#447 Bruce Cockburn – Call It Democracy

(CDN – 1986)

When Bruce Cockburn wrote this song, many of these so-called democracies, backed by the Reagan administration, were in Latin America. But he was also referring to the other neo-colonialist hostage countries “turned in labor camps” because they had to produce for the donor countries to pay off their “insupportable debts”.

Today, this folk rock song, tells the story of almost every country in the global south that has been hijacked by international capitalism (“tyranny of the developed nations”) to produce for the North and then buy food from the North with the money they earned from selling crops and raw materials. Instead of growing their own crops, which would be so much cheaper and not requiring loans from the “IMF, dirty MF”.

The typical Cockburn-style protest song shows how much he developed into a cross between Dylan and Little Steven. The tragedy is that, 35 years on, it has not gotten better in many ways. The quality of the song still stands, though.

#448 A Tribe Called Quest – Award Tour

(US – 1993)

This is not the rebirth of slick, this IS slick. The “Midnight Marauders” album, which features “Award Tour” (click on pic to listen) was played in a loop right after it was released. I went back to college and wasn’t working much, so I had some downtime. Of course, 1993 was a prime hiphop year and A Tribe Called Quest were among the prime of the prime.

This song is groove, theme, the perfect alternate rapping, the syncopation and it makes me move. Body, mind and soul get woken up, irresistible track. What more is there to say?

#449 Tom Robinson Band – Ain’t Gonna Take It

(UK – 1978)

The days of the rise of Tom Robinson as the spokessinger for “Rock Against Racism” and everything else that was on the rise in the Thatcher era, were full of gloom, anger and brittle hope. Songs like this would explain why people would take a stand and it made me want to do exactly that.

“Ain’t Gonna Take It” (click on pic to listen) is about taking a stand on any issue, not looking away, not merely enjoying privilege but being conscious of it and use it with care. The UK ‘Winter of Our Discontent’ (78-79) which eventually brought Thatcher to power, was not only one of the coldest post-war winters, but also my political coming of age season.

Years later, when asked to describe my position in society, I replied that this song represented it perfectly. There is still a lot of it in me, looming perhaps, lurking no doubt. “I’m a middle-class kiddie but I know where I stand”.

The song is just a great outburst of emotions, caught in a 3-minute punk rock song, meant to yell along at full volume, fists raised. A song smacking of barricades, tear gas, squatting, rallies and riots. And love in dangerous times…

#450 Covet – Shibuya (ft. San Holo)

(US – 2018)

This was one of my first “Bandcamp” harvests after I joined 2 years ago. Plus it was my first conscious acquaintance with Mathrock, and it was instantly weird enough for me to like it.

Yvette Young represents a new generation of guitarists with a special way of playing, creating new riffs all the time, some unfinished, some elaborated, but always suprising and fresh. “Shibuya” (click on pic to listen) is the example of “expect the unexpected”, so it was love at first sound. The solo version is amazing too!

An acquired taste, with room for maturing!

#451 (69/28/-/-) Ill Niño – My Pleasant Torture

(US – 2005)

Spanish guitars, pounding metal, a vulnerable voice, lyrics that find their way to the heart. There is something irresistible about Latin metal, melodic to the core but unrelenting at the same time.

Ill Niño literally means ‘sick kid’ and is a multisemic pun, but “My Pleasant Torture” (click on pic to listen) is as straightforward as it is: the pain of a breakup or maybe of a case of neglect. I could also relate to the idea that the father rejected the son. A song full of pain, and I could definitely relate to that pain. Peaking in 2011 at #28, this is still a song that is ‘part of me’. There is this pleasant torture of self-pity that can be better than its reputation. Some pain you have to own.

Ill Niño sure do.

#452 Marillion – Heart of Lothian

(UK – 1985)

The advent of the “Misplaced Childhood” album was a milestone for many an adolescent, especially for young, confused men. A concept album in an era in which concept album had become a sort of obsolete, because we were already living in a world without concepts. Fragmentation of self was taking place on many levels, hyperindividualism and dissolving communities were the norm.

