December 03, 2004
Two Unfashionable Thoughts
Firstly, this morning I listened to The White Stripes covering Jolene and can I just say - it’s utter pants! Pants I tell you! How anyone on earth could go past the original by the Mistress Of Tit Hip herself, the brilliant Dolly Parton, is beyond me. Am I the only person who think Jack White sounds less like an emotive singer and more like a constipated poncy twat in this song?
Secondly, after a brief discussion with Fopface this morning, I have decided to come out and declare that in my humble opinion, Kylie’s greatest album is in actual fact the one which is considered her worst by most people. That’s right, I adore Impossible Princess. I want to lick “Some Kind Of Bliss” and make babies with “Breathe”. Of course, my favourite favourite Kylie song is “Put Yourself In My Place” but that’s a whole other discussion altogether.
This isn’t an unfashionable thought so much as it is a pointless observation but I thought “Hey, why not share it anyways!” - has anyone else watched the 90210 episode where Dylan’s dad dies lately? Luke Perry releases not one, not two but three primal screams upon the realisation that his character’s daddy has been chargrilled. Why did people mock the acting abilities of the 90210 class, eh? Genius.
Posted by Jess at December 3, 2004 09:07 AM— Filed under Common
Comments / Trackbacks (URI)
Holy fuck I agree with you totally. I almost mounted the kerb when I heard Jack White scream “joleeeeeeeeeeeneeeeeee”. It sounded like someone had stabbed him in the eye.
I love “put yourself in my place”. Underrated song.
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I have this dream (I can’t BELIEVE I’m sharing this with you guys, but what the hell) that when I eventually rule the music world after John Howard Is A Cunt becomes an underground-then-massive-commercial-in-a-still-cool-way hit, I’ll strive to use my influential powers for good and not evil and begin giving under rated or uncool songs I love plugs in interviews so they have a resurgence with the hipster kids. Like “Put Yourself In My Place”. And maybe “Islands In The Stream” too.
And don’t get me started on my Glastonbury dream, which involves a stage, 100,000 screaming festival goers and Ms Belinda Carlisle launching into the familiar strains of “WHOAAAAAA-OH! RUNAWAY HOOOOOORSES!”
I need to get out more.
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While I’m totally with you on the Kylie issue…… I have to say I LOVE The White Stripes cover of Jolene…..
ducks and prepares for missiles being tossed this direction
I. don’t. know. why. but. i. love. it.
Shoot me.
I’m finding myself getting all tingly about it and putting Jolene right up to the top of my baby names list.
Yes. Perhaps it is best. Please shoot me.
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Well, hmmm. Let’s see if we can redeem you before we kill you! Unless you’re a Young Liberal… are you a Young Liberal?
(loads shotgun)
Have you ever heard the original Jolene by Ms Parton? If so, do you find the cover superior or inferior to the original?
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HAHAHA nooooooooo definitely NOT a young liberal…..
Well Im sure i know the legend of Dolly Parton and her legendary…..assets…… and Im sure i have heard the original at some point in my life… although unlike a lot of my friends(i believe thankfully) my parents weren’t huge country & western fans, I grew up more listening to Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond & Cliff Richard…..
But anyway yeah….. um…I’ve never really listened to the original much…. that would be my excuse….
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I only got into Dolly recently, although I’m sure my mum owns a few of her albums (along with Richard Clayderman’s Christmas Hits, Kenny Rogers’ Christmas Wishes and A Chipmunk Christmas Mix*)
She’s not the whiney-country sound you’d expect. Jolene is a genuinely ace song, and she’s a great guitarist. She’s not all boozies you know! And once you hear the original awesome Jolene, you can hear people ripping off the guitar riff in today’s rawk constantly.
Download Buy the song. Then tell me what you reckon.
*Well, mum didn’t actually own A Chipmunk Christmas Mix. But I thought she did for like, ten years. Then I discovered it was in fact a dodgy cassette that played double-speed, and in fact the artist was the whistling dynamo Roger Whittaker. I prefer Alvin & Co though.
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Hahahah I had the Chipmunk Punk tape - love love loved it to bits !!!!!
Points taken re the talented Ms Parton and if I get a chance, I will have a listen to the original song in all it’s glory.
No disrespect to her intended at all.
But I still like the White Stripes version. :p
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Ah, Kylie! I adore “Impossible Princess” and have never understood why many believe it to be her worst album. It’s fabulous! And I also have a very deep love for “Put Yourself In My Place” but “Better The Devil You Know” is my favourite favourite Kylie song.
And, on the topic of the acting abilities of the 90210 class, it is so very easy to mock them (Jennie Garth, I am looking at YOU) but at least two of the cast members could act. That ain’t bad! Hillary Swank got an Oscar and Emma Caulfield went from 90210 to play Anya on my beloved Buffy and, especially in the episode where Buffy’s Mum dies and Anya’s speech makes me cry and cry, was excellent. God, I miss Buffy.
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“Better The Devil You Know” and “Step Back In Time” all come from that fabulously retro era of Kylie that you can’t help but love. But the reason I love Put Yourself In My Place is because it’s completely kitsch free - it’s just a frickin brilliant tune, and I love it in a non-ironic sense. Everyone always wanked over Confide In Me and how it was the greatest thing since electric sliced bread or whatever, but Put Yourself In My Place always far outshone Confide In Me in my opinion.
I LOVE Unofficial Kylie Discussion Day! Come back, Dan - you know you want to join us and wax lyrical about Ms Minogue!
I love Emma Caulfield, I do - but… SHE’S A REPUBLICAN! And we all know they’re evil and murder kittens by bashing them to death with old lady’s hips and newborn babies! I am so torn!
