Blue Thunder is the opening song on Galaxie 500's second album On Fire, the first record I heard by them, my introduction to the band. As calling cards go it's a stunner- the slow burn of the guitars, the hushed sound and Dean Wareham's voice sounding like a man so world weary that 1989 and all its excitements should just disappear- 'Thinking of blue thunder/ Singing to myself'. In the second verse he sings of being on Route 128 and finishes with 'I'll drive so far away', the guitars, drums and bass coming together cinematically, the car's taillights vanishing into the horizon...
Galaxie 500 released Blue Thunder as a 12" and this version contains a sax part by Ralph Carney so explosive, so violent, so psychedelic jazz, that it should come with a jump- scare warning. First time heard, it was a total freak out/ WTF moment but after that I grew to love it. Blue Thunder sounds like a lament but the sax makes it something else, something more.
All being well our school trip comes to an end today, our coach crossing from Calais to Dover and then carrying its weary passengers- 55 teenagers and 7 staff- up the country and back to north- west England for the final day of the school year tomorrow.
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