80s Classics

Countryfox · 18 September 2018

Dr Marco · 22 September 2018

Fantastic guitar solo

Alf Bentley · 22 September 2018

On 18/09/2018 at 19:56, RumbleFox said:

Possibly my favourite music video ever and I don't even know why as it is dull as shit but amazing at the same time. X

A fine video of a wonderful song from an outstanding album.

Do you know the album "One day I'm going to soar" (2012)? I reckon it may be their/his best ever - and I'd rate "Soul Rebels", "Too-Rye-Aye" & "Don't Stand Me Down" very highly. I like the "Irish & Country Soul" album (2016) but not quite in the same league. Here are a couple of samplers from "One day I'm going to soar":

On 18/09/2018 at 20:15, Webbo said:

If we're doing Dexy's

Always reminds me of metalwork on a Friday afternoon at school for some reason.

A classic.....and even has a contender for greatest ever B-side, a Northern Soul cover.....so @Countryfox can pop a few pills and turn a few back flips in his living room in memory of his lost youth... :thumbup:

Izzy · 22 September 2018

Well if we're doing Dexy's it has to be......

RumbleFox · 24 September 2018

On 22/09/2018 at 21:56, Alf Bentley said:

A fine video of a wonderful song from an outstanding album.

Do you know the album "One day I'm going to soar" (2012)? I reckon it may be their/his best ever - and I'd rate "Soul Rebels", "Too-Rye-Aye" & "Don't Stand Me Down" very highly. I like the "Irish & Country Soul" album (2016) but not quite in the same league. Here are a couple of samplers from "One day I'm going to soar":

A classic.....and even has a contender for greatest ever B-side, a Northern Soul cover.....so @Countryfox can pop a few pills and turn a few back flips in his living room in memory of his lost youth...

Nice to meet another fan!!

Yes I know that album well, I went to see them tour One Day I'm Going To Soar in Edinburgh and think it is probably my favourite ever gig. I agree that album is as good as anything they ever did really although This Is What She's Like, Listen To This I Love You and Knowledge of Beauty probably are my favourite songs (along with There, There My Dear) so maybe Don't Stand me down is top of my list? Not sure actually as the first incarnation (....Soul Rebels) were fvcking amazing as is the second album. I think I like all of their first four albums equally actually. I agree with you on the newer album, not quite as strong and some of the songs are a little weak, although I like a couple of the folk covers and the Bee Gee's To Love Somebody cover is great.

Anyway, gonna go listen to them all now, haha. I always feel Dexys get a hard time. Whenever I say I like them people always just go "Come on Eileen is OK but annoying and they wear stupid clothes". People don't tend to delve any further which is a shame as I honestly think they are a more "serious" band than 99% of others. For me they "mean it" more than ost other bands I know.

I always loved this one too as I feel it kinds of sums up Kevin Rowland's obsessive quest for purity and excellence in sound (yeah, I know I sound like a w@nker)......

RumbleFox · 24 September 2018

On 22/09/2018 at 21:56, Alf Bentley said:

A fine video of a wonderful song from an outstanding album.

Do you know the album "One day I'm going to soar" (2012)? I reckon it may be their/his best ever - and I'd rate "Soul Rebels", "Too-Rye-Aye" & "Don't Stand Me Down" very highly. I like the "Irish & Country Soul" album (2016) but not quite in the same league. Here are a couple of samplers from "One day I'm going to soar":

A classic.....and even has a contender for greatest ever B-side, a Northern Soul cover.....so @Countryfox can pop a few pills and turn a few back flips in his living room in memory of his lost youth...

This is the one off the new album I think it great....

You have to skip to about 3:50 as there is a load of shite at the start but think this is a great live performance.

Alf Bentley · 24 September 2018

56 minutes ago, RumbleFox said:

Yes I know that album well, I went to see them tour One Day I'm Going To Soar in Edinburgh and think it is probably my favourite ever gig. I agree that album is as good as anything they ever did really although This Is What She's Like, Listen To This I Love You and Knowledge of Beauty probably are my favourite songs (along with There, There My Dear) so maybe Don't Stand me down is top of my list? Not sure actually as the first incarnation (....Soul Rebels) were fvcking amazing as is the second album. I think I like all of their first four albums equally actually. I agree with you on the newer album, not quite as strong and some of the songs are a little weak, although I like a couple of the folk covers and the Bee Gee's To Love Somebody cover is great.

