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This is what the Vaselines are: a cognitive tool. They can serve as support for musical thinking. Kurt Cobain knew this too.
The mathematical proportion is:
Carneade : Don Abbondio = The Vaselines : Nirvana
Nothing more than a cult Scottish indie (power) pop band.
Guitarist and singer Eugene Kelly (1965) and singer and guitarist Frances McKee (1966) formed The Vaselines in 1986 in Glasgow. More officially the following year, in Edinburgh.
No nightly hypothermia. Just a boy and a girl from an Edinburgh collage who loved smearing themselves with vaseline. Especially her. He loved Pastels, Jesus And Mary Chain, Dinosaur Jr., Pussy Galore, Sonic Youth, Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood, and punk rock. She loved Soft Cell so much that she wanted to be "Soft Cell, but without keyboards" one day.
The Vaselines are a perennial bulbous plant, swamp lilies, white pop flowers, trembling candor, milk drops from Era's breast. Purity and innocence that are all within their disarming sound approach.
Their music is essential and direct. It has enticing bubble gum melodies and the raw guitars of punk. The writing is light, silly, and licentious. The adolescent, concise, and terse lyrics are marked by a bawdy allusiveness and the absence of intellectual pretensions. The approach is amateurish with straightforward or rough performances.
In terms of singing, Kelly is baritone and straw-like, whereas McKee is slender, sweet, sensual, almost like ophthalmic cream. The two chase each other diligently, like in a love dance of exotic birds.
A style that is therefore shabby, naive, disengaged, syrupy, but also abrasive and versatile: a perfect and original pop music product that for some was the Holy Grail of indie pop, while on this side of the ocean it was ignored.
Overrated or underrated? What's the difference? Who cares?
They were the darlings of the Pastels (from Glasgow), Beat Happening (from Olympia, WA), and then Nirvana (from Aberdeen, WA). Kurt Cobain would point to Kelly and McKee as "his favorite songwriters of all time," name his daughter Frances Bean in McKee's honor, and cover three of their songs: "Son Of A Gun", "Molly’s Lips" (in "Hormoaning," then "Incesticide") and "Jesus Wants/Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam" (in “MTV Unplugged in New York”).
In this regard, McKee will say: «It was typical of the Vaselines to be recognized because someone else covered our pieces. What’s better for slackers like us than to have another band do all the dirty work for you?».
"Enter The Vaselines" is a 2006 collection that includes the entire catalog of the band, acquired by Sub Pop and already released as "The Way Of The Vaselines: A Complete History," but additionally aligns a second disc with demo tapes and live recordings in Bristol (1986) and London (1988).
In the first 87 EP, "Son Of A Gun," there are typically English humor and twee-pop, vague singer-songwriter and folk roots, the influence of the Pastels, '50s rock ‘n’ roll, and '60s garage, the indie update of Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra duets.
In the second EP of 88, "Dying For It" (also produced by Stephen Pastel for 53rd & 3rd), the American lessons of alternative/indie rock of Velvet genealogy emerge, Sonic Youth first and foremost.
In their "only" LP, "Dum-Dum" (released by Rough Trade in 89, with the lineup stabilized with Kelly's brother Charles on drums and James Seenan on bass), the sound is solid and powerful but still sinuous (frenzied screams, passive-aggressive iteration of choruses, shuffling drumming) and devoted to the lo-fi aesthetic (amateurism, scattered noises, and pseudo-metallic guitar solos).
The bonus disc boasts the demos for "Son of a Gun", including the never-realized pieces "Rosary Job" and "Red Poppy"; it also includes the December 1986 live set testimony of a shabby performance of the duo accompanied by a drum machine in front of a more than distracted audience. In the subsequent London live set, they play once again raw and amateurish, but this time because they have achieved their artistic figure and with success.
The experience of Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee ended soon, without fanfare, just as it began. After the appearance alongside Nirvana, the withdrawal, the Suckle, the Eugenius, 20 years, an unexpected reunion arrived, prompted by the collaboration with two Belle & Sebastian members, Stevie Jackson (guitar) and Bobby Kildea (bass), resulting in two honest albums: "Sex with An X" (2010, close to the original sound) and "V For Vaselines" (2014, inspired by the Ramones).
