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 Get your neck massaged.
Which didn't spark too much initially in me by way of responses. Eventually I got to Oneohtrix Point Never, Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Love Corporation.
Out in the field the Oblique Saturdays team pitched in with the usual array of inspired choices- JM suggested Reef and The Sweet, Her Palid Reflection came up with Cosey Fanni Tutti, Jake (bouncing back to the previous week's big rooms) gave us Paul Horn, Al proffered Wu Tang, Trail Of Bread suggested The Wedding Present, Devo, Prong and an unsafe for work track from Khia, Mrs G went with Elvis, Chris Yardley offered up a Roxy Music remix, Rol went for Stevie Wonder, The Swede wanted Shriekback and The Pretenders, and Khayem gave us Echo And The Bunnymen.
This week's Oblique Strategy from Mr Eno and Mr Schmidt is this- What wouldn't you do?
1. Vote Tory.
As Meatloaf said, 'I'd do anything for love but I won't do that'.
I could probably add more items to that list but the question posed on the card made me think of other musical questions. How does it feel to feel? What have I done to deserve this? What time is love? Why are you being so reasonable now? What's the frequency, Kenneth? What's my name? What for? What is love? What is house? What does your soul look like? Where is my mind? Where have all the flowers gone? Why can't I be you? What's going on? How soon is now? What's all this then? What have I said now? How far can too far go? What's inside a girl? What do I get?
That's enough questions for the time being. Maybe you can come up with some answers. As ever, feel free to play along in the comment box. What wouldn't you do?
*I think Khia has the answer to this question.
** And this one.
21 comments:
Unlike Boo, I wouldn’t do the Do
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tfdaETpbGjc&ra=m
1. Vote Tory.
In the words of Benedict Drew back in 2017 when he firat released 'Crawling in Tory Slime'...
"It’s a kind of image, this country submerged in sticky gloop excreted by the neo-liberal machine. And us crawling around half blind through the sludge searching for refuge under a huge mountain of ill-fitting Primark clothes. We nest in the synthetic fibres gasping for breath."
https://benedictdrew.bandcamp.com/album/crawling-through-tory-slime
That was 10 years ago of course, and the Tories are no longer in power, but somehow they still are because it's forever their system, strangulating us and drowning out the last breath from our collective lung.
Just taking a moment to hang out here, remembering the school disco.
Appreciate that I reached into the Rage bucket only a few weeks ago, which may be frowned on. But hey, I don't do what I’m told*
https://youtu.be/bWXazVhlyxQ?is=XOPTKqTtJIB2pHxR
* not strictly true
I would never have dreamt of making an eggless cake - until these young gentlemen opened my eyes
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=82XqhHYwB-Q&ra=m
Out of The Associates dada, madcap and funky as hell 'Message Oblique Speech' came the sanest lyric ever, 'If you can't do no good, then sucker, don't you do no harm'.
Perhaps a mantra for life.
-SRC
Inspired by a comment from somebody last week, I searched my music-filled hard drive for "wouldn't" and found this Mark Lanegan track which I thought was a neat way of ducking out of answering the question! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnV45clEoY4
In a slightly cheesy way, I'd also like to dedicate this one to you Adam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR9yM59iWmg 'cos I keep coming back to your blog every day ♥
....although sometimes not at weekends if I'm too busy :)
'Stop Being Good' : Malcolm Middleton
'Never Give Up' : Paul Haig
As you've already mentioned Meat Loaf, I'll go with my second most obvious thought this week...
The Pet Shop Boys - I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing
What wouldn't I do?
give you up
let you down
run around
desert you
(Sorry)
I wouldn't Walk Like An Egyptian or Walk Like A Man. (Apart from that I do like walking)
Thanks everyone. Good stuff all round.
Tool and Rage Against The Machine both making their second appearances in this series. Betty Boo making her debut (a big omission according to my wife)
Jase- thank you very much.
SRC- great piece of advice.
C- songs about walking could be a good mini- series
Personally I wouldn't wear stilettos (I would be worried about falling off). And I'm not the only one.
https://youtu.be/gi4uPwJoDx4?si=b3DdAjbzZXxoGRFj
This, for starters:
https://youtu.be/e3Cy9iOObFU
And I certainly wouldn’t do this:
https://youtu.be/sfT7be7_kUw
For everyone's safety, one of the rules I've always lived by... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyxeFhthk1s&list=RDcyxeFhthk1s&start_radio=1
Well, Adam, I've got something to say that might cause you pain: 'You Can't Do That' by the Beatles.
These are all great, keep 'em coming.
Swiss Adam
Go pot holing/ caving. Got told a tale when much younger of someone who got stuck and had to be given a lethal injection; probably not true but… let’s have a little JAMC https://youtu.be/Iz39XQlgA9Y?is=kh4YsPb99JjOFJke
Agree about potholing and caving. Hideous way to spend one's leisure hours.
Swiss Adam
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