Friday, April 15, 2005
Jimmy Nail - Ain't No Doubt
Sometimes I don't feel like reviewing a whole album. As a collector of 7" singles, I'm more used to hearing music in one-at-a-time-sized chunks. And so I thought I'd take a foray into writing a few words about my favourite songs. I'm not going to make any attempt at keeping it fair or unbiased; these are tunes I love.
And where better to start than Jimmy Nail? Look, already you're laughing and running away. Faux North-Eastern country, you think. He's emulating Mark Knopfler, who in turn is trying to be some cotton-pickin' blues legend from the delta swamps. Hardly the most solid musical lineage. Yes, I can hear you sneering now.
But let me tell you why Ain't No Doubt is one of the most perfect pop songs you'll find. Most critically, it follows the Golden Format to the letter: intro, verse, chorus, second verse, chorus, break, double-length chorus and fade. (I refer the interested reader to Bill Drummond's The Manual, written over 15 years ago and still hugely relevant today.) All the best pop songs stick to this prescription; I could base an entire blogging career on those adhering to the template and still you'd not get bored.
All the other classic requirements are there: lost love and lies, the sing-along retalliation in the chorus, a slight twist of humour (the video had Jimmy Nail singing from a callbax to Mercury telephone operators, I seem to remember) and a great melody. It's got the perfect radio intro - exactly the right length for Smashy & Nicey to talk over, and with the fade at the end, perfect for back-announcing, too.
But best of all, it's by an artist with zero musical credibility, who can't sing a note, and yet whose attempts at becoming a country & western star succeeded more than anyone could ever realise. Did you know that the Crocodile Shoes album went triple-platinum? And yet, do you know anyone who owns a copy? Exactly.
And where better to start than Jimmy Nail? Look, already you're laughing and running away. Faux North-Eastern country, you think. He's emulating Mark Knopfler, who in turn is trying to be some cotton-pickin' blues legend from the delta swamps. Hardly the most solid musical lineage. Yes, I can hear you sneering now.
But let me tell you why Ain't No Doubt is one of the most perfect pop songs you'll find. Most critically, it follows the Golden Format to the letter: intro, verse, chorus, second verse, chorus, break, double-length chorus and fade. (I refer the interested reader to Bill Drummond's The Manual, written over 15 years ago and still hugely relevant today.) All the best pop songs stick to this prescription; I could base an entire blogging career on those adhering to the template and still you'd not get bored.
All the other classic requirements are there: lost love and lies, the sing-along retalliation in the chorus, a slight twist of humour (the video had Jimmy Nail singing from a callbax to Mercury telephone operators, I seem to remember) and a great melody. It's got the perfect radio intro - exactly the right length for Smashy & Nicey to talk over, and with the fade at the end, perfect for back-announcing, too.
But best of all, it's by an artist with zero musical credibility, who can't sing a note, and yet whose attempts at becoming a country & western star succeeded more than anyone could ever realise. Did you know that the Crocodile Shoes album went triple-platinum? And yet, do you know anyone who owns a copy? Exactly.
# posted by Sam : 23:08
