Okay then. The Mp3s then. Firstly, I am currently trying to fix the link to the Pay TV one. This would be doable in about 3 seconds if I were at my own computer. If I don't succeed, just change the filename on the downloadable file to "paytv.zip". This is the excitingly-named C64 remix of the rather wonderful song. It's been synthesised so it sounds like it was created on a Commodore 64. A lot of this site's readers seem to be smack back in the age range that would have had a C64 at some point during their lives, so I think this is a bit of a treat. The original is excellent too, but this one has kitsch on its side. Badly Drawn Boy can be extremely entertaining when he wants to be, but often he is too clever and precious. This track off One Plus One Is One (horrible title, by the way) is probably the loveliest, catchiest number. I put up the disco-tastic Felix Da Housecat track too, because frankly, waiting in a slsk queue for it is not much fun. Lastly, an utterly bonkers, but brilliant with it, track from what I gather is some kind of Swedish group, Teddybears Sthlm (looks a bit like Stockholm, and I did catch it on the Swedish charts). It reminds me of about six other songs and if you can identify any of them, please use the comment box.
POP! - Heaven And Earth
Oh, why did they bother? I come back from a break of a week and this is what I'm hearing - the debut single from a prefab load of losers created by the same people who made Steps. Obviously, the idea being to recreate a fairly profitable group who didn't cost that money.
It won't work. I'm not entirely convinced all of Steps' writers and producers are onboard with this one. What I can tell that whoever used to tell Claire that that really high singing she used to do (i.e. on the chorus of
After The Love Has Gone, an otherwise excellent song) was a really good idea is definitely on Team Pop! judging by the deafening wailing going on here. As would be the same people who decreed that the singles should never feature the boys singing. But if these are the same writers who churned out underrated moments of greatness like
Love's Got A Hold On My Heart,
Deeper Shade Of Blue and
It's The Way You Make Me Feel, then the time has clearly come for them to retire and let Betty Boo and Karen Poole take over.
Basically, this is an atrocious single with fairly atrocious singing, horrible lyrics, a cheap Euro backing, pressing the Big Pink Button until the thing's broken but forgetting to have a decent song. Or a decent anything. It almost makes me want to go and listen to indie records.
