Re: SELL OUT

["Jim M" <petenotped@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

---- Original Message ----- From: "Schrade, Scott"

As usual, Scott, your comments say it all.  I'll only add a few things.

> Unlike Kevin's half-assed attempt, I feel I must comment on each song.

Well, good for you.  I'm far too busy (ahem, lazy) for that.  You'll get
what I've got time for, and like it.

> "Armenia" - One thing has always puzzled me about this song.  If you're
making up a fictional "city in the sky," why do you give it the same name as
a real country?

> "Mary-Anne" - One of my favorite of the early singles.  Nice melody.  A
feel good song (Scott, get your mind out of the gutter).  Funnily, the names
of the girls are almost identical to those of my four sisters, which adds a
personal touch for me (Scott, you pig!).

> "Odorono" -  OK, I'm a sucker for corny jokes.  When I first listened to
this song and heard the punch line, "her deoderant had let her down; she
should have used Odorono," I died.  It lures you in to thinking it's a
serious, albiet light song, and then turns slapstick at the end.  Wonderful.

> "Tattoo" - Wasn't a big fan until the Leeds re-master came out.  It's
grown on me a lot since then.  Some terrific lines, and some inane ones, as
well.  "Now I'm older, I'm tattooed all over; My wife is tattooed too."
You've just got to love that.  And, 35 years later, like so many things Who,
tattoos are hugely cool.  Never noticed until just now the meaning of
passing the "barber and gymnasium" on the way to the tattoo parlor.  Yes,
those would have been two far more productive places to spend that money you
borrowed from Mother.

> "Our Love Was" - That Sparks riff pops up at the end of this, too.  Very
simplistic, lyrically.  "Our love was famine, frustration...and then,
suddenly...Our love was flying, our love was soaring."  Gee, I wonder what
happened that "suddenly" changed everything for Pete?  Hmmmm?  WOOO
HOOO...PETE GOT LAID!

> "I Can See For Miles" - This song is a sledgehammer, slamming your head
with these repeating sounds from all four parts, bass, guitar, drums and
vocals.  It should be monotonous, but it's not.  It's spellbinding and
hugely powerful.  An all-time classic.

> "Medac" - Juvenile.  Immature.  A riot.  I love it.

> "Relax" - Doesn't do much for me.  Somewhat boring and a little shrill in
places.  Looking at it with recent conversations in mind, with a little work
this could have been a Lifehouse song.  Interesting.

> "Silas Stingy" - A derivative portrait of an old miser.  Nice use of the
music to paint a mental image, coupled with mostly well written, humrous
lyrics.  I'd play this for my kids, if I had kids.

> "Rael" - Just as confused about the meaning as everyone else.  Red Chins
certainly do make you think of Chinese Communists.  I wonder if that's too
obvious. I like to imagine it's a degrading term for the enemy, like they
tend to have red facial hair or something.  And Israel seems an implausible
meaning for Rael.  If it is, why meet on Christmas Day for a start?  So,
Rael is a Christian country.  Whatever it means, the story will never be
known.
What really fascinates me is just how fully musical themes from Tommy are
found here.  It's not just that it sounds a lot like Sparks.  Much of Sparks
is played here note for note (at least to my musically inept ear).  Is that
as unusual as it seems to me?  Does anyone know of a band that has taken a
song of theirs and recycled it in such a way?

So, I'm supposed to pick best/worst?  OK, here goes:

Best:  Has to be I Can See For Miles.  I know, that's a boring, stock
answer.  But, it's such a great song.

Worst: I Can't Reach You.  I can't even think of anything to say about it.

Jim M