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Unofficial Kylie Discussion Day is wonderful! Did you see her on Kath and Kim last week? She was hilarious! And, you are SO RIGHT about Put Yourself In My Place - it’s so simple and lovely and I once heard it on the radio during a bad break up and when I got home had to put it on repeat because it SPOKE OF MY PAIN. Great song.
Less wonderful is the fact that Emma Caulfield is a Republican. How did I not know this?? My god, everything just feels so wrong now. How will I ever be able to enjoy her bunny song in Once More With Feeling again??
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Dolly pisses over everything else of course. That goes without saying. But I don’t mind the Stripes version, I like the singing along. the best cover however is by Rhonda Vincent.
The last I saw Spike from Press Gang he was playing major role in the Batman ride at Movie World circa 1992.
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Spike at Movie World?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!
Admittedly, he looked a little “hard up” (is that the fashionable euphemism for “spent all his cash on good times and now resembles Keith Richards bastard love child” these days?) in the Kylie video, but forced to resort to Movie World?
Oooooh Oooooh what if he and Sophie Monk had a drunken work Xmas party pash once?! Wouldn’t that be excellent? Let’s spread the rumour anyways!
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Yeah, I saw that too. Back in 1995 before the Batman Forever movie. (swoons)
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What teh bloody hell’s going on here then. Kylie commenting. I’ll join in that.
From my limited perspective, the finest Minogue, K works are:
One Boy Girl - due to a high-larious two party rapping sequence involving an offer to “break it down like this”, to which Kylie responds, unimpressed, with a scarastic, “Yeah, right.”
Made In Heaven - for it’s just BEAUTIFUL. “Music and lights?” she queries. “Or is that just a fairytale.” OH NO IT ISN’T/WASN’T.
What Kind of Fool - this is POP PERFECTION. Some pervert once claimed her to be too squawky on this, however this person is CORRUPT.
Drunk - The fast singing bits! And then the swoopy, slow bits! Pleasant.
Love At First Sight 1988 and Love At First Sight 2002 - DO YOU EVEN KNOW that Minogue, K has successfully punched out two different songs called Love at First Sight? AND EVEN BETTER, teh chorsu of one can be sung over that of the other, and they FIT EXACTLY. TRY THIS IMMEDIATELY OR DIE.
Slow - because the clicking sound in lieu of beat is RATHER MODERN.
Hand on Your Heart - the chord structure in this one seems to be slightly different to much of the rest of the SAW songs she did. And aren’t the wonky “hand, hand hand hand, hand” bits really JUST SO GOOD.
On A Night Like This - an adorable piece of disco frippery that anyone could really sing (AND INDEED HAS! Half the town has recorded this song; it’s only right that Kylie should have a “crack”)
This Girl - She’s not interested in! Fitting in! She only wants to be! This Girl! References to “tiring easily” make this suitably unusual. Nice bongoes throughout.
Some Kind of Bliss - for the opening! Which sounds like, perhaps, someone trying on three separate occasions to start a lawnmower. Finally, it starts.
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God I love you, Will-poo. I cannot WAIT until we go out “on the gay” next week! You are going to educate my Catholic school girl mind! xxx
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koiylie!
he’s back!
with a diff-er-ent flex!
being an academic on kylie i can quite safely say that the bestest is “so stupid”… um but i’m not sure she officially puts her name to it. plus all those other ones which are so lovely to dance to when you’re out “on the gay”.
where, indeed, would the gay be without her and her strident and effective advocacy for equal rights?
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I realised the Slinkee Minx version of Summer Rain is better then the original(please don’t shoot me Jess)
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Don’t worry about Jess, I’ll shoot you first. Don’t you go knocking my Belinda.
And Confide In Me rocks for Koiles.
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Nicely done, Evan. Yes, Pauly, I’m afraid I would have shot you had Evan not virtually shot you first. Belinda’s version is highly superior to that of the Minxettes, because Belinda herself is highly superior to everyone, including God. Or something.
Wasn’t saying I dislike Confide In Me, just that I always prefered the slightly unsung (so to speak) Put Yourself In My Place.
Speaking of Belinda, I now have a delightful Canadian friend who, shockingly, has never heard of Belinda Carlisle!!!!!!!!!
And there I was thinking those Canucks were enlightened! Naturally I shall be guiding said Canadian in the Ways Of The Carlisle shortly.
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Dolly P rocks
I’m about a week late with this, so probably no-one will ever read this comment, but here goes anyway.
Yes, Jess(ie’s) Girl, Dolly P’s “Jolene” is fuckin’ great and Jack White’s vocal is The Sound Of One Arse Sucking. I saw the White Stripes at the Corner Hotel a couple of years ago and they did it much better then. Mind you, I was buzzy with Panadeine Forte (legally) and several of Carlton’s Finest (medically advised against) so was really in no condition to judge. But it did prompt me to go out and buy a Dolly Parton’s Greatest Hits CD purely to see if Jolene was as great as I remembered. And it was. But I thought almost everything else on the CD was shite, except Coat of Many Colours. But that’s just me.
What was that Kylie song where she sang about being a font? That was great.
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Must agree with you on the Kylie front. Impossible Princess is probably her best album. Better songs, not as vapid and dance/pop as her other stuff. A bunch of the songs were co-written and produced by the fellas from the Manic Street Preachers, which might help explain it.
And we mustn’t forget the contribution of Spike from Press Gang in the Some Kind Of Bliss video clip!
It’s hard to believe that the blokes behind the incredibly whiney If You Tolerate This (Your Children Will Be Next) are also behind the genius Some Kind Of Bliss.
Of course, I forgive James Dean Bradfield many things due to a) A Design For Life and b) A brilliant acoustic cover of Last Christmas by Wham back in the mid-nineties.
Did i just out myself as a Kylie fan??
Dan jumps back in the closet