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Follow-Up Albums; Dexys Midnight Runners: Don't Stand Me Down
Topic Started: May 18 2012, 01:24 PM (252 Views)
becky sharp
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This is a series of programmes on Radio 4 about follow up albums.

The first programme is Dexys Midnight Runners - Don't Stand Me Down.


Kevin Rowland and Helen O'Hara give rare interviews about a pivotal time in Dexys Midnight Runners' history. Having been the best selling UK band of 1982 with their massive hit single Come On Eileen and the hugely popular album Too-Rye-ay, Dexys took some time to consider what to do next.

Don't Stand Me Down was brave and different to Too-Rye-Ay. Rowland had a clear vision and went to great lengths to record and mix it to his own specifications.

His interest in his Irish roots and Irish politics was one of the themes of the record. Misunderstood in its day, it received poor reviews but has since gone on to receive critical acclaim.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01hl29f
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May-Cee

A contributor was Sean Campbell who wrote "Irish Blood, English Heart"; which I mentioned a while back on the WOM board.
It was while reading / reviewing that book that I listened to a lot of Dexys for the first time in a while.

It IS an overlooked, underrated album.
I don't even mind that the wonderful "One Of Those Things" is, musically speaking, Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London". (They had to credit him on the re-release.)

To appreciate Rowland's understandable frustration...

On the "Best Of" that came after, the only track from "Don't Stand" that made the cut was a silly four-min edit of the magnificent twelve-min "This Is What She's Like".


The second programme was about "Tusk", the follow-up to "Rumours"; so I had very little interest in that.
Lindsey Buckingham's odd, whiney voice reminded me of that character in "Frasier"; I forget his name - the wee nerdy guy who loves "Star Trek" and Ross.


It's back on track this week with Suede.
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rumbaba
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I remember when 'Tusk' came out and what a huge disappointment it was. I was more of an 'original' Fleetwood Mac person (the Peter Green period), rather the Californian, airbrushed harmony pop of the Buckingham/Nicks era but 'Rumours' has it's place in pop history and it was very much the album of its time. However, it was a difficult album to follow.

Speaking of second albums, Paloma eventually got hers out. I've only heard bits and pieces but what I've heard sounds good. She left it too long though, It's never a good sign when it takes forever to get an album out, I hope she hasn't missed the boat. She is sounding more soulful, a little bit less poppy and is softening that 'Billie Holiday' edge that was verging on pastiche.
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becky sharp
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I'm beginning to think you're Paloma's agent,Rum... <wink> :D
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rumbaba
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Nope, if I was her agent she would have had this album out a year ago :)
Edited by rumbaba, May 30 2012, 02:52 PM.
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May-Cee

A last word about Dexys...
Although I loved the classic debut from the day it came out, it was years before I discovered, for sure, that the cover image is Belfast.

It has a certain resonance for me:
In the late 60s, a Loyalist gang burnt our whole street in the Short Strand district in one night.
Like the young lad on the cover, the next day I was a bewildered kid holding a suitcase and not knowing where to go...


Moving on...
Ahead of the Suede edition, I've been trying to think of a debut English album I like better than "Suede".

Some come close...

"The Smiths"
"Rattlesnakes" - Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
"Real Life" - Magazine
"The Lexicon Of Love" - ABC


But here is my Fave Five:

"Roxy Music"
"Unknown Pleasures" - Joy Division
"Searching For The Young Soul Rebels" - Dexys
"Suede"
"Crocodiles" - Echo & The Bunnymen
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rumbaba
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The first Roxy Music album was like a breath of fresh air and 'For your pleasure' was ok, I saw them on that tour, supported by The Sharks, who had a great debut album called 'First Water' (Andy Fraser from Free, Chris Spedding - top session man, Snips on vocals and an american drummer whose name escapes me).

I really liked the first Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers album and pretty much hated everything else he did afterwards.

Ian Dury never really matched 'New Boots and Panties'

The Band's follow up album to 'Music from Big Pink' is the best thing they did: simply called 'The Band'
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