Here it is pop pickers, guide your pointing device right here to the brand new podcast number 8.
Is Glam Rock all rubbish? What would a discombobulated Chinese cat sound like? Is there a musical equivalent to Web 2.0 and does anyone care either way?
All of these questions are discussed herein as well as our thoughts on the recently deceased Prime Minister, your stories of gig regrets and bucketloads of great music as well. There’s even a world exclusive, a never-before-heard Springsteen rarity!
All for the bargain price of absolutely free, you lucky people.
TRUST THE WIZARDS 
Track listing: Preposterous Tales – I, Ludicrous / You’re On Fire – They Might Be Giants / Obvious – ‘Bruce Springsteen’ / Shake That Thing – Black Manila / Garbageman – The Cramps / Saturday Gigs – Mott The Hoople / Poor Man’s Ice-Cream – Tilly & The Wall / At Night The Quarry Glows Like A Mothership – Soft Hearted Scientists / Peanut Duck – Marsha Gee / Itchy Feet On A Tuesday Night – Milky Wimpshake / Christian Animation Torch Carriers – Guided By Voices / Massage Situation – Flying Lotus / Beautiful Hate – Hot Vestry / My Enemy – Richard Thompson / The Fight For History – MJ Hibbert & The Validators
Kicker’s Question: Where did the song title ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him’ come from?
From the gravestone of Phil Spector’s dad.
[…] In any case lets consider Kickers Thatcher mix: Heaven 17 – We don’t need this fascist groove thing. To be a fair a great song but its politics are a bit of a mystery mainly because its so hard to tell what they are singing. Its hard to tell if its actually a tongue in cheek ditty about a comedy dictator stopping people dance. However, its unlikely to bring any walls down, any time soon. Kirsty MacColl – Free World. Again a great song and some great political lyrics (when the clans rise again women and men united by the struggle) but also some awful ones (Got to take it got to grab it got to get it up and shag it). I am sure that someone could explain to me what the lyrics mean but if you need a guide to make sense of something its going to fail to land any punches. The Beat – Stand Down Margaret. No problem with the song albeit a bit routine for the Beat at this stage (they all sounded a bit like this). Politically its childish it does not really try to develop any analysis simply asks for her to resign which is useful to use at political rallies as “Maggie Maggie Maggie Out Out Out!” but the lilting ska style didn’t really lend themselves to the fist pumping chanting event. Mogwai – George Square Thatcher Death Party: Great sound but I defy you to find out what they are saying. I suppose there title tells us where they are coming from but its not going to win any debates. Lets face it it could be played at the funeral and if no-one knew the title it would not offend anyone. UB40 – Madame Medusa: UB40 presented themselves as overtly political band initially instead of a very good reggae band which they turned out to be. Madame Medusa lyrically its clear that the band hate her “Round her vacant features, Gilded spirits dance, her evil tree of knowledge, sprouts a special branch”. However the problem with a song that just to express how much they hate someone doesn’t stand up to much analysis its an emotional response to real world problems and issues and not a coherent political response. Great Dub Bass (for 8 minutes at the end) which the band are clearly enjoying playing and again does confuse the purpose of the song? We have had a pop at the Prime Minister now lets have a dance? Hefner – The Day That Thatcher Dies: The song is great fun and of course ties in Ding Dong The Witch is Dead (which is currently censored and at Number 2 in the charts). However, not sure if this is ultimately a comedy record about being rejected by a girl called Michelle Cox at high school. I am not blaming musicians of the 80′s for not bringing down Thatcher and to be fair they threw as many punches as anyone did in those years and gave a nod to people to encourage left wing sentiment and activity. The weakness of the opposition to Margaret Thatcher is much more complex that and has more to do with global political and economic factors of course. However the best song about Thatcher was not on Kickers list it is: MJ Hibbert and the Validators – The Fight For History. Its a great tune and a great rocking sound. However more importantly its analysis is great pointing out that The cold War was ended by the people on the street in Berlin not Regan and Thatcher, That the so called socialists that took power after Thatcher were no better. Also how, when someone dies they try and rewrite history and that songs like this are part of a constant battle for ideas that remind people about things like section 28, the link between western foreign policy of present wars and the Poll Tax. Finally it is defiant “I was there and I will not forget!”. The other songs on Kickers list were: The Jam – Town Called Malice, The Sytle Council – With Everything to lose, Morrissey – Margaret on a Guillotine, Robert Wyatt – Shipbuilding, The Specials – Ghost town Hear more discussion on this topic on Podcast 8 […]
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