Sinister: Video diversions

[Sam Walton]

Hello Sinister

Last week, Ken and the Pinefox both noted a list revival, and in doing so revived it once again. I wonder, how many meta-revivals need to occur before the list is breathing normally again? I'm unsure.

I write in response to Ken's question in his most recent post, "is the new album going to be any good then", not to offer any critical gems myself, but to alert those curious about such matters to a new half-hour long video that's just appeared on the front page of the B&S website. I've just watched it, and enjoyed it. The style and content moves around quite a bit: a spoof of low-budget 60s music television, in which the band, artfully arranged and lit, and surrounded by fans, mime valiently along to two new numbers ("I Want The World To Stop" and "I Didn't See It Coming"); a pair of borderline-funny Breakfast Club spoofs (in one of which Bob does a swear and reminds everybody that he's Irish); a rather earnest Q&A with fans; a kind of "workshop" session where lots of music people discuss how they can make a career out of creating things for which the general public seem disinclined to pay.

There's also a nice section with Mick Cooke, explaining about the orchestral arrangements on the new record and how he writes them, which is most diverting, not least because of Mr Cooke's terrific monobrow.

I really enjoyed both the new songs, which might go some way to answering Ken's original question. They were both immaculately and imaginatively produced, with some lovely harmonies and guitar and keyboard figures. I must admit though that I didn't care much for the lyrics - rhyming "transcontinental" with "car rental" is more the domain of Tom Lehrer songs, in my book. Still, B&S haven't really been a "lyrics" band for me for several albums now, so I have learned to embrace their newfound love of high production to compensate for their loss of interest (or maybe inspiration?) in writing thoughtful lyrics.

Only two more observations about the video: Struan was wearing a wedding ring. This didn't surprise me - after all, people get married all the time, something of which I have been only too aware these past two summers - but I did wonder what it might be like being married to him. The other observation was that one Bobby Gillespie was credited as a Production Assistant; I do hope this is the same Bobby Gillespie that once played drums with the Jesus & Mary Chain, and that now fronts Primal Scream. I'm sure the Bobby in question would offer a lot of production assistance.

So. Enjoy the video, if you watch it - let me (us) know what you think.


Sam.x



================================
"He's strictly a pain in the ass, but
he certainly has a good vocabulary"
- Holden Caulfield

 		 	   		  
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