Wintertijd

Kinky Afro

Now I grew up with MTV back in the day when it was still cool and not a bunch of watered down commercials for record industry products that are a rehash of the last two decades. Roy Cakes was on with that crazy Belgian, Paul King (remember Love and Pride?) was on, headbangers ball was still presented by that trashy looking vamp, and all was good. Some of the music I will never forget seeing in those days are Beck's Loser when it came out, some G 'n' R video's and last but not least the Happy Mondays videos of the early nineties.

The latter made an excellent album which got produced by the tripmaster Paul Oakenfold, so it offered the Mancunian rock wave sound combined with a laid back club groove all on one album. That album features the absolute best of the Mondays in my view.

Recently I found a nice collecter's edition of Pills 'n' Thrills 'n' Bellyaches in a shop in Haifa, and I just couldn't help myself. Maybe it's because the Mondays made cool music. Maybe it's because they're Mancunian, and can be seen as the Godfathers of the Manchester wave. Maybe it's because I remember those wacky videos. Maybe it's because they did enough drugs to kill a small country's population and maybe, just maybe it's because they poisoned 500 pigeons from a Manchester rooftop once. I fucking hate pigeons.

Anyway, I picked it up and was surprised to find that most of that album actually withstood the test of time. Most of the songs are still as enjoyable as back in the day, and it doesn't sound dated one bit to me. Kudos to the Mondays and Oakenfold there. But while giving this album a spin and listening more intently, I was surprised how some of the lyrics are just fantastic. Kinky Afro is arguably the coolest song the Mondays released. Better than Loose Fit and Step On. But the opening lines, which are the opening lines of the Album as a whole, are by far the most astute comment on parenthood I have seen in my life. This is so cynical and spot on that they're giving the Moz a run for his money, dare I say it.

Kinky Afro

Son, Im thirty
I only went with your mother 'cause she's dirty
And I don't have a decent bone in me
What you get is just what you see yeah
I should so I take it free yeah
And all the bad preserves be things that feed me
I never help or give to the needy
Come on and see me

Yippee-ippee-ay-ay-ay-yey-yeah
I had to crucify some brother today
And I dont dig what you gotta say
So come on and say it
Come on and tell me twice

I said dad you're a shabby
You run around and groove like a baggy
Youre only here just out of habit
All that's mine you might as well have it
You take 10p back and then stab it
Spray it on and tag it
So sack on me
I can't stand the needy
Get around here if you're asking you're feeling

Yippee-ippee-ay-ay-ay-yey-yeah
I had to crucify somebody today
And I don't dig what you gotta say
So come on and say it
Come on and tell me twice

So sack all the needy
I cant stand to leave it
You come around here and you put both your feet in

Posted by Chris at June 19, 2008 06:07 PM