And the rain came down on the windshield
I wished
It would wash us both away
1. It was Burns Night this week of course. Now if you thought that I was fickle enough to load up this Horse & Feather Barfly Session with Scottish related songs purely on the back of this, then you would be one hundred percent right. It's been a while now since we had a theme and besides, I can't help but feel an affection for Scotland. I got married there after all and my sister also lived up there for quite some time. In keeping with Burns tradition it is probably right that we should recite The Selkirk Grace before we begin so fill your glasses to the brim and read aloud...
Some hae meat and canna eat
And some wad eat that want it
But we hae meat and we can eat
Sae let the Lord be Thankit!
Ceremonies over with, let us commence. We will start tonight with a song that was recently voted Scotland's greatest ever song in a public vote on Clyde 2 Radio. I think no matter where any of us sit in life, we all harbour dreams of sorts. This track sums that up beautifully and it really is a wonderful song. I'm sure you'll know it well. "And I'm telling this story/In a faraway sea/Sipping down raki/And reading Maynard Keynes/And I'm thinking about home and all that that means/And a place in the winter for dignity." From 1987 and taken from their Raintown album (track number 8 to be precise) this is Deacon Blue.
1. Deacon Blue
Dignity
2. I'm going to ramp things up a bit a little with our next couple of tracks. This next song has been a favourite in The H&F for a while now and even Mrs. Porter next door likes this one. I know this because when I turn the volume up, she taps on the wall to show her appreciation. 😛 The name of this Glasgow band is Holy Esque. Now I am far from religious these days but when I was a kid, our school used to march us up fairly regularly to the local church (Easter, Harvest Festival, etc.) In this church there were multitudes of figures and symbols carved high into the roof but out of all these, the one that stoood out the most was the stone face of an angry old man. It used to make these church excursions very uncomfortable for me. Even if you weren't looking up at this horrible old git, you'd feel his eyes burning into you and no matter where you were positioned in the pews underneath, he was always watching. Years later, at a funeral at that same church, I felt those eyes burning again and looked up. Sure enough there he was, knowing all my secrets and incandescent with rage as always. Strange how some feelings never leave you.
2. Holy Esque
Silences
3. This next song comes from the band Garbage who burst onto our scenes in the mid nineties. I think this may have been their first single of their debut album. They were a perfect storm of a lineup in many ways. Edinburgh born lead singer Shirley Manson had all the attributes needed to make a rock band work and American super producer Butch Vig had the technical know how to get the tempo right and find the hooks. What they created here in 1995 still sounds pretty sensational. Keep the volume up for our third song tonight.
3. Garbage
Vow
4. "Call it what you like but they called it love in an older time." Does it get any more Scottish than this band? Can it get any more Scottish than this band? I am so happy that I can use our sessions to try and get some recognition for bands like this who - for some inexplicable reason - seem to drift under radars. There must be tens of thousands of songs out there that deserve to be heard by a larger audience. Hopefully I'm doing my bit. To those other folks out there, hopefully I'll get to you too eventually but for now we all just need to enjoy this by People, Places, Maps. I promise you, after 3 or 4 listens you'll be hooked, lined and sinkered.
4. People, Places, Maps
Plans
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5. Now admittedly, we are in danger of over-stretching here and some poetic license (and maybe a little forgiveness) is required for The Fox's choice this evening. He has justified the inclusion of a Faith No More song in tonight's Scottish themed session because - according to The Fox - their lead singer (Mike Patton) has a Scottish surname. Fox says when he was in the Navy, a fellow sailor on his ship had the same surname and he had his own clan tartan. So for that reason I've let it slide and their cover of this Bee Gees song is nothing short of tremendous.
5. Faith No More
I Started A Joke
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6. Following on from our fourth song tonight (as above ⬆️) I'd like to shine a light on the band Retro Video Club from Edinburgh and their song "Noir" from 2017. It's a deceptively simple song. Definitely a little risque too but there are some brilliant lyrics in it. There's also a reference in this song to those early internet days which sound so incredibly dated now. "Like talking on MSN/In the late AM/like the old days." Made me laugh to myself that. Wow. The things you forget.
6. Retro Video Club
Noir
7. Already we've reached song seven which as you'll know by now means the end of our evening but not to worry, I've got the perfect song to see us out with. I know I've mentioned before how I like to see lyrics written on the page in front of me, hence the reason I write out certain lines on here so you can see them too. I can't really explain this, it's just one of my many odd traits. I just like words I guess. I just think when you are moved by a phrase or a lyric in a song, it stays with you. Sometimes forever. This track features the Scottish poet Edwin Morgan and his words and delivery at the end of this song are such a gift. It came out in 2002 and it still stuns me every time I play it. Armed with a whiskey and sat outside by a crackling fire... it's unsurpassable. I wholeheartedly thank you for joining me once more and I hope I've taken your mind off the world outside - if for just a short while. Fly down to the bottom of the page and feel free to leave your comments or send any recommendations through should you so wish. Community is what we strive for and your company is a blessing. See you next week.
7. Idlewild
In Remote Part / Scottish Fiction
