there is no pain, you are receding
In the Redmobile coming back from a party in Southampton on a Sunday afternoon, hungover but happy, we happen to have Radio 1 on between CDs, and suddenly the typically chirpy and annoying DJ is talking about Scissor Sisters. Specifically, she's talking about 'Comfortably Numb', which gets an official release as a single in the UK in January. This is great news, as is the fact that their debut album will be out in Feb (although I can't help feeling it's a shame that it's now going to be self-titled, when the rumour was that it would be called Filthy & Gorgeous, a frankly brilliant title which someone else should steal if the band have no plans for it). If you visit the Sisters’ website, you should also check out the video for previous single ‘Laura’ – one of those rare occasions when a band look satisfyingly equivalent to the way they sound, if that makes any sense.
But going back to Sunday on the M3 and the sudden strange new context of this band being discussed on prime time national pop radio – apparently the DJ has played it before, and is inviting listeners to submit their opinions. Now, I know I probably shouldn't enjoy the fact that a lot of deeply borecore people phone, text or email Radio 1 to say how much they hate the song, or that the ones who dislike it the most appear to be those who are big fans of the original. But I do enjoy this, I really do. My own feelings about Pink Floyd are probably quite easy to guess (no prog, please), and I can think of no higher recommendation for the Scissor Sisters than the fact that ‘Comfortably Numb’ winds up a whole bunch of Floyd lovers (and while I try not to use the term ‘rockist’, my experience is that it was practically invented for fans of that band).
Yeah, okay, so I guess even though I can’t think of a higher recommendation, I ought to actually talk about the song. It's pretty much exactly a year since I first heard it, courtesy of the It Came From The Sea boys (yr so kool). Funnily enough, I was happy and hungover then as well (although a word to the wise: never go out clubbing in Brighton with the intention of getting up in time to commute to your flat in London, change clothes and then make it across town to work by 9am - it is folly). Hearing those opening guitar chords was incredibly exciting – it’s like ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ or something! Then that lone voice calling out “hello”, slightly unreal and space-age; then the handclaps (irresistible in the way that handclaps always are on record, cf. ‘Deceptacon’ by Le Tigre and ‘Chicks And Dicks’ by Junior Senior and are there handclaps on ‘Hey Ya’? – I think there are…). ‘Comfortably Numb’ completely wrong-foots you so that you don’t quite realise it’s actually a disco anthem until you’re already on the dancefloor. Plus, as with ‘Electrobix’, there’s a permeating sense of sadness here too – dancing out of desperation… It’s beautiful.
There was going to be a whole other section here about how the excitement and anxiety you feel when an up-and-coming band you're into starts getting mainstream attention, but it would be kind of boring and stating the obvious. Let's just say that anyone who refers to this as a novelty record will feel my wrath.
In the Redmobile coming back from a party in Southampton on a Sunday afternoon, hungover but happy, we happen to have Radio 1 on between CDs, and suddenly the typically chirpy and annoying DJ is talking about Scissor Sisters. Specifically, she's talking about 'Comfortably Numb', which gets an official release as a single in the UK in January. This is great news, as is the fact that their debut album will be out in Feb (although I can't help feeling it's a shame that it's now going to be self-titled, when the rumour was that it would be called Filthy & Gorgeous, a frankly brilliant title which someone else should steal if the band have no plans for it). If you visit the Sisters’ website, you should also check out the video for previous single ‘Laura’ – one of those rare occasions when a band look satisfyingly equivalent to the way they sound, if that makes any sense.
But going back to Sunday on the M3 and the sudden strange new context of this band being discussed on prime time national pop radio – apparently the DJ has played it before, and is inviting listeners to submit their opinions. Now, I know I probably shouldn't enjoy the fact that a lot of deeply borecore people phone, text or email Radio 1 to say how much they hate the song, or that the ones who dislike it the most appear to be those who are big fans of the original. But I do enjoy this, I really do. My own feelings about Pink Floyd are probably quite easy to guess (no prog, please), and I can think of no higher recommendation for the Scissor Sisters than the fact that ‘Comfortably Numb’ winds up a whole bunch of Floyd lovers (and while I try not to use the term ‘rockist’, my experience is that it was practically invented for fans of that band).
Yeah, okay, so I guess even though I can’t think of a higher recommendation, I ought to actually talk about the song. It's pretty much exactly a year since I first heard it, courtesy of the It Came From The Sea boys (yr so kool). Funnily enough, I was happy and hungover then as well (although a word to the wise: never go out clubbing in Brighton with the intention of getting up in time to commute to your flat in London, change clothes and then make it across town to work by 9am - it is folly). Hearing those opening guitar chords was incredibly exciting – it’s like ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ or something! Then that lone voice calling out “hello”, slightly unreal and space-age; then the handclaps (irresistible in the way that handclaps always are on record, cf. ‘Deceptacon’ by Le Tigre and ‘Chicks And Dicks’ by Junior Senior and are there handclaps on ‘Hey Ya’? – I think there are…). ‘Comfortably Numb’ completely wrong-foots you so that you don’t quite realise it’s actually a disco anthem until you’re already on the dancefloor. Plus, as with ‘Electrobix’, there’s a permeating sense of sadness here too – dancing out of desperation… It’s beautiful.
There was going to be a whole other section here about how the excitement and anxiety you feel when an up-and-coming band you're into starts getting mainstream attention, but it would be kind of boring and stating the obvious. Let's just say that anyone who refers to this as a novelty record will feel my wrath.
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