Firstly, an apology. Seeing this album will generate instant ear-worms and you may be singing 'Come On Eileen' for the rest of the day.
Secondly, a warning. Some album editions have a beginning solo fiddle and a fade out on 'Come on Eileen' at a length of 4:12. Others have no intro but a tag of Kevin Rowland singing "Young Charms" at the end making it 4:32 and the 2002 CD version has both intro and tag at 4:47.
OK, now we've got the confusing bit out of the way, what about the album. Well, it's not an easy listen. If you sit down ready to experience 2 sides of 'Come on Eileen' clone music you'll be disappointed. Some of the tracks are extremely uncomfortable to ears that are waiting for the seemingly promised Celtic Soul. The nearest you'll get is on the opening song that gives that promise with the title 'The Celtic Soul Brothers'. With an intro to make it sound like a live pub performance it has been described as anything from "jolly, rollicking jug band fare." to a "Redcoat romp". One chronicler even claimed that the song was the inspiration for Roddy Doyle's book and movie "The Commitments".
The other relatively 'easy' listening track is a Van Morrison cover of 'Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When I See You Smile)'.
Maybe the nonesense lines helped to make it familiar. Originally Van Morrison sang -
"Ding a ling a ling
Ding a ling a ling ding"
When Dexys did it they sang -
'Toodle langa langa Toodle langa fang'
which came across a lot like 'Eileen's' -
'Too-ra-loo-ra
Too-ra-loo-rye-ay'.
OK, maybe I'm clutching at straws. I hate to admit defeat, but I've found nothing else on the whole album that I can call enjoyable, interesting or even lyrically or musically strong enough to be worth listening to more than once. Apart from 'Eileen' making it to #1 in most worldwide markets the rest of their output, IMHO, has been mediocre and confused.
The group itself has gone through more changes and more line-ups than I've had hot dinners. At last count, over 54 people have at one time or another been members of Dexys Midnight Runners. The general consensus is that Kevin Rowland can be .. um .. difficult (read: control freak) and that people either leave or are invited not to stay.
Some changes came during album production or tours and famously one change is captured on film, or not captured, depending how you look at it. Seb Shelton was the drummer for the video of 'Come on Eileen' and appears in the early part but was fired during filming and doesn't appear at the end. The girl playing the part of Eileen is Máire Fahey, sister of Siobhan Fahey from Bananarama.
The group's name comes from the recreational drug brand Dexedrine used to give Northern Soul fans an extra boost to be able to dance longer.
OK, the brutal truth - I bought this album on the strength of one song and on reflection it is not an album I should have bought or would buy again. 'Eileen .. ' was a one-hit wonder, this album is a one-hit album. Give it a miss.
No comments:
Post a Comment