Two main versions:
* "Full Version" (1981) - Kleine Krieg (4:29)
* "Edited Version" (1981) - Stained Glass Soma Fountains (1:47)
An unlisted song on the end of the tape. The Full Version fades out and is followed by a man who says "Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water."
On Stained Glass Soma Fountains it is between 9:36 and 11:26 in the track "Jack-Thursday Night Fever #1-Die With Your Eyes On-Opus Dei." Only the first 1:47 of the track are included.
Instruments: Synth sent through rotor to create rhythm; monk chanting sample with heavy oscillating filter; synth bell noises.
Showing posts with label Stained Glass Soma Fountains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stained Glass Soma Fountains. Show all posts
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Die With Yer Eyes On
One main version:
* (1981) - Kleine Krieg (1:29), Stained Glass Soma Fountains (1:27)
AKA "Die With Your Eyes On."
Fades in from the end of "Thursday Night Fever." It is essentially just the final section of the Pulsing Keyboard Version of "Stoned Obituary" played backwards, with some of the keyboards sent through what sounds like a ring modulator.
On Stained Glass Soma Fountains it is between 8:08 and 9:35 in the track "Jack-Thursday Night Fever #1-Die With Your Eyes On-Opus Dei."
Unavailable elsewhere.
* (1981) - Kleine Krieg (1:29), Stained Glass Soma Fountains (1:27)
AKA "Die With Your Eyes On."
Fades in from the end of "Thursday Night Fever." It is essentially just the final section of the Pulsing Keyboard Version of "Stoned Obituary" played backwards, with some of the keyboards sent through what sounds like a ring modulator.
On Stained Glass Soma Fountains it is between 8:08 and 9:35 in the track "Jack-Thursday Night Fever #1-Die With Your Eyes On-Opus Dei."
Unavailable elsewhere.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Hanging Gardens
Three main versions:
* "1981 Version " (1981) - Chemical Playschool 2 (4:33)
A quiet, pretty song with very little change throughout. The lyrics during the long lead-out are bathed in plate reverb and very difficult to hear.
Unavailable elsewhere.
Instruments: Sequenced keyboard bassline; organ chords; single vocal track; high-pitched synth melody.
* "Lush Version" (1982) - Brigher Now (6:15)
Fades in from the drums at the end of "City Ghosts." In a different key than the 1981 version. Instead of the woman's tears feeding the weeds, the line is now "so much salt and water flowing free," though the weeds are still mentioned during the chorus. At 4:00 the song crossfades into the same song played backwards with a slightly different mix.
Instruments: Sequenced keyboard bassline; single vocal track with additional vocoder treatment on another track; second vocal track repeating key lyrics; gentle synth pads; acoustic guitar; heavy echo effects;
* "Flowmotion Version" (1982) - Stained Glass Soma Fountains (4:16)
Once again, in a different key from the other two versions, and a new recording. Often the tracks are mixed with heavy reverse echo and delay effects. Uses the updated lyrics ("so much salt and water flowing free"). The hanging gardens are described as "no place for little girls" and "the bell is tolling." Ends with samples from the "Ooooh" suffix at the end of the Full Band Version of "Red Castles."
Instruments: Sequenced keyboard bassline; single vocal track; gentle synth pads; acoustic guitar.
What It's About:
A man has been hung in the "hanging gardens," supposedly because he was a thief, but his defense was apparently ignored at his trial. A female admirer comes occasionally to visit, mourn, and leave mementos for him. The gardens are a peaceful place full of gently twisting corpses, and when the admirer faints she feels disgraced. Meanwhile the ghosts of the dead insist upon their innocence.
In this song, the phrase "hanging gardens" means a garden in which people are hung, but it is also a reference to the hanging gardens of Babylon.
Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):
Twisted east south north with the wind that rippled his hair.
I stared constant, laughing, but the joy had gone.
Snuffed out by the dawn, the rope had torn his flesh and broke his neck,
set him dancing on the air...
in the Hanging Gardens.
Dancing with the dead.
So peaceful there.
Branded as a thief, they stole his name, they stole his face.
Gone without a trace, they killed his dignity, squeezed him dry.
Cried for mercy but to judges with no ears,
no heart, smart in their black caps...
in the Hanging Gardens.
Nice. Nice.
Love notes and carnations fading, slowly dying, lying at his feet.
Sweet aroma lingered on the air. Stood and stared.
Was numb now. Cried so much it had no meaning.
So much salt and water feeds the choking weeds...
in the Hanging Gardens.
Flowing gently. Flowing free.
Dressed in virgin's white she masked her eyes with cold surprise.
Cursed her name, the pain was creeping swiftly.
Twisted her inside, she retched and reached out for a hand,
landed on her face, disgraced, no place for fainting queens...
in the hanging gardens.
No place for us.
[?]
Talk to me.
Talk to you.
[?] the hanging gardens
Can you hear the ghosts screaming their innocence?
