Thursday, April 23, 2020

THE SPECIALS ARE GHOSTIER

Well, would you look who's recorded a "stay at home" song. The Rolling Stones. Two things occur to me. One is that although "we're all in this together", it's hard to imagine the Exile On Main St.-era Stones (arguably when they peaked) recording a topical song based on current events, that is unless it was something that happened to them. Well, this one did, they had to postpone a tour. Although the song was already written, Jagger went back and changed some of the lyrics. It kind of reeks. Cheap gimmicks, stealth marketing. Pandering. Not because it's a bad song, it just really isn't the "we're all in this together" moment it would seem. I can't read their minds but by releasing it and getting mentions in the press (and hack blogs) they're keeping their name out there for when the tour is allowed to go on.

The other thing that occurred to me is that the Specials visited the same terrain in a heavier sounding song almost forty years ago. Right after the stay at home orders were issued and the streets became deserted at least three or four of my friends posted the Specials' "Ghost Town". I'd been putting it off because it seemed too obvious. That and because I'm tired of thinking about covid shit all day.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
The Specials - Ghost Town mp3 at Thighs Wide Shut
Video:
The Rolling Stones - Living In a Ghost Town at YouTube
The Specials - Ghost Town at YouTube

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