New Order - "Temptation". I don't listen to lyrics except when I care to. I was told, once, that this is a song about a break-up or something nasty like that. Ha! I don't think so. Listen to the forward slam of the drums, the filigree of synths and guitars, the smiling human surge of the coda: "I've never met anyone quite like you before." "Temptation" has always for me been a song of love, love, love; of when your heart's so live it slips right out of your chest and takes - straight white flap fast - into the air. When your heart's more bird than organ. When your life's more serendipity than inevitability. When your feet dance spontaneously on the pavement, when you find yourself smiling wide at anyone who crosses your path. When when when when when... but it's a song of now! Listen to the drums: now! Find this life: find it! Now! Go on - go get it. You deserve it. Come, I'll show you. The Northern Lights will go discolight; the Southern Lights will go bedroomlight; s/he'll blink his eyes and you'll know. Green eyes, grey eyes, blue eyes - it doesn't matter. The one you want is just around the bend. You'll find your soul as you go home.
Oo-oo-oo-oo-ooh! Ooh oo-ooh! Ooh oo-ooh!
"Temptation" is one of my favourite songs ever: it's all the things I want the stars to be.
[buy
Bob Dylan - "Spirit on the Water". Have you heard of this guy? I think he might really have it. He once had a young man's bray; now he has an old man's creak. It's still nasal of course: but here it's because he's stopping to smell the flowers. What flowers? Lavender ones. Not just lavender itself but flowers in that same tone of mauve: tiny round flowers, large and leafy ones, tight buds. All kinds of lavender as his band plays the most beautiful melody of any Dylan song I can remember: peace and quiet, chance and possibility, bliss and ease, all of it right there in the blush of steel strings. It makes me wish I had a linen suit and a straw hat - a sunny path to walk along. And a girl? Does it make me wish there was a girl, too? In the crook of my arm? Friends, it goes without saying. "When you're near / it's just as plain as it can be / I'm wild about you, gal / you oughta be a fool about me."
Shine your shoes.
[Modern Times came out yesterday: $9.99 at Amazon.]
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CONGRATULATIONS to Marcello and Lena.
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I see that Uncle John and Whitelock are playing six! dates in NYC, starting on Friday. If you live there, I'd really strongly encourage you to go. UJ&W are my favourite new band in Scotland - I've written about them here and again more recently in that piece for Pitchfork. It's fearsome preacher-rock, black-and-blues, horror honkytonk. etc etc etc. And terrific, live. Let me know if you go and liked 'em.
Posted by Sean at August 28, 2006 7:35 PMthis is like reading a fortune cookie, i guess.
Posted by jerimee at August 29, 2006 2:32 AMBro this doggerel is for real dope as damn
Posted by bilge pump at August 29, 2006 4:05 AMYou should point out that this is the 1987 re-recorded "Tempation," which is great, but is not quite as good as the original- which is longer and starts with the "oh you've got green eyes/oh you've got..." A stunner. STUNNER.
Posted by Pinko Punko at August 29, 2006 4:25 AMI melt when I hear that New Order track.
Posted by Gina at August 29, 2006 9:12 AMyeah, that & "beyond the horizon" are my hit picks off the new dylan. what i like about this record is that he's not trying so hard w/ the lyrics and there's something v. charming about the results, something v. timeless--hoagy carmichael would be proud.
(but other than those two, i find the album a bit of a bore.)
Posted by fred at August 29, 2006 10:31 AM"Temptation" is incomprehensibly great, but so is "The Perfect Kiss."
Posted by chester at August 29, 2006 3:55 PMI love the line "When your heart's more bird than organ.." That's fantastic.
:)
Posted by Olga at August 29, 2006 8:39 PMUncle John & Whitelock are AMAZING. (Come, now, who doesn't like Baghdadi?)
This New Order song is good, too. Great melody to it.
All in all, a supurb post.
Cheers.
-LVK
Posted by Ludwig at August 29, 2006 8:45 PMHey Sean, How'd you do that? I click the music to start, begin reading your text, and just at the same time I read your line quote, Dylan sings ""When you're near / it's just as plain as it can be ". I mean, exactly at the same time.
Nice music. Nice post.
Thanks again
To me the eye color confusion has always meant you are looking at one person and not really seeing them. And that person is yourself. Nice call on the re-record, Pinko.
Posted by ll kirchner at August 30, 2006 1:19 AMFantastic, Sean!
Posted by brian at August 30, 2006 3:14 AMYou know, I have to agree with you, this Dylan fellow has potential!
Posted by Dave at August 30, 2006 5:05 AMI'm leaving it in my will to have "Temptation" played at my funeral. Can't imagine a cooler song celebrating life more.
Posted by Jayd McFerson at August 30, 2006 10:15 AMyou should like the version of temptation as moby remixed it in his last album hotel. i did.
Posted by koum at August 30, 2006 12:15 PMgreat writing, as always sean. temptation is definitely one of my favourite songs ever as well. and that dylan guy ain't too bad either.
Posted by Another Sean at August 31, 2006 1:28 AMNew Order was the first band I ever saw live (in 1984) and I still remember listening to the "oh-oh-oh-oh-oh" on that sunny day....
Posted by stytzer at August 31, 2006 3:46 AManother great new order song is 'leave me alone'. i remember it was 1985 when i first heard that song and i went out & formed my own band.
Posted by jess at August 31, 2006 1:18 PM"The Thieves" is a great band that is up and coming...look for them EVERYWHERE!
Posted by Matt at September 7, 2006 10:43 PMi am som much better
Posted by ashley at February 13, 2007 8:51 PM
and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'
