Seven Songs for the Week #55 - 24th Apr 24

The kids asked Siri to do something this week and instead it played There There by Radiohead. I mean, if Skynet is going to start doing its own thing, it's probably going to be playing Radiohead. Have you forgotten how good this track is? I had.

Record Store Day, Part One. It was RSD this week, and this album was on my maybe list. I got to Tower Dublin early and found out that Izitso came in a very nice lenticular sleeve, which I'm a sucker for. I've never owned this album, but have streamed it a good bit because of the track Is Dog A Donut? The album has this lovely analoguey, synthy, solid state sound. Recommended.

Record Store Day, Part Two. Todd was also on my maybe list, but I really lost the run of myself this year. I mean, it seems like a superfluous novelty tune, until you get to the end: "What's the problem, sonny? / I want to chaaaaange the world"

A song that's new to me this week. There was a thread on the Steve Hoffman Music Forum about Adam Ant and I put this album on Apple Music. I like the stop-start nature of this song and the words are amusing.

Record Store Day, Part Three. The Roches debut was out for RSD, again a record I've never owned but have streamed and liked. Trying to convince my brother-in-law of the virtues of The Roches he was not having any of it. Then I became unconvinced, so I went to listen to some of their other stuff and found this gem. There's a great video to go with it. The Roches are awesome, my brother-in-law is incorrect. They are a bit Marmite though, I get it.

Record Store Day, Part Four. Got this reissue, haven't listened to it yet mind, but here's a taster. Mmmmm delicious Krautrock. I hate the word Krautrock.

Pearl Jam put out a new album this week, which is getting a lot more publicity than the usual PJ album. It was remarked to me this week "I like Eddie Vedder's voice, but not the noise that Pearl Jam makes". This track is the solution.

Gladys Mills was a British piano player who sold bucketloads of jaunty sing-a-long piano records in the 1960s under the name Mrs Mills. Recording in Abbey Road, the jangly upright piano she used on her session became known as the Mrs Mills Piano. It still lives in Abbey Road and I got to play it in Studio Two in 2019. I don't like to talk about it. It's the piano on Lady Madonna, which is alluded to in this song, which is wonderfully Beatley.

How could it be made more Beatley? How about having Ringo on drums? There he is! From 2:25 there are excellent Ringo fills every other bar - Ringo never plays the same fill twice. He's the king of the drum fill. At 3:43 you hear Ringo laughing. I've said it elsewhere, but it is a pity that Ringo hasn't done more drumming for other people in the last 50 years. He's so good on this. As is Eddie Vedder. (Co-written by ex-Sparks guitarist and Chili Pepper Josh Klinghoffer)