In light of last Saturday’s Record Store Day release of Neapolis, nearing the 25th anniversary of its release, there is only one song I could go for in regards to MMM today. I know many will have War Babies as their favourite track on the album. It’s a great song and much stronger as a single than Glitterball was, but there is just something about Lightning that gets me every time.
There’s a great pace to it, Jim sounds sultry AF – also, I think it may be that it’s one song on the album where Derek Forbes’s bass work is actually audible. It’s tragic how much the sound of it is buried in the mix. I can only imagine how ga-ga the old Minds fans must have went when finding out he was once again on board (for the brevity it lasted).
The song is just thrilling and I love the pace of it.
The way Jim has tackled the subject matter as well. He leaves the lyrics a little ambiguous. Just enough. But there a big markers there if you’re taking the words in – sometimes even a lyrics lover like me misses the obvious markers to what a song is about. It’s not made any easier when some words can be indistinguishable in enunciation when being sung. Like the lines “riot town, right noise” – it’s very hard to distinguish that Jim is saying “riot” one time and then “right” the next. The biggest flag to what the song is about is “meltdown shoes”. A suicide bombers’ footwear.
I’ve mentioned this before but it bears repeating. For a song about a suicide bomber, it’s REALLY sexy! Well, it has always been that way for me…especially at that sort of waterfall synth bit where Jim sings “I long to be where you are”, following the melody. Geez, Louise! That’s HOT! Let us just take a moment…
Ahem…
So, yes. As I say, for me, it’s my go to. If I could only listen to one song off the album for the rest of my time on this troublesome planet, then it would definitely be the luscious yet electric Lightning.
Enjoy!
P.S. The artwork is a REALLY old one from 2017. Some are always better than others. I would make it much more dynamic now, I’d like to hope.