AOW - Week 8
Kirsty McColl's posthumous 2001 release Tropical Brainstorm
What do you get when you cross Cuban/Latin rhythms with the cheeky, acerbic, and sexy/earthy humour of a middle-aged British divorcee with a sultry voice? Well - the musical equivalent of Shirley Valentine, I suppose - that is to say, a simply glorious statement of liberation!
Kirsty McColl was the daughter of a famous folkie (Ewan McColl). Her solo career started in the late 70's/early 80's in the UK(notably the hit "There's a guy down the chipshop thinks he's Elvis"). She married producer Steve Lillywhite, and seemed to have slowed her career down, releasing a few albums in the late 90's/early 90's (I think "Titanic Days" had some play in the US); but then took a long hiatus before this - her last album - in 2001. Unfortunately, she was struck by a speedboat while swimming in Cozumel.
Tropical Brainstorm is part love song to the Carribean, part declaration of a newfound femininity and sexuality (I'm assuming after a nasty divorce), part paeon to her homeland of England.
I bought the album based on radio play of the catchy "In These Shoes" - but it's just smashing all the way through. She can be hilariously funny and incredibly moving at the same time - bittersweet, as much of the best in life is. Partial lyrics included for tunes, because they go hand-in-hand.
Songs -
1. Mambo de la Luna - a love song to Cuban music.
"I know a land where they live for today
'Cause tomorrow is too far away
Maybe one day you will go there with me
And we'll dance underneath the ceiba tree"
2. In these shoes? - A sultry Salsa-ish romp, Love English Style
"I once met a man with a sense of adventure
He was dressed to thrill wherever he went
He said "Let's make love on a mountain top
Under the stars on a big hard rock"
I said "In these shoes?
I don't think so"
I said "Honey, let's do it here."
3. Treachery - Star stalks fan...
"Wherever he goes
I won't be too far behind
Just hanging around
Driving him out of his mind
I'm stalking a fan
He's gone to the record store
To buy a CD
By some other girl not me
He's taking her home
Getting her out of her box
And putting her on
And dancing around in his socks"
4. Here comes that man again - Cyber sex...
"Oh, here comes that man again
A car crash in my psyche
My curiosity's driving me
Yes here he comes again
Who'd have thought I'd have as much fun
With an anonymous Dutchman?
I never knew I had it in me
He says the camera is on and
Can I see him yet?
I say "Babe you look like a ghost
And sound like a Dalek to me"
So let's go back to the written word
Even though we both know it's absurd
Here comes that man again
Here comes that man again
Here comes that man again"
5. Autumngirlsoup - One of the touching ones, about being stuck in a loveless situation.
"I'm an autumn girl, flying over London
With the trees on fire it looks like home
I'm an autumn girl on the endless search for summer
Cause I need some love to cook my frozen bones
You needed something to get your teeth into
And in my voodoo kitchen you said
"I've got something to show you,
It's a recipe handed down from father to son
For a thousand years, and it goes with those hot salt tears."
6. Celestine - the monster from the Id inside of all of us:
"So many men, so many fights
So many parties and late nights
She plumbs the depths and hits the heights
That Celestine
She pretends that she can't hear me
She pretends she's nowhere near me
She just goes quiet and pretends that she's not in
But Celestine I know you're there
In your exotic underwear
And you are fixing up your hair now, Celestine"
7. England 2, Colombia 0 (Last Tango in some English bar)
"Oh you shouldn't have kissed me cause you started a fire
But then I found out that you're a serial liar
You lied about your status
You lied about your life
You never mentioned your three children
And the fact you have a wife
Now it's England 2 Colombia 0
And I know just how those Colombians feel
....
It is not in my nature to ever pick the winning team
Sometimes I think I'm happy then I remember it's a dream
Now it isn't in my nature to ever pick a winner
I always pick a bastard who would have me for his dinner*"
8. Nao Esperando - heartbroken in Brazil
"She's not waiting anymore
Não esperando seu amor
(She's not waiting for her love)
Now the sun is up the spell is broken
She's not waiting anymore
Não esperando seu amor
(She's not waiting for her love)
Now the sun is up the dream has flown away"
9. Alegria - Mostly a jungle fugue
"I close my eyes, another dream arrives
Deeper and deeper into the sweet water
Filling my senses with happiness and joy
Happiness and joy
Alegria
Happiness and joy"
10. Us Amazonians - Reverse Neanderthal theory (women clobber men on the heads)
"He'll learn to hunt and I'll teach him to fish
We'll boil up our rice in a satellite dish
We'll plant cassava wherever we can
Us Amazonians always get our man
Us Amazonians know where we stand
We got kids, we got jobs, why do we need a man?