Why You Should Care:
"Love Notes and Carnations" is also the title of a Tear Garden song.
* "1981 Version " (1981) - Chemical Playschool 2 (4:33)
A quiet, pretty song with very little change throughout. The lyrics during the long lead-out are bathed in plate reverb and very difficult to hear.
Unavailable elsewhere.
Instruments: Sequenced keyboard bassline; organ chords; single vocal track; high-pitched synth melody.
* "Lush Version" (1982) - Brigher Now (6:15)
Fades in from the drums at the end of "City Ghosts." In a different key than the 1981 version. Instead of the woman's tears feeding the weeds, the line is now "so much salt and water flowing free," though the weeds are still mentioned during the chorus. At 4:00 the song crossfades into the same song played backwards with a slightly different mix.
Instruments: Sequenced keyboard bassline; single vocal track with additional vocoder treatment on another track; second vocal track repeating key lyrics; gentle synth pads; acoustic guitar; heavy echo effects;
* "Flowmotion Version" (1982) - Stained Glass Soma Fountains (4:16)
Once again, in a different key from the other two versions, and a new recording. Often the tracks are mixed with heavy reverse echo and delay effects. Uses the updated lyrics ("so much salt and water flowing free"). The hanging gardens are described as "no place for little girls" and "the bell is tolling." Ends with samples from the "Ooooh" suffix at the end of the Full Band Version of "Red Castles."
Instruments: Sequenced keyboard bassline; single vocal track; gentle synth pads; acoustic guitar.
What It's About:
A man has been hung in the "hanging gardens," supposedly because he was a thief, but his defense was apparently ignored at his trial. A female admirer comes occasionally to visit, mourn, and leave mementos for him. The gardens are a peaceful place full of gently twisting corpses, and when the admirer faints she feels disgraced. Meanwhile the ghosts of the dead insist upon their innocence.
In this song, the phrase "hanging gardens" means a garden in which people are hung, but it is also a reference to the hanging gardens of Babylon.
Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):
Twisted east south north with the wind that rippled his hair.
I stared constant, laughing, but the joy had gone.
Snuffed out by the dawn, the rope had torn his flesh and broke his neck,
set him dancing on the air...
in the Hanging Gardens.
Dancing with the dead.
So peaceful there.
Branded as a thief, they stole his name, they stole his face.
Gone without a trace, they killed his dignity, squeezed him dry.
Cried for mercy but to judges with no ears,
no heart, smart in their black caps...
in the Hanging Gardens.
Nice. Nice.
Love notes and carnations fading, slowly dying, lying at his feet.
Sweet aroma lingered on the air. Stood and stared.
Was numb now. Cried so much it had no meaning.
So much salt and water feeds the choking weeds...
in the Hanging Gardens.
Flowing gently. Flowing free.
Dressed in virgin's white she masked her eyes with cold surprise.
Cursed her name, the pain was creeping swiftly.
Twisted her inside, she retched and reached out for a hand,
landed on her face, disgraced, no place for fainting queens...
in the hanging gardens.
No place for us.
[?]
Talk to me.
Talk to you.
[?] the hanging gardens
Can you hear the ghosts screaming their innocence?
Why You Should Care:
"Love Notes and Carnations" is also the title of a Tear Garden song.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Frosty
Two main versions:
* "1980 Version" (September 1980) - Stained Glass Soma Fountains (4:43)
Fades in with drum pattern and somebody (Knight?) counting down: "one, two, a-one two three four." There's a brief tape glitch three minutes in. Ka-Spel sings all the lyrics alone. Ends with a sustained chord and then some studio chatter, possibly between Knight and Iliffe:
"Let's stop! That's great. Oooh."
"Mmmm."
"Oooh."
"I just thought we'd want to, uh..."
Instruments: Single drum pattern; piano melody; warm synth chords with bassline barely audible underneath, sometimes all pitched up suddenly, lots of chorus added halfway through; one vocal track without any effects.
* "Full Band Version" (1981) - Only Dreaming (4:38), Chemical Playschool 2 (4:40), Under Triple Moons (4:24)
The Only Dreaming mix and Chemical Playschool mixes both start abruptly, though Chemical Playschool cuts off a bit (and sounds like the tape was started in the middle of a note). The Under Triple Moons mix fades in. On all mixes you can hear somebody laughing before the lyrics start, though this is only really identifiable on Only Dreaming. April Iliffe provides accent lyrics in the second half. All mixes have a long fade-out, with Only Dreaming being the longest and Under Triple Moons being the shortest.
All mixes run at slightly different speeds.
Instruments: Live drums; organ melody; warm synth bassline; acoustic guitar; two vocal tracks; tambourine; quiet high-pitched synth chords pitched up and down; Iliffe "sha-la-la" vocals during the second half, with a second track of vocals for the "ahh-ahh" part; synth bell sounds.
