I was a bit unkind last time we had a Word cover CD, suggesting they were a bit formulaic. I read and enjoy David Hepworth's blog, and he occasionally comments on the thinking that goes into his compilation of these CDs, demonstrating his usual sophistication and ability to see through a sham.
But all the same, let's see how this one measures up to the recipe I proposed previously.
- Something for the old folks who listen to the Bob Harris show (several songs here could appear on that show, including The Hold Steady, Don McGlashan, Paula Frazer, Rickie Lee Jones);
- something continental to show how sophisticated we are (Ojos de Brujo);
- something from the Camden-NME-indie axis (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are listed on the cover, but don't actually appear on the CD, presumably due to a last minute licensing hitch);
- some grown-up pop music à la Magic Numbers (The Little Ones, Brett Dennen);
- some soft female singer-songwriter stuff to chill out and express our sensitive side (Corrina Repp);
- something with a hint of dub or rap (but not too hardcore) to show that we can still shake our ass, or at least recognise the importance of others doing so (it's not dub or rap, but Tinariwen are still 'fit for purpose' on this count);
- fill out with the best of the new releases (The Pierces, Son of Rose);
- and an old classic to round things off (The Triffids, Tommy Jones & the Shondells);
So I don't think this evidence can count as a refutation of my conjecture.
I had to break the virgin cellophane wrapping this CD to listen to it, so I can't claim to be familiar with it. The biggest first impressions were made by The Pierces' caustic world-weariness and (unlikely for me, this one) Bill Kirchen's honky tonk song featuring the repeated lyrical refrain "born at the junction of form and function". I could do with more country songs that feature phrases like that. Usually when I see Bill Kirchen's name in listings I think of Basil Kirchin. Evidently they are quite different.
A quick tally of the records and CDs I've acquired so far this year, and a comparison with five years ago:
| 2007 so far | Between 1 Jan and 27 Aug 2002 | |
| Bought direct at a gig | 4 | 3 |
| Bought from artist website or MySpace page | 2 | 1 |
| Gifts | 2 | 1 |
| Won as a prize in a competition | 1 | 0 |
| Bought online | 3 | 28 |
| Bought in store | 0 | 77 |
| Covermount on magazine | 16* | 5 |
* almost certainly an underestimate, since I'm poor at keeping track of all of these.
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