The first time I heard the album was in 1987, and it was an immediate love affair. Especially “Heart of Lothian” (click on pic to listen), because of all the drama involved, the “Misplaced Rendezvous” prelude leading to the near-hysterical “wide boys, wide boys, born of Heart of Lothian”.

The drama never wanes, until the mysterious final verse that was so relatable:

And the man in the mirror has sad eyes.

But why?

#453 Tsunami Bomb – Take the Reins

(US – 2002)

A wry song in Covid times:

18, you think you’re free
To be what you wanna be

[…]

Locked in, can’t get out
Your cube is your new home
4 walls, no windows, no doors
Handcuffed to life again

[…]

Take control!

The latter is the rub. There’s no control, in many respects. Life is in limbo for many young people, the reins are somehow only imaginary.

When the Tsunami debut album was launched, this was the ultimate opening song. 2002 was the year after the first economic crisis of the new century. For young people it was back to square one, the prospering 90s had ended abruptly. Not so much good news has ensued.

“Take the Reins” (click on pic to listen) is a smashin up-tempo punk rock song, thrashing you against the wall with all its energy.

How long till I’m my own?
Independence doesn’t start when you leave home

When was your moment of real independence? I was 21 years old, left home 3 years before that. Could have used songs like this back then!

#454 Gianna Nannini – Ottava vita

(ITA – 1995)

Anyone who’s ever been to a Gianna Nannini concert knows that, no matter how well prepared you’ve come, she’ll always outlast even the toughest audience member. Her energy level is beyond comprehension.

During the only concert of hers I was privileged to be present at, I tried to keep up with the continuous jumping, singing at full volume and radiating energy, but it the end I had to give up. She was just too much, and I saw the entire audience gradually doing the same.

“Ottava vita” (click on pic to listen) is a typical ‘italorock’ song with all the right guitar and bass notes and Gianna’s voice exploring one octave after another. It can only be compared with Nina Hagen’s voice (and band, for that matter), 15-20 years before. It’s a fabulously impertinent song about self-deprecation and living a guilty, criminal life, never abandoning (hence “Eighth Life (Ottava vita)” hope for the better.

The stuff nightmares are made of in a song you can sing yourself in a trance with. I used to loop this song when under strain or pressure. It’s extremely liberating, even if politically immensely incorrect. Life has no easy recipes…

#455 Au Pairs – America

(UK – 1982)

The sleeve was too provocative in the early 1980s, when the glam revolution started pushing back all body hair, that it was dropped. Later versions were downright boring. The album, however, isn’t, and “America” (click on pic to listen), the finale, is a real treat. Avant-garde drumming, razor-sharp lyrics and a horn solo at the very end, when no-one expects anything anymore.

The Au Pairs (the name of the band had nothing to do with foreign students looking after rich kids, but simply meant that the group consisted of 2 women + 2 men) loved to shock and to surprise. “America” has it all. The thrashing of Ronald Reagan as the kill-all president (but who looked so smooth and friendly on TV) reminds us vaguely of the situation the US and the world are in now.

A song which is typical for the British version of rage, so deliciously celebrated during the Thatcher era. Rage mixed with art and comedy, with suffering and all the best intentions. The British love to fail spectacularly and self-deprecate themselves to death for the rest of their lives.

There will be more songs about America in the days of Reagan-rage in this list, but this is a fine start.

#456 (-/78/19/60) Santana – Every Step of the Way

(US – 1972)

This was music for the bong, a whole decade long. And as you can see, it already belonged to the dirty 100 of the first countdown list and peaked in 2006 in the top 20.

A delicious song, that goes on for 9 minutes and takes you through any landscape you like, depending on your fantasies and your state of mind.

A long and not uneventful journey: guitar and percussion fight it out with the wind section. It’s literally every step of the way, you can’t look or listen away for one second. It’s the kind of guitar solo Zappa wasn’t able to pull off, the storytelling one.

“Every Step of the Way” (click on pic to listen) reminds me of the fact that you can’t skip an aspect of life just because it’s unpleasant or unwanted. If it appears, you gotta deal with it. The song title also means that you stick with someone who sticks with you for the distance. No bailing out.

I have listened to this song for so long, it’s in my DNA now. See if you can follow suit!