Us Amazonians make out alright
But we want something to hold in the forest at night"
11. Wrong Again - Love Stinks
" thought my karma might protect me
From any harm you might subject me to
That my heart could be ruled by my brain
Wrong again
So you took a little piece of me
Laid me open for the world to see
But if I meant so little to you
Why couldn't you just leave me be?
It wouldn't have made so much difference to you
But it meant the whole world to me"
12. Designer Life
"Who am I to criticise you?
Just a girl to twist the knife
Welcome to designer living
This is your designer life"
13. Golden Heart (US Bonus Track)
"I used to dance and
I knew romance till
A dagger of glass tore my world apart
But if you could hold me
When I am lonely
I'd love you back with a golden heart"
14. Things Happen (US Bonus) - Stripped down acoustic, with a nice Brazilian-ish guitar (a la Louis Bonfa).
"Every Friday night she rides the whole way over town
Just to see some stupid boy who never turns around
He never sees the girl whose dreams have told her he's the one
Still she gets excited whenever Friday comes"
15. Good For Me - US Bonus Track
She ends nicely on an optimistic note (after some pretty virulent tracks earlier). Guess that's why we all stay in the game of love; because we hope it can get better.
"I'll tell you a story of love lost and found
There's no-one else for me now you are around
And everyone can see that you are good for me
Cut me adrift in the bluest of skies
I'm so close to heaven, it was such a surprise
Now everyone agrees that you are good for me"
The enchanced CD also contains a video for Mambo De La Luna, shot on the streets of Cuba, with Kirsty lip-synching as she drives around in one of those old American classics.
Folks - this is great stuff. About as literate a singer as you're going to find this side of XTC, tropical horns and beats, and a REAL voice that can deliver the stings of the lyric, or immerse you in velvet.
Kirsty McColl's posthumous 2001 release Tropical Brainstorm
What do you get when you cross Cuban/Latin rhythms with the cheeky, acerbic, and sexy/earthy humour of a middle-aged British divorcee with a sultry voice? Well - the musical equivalent of Shirley Valentine, I suppose - that is to say, a simply glorious statement of liberation!
Kirsty McColl was the daughter of a famous folkie (Ewan McColl). Her solo career started in the late 70's/early 80's in the UK(notably the hit "There's a guy down the chipshop thinks he's Elvis"). She married producer Steve Lillywhite, and seemed to have slowed her career down, releasing a few albums in the late 90's/early 90's (I think "Titanic Days" had some play in the US); but then took a long hiatus before this - her last album - in 2001. Unfortunately, she was struck by a speedboat while swimming in Cozumel.
Tropical Brainstorm is part love song to the Carribean, part declaration of a newfound femininity and sexuality (I'm assuming after a nasty divorce), part paeon to her homeland of England.
I bought the album based on radio play of the catchy "In These Shoes" - but it's just smashing all the way through. She can be hilariously funny and incredibly moving at the same time - bittersweet, as much of the best in life is. Partial lyrics included for tunes, because they go hand-in-hand.
Songs -
1. Mambo de la Luna - a love song to Cuban music.
"I know a land where they live for today
'Cause tomorrow is too far away
Maybe one day you will go there with me
And we'll dance underneath the ceiba tree"
2. In these shoes? - A sultry Salsa-ish romp, Love English Style
"I once met a man with a sense of adventure
He was dressed to thrill wherever he went
He said "Let's make love on a mountain top
Under the stars on a big hard rock"
I said "In these shoes?
I don't think so"
I said "Honey, let's do it here."
3. Treachery - Star stalks fan...
"Wherever he goes
I won't be too far behind
Just hanging around
Driving him out of his mind
I'm stalking a fan
He's gone to the record store
To buy a CD
By some other girl not me
He's taking her home
Getting her out of her box
And putting her on
And dancing around in his socks"
4. Here comes that man again - Cyber sex...
"Oh, here comes that man again
A car crash in my psyche
My curiosity's driving me
Yes here he comes again
Who'd have thought I'd have as much fun
With an anonymous Dutchman?
