Public Enemy No.1
I like the Enemy. I especially like their singer, Tom Clarke, because he has the amazing habit of talking at great length about all sorts of things, while clearly not knowing a right lot about much. It doesn't seem to bother him unduly, so why should it bother me?
He'll make some extravagant claim about what his band is capable of, or what his songs will do to the world, and it'll be so idealistic (and yet preposterous) you can't help but be charmed.
Take the logic which dictates that the Enemy are a great band. It's very flawed, but by golly it does sweep you up in its wake.
The argument goes something like this:
Band: "Hey, we're a great band!"
World: "What makes you say that?"
Band: "Well you know the Jam? You know how they were a great band?"
World: "Yes, that's true. The Jam were indeed a great band"
Band: "And you know the Specials? You know how they were a great band?"
World: "Yes, it's common knowledge that the Specials were a great band..."
Band: "Well, we're from Coventry, like the Specials, and we sound a lot like the Jam...THEREFORE WE ARE A GREAT BAND!"
World: "Uh..."
Or the recent interview Tom gave to XFM, in which he claimed to have revolutionised the recording process, while making the band's new album 'Music For The People'
He said: "Where possible, we just played everything live and put stuff on after, instead of people going in and putting down a drum track first. It's a totally different way of production - and it's all recorded onto tape rather than digital."
Wow...tape you say? And you recorded it live? That IS a totally different, uh, "way of production", isn't it?
In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone didn't take this idea, invent a time machine, travel back to the past, and force all the bands in The Olden Days to adopt it right away. That's the kind of innovation we're talking about.
PS: 'Music For The People'? Was your last album aimed at another species, perhaps? Also, while it's a very generous gesture to offer your music to The People, don't be surprised if they try and return the gift. They're really into Lady GaGa at the moment...
Comment number 1.
At 6th Mar 2009, catman231 wrote:New single sounds like Guns n' Roses
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Comment number 2.
At 6th Mar 2009, CurtainJerker wrote:Er - did this Radio 1 ChartBlog post just refer to an XFM interview?
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Comment number 3.
At 6th Mar 2009, Fraser McAlpine - wrote:Yes. And we also link to other music blogs. You can pretend everyone else isn't out there, that would be mad.
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Comment number 4.
At 9th Mar 2009, HazelChartblog wrote:Do you think Tom from The Enemy knows that's what Tom from McFly said about how they recorded their most recent album?
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Comment number 5.
At 9th Mar 2009, Fraser McAlpine - wrote:It's official then. The Enemy are ripping off McFly. And the history of recorded sound.
What made me laugh about that album title is I wrote a ChartBlog Classified Ad about the Enemy a year ago, which hinted that they perhaps believe their own press a bit too much.
It went:
EXCITING NEW SERVICE!
-------------------
Does your rabble need
rousing? Is nobody doing
it for your kids? Do your
people need a band of?
Call Tom Thenemy. Reasonable rates.
And now it has come true.
*pleased*
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