Sounds a lot like:
This seems like a strange subject for a song, but it's oddly similar to 1979's "Frozen Fred" by the Dutch band Nits.
What It's About:
A freakish person, constantly derided, retreats to the comfort of a little hideway (a "fridge"). He occasionally emerges to try to gain respect or to inspire awe, but he is always thwarted and sent back into hiding, despite the best intentions and actions of the narrator's friends. Since "Frosty" is hiding when Armageddon arrives, he becomes the only survivor left on Earth.
Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):
He always looked behind him, scared somebody would jump him.
Put him on the ground so he'd come around to the sound of people laughing.
'Cos the whole world loved to mock him. Sun and moon both pointed at him.
Kids would twist their necks to get a better view.
Well, it really did his mind in, and we wanted to protect him,
so we placed his face in a smash-proof case and placed it...
in the fridge.
They giggled in the corners, whispered lies across the borders.
They derided him and chided him 'til he carried out their orders.
But he dashed into the limelight, played at Hamlet for a fortnight.
Waved his arms and screamed demands for some respect.
But they just could not excuse him, it was really too amusing.
So he packed his sack and scrambled back to safety...
in the fridge.
And I swear I saw his spirit in the sky with nothing near it.
High on armour-plated roller skates, white-feathered train to steer it.
Scared somebody would look up, gesticulate and throw up.
Send him flitting, fleeting, scarred behind a cloud.
But for him, there's no escaping, no hole big enough to hide in.
Best just to stay nicely out the way in safety...
in the fridge.
In the village bells were tolling, in the town the dogs were howling.
It was Armageddon, tanks crashed head-on, planet Earth was drowning.
Then the Devil sent a shower, Europe died in half an hour.
Then a demon wind just finished off the rest.
But our friend, he took a teabreak, idly munching on a fish-cake.
Quite oblivious in ignorance but cosy...
in the fridge
It's so cold there, in the fridge.
It's so icy, frosty.
It's so cold in the fridge.
* "1980 Version" (September 1980) - Stained Glass Soma Fountains (4:43)
Fades in with drum pattern and somebody (Knight?) counting down: "one, two, a-one two three four." There's a brief tape glitch three minutes in. Ka-Spel sings all the lyrics alone. Ends with a sustained chord and then some studio chatter, possibly between Knight and Iliffe:
"Let's stop! That's great. Oooh."
"Mmmm."
"Oooh."
"I just thought we'd want to, uh..."
Instruments: Single drum pattern; piano melody; warm synth chords with bassline barely audible underneath, sometimes all pitched up suddenly, lots of chorus added halfway through; one vocal track without any effects.
* "Full Band Version" (1981) - Only Dreaming (4:38), Chemical Playschool 2 (4:40), Under Triple Moons (4:24)
The Only Dreaming mix and Chemical Playschool mixes both start abruptly, though Chemical Playschool cuts off a bit (and sounds like the tape was started in the middle of a note). The Under Triple Moons mix fades in. On all mixes you can hear somebody laughing before the lyrics start, though this is only really identifiable on Only Dreaming. April Iliffe provides accent lyrics in the second half. All mixes have a long fade-out, with Only Dreaming being the longest and Under Triple Moons being the shortest.
All mixes run at slightly different speeds.
Instruments: Live drums; organ melody; warm synth bassline; acoustic guitar; two vocal tracks; tambourine; quiet high-pitched synth chords pitched up and down; Iliffe "sha-la-la" vocals during the second half, with a second track of vocals for the "ahh-ahh" part; synth bell sounds.
Sounds a lot like:
This seems like a strange subject for a song, but it's oddly similar to 1979's "Frozen Fred" by the Dutch band Nits.
What It's About:
A freakish person, constantly derided, retreats to the comfort of a little hideway (a "fridge"). He occasionally emerges to try to gain respect or to inspire awe, but he is always thwarted and sent back into hiding, despite the best intentions and actions of the narrator's friends. Since "Frosty" is hiding when Armageddon arrives, he becomes the only survivor left on Earth.
Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):
He always looked behind him, scared somebody would jump him.
Put him on the ground so he'd come around to the sound of people laughing.
'Cos the whole world loved to mock him. Sun and moon both pointed at him.
Kids would twist their necks to get a better view.
Well, it really did his mind in, and we wanted to protect him,
so we placed his face in a smash-proof case and placed it...
in the fridge.
They giggled in the corners, whispered lies across the borders.
They derided him and chided him 'til he carried out their orders.
But he dashed into the limelight, played at Hamlet for a fortnight.
Waved his arms and screamed demands for some respect.
But they just could not excuse him, it was really too amusing.
So he packed his sack and scrambled back to safety...
in the fridge.
And I swear I saw his spirit in the sky with nothing near it.
High on armour-plated roller skates, white-feathered train to steer it.
Scared somebody would look up, gesticulate and throw up.
Send him flitting, fleeting, scarred behind a cloud.