Anyway, gonna go listen to them all now, haha. I always feel Dexys get a hard time. Whenever I say I like them people always just go "Come on Eileen is OK but annoying and they wear stupid clothes". People don't tend to delve any further which is a shame as I honestly think they are a more "serious" band than 99% of others. For me they "mean it" more than ost other bands I know.

I always loved this one too as I feel it kinds of sums up Kevin Rowland's obsessive quest for purity and excellence in sound (yeah, I know I sound like a w@nker)......

I take your point that "Don't Stand Me Down" is a contender for best Dexys album - and arguably has more stand-out songs. But "One Day I'm Going To Soar" works brilliantly as a whole, I think - almost like an opera (and I don't like opera, sorry to get confusing). No point quibbling, anyway. Both outstanding works - and the first two albums aren't half bad either. I'd put "Soul Rebels" at a similar high level, maybe "Too-Rye-Ay" a fraction lower (9/10 instead of 10/10). I do really like the last album, too, and your Irish Embassy video was a reminder of how good some of its songs are - and it's a brave experiment - but it maybe lacks a little consistency.

Rowland is one of very few people I'd categorise as a true genius - and for the reasons that you express: his quest to express absolute emotional truth and to achieve the very highest possible music quality....so I'll join you in the w@nker stocks and face the rotten tomatoes! The quality of Dexys live performances is testimony to that attitude. It seems to have sent him a bit bonkers at times and has doubtless made his life a lot more tormented and less remunerative than if he'd put out a "very good, but not outstanding" album every 2-3 years. The quality of his/their output more than compensates for the lack of quantity, though. Not many acts produce at least 4 genuinely outstanding albums. I've never even heard the solo album with the dress and lingerie, a criminal oversight on my part. Do you know it?

Your mention of "There there, my dear" meant that I had to remind myself.....so I'll remind others (though technically this might be 1979, not 80s):

RumbleFox · 24 September 2018

12 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

I take your point that "Don't Stand Me Down" is a contender for best Dexys album - and arguably has more stand-out songs. But "One Day I'm Going To Soar" works brilliantly as a whole, I think - almost like an opera (and I don't like opera, sorry to get confusing). No point quibbling, anyway. Both outstanding works - and the first two albums aren't half bad either. I'd put "Soul Rebels" at a similar high level, maybe "Too-Rye-Ay" a fraction lower (9/10 instead of 10/10). I do really like the last album, too, and your Irish Embassy video was a reminder of how good some of its songs are - and it's a brave experiment - but it maybe lacks a little consistency.

Rowland is one of very few people I'd categorise as a true genius - and for the reasons that you express: his quest to express absolute emotional truth and to achieve the very highest possible music quality....so I'll join you in the w@nker stocks and face the rotten tomatoes! The quality of Dexys live performances is testimony to that attitude. It seems to have sent him a bit bonkers at times and has doubtless made his life a lot more tormented and less remunerative than if he'd put out a "very good, but not outstanding" album every 2-3 years. The quality of his/their output more than compensates for the lack of quantity, though. Not many acts produce at least 4 genuinely outstanding albums. I've never even heard the solo album with the dress and lingerie, a criminal oversight on my part. Do you know it?

Your mention of "There there, my dear" meant that I had to remind myself.....so I'll remind others (though technically this might be 1979, not 80s):

I agree completely (and we are both such w@nkers, haha). Also agree about the output. Those first three albums don't really have a bad song on them and One Day I'm Going To Soar is, as you say, more like an opera/musical. I went to see them tour it and it definitely felt more like a piece of theatre than a gig.

I think the lingerie album (My Beauty) got overshadowed by people weirdly freaking out over the cover as it has some great tunes on it. It isn't as good as his other output but worth a listen if you are a fan. I always thought this in particular was really great, up there with a lot of his best stuff.....

You are bang on about the live performances too. I think, at their peak, they were one of the best ever. Can't think of many live performances I like more then this.....