Tell her something in my mind freezes up from time to time…..

They hold the record for having the shortest single on the U.S. Top Ten coming in at 2:12 for their song “Roll To Me” a hit in 1995 and most likely the only reason most people have ever heard of Del Amitri (www.delamitri.com). This band fronted by original members Justin Currie on bass and vocals and Iain Harvie on lead guitar have been around since their college days in 1982 but aside from “Roll To Me” have had little commercial success stateside. It’s a shame on so many levels. They have/had (no one sure if the band is still together) this kind of celtic, pop thing going with intelligent, clever lyrics (co-written by Currie and Harvie), and occasional accordian for good measure. I can’t say enough about how unique their sound is but what gets me the most are the lyrics:

“Tell her the chips are down I drank too much and shouted it aloud, tell her something in my heart needs her more than even clowns need the laughter of the crowd…Tell her what was wrong I sometimes think too much but say nothing at all, tell her from this high terrain I am ready now to fall, tell her not to go, I aint holding on no more, tell her nothing if not this all I want to do is kiss her, tell her something in my mind freezes up from time to time.” (“Tell Her This” from Twisted, 1995). This is probably one of my favourite songs by them, and one of the few songs I dare to cover in my live sets.

“So the night is coming down, drowning us in blue, and it all points towards the things we know we shouldn’t do, and as I look at you, and I fall under your spell, I know I should be thinking of her lying there herself, and when faced with temptation you know a man should stand and fight, but you will be my downfall tonight…” (“Be My Downfall” from Change Everything, 1992). We’ve all been there – but could we all say it like Currie and Harvie do? I wish. Or maybe I don’t, maybe I just wish I could say it that well.

Of course during this process of hopefully shining some light on some lesser known bands, I do research and managed to link up to Justin Currie’s myspace page: www.myspace.com/justincurrie. I must say I am nearly in tears. I can’t stop playing every song on his space. In particular, his song “What Is Love For” is truly a masterpiece. “What is love for? Does it wash good people ashore? Does it keep the world from the door? What does love do? Does it make life worth going through, keep you safe from the suicide crew?...What does it do with love I can’t use for her anymore?...” It has a beautiful and haunting melody with a string backing reminiscent of James Newton Howard’s work on Elton John’s Live In Australia album - clearly this guy is getting better with age and with or without the rest of Del Amitri is worth listening to – in fact, I’m going to go get his stuff as soon as I’m done writing this. So should you.

I’m exhausted. I am back to working for the kiddie theatre again. This time, however, it’s not as much fun and maybe some day I’ll be able to talk about it. Needless to say I worked a 12h day yesterday with no break. Seriously. But I did have Saturday off, it’s my one guaranteed day away from screaming chitlins and bad music. I had to take this one day so Rebecca and I could continue finishing up NUMB. Hey, if I’m going work at least it’s on my shit and not someone else’s, right? So there we were – ready for a break after combing through pictures we took last Saturday for the cover. Time to grab a bite and head out into the world after having my dear friend Holly and her sweetie, Julie over for some St. Patty’s day beverages (all work and no play….).

Hmmm……St. Patty’s in L.A.? Yes, as you can assume, it IS indeed an oxymoron. It’s not like the Oscars where the energy is in the air and you can feel it with every breath you take. It lacks the excitement and festive atmosphere of Boston or N.Y. I know, it’s kind of a no brainer but still, one can hope, right? Every year I think it will be more interesting, but alas, it’s not. I think in my neighbourhood it’s just another Saturday night only with more police and more people wearing green. Still, the people watching was fun, the food was good and we got a nice little break but that’s about it. If you want a real St. Patty’s day’s head east. Maybe next year.

So, my mind is indeed frozen, my laundry is almost done and I’m going to head off and save you all from the numbness that I feel in this tired state.

Thanks for tuning in…Until next Monday…CHEERS!