We Took To The Streets With A Banner That Reads, "Next Customer Please"

Pulp are one of over 30 artists contributing to Help (2), a fundraiser for the charity War Child which is sadly as necessary now as its predecessor was in 1995.

Whilst several of the 23 tracks are cover versions, Pulp has provided a new song, Begging For Change, which is four minutes of urgent, staccato guitar and crashing strings and drums, with Jarvis Cocker at times entering a call-and-response with himself. Absolutely fantastic.

Listen carefully at the beginning and you may also hear Damon Albarn, Carl Barat, Grian Chatten and Kae Tempest. According to BBC News, Jarvis got back from a bathroom break to find them all in his studio, so he got them to sing the intro. "They just turned up, so I thought, 'Why not?'" 

The quartet have recorded their own song, Flags, which you can preview along with songs by Arctic Monkeys and The Last Dinner Party.

Help (2) is available to pre-order or pre-save (whatever the latter means) from the usual places, including double shiny disc or vinyl.

Upon A Mouse #9: A Stomach Full Of All Bran

For the last of this week's look at my votes for The 20 Greatest Eponymous Albums Of All Time, as prompted and published by No Badger Required last month, I'm skipping #10 and focusing on #9 and #8, respectively occupied by Blur and Gorillaz.

Yep, it's a Damon Albarn double bill.

If this has immediately got your hackles rising, then I can only offer by way of consolation that you will not be seeing Mali Music (2002), The Good, The Bad & The Queen (2007) or Rocket Juice & The Moon (2012) in next week's final three posts, as none of these Albarn-fuelled projects made it to the NBR longlist, let alone shortlist. 

So, let's start with Blur, the self-titled fifth album by Blur from 1997.

I didn’t mind Blur, but I was just never really into them. And I only really rooted for them during the fabricated Blur vs. Oasis face off because I found the Gallagher Brothers and their band tedious. Truth be told, I couldn't really give a shit either way.

In February 1997, I didn't own any Blur albums and I was not inclined to buy their latest release. I ended up hearing it a lot because my friends Vicky and Simon played Blur by Blur pretty much every time I visited them for a couple of months in early 1997. 

That in itself was weird as, with the exception of Pulp who they both loved, their music tastes veered very much towards either the Spice Girls and Kylie, or the kind of kitsch deep cuts and 60s and 70s TV theme tunes to be found at the World Of Cheese club night in Bristol that we frequented.

But there was something about this album that clearly appealed to them both, and then me. And not just for Song 2, which is still bloody brilliant, nearly thirty years later. 

I've mentioned previously that, with a few exceptions, the Britpop movement did little for me and although Blur predated the label, previous albums Parklife and The Great Escape were cited as defining records.

The eponymous Blur was something of a reaction against this, angry and introspective with sharper edges yet losing none of the singalong melodies that the band were renowned for. Each of the four singles displayed a different facet of the band, and there was more to be found in album tracks, such as Death Of A Party and Movin' On. 

Although I didn't bite straight away, Blur's fifth ended up being the first album of theirs that I acquired. Given how fragmented the band reportedly were at the time of writing and recording Blur, it has stood the test of time as a surprisingly cohesive record.

 

 

Gorillaz beat Blur by a point in my scores because frankly it’s the best thing that Damon Albarn’s done. Ironically, Albarn has been quoted as saying that On Your Own, the third single from Blur's eponymous fifth album, is "one of the first ever Gorillaz tunes".

Collaborating with Jamie Hewlett and Dan The Automator and (possibly literally) a cast of thousands and hiding behind simian-based cartoon alter egos may have looked good on paper. In reality, their 2001 debut album was even better than that. Geniuz, even (sorry!)

Subconsciously, what I like about Gorillaz the band and the album is that although Damon Albarn is clearly the creative driving force, he's also in the background, regardless of whether it's a true democracy in reality. Yes, you hear his voice pop up throughout, but on singles like Clint Eastwood and 19/2000, the stars of the show are Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and Miho Hatori.

And, if you're a fan of Jamie Hewlett's art, as I was, then the visual aspect of Gorillaz, which shaped not only the music releases and videos, but also the translation to live performances and the interactive elements of the website were unlike anything else out there.

My love of Gorillaz' debut extends to it's remix companion, Laika Come Home, released later the same year. In characteristically contrary fashion, I ended up buying this one before the album that birthed it. I'd never heard of Spacemonkeyz before (or since), but the promise of Gorillaz songs given a dub and reggae rinse was irresistible.

 

 

At the top of the page, the unrelated telly swipe is a scene from the Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe, the 1954 film adaptation of Daniel Defoe's 18th century novel, directed by Luis Buñuel. 

The titular character is played by Dan O'Herlihy, seen here having just taken a big glug from a barrel of grog, discovered in the bowels of the shipwrecked vessel that marooned him in the first place.

Queen Fatoumata

The fabulous Fatoumata Diawara seems to be steadily releasing videos for every song on her 2023 album, London Ko.

The latest addition is Yada, another co-write and co-production with Damon Albarn, who also provides drums and synth programming but on this occasion spares the vocals. 

Given that every song on the album is a cracker, it's no revelation to say that Yada is a great tune, with an insistent rhythm, synth washes and Fatoumata delivering compelling vocals and some great guitar licks.

