Idiomusic #3: Burning Bridges

I met up with my former boss a week or so back. There was a work-related reason to do so, but when I told Ben I was meeting her, he screamed at me through the medium of Whatsapp. Why would I want to see someone who caused me so much grief? Well, for one thing, she's moved on now and isn't working at The Bad Place, and I recognise that the pressure she put me under back then wasn't coming from her, she was but the conduit through which shit rolled downhill from upper management. We were able to talk about that and put it behind us, I think, and that was a positive thing. 

But the other reason I was willing to see her is that old maxim about never burning your bridges, particularly when it comes to employment. God willing, I'll never have to go back to work in a college again, but if I ever needed to...

All of which got me thinking about songs involving burning your bridges... or not burning them, as the case may be. Let's kick off with Canadian singer Jack Scott, who Dave Marsh of Rolling Stone once called, "undeniably the greatest Canadian rock and roll singer of all time." 

Jack Scott - Burning Bridges

The Cravats came from Redditch in 1977, with lead singers Robin Dallaway and The Shend. Now, I'm trying not to be prejudiced against The Shend because his choice of name is frustratingly reminiscent of that muppet from The Irish Band. Not as Edgy though, which is good. You may be interested to learn that the Cravats are still going strong, minus Dallaway, but with the addition of Rampton Garstang on drums, Joe 91 on bass and Viscount Biscuits on guitar. I think they might be the Viz house band.

The Cravats - Burning Bridges

Now it way well be that you're not actually burning your bridges to cut ties with people you no longer want to associate with. You might just be burning them to keep warm. In which case, can I suggest a nice Cardigan?

Nina Persson - Burning Bridges For Fuel

Last week, to prove how uncool I am, I included a song by unfairly-reviled New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi. It proved so popular (especially with Ernie, George and CC) that I thought I'd include another one today. 

Jon By Jovi once famously stated that he'd seen a million faces and he'd rocked them all. That was in his younger days though. He's grown up since then...

I've seen a million faces and I've lived a couple lives

Not quite as catchy, is it, Jon?

Bon Jovi - Burning Bridges

I think he might have watched The Sound Of Music before writing that one.

OK, the three fine gentlemen mentioned above clearly aren't fans of Mr. By Jovi. But I bet they like this guy...

Tom T. Hall - Burning Bridges

Lots of bridges getting burned in the world of country music, it seems...

Bobby Bare - Another Bridge To Burn

And here's a lady I'm very much looking forward to seeing at our local village hall next month...

Lucinda Williams - Burning Bridges

Meanwhile, I hope the Walker Brothers didn't burn their bridges while their ship was coming in...

The Walker Brothers - Burn Our Bridges

While here's another sailor who needs to keep his boat away from them...

Jimmy Buffet - Burn That Bridge

There are a heck of a lot of bridges that could be burned in Japan...

Japan - Burning Bridges

But if you choose to burn your bridges, let's hope there's a Survivor...

Survivor - Burning Bridges

And if you're near a burning bridge, chances are you could get scorched... unless you stick with these guys...

Jason & The Scorchers - Where Bridges Never Burn  

Looking for someone to blame your bridge burning antics on? You could always say it was UFO-related...

Foo Fighters - Bridge Burning

Here's the Welsh answer to the Foo Fighters, slightly more interesting for that...

Feeder - Burn The Bridges

Next, one for Brian...

Tullycraft - Not Quite Burning Bridges

Laughing Clowns were an Aussie post-punk band in the 80s, influenced by free jazz, bluegrass and krautrock. Which might explain this...

Laughing Clowns - As Your Bridges Burn Behind You

If your ears need soothing after that, here's the divine Ms. B...

Kate Bush - Burning Bridge

Collective Soul made a brief appearance on the UK charts (at #80 in 1994) with their debut single Shine, and were never seen again. Meanwhile, in the States, they sold enough records to fill their swimming pools with caviar. This was from the same album as Shine...

Collective Soul - Burning Bridges

And now... something to make your day.

Clint Eastwood - Burning Bridges

Taken from the album "Clint Eastwood Sings His Classics" (!) and the soundtrack of the movie Kelly's Heroes... although in the movie, it was performed by these guys...

The Mike Curb Conurbation - Burning Bridges

Almost at the end now. Time for the band that won New Faces in 1974. I was only two, but I'm sure the rest of you remember them well...

Sparrow - Burning Bridges

Can you guess the track that sprang immediately to mind when I first considered this particular idiom? 

Me and my mate Rich loved this song when we were 16. I think Rich loved it in an ironic way, because he had a much cooler taste in music than me. I would say that I loved it in an ironic way too, but given what you know about my shameless taste in music then and now, nobody would believe me. There's something about the sea shanty-esque guitar refrain which is both extremely annoying and a hopeless earworm. Even now, when I listen to it, I think, "you shouldn't like this... it's wrong". But then I can't help smiling at the Quo rock their guitars back and forth in time with the music...

 

At least Jez will be happy.

My Top Ten Albums of 2014 - The Runners Up

Before we get to my favourite album of the year, here's a few that would have made the Top Twenty. Let's start with the obvious one...

