This Is England Appreciation Thread

Clash clash clash. ¡VIVAN LOS NORTEAMERICANOS DEL IMCT Y LAS BRIGADAS DEL CADILLAC NUEVO!
Rat Patrol
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This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by Rat Patrol »

I...don't find this song offensive. For the most part. I think.

:shifty:



EDIT: This started as a M&S thread, but I saw on Page 2 we already had one.

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Re: This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by matedog »

I never listen to this album with headphones on but I am today. The ten second quiet part in the middle has some nice stuff going. The bass part seems pretty intricate (Norman Watt-Roy I presume) and there's some splashes of acoustic guitar that come and go. It's a nice touch. That stupid clap track and synth clave part are probably unnecessary, but it might be the only moment of quiet on the record other than the breakdown at the end of the North and South bridge.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by Dr. Medulla »

This is how we feee—ull. :yuck:

Also, for a second I thought our Rat had returned. :sad:
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Re: This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by matedog »

How did this appreciation thread get no responses? I thought this was THE ONLY GOOD CTC SONG.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by Kory »

matedog wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 5:49pm
How did this appreciation thread get no responses? I thought this was THE ONLY GOOD CTC SONG.
I think it had already been talked to death by that point among Clash fandom in general, not just this group. We were moving on to browner pastures.
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Re: This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by Wolter »

Kory wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 5:58pm
matedog wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 5:49pm
How did this appreciation thread get no responses? I thought this was THE ONLY GOOD CTC SONG.
I think it had already been talked to death by that point among Clash fandom in general, not just this group. We were moving on to browner pastures.
That was the year we were really into Glue Zombie.
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Re: This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Kory wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 5:58pm
matedog wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 5:49pm
How did this appreciation thread get no responses? I thought this was THE ONLY GOOD CTC SONG.
I think it had already been talked to death by that point among Clash fandom in general, not just this group. We were moving on to browner pastures.
"Play To Win"'s ears are burning …

Seriously, tho, I do not get the love for the song. It'd not as plodding as "Bittersweet Symphony" but it has that trudge. Whether or not it's intentional, it's not an appealing grind. I'd rather listen to "Overpowered By Funk."
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by BitterTom »

Thw final chorus is epoc and i love it

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Re: This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by matedog »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 6:34pm
Kory wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 5:58pm
matedog wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 5:49pm
How did this appreciation thread get no responses? I thought this was THE ONLY GOOD CTC SONG.
I think it had already been talked to death by that point among Clash fandom in general, not just this group. We were moving on to browner pastures.
"Play To Win"'s ears are burning …

Seriously, tho, I do not get the love for the song. It'd not as plodding as "Bittersweet Symphony" but it has that trudge. Whether or not it's intentional, it's not an appealing grind. I'd rather listen to "Overpowered By Funk."
For sure. I remember downloading it summer 04 when I was doing my clash deep dive after reading all the hype and being underwhelmed. The BSS comparison is apt though at least this has some kind of dynamic shift. It has some good lyrics, pretty much on par with the rest of the album. I do like the guitar overdubs that sound loud and dirty. Their coming and going really accentuates their power too.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by Dr. Medulla »

matedog wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 6:44pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 6:34pm
Kory wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 5:58pm
matedog wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 5:49pm
How did this appreciation thread get no responses? I thought this was THE ONLY GOOD CTC SONG.
I think it had already been talked to death by that point among Clash fandom in general, not just this group. We were moving on to browner pastures.
"Play To Win"'s ears are burning …

Seriously, tho, I do not get the love for the song. It'd not as plodding as "Bittersweet Symphony" but it has that trudge. Whether or not it's intentional, it's not an appealing grind. I'd rather listen to "Overpowered By Funk."
For sure. I remember downloading it summer 04 when I was doing my clash deep dive after reading all the hype and being underwhelmed. The BSS comparison is apt though at least this has some kind of dynamic shift. It has some good lyrics, pretty much on par with the rest of the album. I do like the guitar overdubs that sound loud and dirty. Their coming and going really accentuates their power too.
That's the best part for me, too. They offer a satisfying relief from the mopey beat and faux strings.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by Heston »

I've just listened to Czechoslovak Song and This Is England side by side. Man, if they had matched the music of the former to Joe's brilliant vocal on the latter we would have had one hell of a song.

Reading the comments above about the pace of the song, I think's fine. It has to be world weary and downbeat to fit the mood.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Heston wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 7:03pm
Reading the comments above about the pace of the song, I think's fine. It has to be world weary and downbeat to fit the mood.
RIght, which is the usual defence of that crappy Verve song. Intention is acknowledged, but that doesn't make me want to listen to either of them. Sometimes you just bundle up your misery, shove it inside your being, and don't sing it in a way that makes people contemptuous.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by Heston »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 7:06pm
Heston wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 7:03pm
Reading the comments above about the pace of the song, I think's fine. It has to be world weary and downbeat to fit the mood.
RIght, which is the usual defence of that crappy Verve song. Intention is acknowledged, but that doesn't make me want to listen to either of them. Sometimes you just bundle up your misery, shove it inside your being, and don't sing it in a way that makes people contemptuous.
Well yeah, maybe I'm a sucker for mournful ballads. Saying that, using your logic, Straight To Hell should have been a fast punk number.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by matedog »

Heston wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 7:14pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 7:06pm
Heston wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 7:03pm
Reading the comments above about the pace of the song, I think's fine. It has to be world weary and downbeat to fit the mood.
RIght, which is the usual defence of that crappy Verve song. Intention is acknowledged, but that doesn't make me want to listen to either of them. Sometimes you just bundle up your misery, shove it inside your being, and don't sing it in a way that makes people contemptuous.
Well yeah, maybe I'm a sucker for mournful ballads. Saying that, using your logic, Straight To Hell should have been a fast punk number.
Things happen in Straight to Hell. Some things happen (to a lesser degree) in TIE. Fucking nothing happens on BSS
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: This Is England Appreciation Thread

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Heston wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 7:14pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 7:06pm
Heston wrote:
19 Jun 2020, 7:03pm
Reading the comments above about the pace of the song, I think's fine. It has to be world weary and downbeat to fit the mood.
RIght, which is the usual defence of that crappy Verve song. Intention is acknowledged, but that doesn't make me want to listen to either of them. Sometimes you just bundle up your misery, shove it inside your being, and don't sing it in a way that makes people contemptuous.
Well yeah, maybe I'm a sucker for mournful ballads. Saying that, using your logic, Straight To Hell should have been a fast punk number.
Ha! Point taken. But STH doesn't plod; it has a groove. Ear of the beholder and all that, but TIE grinds.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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