Yada inevitably sent me on a welcome diversion into Fatoumata Diawara's video catalogue, with five more picks across the years. 

If that leaves you wanting more and/or you missed it first time around, I shared my experience of an exhilarating hour in the presence of Fatoumata Diawara last May and served up a 50-minute Dubhed selection to celebrate, both of which you can find here.

1) Yada (2025)

2) Netara (2025)

3) Nsera (ft. Damon Albarn) (2022)

4) Nterini (A COLORS Show) (2019)

5) Djonya (2017)

6) Bissa (2011)

 

 

 

 

The Sky Has Never Been As Beguiling As It Is Today

Pure Love is what happened when DJ Koze found himself standing next to Damon Albarn in the Maras salt mines in the Sacred Valley of Peru.

Now, Stefan Kozalla (for it is he) may be talking about something deeper than the "cosmic spark" that ignited their meeting. Certainly, he writes in florid terms about this serendipitous encounter.

But when the result is a song as wonderful as Pure Love, you can hardly blame him.

Pure Love nods to Albarn's alias as Gorillaz genius 2D, lots of intertwining guitars and beats, Autotuned vocals, gently weaving in and out of each other.

Two further versions - Day and Night - emerged at the weekend. The Day Version is all about the samba, a carnival feel and most evocative of Kozes recent work with Róisín Murphy on Hit Parade. The Night Version is less club, more cabin, log fire burning, insomnia refusing to relent.

And the video features a polar bear. What more could you ask for?

DJ Koze's album, Music Can Hear Us, is out in April 2025. I am suitably intrigued.

 

 

I told you I was okay
But that was not true
I told you one day
I would come back for you

 

Autonomy is the ground we hold on to

In the kingdom of my ends
The maxim is clear
Pure love loves purely
And the stream comes back

 

Autonomy is the ground we cling on to 

 
I told you I was okay
but that was not true
I told you one day
I would come back for you

 

Autonomy is the ground we hold on to

In the kingdom of my ends

The maxim is clear
Pure love loves purely
And the stream comes back

Autonomy is the ground we cling on to

I told you I was okay
But that was not true
I told you one day
I would come back for you

Overload

Happy birthday to Jamie Hewlett, born 3rd April 1968.

 

As an 80s teen, my first exposure to Jamie's work was with Tank Girl, co-created with Alan Martin and debuted in Deadline magazine in 1988. It was a fantastically anarchic and visually stunning comic strip and if that had been the only work that Jamie was known for, that would be plenty good enough.

 

There was an inevitable move into music via record sleeve artwork and my memories of Senseless Things in particular inextricably link the visuals with the music. 

 

And then Jamie teamed up with Damon Albarn for Gorillaz. 'Nuff said.

 

Stylo is one of my favourite songs and videos of theirs.

I've only just discovered that there was another version of the video, with commentary by Gorillaz bass player Murdoc (aka Phil Cornwell).

And here's Stylo performed on Later...With Jools Holland in 2010. I can't spot Jamie, though he may well be sat at one of the tables, stage left, waiting for Jool's inevitably inane small talk between songs. But just contemplate for a second that gathering on stage: Damon Albarn, Mos Def, Bobby Womack, Mick Jones and Paul Simonon. Phenomenal.

None of that may have happened had Jamie not interviewed Blur for Deadline magazine back in 1990. Jamie is quoted as thinking at the time that Albarn was a bit of a wanker but they went on to share a flat in 1997 and shortly after, the seeds for Gorillaz were planted and history was made. Wow.

 

Have a good one, Jamie!

Why Should I Worry?

Martina Topley-Bird's 4th album, Forever I Want, came out in September but I won't have a physical (CD) copy until January 2022. A default contender then for next year's 'best of', though Martina's music is arguably a winner in any year. 

Today's selection dips into Martina's musical history, including her solo albums, frequent collaborations with Tricky and guest spots with Massive Attack and Leila. It goes without saying that it's all wonderful.

Side One

1) Sandpaper Kisses (Acoustic Version By Martina Topley-Bird & Damon Albarn): Martina Topley-Bird (2010)

2) Carnies (Album Version By Danger Mouse & Kennie Takahashi): Martina Topley-Bird (2008) 

3) Suffocated Love (Album Version By Tricky & Mark Saunders): TrIcky ft. Martina Topley-Bird (1995)

4) Why Should I?: Leila ft. Terry Hall & Martina Topley-Bird (2008)

5) Hours Away: Martina Topley-Bird (2003)

 

Side Two

1) Makes Me Wanna Die (Single Version By Tricky & Ian Caple): Tricky ft. Martina Topley-Bird (1997)

2) Babel: Massive Attack ft. Martina Topley-Bird (2010)

3) When We Die: TrIcky ft. Martina Topley-Bird (2017)

4) Abbaon Fat Tracks (Album Version): Tricky ft. Martina Topley-Bird (1995)

5) Black Coffee: Nearly God ft. Martina Topley-Bird (1996)

 

1995: Maxinquaye: A3, B4

1996: Nearly God: B5

1997: Makes Me Wanna Die EP: B1

2003: Need One EP: A5

2008: The Blue God: A2

2008: Blood, Looms & Blooms: A4

2010: Some Place Simple: A1 

2010: Heligoland: B2

2017: ununiform: B3

 

Side One (20:31)

Side Two (22:13)