But for him, there's no escaping, no hole big enough to hide in.
Best just to stay nicely out the way in safety...
in the fridge.
In the village bells were tolling, in the town the dogs were howling.
It was Armageddon, tanks crashed head-on, planet Earth was drowning.
Then the Devil sent a shower, Europe died in half an hour.
Then a demon wind just finished off the rest.
But our friend, he took a teabreak, idly munching on a fish-cake.
Quite oblivious in ignorance but cosy...
in the fridge
It's so cold there, in the fridge.
It's so icy, frosty.
It's so cold in the fridge.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Thursday Night Fever
Three main versions:
* "Clicky Version" (1981) - Kleine Krieg (6:08), Stained Glass Soma Fountains (6:00)
Called "Thursday Night Fever #1" on "Stained Glass Soma Fountains."
On Kleine Krieg it fades in from the squeaky noises at the end of "Down from the Country." The mix on Stained Glass Soma Fountains fades in from the end of "Jack" (2:00) but also includes the "Down from the Country" squeaky noises.
On both mixes the music fades out, replaced by vocoder speech, synth sirens, and unrelated melody lines, and soon the music fades back in. Over all this the vocal tracks continue ("I own you...you're my girl.") Suddenly a series of monumental chords are played on a keyboard; when they end the next track ("Die With Yer Eyes On") fades in.
Instruments: Unsteady single drum machine pattern; regular sequenced synth pattern that sometimes becomes white noise; quiet synth melody that isn't much related to the actual song; two vocal tracks which are slightly different.
* "Throbbing Keyboard Version" (1981) - Only Dreaming (5:22), Ancient Daze (4:47), Ancient Daze CD-R (5:21)
A sweet, backwards guitar solo -- unrelated to the "Thursday Night Fever" song at all -- begins the song on both mixes, though on Only Dreaming and Ancient Daze CD-R the solo plays for 53 seconds, ends abruptly, and "Thursday Night Fever" begins, whereas on Ancient Daze CD only twenty seconds of the solo is played, and it is mixed into the beginning of the song.
All mixes end the same way: as more of the backwards "Soma Bath" is played, the music repeats and fades out.
This version does not even attempt a melody.
Instruments: Repeating keyboard sequence; another repeating sequence that swoops down occasionally; snippets of backwards tracks including Soma Bath; two vocal tracks with flange and plate reverb;
* "Pink Box Version" (1988) - Legendary Pink Box (6:15)
The only version with a real melody, this is the only one to really reflect the evil of the lyrics. Starts suddenly. Gradually degenerates until, by 4:30, it has become a gentle backwards track (keyboards, vocals) which fades into a brief snippet of a backwards drum machine.
Two groups of lyrics have been removed in this version: the "And you'll comfort me...make me king again" section and "You're coming home with me...just a game." In addition, all references to "boogieing" have been wisely removed.
Instruments: Bass guitar; single vocal track; repeated keyboard line with hint of percussion; occasional drum machine accents; electric guitar that begins an extended solo in the middle; distorted sample of descending notes; climactic, choppy keyboard chords played before the song begins to degenerate; synthesized vocal chorus during guitar solo; cascading keyboard sound.
What It's About:
An obsessive, jealous boy warns a woman -- perhaps his girlfriend -- that she must be permanently, totally, 100% loyal to him. She must have no friends or outside interests and must always be there to make him feel like "a king again," especially when his workmates make him feel insecure. His demands are laughably childish but his violent threats -- against her and her "new friend" -- are serious.
Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):
(All versions differ very slightly in their exact lyrics)
If looks could kill, if a touch caused a seizure,
you'd be dead as a rock, no room in the freezer.
Tease you with my fingers, squeeze you,
'til you rattle like an engine that's collapsing,
gasping out for oil.
You nervous? Well you should be.
'Cos you know how jealous I get.
As for your new friend, he'll end his days down an alley.
Shall he call the law? I doubt it.
Curtains closing faster, faster. Turns young lovers to statistics.
Nervous? Well, he should be.
He can see how jealous I am.
Just a jealous boy.
Want you safe at home, alone,
ignore the phone, except when you're convinced it's me
inquiring about your welfare.
I care about your paintings and your poems,
love's like that: caring, sharing, on our own forever.
And you'll be there when I'm back from work,
the jerks who bark their orders, smolder, leer, and patronize.
It's insincere. But you'll be there, to comfort me.
Comfort me, and make my tea, and make me king again.
The pain will go away and we'll make plans about our cottage, miles away,
no interruptions, us together, never seeing anyone.
And if you want to dance, we'll fit the lounge up with a disco,
play the stereo, boogie on our own.
Alone. The way it's meant to be.
So boogie down. Boogie down. Boogie down.
You're coming home with me tonight. Leave him.
You're coming home with me tonight, leave him.
'Cos I need you more than he does,
to him you're just a game. Just a game.
