Sunday, May 10, 2015

Whip It Good




Last night Nick and I were watching Graham Norton and to my delight, the musical guests were Blur.

They played the song "Lonesome Street" off their new album "The Magic Whip."

I sat on the floor in front of the television with my hands clasped together, hoping that the song would sate my urge to briefly relive the Brit Pop heyday.

I liked what I heard.

"I will buy the new album," I told Nick over my shoulder.

Seeing the band sitting on Graham's couch brought a mix of emotions.

Damon's forehead bore deep creases and he looked exhausted. At some point in the past he lost one of his front teeth and replaced it with a conspicuous fake. Even so, he's pushing fifty and still rather lovely.

Alex James is still tall and handsome while Graham Coxon has lost his nerdy hotness and now just looks like a comfortable yet well worn sofa cushion.

Drummer Dave Rowntree seemed to fade into the background and disappear completely.

Today was mother's day and Nick draped a little yellow bag over the baby's arm and brought it out to me in the conservatory. Inside was a selection of chocolates and the new Blur CD.

I was really amazed at how good the tracks are. The album offers hints of Parklife's cheek and the moody meaningfulness of some of 13's tracks.

My favorite track by far is "Go Out" followed by "Lonesome Street" and "New World Towers."

When the disc began I threw out my arms and said, "I'm sixteen again."

Nick was a skeptic.

But I enjoyed the rush of memories from my late teens when anything seemed possible and the future held exciting things. I had a collection of little black dresses and a haircut like the lead singer of Elastica. I was in love with an imaginary man and I couldn't wait to get out of Alabama and see the world.

The boys did well with this one.

Even when the nostalgia fades, I'll enjoy these songs for years to come.


Blur Now
A younger Damon embracing the themes from "A Clockwork Orange":

1 comment:

  1. thoughtful. glad you got a gift you liked and wanted

    ReplyDelete