You can hear what ensued if you listen to the new Word Podcast that we recorded this morning Chez Fraser (above).
We're putting on a special Word In Your Ear evening at the Deaf Institute in Manchester tomorrow. There I'll be talking to Mark about his book and to Stuart Maconie about his new one The People's Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records. If you're quick you might be able to score a ticket here. Hope to see you there if you're within reach of Manchester.
Mark and I are talking at Word In Your Ear events in London on May 12th and 19th but I'm afraid both of those are already sold out.
I love R.E.M. with all my heart, yet even a hardened fan must accept that "Can we listen to the last R.E.M. Album?" falls into the category of rarely uttered phrases in the rock and roll lexicon. Maybe someone who has been marooned on a desert island or locked down in solitary confinement for decades might say it. I don't think anyone else would.
ReplyDeleteDo you remember that Rod Stewart song from the early 90s where he sings about putting his speakers on the window and playing his friend's old Motown records. Well, I doubt that anyone will ever write a similar song about serenading their neighbours with 'Collapse Into Now.'
The only way that 'Five To One' could possibly be interpreted as a song about wanking, is if the “five” refers to the five digits on the clenched fist of the unrepentant onanist, and the “one” to the Lizard King's mighty trouser snake.
I read somewhere that five to one was the ratio of young to old people in the US. If that is the case then the song joins a hackneyed canon, mostly written during the 1960s, in which lyricists attempted to analyse population demographics through a haze of patchouli and hashish, and predict the possible cultural trends that might emerge.
As far as I know The Doors never wrote a song that was explicitly about wanking. The closest they got was probably 'Love Me Two Times' – Guitarist Robby Krieger's veiled plea for oral and vaginal intercourse on the flimsy pretence that he is going away for a while.
The remaining Doors should reunite and re-do "Five To One" as a terrible warning of the implications of the demographic time bomb.
ReplyDeleteDavid, I know you're not Mark's publicist, but is he doing any other appearances to promote the book in the future? I mean, I suspect he is, but google isn't helping. Perhaps in the 3rd instalment (oh go on) such dates could be shared?
ReplyDeleteI've timed it well.
ReplyDeleteI have two weeks holiday in Mallorca just started this week and I've pre-ordered Mark's book on my kindle so hopefully it should download tomorrow.
My wife is five months pregnant with our first baby so this is our last holiday on our own for a wee while.
The fortuitous timing of the release of a book by someone who feels like an old pal and the thrill of being able to read it on the hotel balcony with some wine or late into the night while my wife is fast asleep beside me is something I'm really looking forward to
...
Unless it turns out to be a shite.
In which case - I'll consider it theft from the belly of my as yet unborn infant daughter and will expect nay demand my ****ing money back Ellen, you lanky guffawing posho twat!
Hopefully it won't come to that.
I'd like to ask Fraser, David and Mark (re: web pic) what it is about them that they got to a certain age and yet carried on wearing jeans? I'm 48 years old now and the thought of wearing jeans again gives me the shudders. Why is this so with some men and not with others?
ReplyDeletePersonally I draw the line at trainers.
ReplyDeleteEspecially if they have little flashing lights in the soles
ReplyDeleteLoons are your only man in the trouser line. Teamed with a scoop-neck loon shirt with appliqué star, they are an iconic classic fashion statement that refuses to date, plus flattering to the more "comfortable" figure sported by men of a certain age.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the podcast, brilliant as usual.
ReplyDeleteMajor Breaking Bad spoilers ahoy!!!
ReplyDeleteI loved you corpsing reading the excerpt from Mark's book - the Word Podcast's 'Leg Over' moment.
ReplyDeleteSuch a delight to have you all back in my ears. I enjoyed the Simon Napier Bell evening a couple of weeks back, but I'd have been quite happy to have tickets to you guys chatting away.
(Yes, I know you do a bit of prep, and bring things to discuss, and work to keep the energy up, but let's just pretend you're effortlessly erudite and witty, eh.)