Saturday, 1 April 2023

Comedy

Trust Me #51 Comedy by Shack

Last year's Michael Head shows at the Strathaven Hotel for FRETS were truly incredible. It felt like a real honour to watch a master craftsman at his work in such a warm, friendly and intimate setting. Hearing some of Head's string drenched songs stripped back made me appreciate them even more. 

One in particular stood out for me. Comedy, from Shack's 1999 album H.M.S Fable. When Michael Head tilted his head back, battering his acoustic guitar with all his worth and sang when you cry it pulls me through, a bolt of electricity was fired into my heart. It was spine tingling.

That line seemed to take hold of me. I played the song again and again after the performance.

Comedy begins with a beautiful instrumental. Lead and rhythm guitar in tandem; a gorgeous riff backed by a great groove. Head's naturally gifted voice comes in, instantly sounding soothing, melodic and dreamy. Then there is a rise for the chorus, the harmonies are to die for;

Fifty million reasons, loving in the seasons

Fifty million lovers, sitting at the doubles

Fifty million reasons, loving in the seasons

There is a little break where the music builds before the next line;

When you cry it pulls me through

Listening to Head and his band mates harmonising on headphones is a dream. The closing instrumental is sublime; an electric guitar solo cuts through the air like a knife as strings swirl and soar. I could listen to this section for days on end. Someone should do a 12-inch mix!

Check footage from the FRETS below. 



Michael Head is in a rich vein of form and tonight he plays with his Red Elastic Band under the guise of A Scouse Is Not A Motel in his home city of Liverpool to support community food spaces.  I'd love to see Head playing songs by his beloved Love.

You can donate here

A list of all previous songs I've blogged about in my Trust Me feature are listed below, along with links to each blog. Comedy join them.

I've also collated them all into a playlist on Spotify that you can find by searching for Everything Flows - Trust Me , or you can CLICK HERE

Previous Trust Me blogs

1. Something On Your Mind by Karen Dalton
1A. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells
2. I Am, I Said  by Neil Diamond
3. Where's The Playground Susie?   by Glen Campbell
4. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lighfoot
5. Gimme Some Truth by John Lennon
6. Gone With The Wind Is My Love by Rita and the Tiaras
7. In The Year 2525 by Zager and Evans
8. The Music Box by Ruth Copeland
9. The Ship Song by Nick Cave
10. Sometimes by James
11. I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time
12. Didn't Know What I Was In For by Better Oblivion Community Centre
13. When My Boy Walks Down The Street by The Magnetic Fields
14. The Man Don't Give A F**k by Super Furry Animals
15. All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser
16. Are You Lookin' by The Tymes
17. A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth
18. Feelings Gone by Callum Easter
19. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground
20. Did I Say by Teenage Fanclub
21. Don't Look Back by Teenage Fanclub
23. Belfast by Orbital
24. Clouds by The Jayhawks
25. Dreaming Of You by The Coral
26. Everlasting Love by Love Affair
27. Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke
28. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones
29. Shaky Ground by Sneeze
29. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells
30. I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor
31. The State We're In by The Chemical Brothers w/ Beth Orton
32. Sunshine After The Rain by Ellie Greenwich
33. Losing My Edge by LCD Soundsystem
34. Mondo 77 by Looper
35. Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton
36. Rat Trap by The Boomtown Rats
37. How High by The Charlatans
38. I Can't Let Go by Evie Sands
39. Pop Song 89 by R.E.M.
40. Summertime Clothes by Animal Collective
41. There She Goes by The Las
42. We're Going To Be Friends by White Stripes
43. Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo
44. Sister Rena by Lomond Campbell
45. Revolution by The Beatles
46. Lazarus by The Boo Radleys
47. Wrote For Luck by Happy Mondays
48. American Trilogy by The Delgados
49. Loser by Beck 
50. Silent Sigh by Badly Drawn Boy



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1 comment:

  1. David Hagan1 April 2023 at 21:04

    Great blog about a great song... I look forward to checking out the rest of your recommendations, I was only just thinking this week that in the, highly unlikely, event of being restricted to only listening to music from one city for the rest of my life, I'd pick Glasgow (although I would regret not picking my home city on account mainly of the music of Michael Head).

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