You're my girl, I own you. I own you...
* "Clicky Version" (1981) - Kleine Krieg (6:08), Stained Glass Soma Fountains (6:00)
Called "Thursday Night Fever #1" on "Stained Glass Soma Fountains."
On Kleine Krieg it fades in from the squeaky noises at the end of "Down from the Country." The mix on Stained Glass Soma Fountains fades in from the end of "Jack" (2:00) but also includes the "Down from the Country" squeaky noises.
On both mixes the music fades out, replaced by vocoder speech, synth sirens, and unrelated melody lines, and soon the music fades back in. Over all this the vocal tracks continue ("I own you...you're my girl.") Suddenly a series of monumental chords are played on a keyboard; when they end the next track ("Die With Yer Eyes On") fades in.
Instruments: Unsteady single drum machine pattern; regular sequenced synth pattern that sometimes becomes white noise; quiet synth melody that isn't much related to the actual song; two vocal tracks which are slightly different.
* "Throbbing Keyboard Version" (1981) - Only Dreaming (5:22), Ancient Daze (4:47), Ancient Daze CD-R (5:21)
A sweet, backwards guitar solo -- unrelated to the "Thursday Night Fever" song at all -- begins the song on both mixes, though on Only Dreaming and Ancient Daze CD-R the solo plays for 53 seconds, ends abruptly, and "Thursday Night Fever" begins, whereas on Ancient Daze CD only twenty seconds of the solo is played, and it is mixed into the beginning of the song.
All mixes end the same way: as more of the backwards "Soma Bath" is played, the music repeats and fades out.
This version does not even attempt a melody.
Instruments: Repeating keyboard sequence; another repeating sequence that swoops down occasionally; snippets of backwards tracks including Soma Bath; two vocal tracks with flange and plate reverb;
* "Pink Box Version" (1988) - Legendary Pink Box (6:15)
The only version with a real melody, this is the only one to really reflect the evil of the lyrics. Starts suddenly. Gradually degenerates until, by 4:30, it has become a gentle backwards track (keyboards, vocals) which fades into a brief snippet of a backwards drum machine.
Two groups of lyrics have been removed in this version: the "And you'll comfort me...make me king again" section and "You're coming home with me...just a game." In addition, all references to "boogieing" have been wisely removed.
Instruments: Bass guitar; single vocal track; repeated keyboard line with hint of percussion; occasional drum machine accents; electric guitar that begins an extended solo in the middle; distorted sample of descending notes; climactic, choppy keyboard chords played before the song begins to degenerate; synthesized vocal chorus during guitar solo; cascading keyboard sound.
What It's About:
An obsessive, jealous boy warns a woman -- perhaps his girlfriend -- that she must be permanently, totally, 100% loyal to him. She must have no friends or outside interests and must always be there to make him feel like "a king again," especially when his workmates make him feel insecure. His demands are laughably childish but his violent threats -- against her and her "new friend" -- are serious.
Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):
(All versions differ very slightly in their exact lyrics)
If looks could kill, if a touch caused a seizure,
you'd be dead as a rock, no room in the freezer.
Tease you with my fingers, squeeze you,
'til you rattle like an engine that's collapsing,
gasping out for oil.
You nervous? Well you should be.
'Cos you know how jealous I get.
As for your new friend, he'll end his days down an alley.
Shall he call the law? I doubt it.
Curtains closing faster, faster. Turns young lovers to statistics.
Nervous? Well, he should be.
He can see how jealous I am.
Just a jealous boy.
Want you safe at home, alone,
ignore the phone, except when you're convinced it's me
inquiring about your welfare.
I care about your paintings and your poems,
love's like that: caring, sharing, on our own forever.
And you'll be there when I'm back from work,
the jerks who bark their orders, smolder, leer, and patronize.
It's insincere. But you'll be there, to comfort me.
Comfort me, and make my tea, and make me king again.
The pain will go away and we'll make plans about our cottage, miles away,
no interruptions, us together, never seeing anyone.
And if you want to dance, we'll fit the lounge up with a disco,
play the stereo, boogie on our own.
Alone. The way it's meant to be.
So boogie down. Boogie down. Boogie down.
You're coming home with me tonight. Leave him.
You're coming home with me tonight, leave him.
'Cos I need you more than he does,
to him you're just a game. Just a game.
You're my girl, I own you. I own you...
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Defeated
Two main versions:
* "1980 Version" (September 1980) - Only Dreaming (2:06), Stained Glass Soma Fountains (2:04)
Both mixes seem identical: short fade in of all the keyboard noises, vocals in the middle, then short fade out of keyboards at the end.
Instruments: Choppy keyboard chord melody, with tremolo that stops at the end; sequenced keyboard playing repeated blips; two vocal tracks with lots of echo; quiet synth white noise that gradually builds.
* "1981 Version" (1981) - Chemical Playschool Volume 1 (2:34), Kleine Krieg (2:37), Legendary Pink Box (2:30).
