As I posted about Oasis, some groups were impossible to ignore at the time. One of those was Outkast. I have the double cd Speakerboxx/ The Love Below (2003) (separate cds for each member of the group). The catch phrase ‘shake like a polaroid’ was showing up as a punch line in conversations on & off TV & on line. The double set is fun, if a bit over-produced, too many comic asides, almost as if they didn’t trust the material to carry itself. Songs about heterosex love, sex, pot, politics & race. A mix of r’n’b, crooning & hiphop. I gave a listen to a couple their other cds & this pair was enough for me.
Florent Pagny: Bienvenue chez moi (1995) a hits collection that includes “N’importe quoi” & “Caruso.” I heard ‘Caruso’ in the background of some movie & I loved the emotional momentum of the song so picked up this hits collection. I almost understand it 🙂 The songs range from rock to adult pop & verge, at times, on easy listening. Florent has a nice full voice that sounds invested in the emotion.
Now for something completely different. Queercore power pop with a punk edge by Pansy Division. I have as stand-alone: Deflowered (1994), Wish I’d Taken Pictures (1996); as mp3 – More Lovin’ From Our Oven (1996), Total Entertainment! (2003). Their sound is rock pop energetic – fully of hooky guitar work & anthemic choruses. I love this band. Reminds me of early Elvis Costello, when he still had a sense of humour. Their openly queer lyrics have probably kept them from a mainstream break through. James Bondage anyone?
Expectations Fulfilled
you make it sound like
it’s my fault
sure I said I’d be there
and sure I forgot all about it
but it’s not as if
you didn’t get the job done
someone else stepped up
did what needed to be done
so I’m unreliable
life is like that sometimes
right
<>
it’s not as if
I have to live up to your expectations
that I have to do what I say
every time I say I’ll do it
yes I know you counted on me
but you can’t count on people
we’re only human
we’ll let you down every time
<>
besides
it’s not as if
I haven’t got better things to do
than give you a hand
every time you ask for someone to be there
I know I can count you
but I wouldn’t be so upset
if you let me down sometimes
it would be par for the course
right
<>
I can’t even promise
it’ll never happen again
so you don’t think
you can rely on me anymore
because I let you down once
yeah well
I know it wasn’t first time
or even the second
but these things happen
I’ll try to change
okay
<>
how does that sound
you can really count on me
from now on
give me another chance
oh that’s what I said the last time
and the time before that
then why do you
keep building these expectations
unless it’s the disappointment
is that what you are looking for
<>
you like to be let down
to feel the victim
to feel you are the only person
who has no one they can count on
alone and helpless
in this big remorseless world
well then
you’ve come
to the right person
(2008)
TOpoet 