Things I learned from last week's blog: (1), This topic is owned by a certain kind of American indie geek; (2), The quantity of songs about Kurt and/or Courtney is not matched by the quality; (3), Spanish Harlem is emphatically not about Billie Holiday, although Angel of Harlem is; and (4), Jonathan Richman would have made an exceptional music critic, whereas I would have made a terrible Jonathan Richman.
Sorry, Darceysdad, for the absence of Drive-By Truckers, edged out at the final moment by a rush of support for Smog. That B-list in full: Ian Dury (Sweet Gene Vincent), Gillian Welch (Elvis Presley Blues), Johnny Cash (The Night Hank Williams Came to Town), John Cale (Mr Wilson), Drive-By Truckers (Ronnie and Neil), The Fall (I Am Damo Suzuki), Dory Previn (Stone for Bessie Smith), Dempsey (ODB on the Run), the Replacements (Alex Chilton) and Psychic TV (Godstar).
Unfortunately, I couldn't track down intriguing-sounding stuff by Joe Tex, the Go-Betweens and France Gall, but during my research I came across the geekiest reference of the lot: a song by Darren Hayman called Doug Yule's Velvet Underground, about Yule's ignominious decision to continue the band after Lou Reed left. Oh, and I enjoyed the debates about He Loved Him Madly and the merits of past-their-prime REM -- the sort of thing RR exists for.
More musical biographies this week, owing to the fortuitous timing of the last round of local elections Labour will fight under Tony Blair and the finale of the French presidential race. So songs about politicians, please. That covers democratically elected presidents, prime ministers, etc, as well as dictators, civil rights leaders and revolutionaries, but not monarchs. I think we've only had California Uber Alles (Dead Kennedys) and Tramp the Dirt Down (Elvis Costello) so far.
Have a squizz at the A-Z and the Readers recommend archive if you like. All suggestions by midday on Monday please.