In case you thought you'd sussed my Number One through the process of elimination - sorry to disappoint. Bruce doesn't make it this year. Mainly because, although there's much to enjoy about High Hopes, it still doesn't feel like a proper album. It feels like a contract-filler, a compilation cobbled together from various sources and with an odd insistence on promoting the work of guest guitarist Tom Morello.The best songs have been heard before, although the versions included here are stronger. American Skin (41 Shots) was originally released on the 2001 Live In New York CD. It's an emotional retelling of the story of Amadou Diallo, shot by the NYPD in 1999... sadly still timely considering recent events in America. There's also a barnstorming rock version of The Ghost of Tom Joad, originally recorded on the 1995 acoustic album Devils & Dust: this one blows the roof off. The album concludes with a hypnotic cover of Suicide's Dream Baby Dream (also previously released). None of the new songs can really match these three. There are rumours of another new album in 2015: let's hope Bruce breaks back into my Top Ten next year.

Top Track: The Ghost of Tom Joad (2014)

Eels are another band who usually make it onto my year end list. This year saw another fine album from the man called E, promoting his true identity as never before on The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett. Worth buying the deluxe version for an excellent live cover of Fleetwood Mac's Oh Well.

Top Track: Lockdown Hurricane 

My second favourite album of 2013 was Rewind The Film by the Manic Street Preachers. I generally find I prefer the Manics albums the critics dismiss, so it was unsurprising that this year's critical darling, Futurology, didn't quite do it for me in the same way. A little bit more experimental, a little bit more political, this was best when taking on Facebook and Twitter on The View From Stow Hill and eulogizing Richie Edwards (although the band claimed it wasn't about him at all!) on the opening single...

Top Track: Walk Me To The Bridge

Having finally taken off her Cardigans, Nina Persson released her debut solo album, an intriguing affair with some quite beguiling songs like this...

Top Track: The Grand Destruction Game

Most of the music press seem to have plumped for Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs as one of their top albums this year. I loved Under The Pressure but found the rest of the album a little oblique for my aging tastes. Similarly Sharon Van Etten's critical darling Are We There... I thought Every Time The Sun Comes Up was fantastic. Nothing else came close. Meanwhile, I've not heard enough of Weezer's Everything Will Be Alright In The End to form an opinion yet... but Eulogy For A Rock Band is fantastic.

I just read an article that claims 2014 has been the worst year for album sales and new artist releases in the History of Time. Of course, such articles always pop up around this time of year, but it made me feel a little better about not having as much money to spend on new music as I once did. And generally the music industry works in peaks and troughs, so 2015 could well be a stormer.

One final 2014 album worthy of mention - once again from an old warhorse, but always a safe pair of hands. Tom Petty's Hypnotic Eye remains in my car stereo as we head towards the New Year. Here's my favourite track from that... you could well take it as a metaphor for the music industry this year, though I'm not sure it was meant that way.




And finally, we get to my Number One. After crossing the above albums off your guess list, what's left? Find out in a couple of days...

My Top Ten 'Not Enough' Songs

So, the Olympics is over and so are my Olympic Top Tens. If you'd asked me three weeks ago if I'd had enough of the Olympics yet, I'd probably have answered 'yes'. Yet, amazingly, I found myself suckered in, addicted to sports I've never had the remotest interest in before (not football though - I still found that dull). I'm really missing the Games now they're done - there's a hole in my life. I just couldn't get enough...

"Enough" is one of those words: the more you look at it, the weirder it looks. There's not enough time to list all my favourite Not Enough Songs, so Ten will just have to be... enough.


10. Patti Smythe & Don Henley - Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough

Don Henley obviously can't ever get enough. See also Not Enough Love In The World and You're Not Drinking Enough.

9. The Clint Boon Experience - Not Enough Purple, Too Much Grey

It's the problem with the world today...

8. The Cure - Never Enough

The video (type-)casts Mad Bob McMad as the top turn in a David Lynch style freakshow.

7. Bad Company - Can't Get Enough

Well, I'll take whatever I want
And baby, I want you...

6. INXS - Not Enough Time

There certainly wasn't enough time for Michael Hutchence.

5. Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough

You may have expected to find this at Number One... but although it is the Mode's most well known single, and a great singalong radio hit, it's not one of my favourites. The band have made far better records and this one's just a little over-played compared to the rest of their back catalogue. IMHO.

4. Dean Friedman - Love Is Not Enough

On the other hand, I can never have enough Dean Friedman. Beautiful stuff.

3. Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us

Sheer mental genius.

See also: Frank Turner's one man response song... This Town Ain't Big Enough For The One Of Me.

2. Kasey Chambers - Not Pretty Enough

The ultimate question of unrequited teenage love - "Am I not pretty enough? Why do you see right through me?" If you've never been there, count yourself lucky. Or arrogant and self-deluded.

1. Manic Street Preachers & Nina Persson - Your Love Alone Is Not Enough

One of the Manic's best ever singles, from a point in their career when most bands have given up trying so hard.



So... which song can't you get enough of?