Thursday, May 24, 2007

Thursday Pop Quiz

First, please take the time to watch and listen to this clip of Scottish rockers Del Amitri performing the title song from their 1997 album Some Other Sucker's Parade.




All done?

Now answer the following question:

In said year, was there a more gloriously melodic or thrillingly sung guitar-driven musical artifact offered for public consumption in digital form?

If you answered yes, you are correct and good for you. Of course, the even more glorious and thrilling musical artifact in question, was "Not Where It's At," the uber-jangly 12-string Rickenbacker apotheosis that is the lead-off track from -- god, we're tricky -- the very same Del Amitri album!!!.

Alas, it's not on YouTube yet, but we'll get to back to you when it is.

Bonus Essay Question:

The lyrics to Del Amitri's "Not Where It's At"

(With some girls it don't matter who you hang with
With some girls it don't matter how you talk
And some girls they are easy to be yourself with
But the one girl that I want, ain't easy to please with what I've got

With some girls it don't matter where you're aiming
With some girls it don't matter how you act
And some girls they don't care what car you came in
But the one girl that I want, she wants that one bit of geography I lack

Yeah, she don't want me 'cos I'm not where it's at

And some girls they will worry about reactions
And some girls they don't give a damn for that
But somehow I ain't ever in on the action
'Cos the one girl I want, she wants that one little quality I lack

Yeah, she don't want me 'cos I'm not where it's at

I don't have my finger on the pulse of my generation
I just got my hand on my heart, I know no better location)

are either (a) snarky, (b) worldly wise, or (c) sublime.

Discuss.

Oh, apparently the album's out of print, but both songs -- and many other splendid aural confections -- can be found on Del Amitri's 1998 Greatest Hits collection, so just go and buy it already.

5 comments:

Kid Charlemagne said...

Never was much of a Del Amitri fan though "Nothing Ever Happens" off their first LP was cool.

I picked up "Some Other Sucker's Parade" out of the dollar bin a few years back and was blown away.
Why both of the aforementioned songs were not mega-super international hits is beyond my abilty to comprehend.

Anonymous said...

I think the reason SOSP didn't do as well was because Roll To Me was such a huge hit that went against the grain of the times that the follow-up wasn't taken seriously. That, or A&M were just a bunch of dipshits.

Either way, I have fired back with a possible answer to you.

http://www.wingsforwheels.net/wordpress/

Phila said...

Thought you folks might be interested in this.

The woman on the right sang on Big Star's Sister Lovers and Alex Chilton's Like Flies on Sherbert.

Nice photo, in any case.

Anonymous said...

well, if y'all want some current wonderful Scottish pop check out ballboy and for some retro BMX Bandits, both playing this weekend at the NYCPopfest this weekend. also Mitch Easter, the Baskervilles and loads more

Anonymous said...

Oh yeah, Del Amitri. Change Everything was such a "my heart's been kicked to the curb" album. "Sometimes I Just Have To Say Your Name" brings back a whole lot of memories....