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      01-09-2012, 10:12 PM   #5
gazz
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Interesting thread Kenny. Are you vying for modern age rennaisance man status?


Even though I have a widely eclectic taste in music I am drawn in by Pop.
One of my, among many many, favourites and one I never tire of hearing is "Ship of fools" by World Party. A song for all times it was written by Karl Wallinger, who is World Party pretty well on his own, and recorded in 1986.

It is not without criticism from me in that it has an essentially negative theme and there is little in the song by way of inspiration for a redemption from our foolish ways except for an allusion to "the light of the world" which is probably a reference to Jesus. Not my scene BTW.
For me the message is not so much prescient as it is der obvious to the sceptical and morose such as myself. Without banging on about what's wrong with everything it fits in with how I see man's dilemna - do we have a go and to hell with the consequences or settle and submit yourself to the mercy of the universe, Aborigine style? Well we've had a go and right fucked it up so.....next.
Apart from that it's really about the music; the melody, the production and Karl's voice, which carries a sardonic or perhaps evangelical warning tone throughout the song. Love the piano played in kind of slow funk honky tonk. That piano observation may be grossly wrong as I am not strong on the technical or stylistic aspects of music.
I am not particularly interested in what Karl is up to these days as the song stands on its' own and especially not in how he looks.

I would hate to be held hostage to a snapshot in time.
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