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December 10, 2004
Intuition Told Me (Part 1)
Orange Juice - Tender Object
So, yes, I can admit it: the Smiths were good. Despite the fact that Morrissey's singing makes me feel like I'm struggling through the chills phase of the flu, I can at least admit to myself and others that the Smiths' music is, in some sense, 'good'. (I also have an irrational dislike for Dylan's music too- might as well throw that out there for hatemailers' convenience).
But this isn't about me, or the Smiths. Orange Juice is a lot like the Smiths, but about 100 times more interesting (in my opinion). They formed in 1976 in Glasgow, and issued the album that this song comes from, 'You Can't Hide Your Love Forever', in 1982, on the legendary Postcard Records label. '...Can't Hide Your Love...' is a debut of the same order as Belle & Sebastian's 'Tigermilk'- it's so fully realized and pop-dominant as to be almost unbelievable.
'Tender Object' lurches to a slowly strummed jangle-guitar start, and then shifts gears when Edwyn Collins and James Kirk quickly and percussively embrace their instruments (guitars), and David McClymont's bass runs around like a baby with no pants on (unreservedly). The drums are alternatingly high school marching band (in a good way) and then disco-hot. The real story here though is with Collins' voice and the strangling, leaping guitar lines that he and Kirk play. You can hear Collins' vocal tone in the phlegm-coated, tan whsiper of Morrissey and in the light, playful fey-outs of Stuart Murdoch (who, incidentally, counts Orange Juice as one of his favorite bands). To force-analogize the sound of the guitars, let's say they're like two competing plants, heliotropic and twisted, fighting each other for the best chunk of sunlight.
This song is just gorgeous. I like all the music that I post on this site, but I really like this song, no kidding this time. You might have some trouble finding the album though, in its CD form, since it's been out of print for a bit. Look here and here, and you can see what I mean. Someone needs to re-issue OJ's albums, post-haste. Anyway, if you're jonesing for more of their stuff, keep in mind that Edwyn Collins went on to release the song, 'A Girl Like You', which was sort of a big hit in '95 (as featured on an episode of the ultra-realistic 'Party of Five'), and which you can probably easily get from L'Amazon. Lets see if we can start up an Orange Juice revival- maybe they'll reunite and tour. Seems to be the thing to do these days.
Posted by matt at December 10, 2004 08:00 AM
Comments
man that sucks that i like it, cuz now im at a loss for more!
Posted by: peter at December 14, 2004 07:46 PM
Hey Peter,
If you'd like to hear some more Orange Juice stuff, I can probably email you some of the tracks- do you have a gmail account? If not, I'm probably going to post another song or two for my Xmas vacation hiatus mix, so you can get your fix then.
Posted by: Kevin at December 15, 2004 02:39 PM
yea i dont even know what gmail is, but that track rocks, anything you can help me out with would be super duper sweeeeet.
Posted by: peter at December 16, 2004 05:53 PM