Sorry...I've been a slacker when it comes to posting lately. We've been buried with LOTS of things happening on both the home and business fronts, readying for a move of both locations (more on this later). Seems the only time I get to post is when I'm on the road. So it is that I'm posting from the LAX Admiral's Club, waiting for a flight to Chicago. This coming week will see me in South Bend, Indiana, and then Urbana, S. Elgin and Chicago, Illinois.
In the mood for something upbeat and pop-ish, I put on my headphones and selected some Tears for Fears on my iPhone. I admit to being a fan of a lot of 80's Brit-Pop (my friend Cris calls the genre "English Fag Dancing Music"), Squeeze, Haircut 100, Heaven 17, XTC, Level 42, and the like. And I've got a special fondness for one such band, The Style Council...a band so misunderstood and overlooked, but is finally getting some long-deserved respect. Or so I had thought.
Another longtime favorite of mine has been Tears for Fears. It was while listening to one of their songs, "Sewing the Seeds of Love", that my ear caught one of the lyrics for the first time: "Kick out the Style! Bring back the Jam!"
Seems that one of my favorite bands shares a seemingly common distaste for The Style Council. A lot of music lovers (especially British music lovers) can't seem to forgive TSC front man Paul Weller for announcing his breaking up The Jam - at the height of their popularity - only to form The Style Council in his very next breath.
The Style Council pushed the boundaries of pop music, with incredible melodies and socially relevant lyrics. Part of the difficulty many had (and still have) with the band was that they were extremely difficult to pigeon hole. They delighted in forays from pop into all genres: French torch songs, rap, house and more. You gotta give Paul Weller some props...the man had (and still has) balls to resist the comfort of cranking out new tunes with the same commercial appeal. He found with The Style Council the ability to experiment.
Sadly, by 1991, the experiment had run its course. Weller's gone on to a successful solo career, and while most folks continue to rave about The Jam days, seldom do folks similarly rave about The Style Council.
So, now I am left in a quandary: Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith (aka Tears for Fears) hate The Style Council? Can it be so?? Does that mean that I have to stop listening to Tears for Fears? I guess I can muse over this dilemma on my flight out to Chicago...but what do I listen on the flight?
While I wrestle with this weighty issue, enjoy some light-hearted fun over at humor-blogs.com, won't you?
In the mood for something upbeat and pop-ish, I put on my headphones and selected some Tears for Fears on my iPhone. I admit to being a fan of a lot of 80's Brit-Pop (my friend Cris calls the genre "English Fag Dancing Music"), Squeeze, Haircut 100, Heaven 17, XTC, Level 42, and the like. And I've got a special fondness for one such band, The Style Council...a band so misunderstood and overlooked, but is finally getting some long-deserved respect. Or so I had thought.Another longtime favorite of mine has been Tears for Fears. It was while listening to one of their songs, "Sewing the Seeds of Love", that my ear caught one of the lyrics for the first time: "Kick out the Style! Bring back the Jam!"
Seems that one of my favorite bands shares a seemingly common distaste for The Style Council. A lot of music lovers (especially British music lovers) can't seem to forgive TSC front man Paul Weller for announcing his breaking up The Jam - at the height of their popularity - only to form The Style Council in his very next breath.
The Style Council pushed the boundaries of pop music, with incredible melodies and socially relevant lyrics. Part of the difficulty many had (and still have) with the band was that they were extremely difficult to pigeon hole. They delighted in forays from pop into all genres: French torch songs, rap, house and more. You gotta give Paul Weller some props...the man had (and still has) balls to resist the comfort of cranking out new tunes with the same commercial appeal. He found with The Style Council the ability to experiment.Sadly, by 1991, the experiment had run its course. Weller's gone on to a successful solo career, and while most folks continue to rave about The Jam days, seldom do folks similarly rave about The Style Council.
So, now I am left in a quandary: Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith (aka Tears for Fears) hate The Style Council? Can it be so?? Does that mean that I have to stop listening to Tears for Fears? I guess I can muse over this dilemma on my flight out to Chicago...but what do I listen on the flight?
While I wrestle with this weighty issue, enjoy some light-hearted fun over at humor-blogs.com, won't you?
3 comments:
Hi Mat,
We met a few years back when I wrote about your wines in Swirl Wine News... nice to find your blog.
Coincidentally, I now work with Curt Smith. He just released a new solo album, Halfway, pleased, that you might enjoy listening to on your flight :).
Best,
Arlene Wszalek
Hey, Arlene!
Small world...nice to hear (read?) from you. Curt's got an album out? Rest assured I'll be going out to buy a copy. And, of course, should Curt need any wine for his tour, I'm happy to do my part!
Best, Mat
Mat,
What is the story of relocating your wine business ? Where are you moving it to? When will it be relocated?
Just checking on behalf of all the folks that enjoy your wines and your good company.
Cheers,
Post a Comment