All mixes fade in with a swelling keyboard chord and a few bell sounds before the vocals start. This version is in a different key. All mixes fade into a thirty-second sound collage of crowd noises and bell sounds that eventually fade out.
Called "(Still) Defeated" on the Legendary Pink Box.
Instruments: Choppy keyboard chord melody with tremolo; keyboard accents with occasional sample-and-hold and changing filters; single vocal track with occasional swelling echo; second vocal track that sometimes switches with the first; sequenced keyboard blips near the end.
What It's About:
Carrie reads a letter from her boyfriend and she's unhappy about what it says. Feeling trapped and defeated, she tries to poison herself at a cafe but manages to survive after getting her stomach pumped. A happy ending? No, because she's still just as "defeated" as she was before.
Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):
Crazy Carrie pulled the blinds, and fed the lions, and read the lines
that skipped across the page and sends her dizzy, dozy,
does she care? Does he?
The answer's "no," it's always "no," There's no escape, no secret doors.
There's nowhere you can hide. No way. You're finished, fated,
just defeated. Defeated...
She stumbled through the cafe doors down on all fours to loud applause
ordered a meat and mandrax and a belladonna squash to quash the pain.
There's a difference at Madonna's that will carry you away.
And carried her away, it made her day, they pumped her dry, they wiped her eyes.
She just survived, and she can prove it with her bracelet.
At least the money wasn't wasted. Not wasted.
She's defeated, still defeated. Nowhere to hide.
Still defeated
Why you should care:
Because THEY did! Along with "Voices," this song keeps on popping up everywhere. They must really love it.
* "1980 Version" (September 1980) - Only Dreaming (2:06), Stained Glass Soma Fountains (2:04)
Both mixes seem identical: short fade in of all the keyboard noises, vocals in the middle, then short fade out of keyboards at the end.
Instruments: Choppy keyboard chord melody, with tremolo that stops at the end; sequenced keyboard playing repeated blips; two vocal tracks with lots of echo; quiet synth white noise that gradually builds.
* "1981 Version" (1981) - Chemical Playschool Volume 1 (2:34), Kleine Krieg (2:37), Legendary Pink Box (2:30).
All mixes fade in with a swelling keyboard chord and a few bell sounds before the vocals start. This version is in a different key. All mixes fade into a thirty-second sound collage of crowd noises and bell sounds that eventually fade out.
Called "(Still) Defeated" on the Legendary Pink Box.
Instruments: Choppy keyboard chord melody with tremolo; keyboard accents with occasional sample-and-hold and changing filters; single vocal track with occasional swelling echo; second vocal track that sometimes switches with the first; sequenced keyboard blips near the end.
What It's About:
Carrie reads a letter from her boyfriend and she's unhappy about what it says. Feeling trapped and defeated, she tries to poison herself at a cafe but manages to survive after getting her stomach pumped. A happy ending? No, because she's still just as "defeated" as she was before.
Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):
Crazy Carrie pulled the blinds, and fed the lions, and read the lines
that skipped across the page and sends her dizzy, dozy,
does she care? Does he?
The answer's "no," it's always "no," There's no escape, no secret doors.
There's nowhere you can hide. No way. You're finished, fated,
just defeated. Defeated...
She stumbled through the cafe doors down on all fours to loud applause
ordered a meat and mandrax and a belladonna squash to quash the pain.
There's a difference at Madonna's that will carry you away.
And carried her away, it made her day, they pumped her dry, they wiped her eyes.
She just survived, and she can prove it with her bracelet.
At least the money wasn't wasted. Not wasted.
She's defeated, still defeated. Nowhere to hide.
Still defeated
Why you should care:
Because THEY did! Along with "Voices," this song keeps on popping up everywhere. They must really love it.
Waiting for the Call / You 'n' Me
Three main versions:
* "Laughter Version" (September 1980) - Stained Glass Soma Fountains (6:01)
The sound of a woman laughing preceeds a "1-2-3-4" countdown before the song actually begins. Like all versions it features sound effects, though there are some goofy vocal interjections by other band members. The "constipation" noise cracks Ka-Spel up. The whole band sings during the "you 'n' me" section, and they all sing "we keep in line!" at the end. Everybody goes discordant during the fadeout.
This is the slowest version. Instead of the lyric "It suits me, does it suit you?" that appears in subsequent versions, he sings "It suits me down to the ground."
Instruments: Single drum machine pattern; choppy piano chords; organ keyboard chords; two monophonic bass keyboards; single vocal track with no effects; synthesizer effects; occasional vocal interjections; high-pitched synth line during some of the "you 'n' me" section; handclaps.
