music music # 4

A swelling tide of suggestions from the parish...

James Stamos pinpoints a sub-category of songs not so much  about Music as about musicians - specific bands or artists. 

plus a sub-sub-category of self-reflexive songs - musicians singing about themselves

I thought of a few songs-about-other-bands, one of which I like very much and the other not much at all (have a guess...)

Then there's this which is a whole other kettle of five-eyed mutant fish

James has one more general suggestion 

Enda Connaughton points to a swathe of indie-rock meta

I'm sure there must be candidates here from Urge Overkill and Teenage Fanclub (this one below isn't quite it) (although in a certain meta-meta-sense, all TFC songs of that era are "about" Alex Chilton aren't they?)

Enda also proffers

and Todd Rundgren's "Death of Rock and Roll" which isn't on YouTube. 

Kevin Quinn pops up again: 

Marc Goodman brings a bunch - including a couple with "thematically matching videos" 

Must confess that while generally a big fan of Saint Etienne I found Words and Music a bit....cloying, especially the opening track, with its settled version of acceptable pop history ("Dexy's ... New Order... anything Postcard" ), nothing too excessive or gauche or vulgarly rocking...  no Goth or metal

Marc also mentions

A great choice -  meta-music with edge and a point - the most interesting song about White projections towards / misrecognitions of Black Music ever  - as well as being about a lot of other things beside...

And also 

Another great choice, this time in the songs about the music industry subcategory -  The Clash's  "E.M.I.", their "Working For M.C.A." - but better than either

Prefer the studio version though- Lee P at the controls

One of the most purely powerful rock songs ever  - which says something for the power of Spirit and Will, given how clumsy and untogether the Clash were as musicians (see the live version above)


Meanwhile out in the parish itself, Phil Knight posted an interesting choice  at The Phil Zone, while Aaron at Airport Through The Trees came again with some postdisco candidates.


More to come soon...