James Blunt - '1973'
Oh yes! Here we go! I haven't had the chance to really kick a song to death for AGES now. And I only bought new song-kicking boots a couple of weeks back, and there's been no chance to use them, due to the lack of total dreadfulness in most of the recent releases. But this is James Blunt, right? Mr 'You're Beautiful'...The Man Who Should Not Smile (it makes has face look weird, see)..Captain Squeaky...You know, that massively wet bloke with the girl's voice who claims to have been a soldier in a past life. Song-Kicking-Boots, DO YOUR STUFF...
*SOME TIME LATER*
Hmm. Well, I've been pummelling and pummelling for a good ten minutes here, and the song seems to be made of hardy stuff. Where previous J-Blu songs could be destroyed with a firm puff of wind, this one is meatier, brawnier, and clearly not about to run off behind the sofa just because a man has coughed in an adjacent room.
That's not to say James has gone all Slipknot on us - although that would RULE - it's just that there's a lot less of the hands-across-the-forehead, my-poor-heart-she-is-broken soppiness, and a lot more warmth and spirit. It's also got pretty harmonies, pretty tinkly piano and a pretty melody, especially in the choruses. Plus a really slinky bass part, which, if you let it, can quite take over your enjoyment of the verses.
Yes, that's right. To my (almost) shame, I used the word 'enjoyment' in a James Blunt review. That's how distressing it can be to try and be fair-minded about music on a song-by-song basis. People who you know full-well you have every right to dislike before a note of their new music has had a chance to tickle your ear-buds will suddenly release a song which is not bad at all. And you HAVE to say so. In public.
Just as well he's still got a weak voice, and most of the rhymes for 'Simona' are a bit crap, otherwise I may have had to hang up my 'Grown-Up Music SUCKS' badge for good. And send the boots back to the shop. Bah!
Download: Out now
CD Released: August 27th
(Fraser McAlpine)
Comments
I still think he's boring. My Mum loves this song which should give you an idea about how rubbish it is. :-D
How old is he? Cos if he was actually in a club in 1973 he would have to be about 52 unless my maths is wrong!!!
Well he's got no reason to be po faced anymore, what with the squillion pounds, bevy of lovely, long legged ladyboys and enough strawberry [deleted] to keep Keef Richards alive for at least a week.
Perhaps he has realised that his life rocks, and that he should ignore the likes of people like me, who base our prejudices on absolutely nothing whatsoever, and just be.
That's like Zen, man.
I find it extrememly repetetive, I'm afraid. And he couldn't have been in a club with someone in 1973 becasue he's not old enough. HA.
unless it has some kind of deep, pretentious meaning...
its a crap song totally boring man... its a shame people will buy it!
James Blunt is a genius. I love his music. his first album was a soundtrack to a relationship with the only girl I have ever loved and probably the only one i will truly love.. I lost her and listening to James Blunt bring back so many memories of the night she took me to see him in concert on the 27th of Fed 2006. the lyric in his new song 'my memory play's out to the same old song' just remind me how much his music and goodbye my lover remind me of the love i lost.
i don't ;like the albul is shut xxxxxxxxx
this songs been in my head for the past two days.
anyone got a shotgun?
Hello,
OK now it's personal. Before this song my hatred of James Blunt was irrational (if satisfying) but now he has had the audacity to poison the very year of my birth with his ridiculous warbling I have no option but to destroy him.
Never mind that he wasn't born in 1973 so couldn't have been in a nightclub then - by that logic, Freddie Mercury shouldn't have written Bohemian Rhapsody because he never really killed a man - the point is that I couldn't give a rat's arse about whether he has ever been in a nightclub or what he did there.
Also, he seems to be jumping on the 1973 time travel bandwagon vis-a-vis Life on Mars but without any of the talent necessary for such a journey.
Also, the name Simona has been chosen after deciding what he wanted the name of the girl to rhyme with. Which is just rubbish.
Also, one line is "Simona, wish I was sober", indicating that just like the uncensored version of "You're Beautiful" these are the drugged up ramblings of some posh stalker with rifle butt and bayonet.
And after the instrumental he sings the chorus again and do you notice how "and we sang" is growled out? It's quite scary and as if the mask that hides the demon inside him has momentarily slipped, showing the true evil of the monster within.
1973. Jesus, I have to go and change my birth certificate and passport now before the evil spreads to me by association...
John Robinson