* "Epic Version" (1981) - Only Dreaming (5:51)
Gradual fade-in to a more "wall of sound" approach, more organic but without the informal goofiness of the "Laughter Version." Many of the synth lines fade out for the "you 'n' me" section, making for a comparatively quiet middle portion. Ka-Spel sings the entire song himself, though you can hear a bit of the "local laughing policeman." The discordant musicianship at the end is more accomplished and is gradually covered by a warm synth, which fades out.
Instead of the line "us in leather, in lovely weather," he sings "depressed in leather, shiny leather."
Instruments: Single drum machine pattern; two vocal tracks with lots of echo; choppy organ chords; guitar; bass guitar; monophonic synth line for the melody; monophonic bass keyboard with occasional modulation;
* "Full Band Version" (1981) - Chemical Playschool Volume 2 (5:06)
Gradual fade-in to a version striking for its Beatles-y, live drum sound. Iliffe sings the "you 'n' me section" on two vocal tracks. Other band members occasionally make quiet vocal interjections in the middle, everybody sings "dressed in leather, ahh!" After "we keep in line," everybody stops and the song ends with a quiet machine-gun synth sound.
Instruments: Live drums; monophonic synth for melody; choppy organ chords; quiet warm synth chords; occasional synth sound effects; barely-audible guitar; two vocal tracks without effects; two vocal female tracks for "you 'n' me" section.
Sounds a Lot Like:
"Another Kind of Violence," because it's the same tune.
What It's About:
While "Before the End" showed us small-town archetypes, "Waiting for the Call" exposes the underdogs and predators of the big city. The city-dwelling narrator goes into a "You 'n' Me" reverie while riding the subway, dreaming of an escape from the troubles of city life, but his dream turns into a nightmare about persecution that ends up as a leather-fetish fantasy. Meanwhile, back in the city, the police are brutalizing and extorting the citizens who are obediently learning to "keep in line."
Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):
Shuffling through the ciggy packs, the broken bottles, plastic bags,
sprinkling crumbs in corners for the vermin.
There's a feast in the old rat-hole tonight. Little lady fair
and rats for miles around will come to fight for the rat's full share.
It's a pity that the party will be ruined by a guest armed with a spray.
Spraying murder. Playing plagues.
It's early, I should be in bed. They're bombing Brixton in my head.
But still I slink in silence to the station.
A busker in the subway hums a tune apathetically,
while showing me the windows in his shoes for some sympathy.
The sun turned to a nova as he stroked his beard, swiveled dim blue eyes.
I gave him nothing. He sold me knives.
You and me alone together, you in suede, me in leather.
Laughing on our island blowing bubbles at the world.
Free from business complications, sleeping pills, bitching nations,
hemorrhoids, constipation. What a thrill!
Heaven indeed, sad I'm only dreaming.
It's time that I accepted things
the way they really are.
You, me, me, you supporting cast of thousands,
squash into a chute, we're sending maydays out for air.
If you smash the other cheek I wouldn't feel it, feel it, feel it.
Stand on me, stamp on me, stamp out my existence,
I've got this dread disease, you'd better throw me out of town,
don't you recognize the eyes of a loser, loser, loser?
String me up, cut me down, bury me in concrete.
Don't waste a slab of marble on an alien like me.
It might make it that much harder to forget me, get me, get me.
You and me, alone together, us in leather, lovely leather.
The whole world, dressed in leather, haah,
lovely leather. In lovely weather.
What a dream. It suits me, does it suit you?
Old man tried to make a dash. He's blind, he just ran out of cash.
Inspector smirked and smashed him in the ribcage.
Told him "Wait, you're not going anywhere. You're in custody.
I'm bored, got a headache, couldn't care about your poverty.
How old you are, how poor you are - don't matter, everybody's gotta pay."
Pay the money. Pay the man.
Deities in uniform spout up from unseen barriers.
Fingers tapping "Chopsticks" on their holsters.
It's your time or your money, perhaps your shirt, little lady fair.
Slip a hand inside your coat, you're a cert for intensive care.
For your local laughing policeman's only happy when you're writhing in a heap.
We learned our lesson. We keep in line!
Trivia:
Around the time this song was written, Brixton was notorious for its clashes between police officers and local black youths, partly due to the restrictive policies of the police. The 1981 Brixton riot may have inspired this song, though the tensions were widely known throughout Britain before the riot actually occurred.
There actually WAS a Brixton bombing...but not until 1995.
Why you should care:
The idea of two people being alone and "blowing bubbles" at the world is followed by several solo Ka-Spel songs called "Blowing Bubbles."
* "Laughter Version" (September 1980) - Stained Glass Soma Fountains (6:01)
The sound of a woman laughing preceeds a "1-2-3-4" countdown before the song actually begins. Like all versions it features sound effects, though there are some goofy vocal interjections by other band members. The "constipation" noise cracks Ka-Spel up. The whole band sings during the "you 'n' me" section, and they all sing "we keep in line!" at the end. Everybody goes discordant during the fadeout.
This is the slowest version. Instead of the lyric "It suits me, does it suit you?" that appears in subsequent versions, he sings "It suits me down to the ground."
