a house etc. Then the song wouldn’t need to exist anymore either, which would be a shame, because it’s lovely.
I was right, it is Gene with “Somewhere In The World”. I liked Gene without ever really listening to much of their stuff. Perhaps I should raid their back catalogue too?

Track 7 – What have I done to deserve this? No, that’s not my response to this CD. That’s the name of the song. Ha ha. This starts with what sounds like someone banging pipes or doing some plumbing in the background. It turns out to be part of the rhythm. And here we are with the unmistakeable voice of Neil Tennant. It’s the Pet Shop Boys, of course. I like them. I bought one of their albums once. But I don’t like it when he talks instead of singing. Other than that, this is top of the pops.
I later discovered it’s Dusty Springfield too. I like her voice.

Track 8 – Another rockier song with some lovely strings. Is this a man or a woman singing? Or both? I don’t mean a hermaphrodite. I mean two singers. Could it be that awful Darren Hayes bloke who sung with that Savage Garden rabble? It’s too rocky for him. And it sounds a lot better than anything I ever heard Savage Garden do. Soothing strings, big chorus and interesting lyrics about mattresses, window-seats and chess. It’s probably about the end of a relationship. It’s another cracker, actually, which is growing on me with each listen.
It’s Tranquilizer by Geneva.

Track 9 – The chorus says “Love changes everything”, but it’s not Michael Ball. This is a more upbeat, less operatic song, with chinky, reverbed guitars. It’s very 80s. It has a meandering melody; I don’t know if I would be able to sing it even if I’d heard it dozens of times, because it doesn’t go where I expect it to.
I’m just listening to the CD again as I edit my comments and this song is suddenly “proper bo”. It’s the “Do do do do do do” in the chorus. Pure, unadulterated, cheesy class. I get the feeling I should know this song already, but I don’t. This is almost as good as “Easy Lover” by Collins and Bailey, which I also disliked the first time I heard it, then grew to love.
I later discovered I had been listening to Love Changes (Everything) by Climie Fisher. I love a song title which makes use of brackets. After looking on the internet I discovered that Climie Fisher are in fact two different people. Climie and Fisher are their surnames. Well I never did.

Track 10 – Starts with a piano, but it’s still not Keane. Here come some great guitar power chords, which is always the best way to start a song, and there’s some nice syncopated timing. This is hands-in-the-air pop-rawk. They keep saying “together” and other words ending in “-er” and sound very Bristolian when they do it. But it’s not The Wurzels. I recognise this song and can sing the chorus, but don’t know who it is. This song wins the “best guitar solo on CD” award – good for air guitar, although the solo is slightly too brief for my tastes. I would only have got through my first windmill by the time it finishes. Big, classic, singalong anthem. Absolutely perfect for a wedding.
It’s REO Speedwagon – “Keep On Loving You”.

Track 11 – I know this one. Savage Garden – “Truly Madly Deeply”. Er… sorry about those comments I made in Track 8… it’s just that I can’t listen to Savage Garden without feeling slightly nauseous. Wins the “Worst lyrics on the CD” award without any question. I think I’ll just move on to the next one. Shudder.

Track 12 – Here they are! It’s Keane. I’m not a massive fan, but they’re very pleasant to listen to. It’s “Everybody’s Changing”, which is a bit of a surprise, as I thought, when I saw the CD was from LB, that “This is the last time” would be a dead cert. Best production on the CD: this is very professional, very crisp music and he has a lovely voice.

Overall, it was great to get a CD with so much stuff on it that I didn’t know. Each time I’ve listened to it, it’s grown on me. I liked the 80s and early 90s stuff - it's always good to be introduced to music I missed out on at the time because I was doing my homework or watching Open All Hours or something instead. The track that keeps worming its way back into my head at present, though, is the Seahorses one.Thanks LB.

Lord Bargain knew that I’ve been holed up at home, so he also very kindly sent me some choice reading material. I’ll be picking out a couple of my personal highlights from Britain's Favourite Newspaper tomorrow. I’m very grateful for the CD and his thoughtfulness in sending me the other stuff.

Thanks to Swiss Toni too for, you know, the shuffleathon. Right, I'm off to practise my air guitar.