A series for Saturdays in 2026 inspired by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt's set of cards, Oblique Strategies (Over One Hundred Worthwhile Dilemmas). Eno and Schmidt created them to be used to unblock creative impasses and approach problems from unexpected angles. Each week I'll turn over an Oblique Strategy card and post a song or songs inspired by the suggestion.
Last week's Oblique Strategy suggestion was Ghost echoes.
It led me to Patti Smith's book about her young life with Robert Mapplethorpe and to Circle Sky's Ghost In The Machine. The Bagging Area Oblique Squad struck gold with Ghost Box and Dudgrick Bevins, Clientele, Lee Perry and Mouse On Mars, Model 500, Prince Far I, The Specials, Blur and Screaming Soul with Adrian Sherwood. Thank you Chris, Ernie, Rol, Khayem, Mr Ed, Al G and Ghostly Liz.
Here's some Prince Far I from 1976, echo laden dub produced by Joe Gibbs in Kingston, Jamaica.
Today's card is this- Revaluation (A Warm Feeling)
A revaluation is to take something and increase its value, to reassess the value of an asset. In 2021 Saint Etienne took some samples from a specific time and place- late 90s and early 00s UK the first term of the Blair government- from a variety of unlikely and uncool sources- Honeyz, Natalie Imbruglia, Lighthouse Family, Tasmin Archer, The Lightning Seeds and Samantha Mumba- and made a concept album about memory, loss, nostalgia for the recent-ish past, a life before the social media age. Was it really a golden age? Saint Etienne seem to be asking or is it a trick of memory? I'm not sure they answer the their question. All the song were named after race horses that won on the day of New Labour's 1997 election victory. Pond House, Little K. Penlop. Broad River.
Whatever we may think about the good things Tony Blair and the Labour government achieved in their first term- and there were many achievements- they pissed it up the wall with the invasion of Iraq and every time now Tony Blair opens his mouth his utterances surely cause an angel to die.
Saint Etienne's album played around with all of these things and had a sense of melancholy about it but Pete and Bob really wrote some tunes as well, laptop beats, off kilter loops and samples, found sounds and modern 21st century production. Blue Kite takes ages to build, loops and woozy synths, the dull thud of a kick drum- a revaluation of late 90s/ early 00s pop and urban sounds into something ethereal and dreamlike.
Penlop sampled Joy by The Lightning Seeds, Ian Broudie's CD age stadium indie- pop revaluated into woozy, gossamer ambient pop. A remix EP (available only from Rough Trade I think when buying the album back in 2022) further played around with the source material- the samples and the Saint Etienne songs with Vince Clarke, Daniel Avery and Jane Weaver providing the revaluation. Jane Weaver's slow motion ambient/ folk is a low key marvel.
'The name of this song is new feeling... and that's what it's about'...
4 comments:
When the Beastie Boys released 'Paul’s Boutique', I bought the album and, after listening to it once, put it on the shelf, as I’d been expecting a different sound. It took me quite a while to come to appreciate this masterpiece.
Having only been home for a couple of hours after an overnight flight my brain is barely capable of any thoughts at all let alone oblique ones. So I'm going very literal on this one:
https://youtu.be/YyQlIRHz5ls?si=8XAnEOpuuHQsoQA8
"Every time now Tony Blair opens his mouth his utterances surely cause an angel to die."
That's a lot of dead angels.
I'm venturing into dangerous territory this week, and offering...
The Smiths - Paint A Vulgar Picture
"Re-issue! Re-package! Re-package!
Re-evaluate the songs
Double-pack with a photograph
Extra track (and a tacky badge)"
The irony of this tune has now reached lethal dosage, since most of what He Who Shall Not Be Named says and does these days paints a vulgar picture for many of his former fans and in many cases has forced them to re-evaluate the songs that once saved their lives. Beyond that, it's hard to think of another 80s band that has been so often re-issued and re-packaged, and That Bloke has continued this process with his own solo material.
So it's too apt for me not to suggest, despite the dangerous waters.
Sticking with the revaluation via sampledelia theme, the Avalanches always give me a warm fuzzy feeling - as will Electricity in general if you’re not careful
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nkMQHhRsNK8&ra=m
(And for added feeling, it’s preceded by A Different Feeling on Since I Left You)
Post a Comment