Load o’ Ballog

Song of the day: Rock the Casbah

Performer: The Clash

Composer: Joe Strummer and Topper Headon

Year: 1982

Album: Combat Rock

You can see the original video by The Clash by clicking here. But I thought you might like to see this cover by Algerian singer Rachid Taha.

Why I Like It: It stonks as much now as it did twenty-six years ago.

Trivia: It would appear that Joe Strummer wrote the lyrics after he read a news report of Iranians who were flogged for owning Disco albums.

Song of the day: The Logical Song

Performer: Supertramp

Composer: Roger Hodgson

Year: 1979

Album: Breakfast in America

Why I Like It: I was sixteen when this song came out and I loved the sentiment. Of course, I misunderstood it. I took it to mean that people shouldn’t be sent to work in offices. Now I take it to mean that we shouldn’t let the responsibility of adulthood crush the spontaneity of childhood. Too often we let the adults we become kill the children we once were.

Trivia: In the early 1990s I cooked a curry for Supertramp bassist Dougie Thomson. He said I was a “master”. At least, that’s what it sounded like.

Song of the day: Léimigí Thart (Jump Around)

Performer: House of Pain featuring Des Bishop

Composer: House of Pain

Year: Unknown

Album: None

Why I Like It: It’s “Jump Around” as Gaeilge. Tá sé go han mhaith ar fad! What more can I say?

Trivia: Des Bishop is an Irish American comedian, now resident in Ireland. He spent a year in the Gaeltacht learning Irish from scratch. He has put us all to shame! Buala bos! You can get the lyrics here.

Song of the Day: Hope There’s Someone

Performer: Antony and the Johnsons

Composer: Antony Hegarty

Year: 2007

Album: Saving Grace

Why I Like It: Another very beautiful song.

Trivia: Although the band is American, Antony was born in West Sussex, England.

Song of the Day: Vincent

Performer: Don McLean

Composer: Don McLean

Year: 1971

Album: American Pie

Why I Like It: I simply think it is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard.

Trivia: Popularly known by the first line of the song, “Starry, starry night”, the song is about Vincent Van Gogh. The first line comes from the title of one of Van Gogh’s works.

Song of the Day: The Irish Rover

Performer: The Dubliners and The Pogues

Composer: Unknown

Year: Unknown

Album: The Very Best of The Pogues

Why I Like It: It stonks and it’s St. Patrick’s day today.

Trivia: The version sung by The Pogues and The Dubliners has two verses that are not part of the traditional version.

Continue reading Song of the Day: The Irish Rover…

Song of the Day: Heartbeats

Performer: José Gonzalez

Composer: Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer

Year: 2006

Album: Veneer

Why I Like It: I love the gentle, lilting acoustic guitar. Pefect music for a sunny day when you want to put your feet up, put your hands behind your head and look up at the sky.

Trivia: José Gonzalez was born and raised in Sweden.

Song of the Day: Could You Be Loved

Performer: Bob Marley and the Wailers

Composer: Bob Marley

Year: 1980

Album: Uprising

Why I Like It: I love the chattery guitar that runs throughout.

Trivia: Could You Be Loved has a faster beat than most of Bob Marley’s songs. It seems he wanted to appeal to the black audience in America prior to a tour of the USA. The song was his only major hit in the USA.

Song of the Day: New Year’s Day

Performer: U2

Composer: U2

Year: 1983

Album: War

Why I Like It: I love pretty much everything U2 have ever produced but I thought this was an appropriate choice for today. I do particularly like this song though, for its lyrics, the simple but catchy baseline and the guitar solo.

Trivia: U2 flew from Ireland to Sweden to film the video for New Year’s Day so that they could ride horses in the snow. While they were there, Ireland got some of the heaviest snow-fall it has ever had.

Song of the Day: Living on the Ceiling

Performer: Blancmange

Composer: Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe

Year: 1982

Album: Happy Families

Why I Like It: In my humble opinion, one of the best pop songs ever written. This track would probably be worth listening to for the very memorable synthesised percussion alone.

Trivia: Blancmange have recently reformed and are writing material for a new album, which they plan to make available on their MySpace site.