Artist: Terry Hall
Year: 1994
15. "Change"
Artist: The Lightning Seeds
Year: 1994
"I'm standing high on tiptoes, looking over fences
Waiting for somebody like you to kiss me senseless"
It only seems appropriate for Terry Hall and Ian Broudie to make the countdown together. They were joined at the hip during this period anyway. This is also a way for me to sort of sneak two songs onto the countdown that were made famous by the Lightning Seeds. "Sense" was co-written by Hall and Broudie for the Lightning Seeds' album 'Sense' in 1992. Hall also provided background vocals for that recording, and the song peaked at No. 31 in the UK.
Then, in 1994, Hall recorded his first proper solo album, 'Home," with Broudie producing. "Sense" was rerecorded for that one with Hall on lead vocals and Broudie providing the brilliant guitar parts. The two versions of "Sense" are quite similar, but there are some differences, including the addition of harmonica parts and a slightly dancier tone on the Lightning Seeds' version. I love Hall's vocal and Broudie's guitar solo. So, Hall's version gets the nod today. I would also like to take a moment to plug 'Home.' There were no less than six songs from the album considered for this spot, including the two Hall co-wrote with Andy Partridge and, of course, the fantastic single "Forever J." As far as the UK chart goes, the public didn't like Hall's version quite as much, but it still peaked at a respectable No. 54.
For me, Broudie is one of a handful of artists that made the '90s tolerable. There are so many great songs from the Lightning Seeds that could have made this list, but I decided to go with a smash that even did well on this side of the Atlantic, thanks to its inclusion on the very listenable 'Clueless' soundtrack in the summer of 1995. "Change" made it all the way to No. 13 in the UK. Play it loudly in the car on a warm sunny day and just try not to smile. “Put your foot down and drive, oh you’re such a pretty thing..."
You will get no complaints from me here Brian! Terry Hall's Home might be the best pop album of the 90's as far as I'm concerned and this means it's one of my favorite albums of all time. Sense is a love song that works on so many levels of that word "love." Whether a beloved, a family, a friend, a community...it sort of revels in the simplicity of the emotion and what it does to those who experience it.
ReplyDeleteAs I doubt it's going to make it here - although I would be unbelievably satisfied if it does, the song from Home that gets me every time and vies for my favorite song of the 90's is First Attack Of Love. It's had "classic pop song" written all over it since the first time I heard it.
It really is a crime that Home wasn't a massive success, a crazy, unexplainable crime.
I think choosing a Lightning Seeds song would be one of the most difficult tasks for this list. I'm very partial to The Life Of Riley, Where The Flowers Fade and Happy on Sense, Change and Feeling Lazy from Jollification and What If... and Waiting For Today To Happen on Dizzy Heights.
Brian, two absolutely splendid pop songs today, that are somehow brightening up an already lovely, bright Monday morning. Never heard the Terry Hall song before, and will now look for the album to listen to.
ReplyDeleteI lost touch with Terry Hall's releases a bit in the 90s but this is a cracking song.
ReplyDeleteSwiss Adam
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ReplyDeleteAnd Laugh is almost as good as home. I also love the more melancholy sound of LS last lp
ReplyDeleteIs the Download button disabled or am I just lame enough to not know how to use it? Asking for a friend.
ReplyDeletekevinpat, You can tell your friend that I must have officially run out of bandwidth with Box. So, I just switched to Zippy. Links for this post should be OK now. Not a fan of Zippy, but Box has become absolutely nonfunctional.
ReplyDeleteTwo very joyous tracks! I tried to see how long it would take me to not be able to sit still during these tracks. Seconds my friend. Fun and sunshine for this rainy morning here. Great choices and both new to me. Gracias!! Oh and by the way my friend says thanks, Brian.
ReplyDeleteFORW, Like Adam, I too lost track of Hall for a while later in the '90s. I didn't get Laugh until many years after its release, but you are correct. I put it just behind Home in quality.
ReplyDeleteEchorich, Every song you named is wonderful. The Life Of Riley, in particular, was on the long list for this countdown.
George, Glad you are enjoying these. I hope you find Home. Quality from beginning to end.
Two very strong pop songs. Criminally, I don't think I own anything by The Lightning Seeds, yet I used to play them to death in the shop. Wot, no love for their version of 'You Showed me'?
ReplyDeleteWhat a great album 'Home' is. Time to dig it out for a spin methinks.