The paper's hanging off the wall, there's roaches dancing in the hall

[venta]

It's Friday! It's about three o'clock! It's time to Boogie At Your Desk!

Friday afternoons need a little something. I think they need a Top Tune. Something to make you shuffle in your seat and, if possible, Boogie At Your Desk.

I'm not claiming that any track provided to enable At-Desk Boogying is one of the world's best or most profound pieces of music. It will, however, be a tune which makes me smile, and which has at some stage made me surreptitiously Boogie At My Desk.

Desks are not compulsory, of course. Feel free to boogie through your office, in your bedroom, round your lab, across your classroom, on the train - wherever you find yourself on a Friday afternoon.

If you like the track, go out and buy the album it belongs to - I'll try and recommend a suitable CD to purchase for any BAYD track.

The link to the mp3 will expire at some point in the future.

Today you are invited to Boogie At Your Desk to:

The Wildhearts - Suckerpunch [link to mp3 download expired, or YouTube link may still be active]

I do listen to recent music, honest. But lots of the good stuff I've heard lately hasn't been very BAYD-appropriate. And I've been feeling that BAYD has been veering towards the twee of late. So it's time for some big, dumb 80s rock.

Yes, I know this was released in 1993. It's not like the 80s ended dead on midnight, Dec 31st 1989, y'know.

Anyway, I fancied listening to the Wildhearts yesterday and discovered a big gap in my mp3 collection. So last night I went to grab the CD from the shelf... and found I didn't own it. What? How did that happen? I had to listen to my (rather flaky, old, pirated) tape version. This morning necessitated a quick detour to HMV where I picked up Earth vs. The Wildhearts... and it turns out the reissue has a whole extra song. Which is nice.

HMV also waggled its tempting Blue Cross sale items at prices which would have been rude to walk past. So I also left with albums by Front 242 and Fay Hield (I like to keep people guessing).

Earth vs. The Wildhearts is one of those albums that everyone with rock inclinations should own. Is it clever? Nope. Is it breaking new ground? Nope. Is it fun? Hell, yes. It's got lyrics about taking "whisky straight, and drugs for free" and living in squats and isn't trying to be all arch and ironical at you. In fact, it might not know what those words mean. It also gets the Andrew WK award for an album cover designed to appeal only to grubby 14-year-old boys (sorry about that). For more of the same, try Everlone and The Miles Away Girl.

However! Do you have a favourite track for dancing at your desk? Any BAYD tunes you think are staringly obvious omissions? I'm thinking of doing a few Guest BAYD posts, so if you've got a suggestion let me know... Comments are screened to preserve the surprise ;)

Comments

[lnr]

I took my headphones home a couple of days ago - so this one will have to wait until I get home. I'd not heard of them until Sonisphere 2011 where one of the band was playing in the tent we were hiding from the rain in :) Turns out I liked their stuff - and I've had that album on my amazon wishlist since - Maybe I'll actually buy it some time!

[venta.livejournal.com]

Wow, I'd no idea they still existed :)

For me, Earth vs. the Wildhearts is one of those albums viewed through a permanent haze of youthful enthusiasm, so I can't be very objective. I do like it, though!

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

Earth vs. The Wildhearts is one of those albums that everyone with rock inclinations should own

And I do, but actually it's one of my least favourite. Whatever it is about the heavier end of rock that I'm fond of, these guys somehow don't have. (Possibly it's that I never pay attention to lyrics?)

I have heard them live, though - they were supporting Thunder IIRC (who I like a lot) - and the stage seemed to suit them better than CD.

Re: guest BaYD - I would be up for that, but I'll put some suggestions in a separate comment so that you can unscreen this one.

[venta.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I'd really rate Wildhearts lyrics as such (though they do have moments of inspiration in that direction, I think). I don't think I've ever quite got the hang of your taste in rock ;)

Re: guest BaYD

Bring it on :)

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've ever quite got the hang of your taste in rock

I suspect that ultimately nor did I, since these days few of my favourite new albums would qualify!

[venta.livejournal.com]

Argh! This is why I hate screening comments - I can never remember if "Unscreen" means "stop screening" or "remove from (monitor) screen" :)

[lnr]

I don't think they still exist en masse, but the chap in question used to be one of them, IYSWIM. Not that I can remember who he was :)

[venta.livejournal.com]

I'm only aware of Ginger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_wildheart) doing much since, but I haven't really been keeping close tabs :)

[lnr]

assa one!

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

album cover designed to appeal only

iww! Not even when I was grubby and 14, I suspect. But the same is true of the music, sadly.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Clearly you were just not grubby enough, even at 14 ;)

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

That's not what people said at the time, but distance lends perspective ;-)

[ceb.livejournal.com]

I have "think of a BAYD song" on my to-do list now. Will let you know when inspiration hits...

[venta.livejournal.com]

Excellent! Please do :)

[ceb.livejournal.com]

OK, I have a candidate. What do you need from me?

[venta.livejournal.com]

All I actually require is the name of the song and the name of the band. Unless it's something madly obscure.

Optional extras include: your thoughts upon the track, an album recommendation, a favourite youtube link.