Instruments: Single drum machine pattern; choppy piano chords; organ keyboard chords; two monophonic bass keyboards; single vocal track with no effects; synthesizer effects; occasional vocal interjections; high-pitched synth line during some of the "you 'n' me" section; handclaps.
* "Epic Version" (1981) - Only Dreaming (5:51)
Gradual fade-in to a more "wall of sound" approach, more organic but without the informal goofiness of the "Laughter Version." Many of the synth lines fade out for the "you 'n' me" section, making for a comparatively quiet middle portion. Ka-Spel sings the entire song himself, though you can hear a bit of the "local laughing policeman." The discordant musicianship at the end is more accomplished and is gradually covered by a warm synth, which fades out.
Instead of the line "us in leather, in lovely weather," he sings "depressed in leather, shiny leather."
Instruments: Single drum machine pattern; two vocal tracks with lots of echo; choppy organ chords; guitar; bass guitar; monophonic synth line for the melody; monophonic bass keyboard with occasional modulation;
* "Full Band Version" (1981) - Chemical Playschool Volume 2 (5:06)
Gradual fade-in to a version striking for its Beatles-y, live drum sound. Iliffe sings the "you 'n' me section" on two vocal tracks. Other band members occasionally make quiet vocal interjections in the middle, everybody sings "dressed in leather, ahh!" After "we keep in line," everybody stops and the song ends with a quiet machine-gun synth sound.
Instruments: Live drums; monophonic synth for melody; choppy organ chords; quiet warm synth chords; occasional synth sound effects; barely-audible guitar; two vocal tracks without effects; two vocal female tracks for "you 'n' me" section.
Sounds a Lot Like:
"Another Kind of Violence," because it's the same tune.
What It's About:
While "Before the End" showed us small-town archetypes, "Waiting for the Call" exposes the underdogs and predators of the big city. The city-dwelling narrator goes into a "You 'n' Me" reverie while riding the subway, dreaming of an escape from the troubles of city life, but his dream turns into a nightmare about persecution that ends up as a leather-fetish fantasy. Meanwhile, back in the city, the police are brutalizing and extorting the citizens who are obediently learning to "keep in line."
Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):
Shuffling through the ciggy packs, the broken bottles, plastic bags,
sprinkling crumbs in corners for the vermin.
There's a feast in the old rat-hole tonight. Little lady fair
and rats for miles around will come to fight for the rat's full share.
It's a pity that the party will be ruined by a guest armed with a spray.
Spraying murder. Playing plagues.
It's early, I should be in bed. They're bombing Brixton in my head.
But still I slink in silence to the station.
A busker in the subway hums a tune apathetically,
while showing me the windows in his shoes for some sympathy.
The sun turned to a nova as he stroked his beard, swiveled dim blue eyes.
I gave him nothing. He sold me knives.
You and me alone together, you in suede, me in leather.
Laughing on our island blowing bubbles at the world.
Free from business complications, sleeping pills, bitching nations,
hemorrhoids, constipation. What a thrill!
Heaven indeed, sad I'm only dreaming.
It's time that I accepted things
the way they really are.
You, me, me, you supporting cast of thousands,
squash into a chute, we're sending maydays out for air.
If you smash the other cheek I wouldn't feel it, feel it, feel it.
Stand on me, stamp on me, stamp out my existence,
I've got this dread disease, you'd better throw me out of town,
don't you recognize the eyes of a loser, loser, loser?
String me up, cut me down, bury me in concrete.
Don't waste a slab of marble on an alien like me.
It might make it that much harder to forget me, get me, get me.
You and me, alone together, us in leather, lovely leather.
The whole world, dressed in leather, haah,
lovely leather. In lovely weather.
What a dream. It suits me, does it suit you?
Old man tried to make a dash. He's blind, he just ran out of cash.
Inspector smirked and smashed him in the ribcage.
Told him "Wait, you're not going anywhere. You're in custody.
I'm bored, got a headache, couldn't care about your poverty.
How old you are, how poor you are - don't matter, everybody's gotta pay."
Pay the money. Pay the man.
Deities in uniform spout up from unseen barriers.
Fingers tapping "Chopsticks" on their holsters.
It's your time or your money, perhaps your shirt, little lady fair.
Slip a hand inside your coat, you're a cert for intensive care.
For your local laughing policeman's only happy when you're writhing in a heap.
We learned our lesson. We keep in line!
Trivia:
Around the time this song was written, Brixton was notorious for its clashes between police officers and local black youths, partly due to the restrictive policies of the police. The 1981 Brixton riot may have inspired this song, though the tensions were widely known throughout Britain before the riot actually occurred.
There actually WAS a Brixton bombing...but not until 1995.
Why you should care:
The idea of two people being alone and "blowing bubbles" at the world is followed by several solo Ka-Spel songs called "Blowing Bubbles."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
