Thursday, 6 December 2007Billy Childish - Christmas 1979 on Damaged Goods Records WILD BILLY CHILDISH & THE MUSICIANS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE CHRISTMAS 1979 A: Christmas 1979 / B: Ho Ho! DAMAGED GOODS RECORDS Quantity Pressed: 2,000 (1000 Red and 1000 Green vinyl) Released: 26/11/2007 It seems that almost anyone making music this long has to be taken seriously. Billy Childish has lived his life on the outskirts of conventional society, the music is just one aspect of his prolific art/music career. He's a poet, a painter, a novelist, jack of all trades, and he has just released this little Christmas miracle on damaged goods records. Initially this single reminds me of Daniel Johnston or Johnathan Richmond, straight, direct rock, he's got a story to tell, without the epic fanfare. It's that kind of effortless rock and roll that can be maddening. How can he make it seem so easy? That's years and years of paying your dues along with a whole lot of talent. It's punk rock, it's 60's garage, and he's grandfather to this whole genre. Childish sticks to a recording practice that seems to be classic and practical for his level of output. He records in mono with a single PA mic, leaving the rest of the instruments captured with a room mic. It's raw, has the immediacy of a live show, and it has everyone from Beck to Kurt Cobain singing his praises. I love that this time of year brings out these special seven inches, I applaud any record company taking the time to put the holiday cheer into seven inches of vinyl. I wholeheartedly support it. It works to have this cranky, British institution take on Christmas with all it's jaded consumerism. You can imagine it's not a happy song about snowmen and Santa. Christmas 1979 is instead a story of a girlfriend leaving our protagonist on Christmas Eve... and it's perfect for Billy's brand of apathetic punk. The song is driven by a bass line with a repeated guitar melody sneaking in after every verse for the entire song. Things go from bad to worse and of course he gets drunk and I'm pretty sure doesn't wake up. The lyrics ending appropriately with 'Merry fucking Christmas to you all' I know you can't wait to hear the B-side. Jason Dean Labels: 1979, beck, christmas, damaged goods records, daniel johnston, kurt cobain, punk, wild billy childish
posted by Jason @ 07:07
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