Burning Sensations - "Pablo Picasso"
There's no more perfect visual accompaniment to this song than the way it's used in Repo Man. A young angry punk fuck-off with the most brilliant impenetrable tunnel-vision, driving a fancy stolen car down a hot Texas street and picking up a girl hurrying down the sidewalk. What's most incredible about the format of this song, however, is how pointed it is. The song isn't talking about itself, like "man, I'm such an asshole", they way many songs are, but it's talking about the listener, like "man, you're such a creep". You never graduated high school, you can't understand women, everything you do is wrong. It's art functioning like a horrible parent. I quite like it. [Buy]
The Kills and McLusky sharing the same oregano cigarette. Kids from Australia, suddenly on a different beach, very far from home, and convinced only of their own smiling grief. [Buy from the MySpace]
Posted by Dan at October 7, 2008 12:30 PMThis is a good version of "Pablo Picasso," but Burning Sensations have Jonathan Richman to thank for the format and attitude - he wrote it with the Modern Lovers.
Posted by: paige at October 7, 2008 2:27 PMokay, Paige, thanks!
Posted by: Dan at October 7, 2008 6:08 PMAh, the Burning Sensation's 'PP' take... A seminal moment in my musical development... Indeed, the Modern Lovers would ultimately cast a far bigger shadow but Dan, as you say, the attitude in this version was a huge grabber and had me hooked.
Posted by: fantom at October 8, 2008 11:34 AMMm. Like Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah," this take on "Pablo Picasso" is less a cover per se than a cover *of* a cover. And the missing link, as with Buckley, is John Cale.
I like the Burning Sensations version—along with their single "Belly Of the Whale," which I discovered last year, it makes me think they're an act I should investigate more closely—but at least one of 'em definitely had a copy of Helen Of Troy in his record collection.
Posted by: Jack Fear at October 8, 2008 12:33 PMI love the I Heart Hiroshima song here, it's been a dancing in my underwear while doing hair anthem this week. ;)
Posted by: Georgiaoc at October 13, 2008 12:59 PMI Heart Hiroshima has been one of my favourite bands for a long time now. I was lucky enough to see them play in New Zealand a few months back, apparently it was their first show outside of Australia.
Posted by: Nick at October 22, 2008 10:21 PM