Alternative Weekend: It's Down to Separate Tracks

Source

Spurred on partly by @ulewang’s post and his Rock Classic series, I felt the need to resurrect ‘Alternative Weekend’ again.

… and look, it's even the weekend. I am terrible at breaking my own rules generally.

It was always a case of pick some weird-arse band that nobody had ever heard of and tell them a story based on individual perspective.

That's all well and good but I ran out of content. In the past 4 years, I kind of emptied my musical brain onto STEEM and then HIVE later.

Is there anything else left up there? Yeah, there are some bits but a full band will be pushing it.

Since I discovered Lush nothing else has entered my lug-holes that has appealed. Yes, I am a fussy bastard when it comes to tunes.

The Tourist – Radiohead (OK Computer – 1997)

I was working for Airtours, a now-defunct travel company when Radiohead unleashed possibly their most popular ever album to date.

Except I didn't get it. Where were the guitar sounds of 'The Bends'? Besides 'Paranoid Android' it was ever so lethargic, and Thom Yorke appeared to be stoned while singing all these laid-back easy-going songs.

Source

Later on, it clicked. I am rarely in the zone right away and suddenly I could hear things. 'The Tourist', at the end of 'OK Computer' was resonating, and Thom's soaring lyrics were finally hitting the spot.

Radiohead used to be buggers for removing their content from YouTube. I was surprised to find this so easily!

In Every Dream Home A Heartache – Roxy Music (For Your Pleasure – 1972)

After listening to both Steve Jones and John Lydon's autobiographies, I noted both of these anarchists loved Roxy Music, especially the early material. The founders of Punk, loving Glam Rock, can you believe that?

I found a copy of 'For Your Pleasure' and stuck it on repeat play as I generally do when I need something to sink into my head.

Apart from the title track, I could hear what they both raved about after some time. What an odd, strange album with quirky tunes. It’s perfect for someone like me who veers well away from the mainstream of today’s music world.

Planet Hunter – Wolf Alice (Visions of a Life – 2017)

Apologies if I have mentioned this one before. Rare is it that I find something in the last few years that sounds half-decent.

I went to see Wolf Alice in 2018 in Newcastle but they were terrible. Not the band but the acoustics. I couldn’t hear shit and it was a waste of time.

Of course, I can't blame the band for that, and I did pick up 'Visions of a Life' after seeing them, as well as the obligatory t-shirt. There's a lot of fluff on the album but this track stood out.

When I Die – Lush (Split – 1994)

I couldn't end this without adding a song from the fantastic Lush, this is before they turned into a Brit-Pop band and sort of tarnished themselves.

The albums 'Spooky' and 'Split' are a mixture of ambience, noise and loud distorted guitars at times. I can thank this band for adding my deafness over the last 2 years. That's what you get for MP3 car listening way too loud.

...'Lush reformed in 2016, played some gigs, created an EP and then vanished forever'...
Source

If I could ask 'Emma Anderson' one question it would be, 'Did you get the inspiration for this song from The Cranberries?'. What an underestimated talent she was.

Apart from the vocal differences, this song could fit very well on either The Cranberries, 'Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?' or 'No Need to Argue' albums, and as a massive fan of the late Dolores O'Riordon, it became a fast favourite from the excellent 'Split' album.

I’m hoping I can dredge a few memories out of my mind for some more of these. Whatever I post, you will probably have never heard of them.

Well your don't want Careless Whisper.. do you?

Guitar Image - Source

• Earn currency while you play and become a global Rock Star with Rising Star
• Own assets, and earn currency while playing one of the oldest, most established Crypto Games, Splinterlands

If you found this article so invigorating that you are now a positively googly-eyed, drooling lunatic with dripping saliva or even if you liked it just a bit, then please upvote, comment, rehive, engage me or all of these things.