All good things must come to an end, as they say. Oh, but sometimes, don’t you just WISH they wouldn’t? Jim’s fourth and final (for now, perhaps?) show for Absolute Radio aired on what is Sunday morning for us here Down Under.
He threw me a slight curveball by playing Van Morrison’s Gloria as his opener this week. Didn’t expect that one! Was geared up for The Doors or some T-Rex…but there you go. Still great all the same. I was waiting for his “Who the f*** is Gloria?” remark, but it wasn’t forthcoming. Lol. Maybe he knows now? Do share if you do, Jim.
Next up was All The Young Dudes by Mott The Hoople – a band name MADE for a Scottish accent if ever there was one! A bit more Bowie via the back door, so to speak, as the song was written specifically for the band by Bowie himself, as he loved them so and they were considering packing it in (or so the story goes). He didn’t want them to give up and so wrote All The Young Dudes for them…or at least surrendered it to them, as he might have already written it. Anyways, the song gave them a hit and they powered on!
U2’s Desire was next. So glad he chose a track from Rattle And Hum. Rattle And Hum gets overlooked in my opinion because it comes in the wake of the absolute JUGGERNAUT that is The Joshua Tree, but in many ways, I PREFER Rattle And Hum. Desire is fab, When Love Comes To Town and Angel Of Harlem fab also. But two of my absolute favourite U2 songs are on R&H and they are Heartland (Adam Clayton’s bass on that is just beautiful) and Hawkmoon 269.
He couldn’t help but have a little jibe at the end. “…Harmonica. I don’t know who plays the harmonica. I know in the video Bono gives it an old blast, but I have my doubts. That sounded too good.” I love you, Jim, you bitch! Lol
Some Sly And The Family Stone and then Neil Young’s Rockin’ In The Free World were played. Jim touched upon the Minds cover of Rockin’ In The Free World, which I must say I like. I know most Minds covers leave many SM fans cold and granted, not ALL of them have worked, but they’ve done some good ones. I love their version of Street Hassle (and yes, I told him, along with coming to the defence of the rest of the second half of Sparkle – he chastised me. Oh, well! Whip me, boy! I’m ever ready! Lol) and I also really like their version of Sloop John B. And The Man Who Sold The World, of course…minus Jim’s incorrect lyrics. Lol
Next up was Siouxsie And The Banshees’ cover of Dear Prudence. And he was right as he introed it. Yes, I’d heard it before, but also, not for a while. And I was listening…like, REALLY listening to it, I realised how stunningly beautiful and softly melancholically uplifting it was. That sounds like a crazy contracdiction…but that’s how it sounds to me. The music sounds sunny…it’s bright, but the way Siouxsie sings is sort of dour and melancholic, but still sweet. “The sun is out, the sky is blue, it’s beautiful and so are you.” That is one heck of a simplistic but gorgeous line. And all the reasons why Lennon/McCartney are up there as possibly the best songwriting duo ever to exist.
As it ended, Jim explained the effect it had on him. I’ve been writing replies to him about what feels like an ENDLESS stream of songs that make me cry. And as I was listening to Dear Prudence on Sunday morning, I could feel the waterworks coming, and I was thinking, “Oh, here I am on my own, AGAIN. Crying my eyes out. If I tell him, he’ll start to think EVERY song I listen to makes me cry!” And then he said at the end that the song has an emotional effect on him. It was bittersweet to hear. At last! I wasn’t alone.
John Grant’s Pale Green Ghosts was played next. I’m sure I’d heard it before but if I had, it was like hearing it for the first time again. Knock out! Every bit of John Grant I’ve ever heard, I’ve liked and I STILL haven’t given him my full attention. Certain OTHER music has been taking up front, back and sides recently…and I have just not been wanting to let anything else in…but I must.
Being the “big boy” he is (his words, not mine…and no sexual innuendo intended…Oh, OK…It’s ME – sexual innuendo WAS intended!), he played The Cure’s A Forest. But considering he was feeling a little sorry for himself for not being “besties” with Robert Smith, maybe he should have plumbed for “Boys Don’t Cry”?
I have to admit to having a bit of fun on the SMO FB visitor wall and shared a rather infamous magazine cover (in the SM fandom, at least) that’s been cropped to have Jim and Robert Smith together on it, Robert posed in such a way that he appears to want to lick Jim’s face. Lol. Here is what I shared.
Rebel Yell was next. Jim relaying the story of the connection Billy Idol has with them through Keith Forsey and the rather more dubious connection with Don’t You (Forget About Me).
Sinead O’Connor’s Fourth And Vine was next. Wow! Didn’t know she was still making such great stuff. I mean, I knew she was still making music…but, yeah. That was good! Loved that.
Some Elvis then. I was glad it was ANYTHING but the Wonder Of You. If it had been that…I would have lost it. I’m not going to say why here. Just a deep, personal reason, suffice it to say.
And then…he signed off with Waterfront…and all those past four shows became a blur :-(((
But they will be there on Mixcloud. And he was SO DAMN GOOD…I’m sure if Absolute continue to do these things, they’ll have him back. He was wonderful.
But…WHAT AM I GOING TO DO THIS SUNDAY MORNING???! :-((