I never knew I had it in me
He says the camera is on and
Can I see him yet?
I say "Babe you look like a ghost
And sound like a Dalek to me"
So let's go back to the written word
Even though we both know it's absurd
Here comes that man again
Here comes that man again
Here comes that man again"
5. Autumngirlsoup - One of the touching ones, about being stuck in a loveless situation.
"I'm an autumn girl, flying over London
With the trees on fire it looks like home
I'm an autumn girl on the endless search for summer
Cause I need some love to cook my frozen bones
You needed something to get your teeth into
And in my voodoo kitchen you said
"I've got something to show you,
It's a recipe handed down from father to son
For a thousand years, and it goes with those hot salt tears."
6. Celestine - the monster from the Id inside of all of us:
"So many men, so many fights
So many parties and late nights
She plumbs the depths and hits the heights
That Celestine
She pretends that she can't hear me
She pretends she's nowhere near me
She just goes quiet and pretends that she's not in
But Celestine I know you're there
In your exotic underwear
And you are fixing up your hair now, Celestine"
7. England 2, Colombia 0 (Last Tango in some English bar)
"Oh you shouldn't have kissed me cause you started a fire
But then I found out that you're a serial liar
You lied about your status
You lied about your life
You never mentioned your three children
And the fact you have a wife
Now it's England 2 Colombia 0
And I know just how those Colombians feel
....
It is not in my nature to ever pick the winning team
Sometimes I think I'm happy then I remember it's a dream
Now it isn't in my nature to ever pick a winner
I always pick a bastard who would have me for his dinner*"
8. Nao Esperando - heartbroken in Brazil
"She's not waiting anymore
Não esperando seu amor
(She's not waiting for her love)
Now the sun is up the spell is broken
She's not waiting anymore
Não esperando seu amor
(She's not waiting for her love)
Now the sun is up the dream has flown away"
9. Alegria - Mostly a jungle fugue
"I close my eyes, another dream arrives
Deeper and deeper into the sweet water
Filling my senses with happiness and joy
Happiness and joy
Alegria
Happiness and joy"
10. Us Amazonians - Reverse Neanderthal theory (women clobber men on the heads)
"He'll learn to hunt and I'll teach him to fish
We'll boil up our rice in a satellite dish
We'll plant cassava wherever we can
Us Amazonians always get our man
Us Amazonians know where we stand
We got kids, we got jobs, why do we need a man?
Us Amazonians make out alright
But we want something to hold in the forest at night"
11. Wrong Again - Love Stinks
" thought my karma might protect me
From any harm you might subject me to
That my heart could be ruled by my brain
Wrong again
So you took a little piece of me
Laid me open for the world to see
But if I meant so little to you
Why couldn't you just leave me be?
It wouldn't have made so much difference to you
But it meant the whole world to me"
12. Designer Life
"Who am I to criticise you?
Just a girl to twist the knife
Welcome to designer living
This is your designer life"
13. Golden Heart (US Bonus Track)
"I used to dance and
I knew romance till
A dagger of glass tore my world apart
But if you could hold me
When I am lonely
I'd love you back with a golden heart"
14. Things Happen (US Bonus) - Stripped down acoustic, with a nice Brazilian-ish guitar (a la Louis Bonfa).
"Every Friday night she rides the whole way over town
Just to see some stupid boy who never turns around
He never sees the girl whose dreams have told her he's the one
Still she gets excited whenever Friday comes"
15. Good For Me - US Bonus Track
She ends nicely on an optimistic note (after some pretty virulent tracks earlier). Guess that's why we all stay in the game of love; because we hope it can get better.
"I'll tell you a story of love lost and found
There's no-one else for me now you are around
And everyone can see that you are good for me
Cut me adrift in the bluest of skies
I'm so close to heaven, it was such a surprise
Now everyone agrees that you are good for me"
The enchanced CD also contains a video for Mambo De La Luna, shot on the streets of Cuba, with Kirsty lip-synching as she drives around in one of those old American classics.
Folks - this is great stuff. About as literate a singer as you're going to find this side of XTC, tropical horns and beats, and a REAL voice that can deliver the stings of the lyric, or immerse you in velvet.