Sometimes I Wish I Was a Pretty Girl

[Ugly Nora]

Just picked me up a ticket to see Robyn Hitchcock in a few months. Saw him about 5 years ago and it was a fantastic show. Peter Buck / Bill Rieflin /Scott McCaughey were in his backing band (The Venus 3) so that was cool too. After the show concluded, they told us to meet them out in the lobby which is an incredibly small area (the theater only seats 300) and they played a 5 song acoustic set, and then Robyn hung out to sign cd's and be sarcastic and shit like that. Good times were had by all.

Anyway, like most of us, I love tons of different music, but Robyn Hitchcock - plus his pre-solo career band The Soft Boys are probably my all time favorite. It is strange I haven't seen any mention of him around here since he is kind of a "father" of indie rock, and I know a bunch of folks here like indie rock. So anyone into him? Perhaps he doesn't use enough fuzz?

I will leave you a few samples from his 35+ year career in case you don't know him. He has had a very strong career even after all this time, although I am not that pleased with his latest album "Love from London".

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnPse1Dcrcc[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWHn6bXHMjE[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CYRLMWppCw[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxsi3PUC5xE[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckpRHX880Po[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDEWoxGN_xo[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2No3F6GsRaQ[/youtube]

One of my favorites..this gave me chills live. I am pretty sure I was sober too.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u2-V-1sivA[/youtube]

[Uncle Grandfather]

I'm a pretty girl. Thanks for the vid's, he's a legend.

[Ugly Nora]

Do you want me to tell him you said hi when I see him?

[Uncle Grandfather]

Do you want me to tell him you said hi when I see him?

[Ugly Nora]

There is really no one else here, besides the very wise UG, who digs Robyn? I know musical taste is subjective, but I feel sorry for people who live their lives without listening to the gifts he has to offer. If you call that living, that is.

It might sound dodgy now, but it sounds great when you're dead.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6__UzULSaY[/youtube]

[D.o.S.]

What albums should I check out?

[Uncle Grandfather]

What albums should I check out?

I'd say start with his first? band The Soft Boys, this is off Underwater Moonlight
[youtube][/youtube]

[D.o.S.]

Right on, I'll check it out tomorrow.

[Ugly Nora]

Yeah the Soft Boys are a great place to start..that is where is I started about 18 years ago. They only had 2 studio albums when they were together originally and UG's mention "Underwater Moonlight" was considered their classic. Although I prefer their first one "A Can of Bees". Both are very different stylistically and production wise....Bees is very dry and a bit rawer and Moonlight is very wet and jangle pop type stuff. Although it certainly isn't pop music in the usual definition. Robyn is a huge Byrds fan (along with Syd Barrett, John Lennon, and Bob Dylan) which will be evident if you listen to his music. Both albums are great especially with the tons of bonus tracks they have now included with them.

As far as solo stuff, "I Often Dream of Trains" is considered his classic and my favorite for many reasons. This is also very different than a lot of his other stuff. That is the great thing about Robyn though, he has so many albums and the style can really vary from one the next. Some heavier, some mostly acoustic affairs (like Trains and EYE) etc. So, even if you don't dig one of them, you may dig another.


Soft Boys doing a Pink Floyd (Syd Barrett) cover of Vegetable man

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ie0ioRGHMQ[/youtube]


The Circle Jerks covered a SB song off of Underwater Moonlight

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNga6ggMwNk[/youtube]

[Uncle Grandfather]

killer cover from the soft boys doing lennon's cold turkey

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL4Krsbs2EQ[/youtube]

[D-Rainger]

I like the Soft Boys alot, saw them live, way back. I love Robyn's surreal edge, and Kimberley Rew is a wicked guitar player! When I went and visited my friends in Cambridge, he was the local guitar hero!

[Ugly Nora]

You saw the Soft Boys in their original existence back in the 70's/80's ? Or when they reformed for their Nextdoorland album in 2002 ish? Either way, that's awesome.

The Soft Boys definitely opened up a new world of music for me. I remember when I first heard them. I was in college and smoking a cigarette outside of the library. I was wearing a Syd Barrett shirt. Some other guy standing there smoking commented on my shirt and told me if I like Syd Barrett, I should check out The Soft Boys/Robyn Hitchcock. I worked in cd store at the time and I found a few cds there. I put on The Soft Boys Invisible Hits album and heard Wey Wey Hep Uh Hole and a new chapter of my life started. Now I have 30 SB/Hitchcock cd's. Good times.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj0dT42sd_k[/youtube]


Nora

[Uncle Grandfather]

Nora

ugly......you crazy Nora B

[Ugly Nora]

Getting blowjobs from the press
Oh, I'm jealous can't you guess?
I could never fit your dress
Queen Elvis

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVGSZ8IJsyk[/youtube]

[D-Rainger]

You saw the Soft Boys in their original existence back in the 70's/80's ? Or when they reformed for their Nextdoorland album in 2002 ish? Either way, that's awesome.

It was late 70s. They had a vibe, a really exciting band. Kimberley was a fantastic fluid guitarist...
They brought some delicious weirdness with them...