The Only Ones - Another Girl, Another Planet

After punk, there came  post-punk  or new wave.  This kept the brevity, speed  and simplicity of punk, but added more musicality.  Some of these groups had long careers  (Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Talking Heads) while others disappeared quickly. The Only Ones belong to the latter category, but left behind one great single.

As I was about 10 - 12  at the time during this time, I discovered most of this music when I was older. I was particularly indebted to the "Sounds of the Suburbs" compilation CD which introduced me to the delights of the Only One, Martha & the Muffins and The Members.

"Another Girl, Another Planet" must have one of the greatest introductions to any record. A single repetitive guitar riff,  then another guitar, a sound effect, then drums, increasing the speed as it commences the main melody. It is a frenetic pace that does not let up for the whole song.

Finally after 45 seconds come the first vocal, the  great opening line "I like to flirt with death".  It is male voice, but high pitched, distinctive and plaintive.

There are two short verses, before the simple chorus "I'm on another planet with you".   This followed by  another great soaring guitar solo.  It is easy to see why this regularly  features on the lists of greatest guitar songs.  

It returns with another great line "Space travel's in my blood", a quick chorus, a  final "another planet" and it is over in barely three minutes.

It has been suggested that the lyrics relate to the singer and writer - Pete Perrett's growing heroin addiction.  However he denies this, professing his infatuation with a girl from Yugoslavia. We can give him the benefit of the doubt, but  the lyrics work for both, and  maybe that was his intention? Hugh Cornwell  did something similar with "Golden Brown".

Surprisingly, this was never a hit single, but its reputation has grown steadily over the years, due to regular radio play and a Vodaphone TV advert  ("Use Vodaphone to call your drug dealer").

"Another Girl, Another Planet" must have sounded unusual  in 1978, but even today it still sounds fresh, different, and (cliché alert) out of this world.

Hear Now -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilDD5SeHxXE

Hear Next -   I have never heard any other Only One's songs, but I can highly recommend the aforementioned "Sound of  Suburbs"  compilation of late 1970s music.   

** The book of "Song from a Quarantine" is now available  on all Amazon sites in paperback and ebook formats - https://tinyurl.com/y43mbr2b 

Suzanne Vega - Marlene on the Wall

Suzanne Vega was my first concert and the first cassette (yes cassette !) I bought after I started working. She was an enticing mixture of cool female voice,  guitar and 80s sheen production, even before CDs.

Led by Joni Mitchell, the early 1970s had seen the rise of female singer / songwriter / acoustic guitar, but by 1984 it was very much out of fashion.  But Vega was a trailblazer for the 80s revival, with her obvious influence of Bob Dylan, but also Leonard Cohen and Lou Reed.  She emerged from the same Greenwich Village  coffee shops as Dylan over two decades earlier.

Marlene on the Wall was the first single from her first album and remains a key song. I don’t know what it all means (this is likely to be a recurring theme of this blog), but then unravelling the lyrics are part of the attraction. 

The main concept relates to a  poster of 1920s film star Marlene Dietrich that Vega hung her wall in her New York apartment, and imagining Dietrich's reactions and advice.

There are definitely dark themes -  with possibly an abusive relationship  ("blood", "danger zone"), loss of virginity ("don’t give away the goods too soon"), loneliness  ("still alone") and promiscuity  ("every soldier passing" ).  Marlene had seen it all before.  

The structure has two verses repeated, frequent chorus and an extended guitar break. At the end there is also the emphasis of the "changing changing changing my destiny".  It sounds like she is taking control now  and she will force the changes ?  I am also curious about how his fist is handsome?

As often, the dark themes  can be obscured by the upbeat pop music backing.  It was a  trick Vega pulled off again with "Luka", and why people play "Every Breath You Take" at  weddings .

So "Marlene on the Wall" still sounds as intriguing as it did 35 years ago, and a good place to start my reviews.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXb6Lb_h0Oo

   

Hear Next  –  the first album "Suzanne Vega" remains an 80s classic, with acoustic guitar led stories of life and relationships  in a city setting.  After that there are the obvious singles such as "Luka", "Left of Centre" and "Tom's Diner", but all of her subsequent albums have high quality song writing, and I particularly like 99.9F.


** The book of "Song from a Quarantine" is now available  on all Amazon sites in paperback and ebook formats.

Hello and Welcome !

Welcome to my blog of "Songs from a Quarantine".

Going into shielded quarantine on my own for 12 weeks due to the CoronaVirus, I wanted to take the opportunity to produce something on a daily basis, to mark this period of my life. It will be something to fit in between my reading, films / Netflix and food.

There will be an inevitable slew of books (and babies too) in 9 months as confined people try to write the great American novel or address a mid-life crisis.

For me, I wanted to review the favorite songs from my life.  It would let me play the songs again, and see why they are special,  try to understand the meaning, and supply any context or facts.

I should stress immediately that any resemblance  to Nick Horny's "31 songs" is purely coincidental. I haven't read that book twice or have all his books on my bookshelves.

The songs will be in random order, and I will try to limit myself to one song per artist, but there will be the obvious exceptions of The Beatles and Bob Dylan. Some songs and artists will be famous and obvious, some will be more obscure, as I try to show off.  

Hopefully it allow the reader to see old songs in a new light, disagree with my views totally, find some new music, or prompt you to replay your favorites in these dark days.


Good luck !


David