Let’s look at some of the memorable tracks from "Enter The Vaselines".
"Son of a Gun" is a twee pop piece with guitars alternating punk distortions and jingle-jangling over a regular drum and boogie piano. The folksy "Rory Rides Me Raw" was described at the time as “a cross between Leonard Cohen and the Butthole Surfers”! "You Think You’re A Man" is a dry cover of Divine's disco piece, where fake orgasms overlap the duo's pantomimes (resulting from a binge of jam doughnuts!). The fast-paced "Dying for it" has an allusive and biting lyric: “I’m dying for something,/ oh what will it be/ I’m dying for you/ to do something to me”. "Molly’s Lips" is a rockabilly with a bicycle bell trill and an impassive voice. If "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam," which replicates a children's hymn ("I’ll Be a Sunbeam"), features electric violist Sophie Pragnell paying homage to Cale’s Velvets, then "Monsterpussy," whose title speaks for itself, pays homage to Reed's Velvets with Kelly's interpretation. The power-pop "The Day I Was A Horse" spins the Ramones' verb in an openly sixties version. “He said I was a mourning/ And that it would be better coming/ And he turned into a horse”. It essentially begins with the riff of “I’m a Yesterday Man” by Chris Andrews. The two versions from "Live in London" are slightly altered: less hyperkinetic, the first features overloading echo in the male section. The lyrics highlight the addition of the satirical rhyme “The day I was a Horse/ Was very nice of course”.
But in the end, what remains of this power-indie-pop?
An impression of disconcertingly inconsistent greatness or intelligent simplicity.
Where does this music take you? Nowhere. Or rather, exactly where you are. It is so popular. It is pure everyday life, a daily ticket, a bit of irony, and some melodic flickers in the shadow of noise.
Jesus don’t want me for a sunbeam,
Cause sunbeams are not made like me,
And don’t expect me to cry,
For all the reasons you had to die,
Don’t ever ask your love of me
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Sex Sux (Amen) (03:10)
I was born up an original sin,
Brought my two time in her slim virgin,
Father, Son and the Holy Ghost,
I'm the Sacred host, with the most.
I was born on Christmas day,
And all my people turned me away.
They said I'd be the one,
Borrow the life of the chosen son,
Doing the cross was not for me,
It's human life of chastity.
I was born on Christmas day,
And all my people turned me away.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
I got one thing to say, SEX SUX AMEN!
08 The Day I Was a Horse (01:28)
They say the story, hope it don't bore ya,
About they day I was a horse,
He said I've been a mourning and a better be a comming,
And he changed into a horse.
Where'd he go?
I don't know.
Whats he on?
Something strong.
Whats it?
Doing shit.
I think I'm on a muther fuckin trip.
He walks his house with a big bad mouth,
And he swallowed all my friends,
So I let him in and rescued the gang,
And he started up again,
He got kinda thinking and he started up a shaking,
And fell on the bed,
Forgot his swings how everything had changed,
Thought this might never end.
10 Son of a Gun (03:46)
Swing swing up and down,
Turn turn turn around,
Round round round and about and over again.
Gun gun son of a gun,
You are the only one, And no one else can take my place.
The sun shines in the bedroom when you play,
And the raining always starts when you go away.
11 Teenage Superstars (03:27)
I'm a teenage Jesus superstar without a mighty cross to bear,
And when mom complains about my hair,
I say hey mom I just don't care.
I'm in hell and the angels cry cause I'm trying to sell my soul,
And when mom complains about my clothes,
I say hey mom leave me alone.
Come on little girl, it's gonna be alright,
Come on little girl, it's gonna be alright,
I got one thing on my mind girl,
I got one thing on my mind and I don't care.
I'm a teenage Jesus superstar.
12 Monsterpussy (01:42)
Monsterpuss, monsterpuss,
Meow, my monsterpuss,
Monsterpuss, monsterpuss,
Meow, my monsterpuss,
I'm gonna skin it and wear it as a hat,
On my head, everyday when it's dead.
I'm gonna skin it and wear it as gloves,
On my hands, everyday when it's dead.
I'm gonna skin it and wear it as a scarf,
Around my neck, everyday when it's dead.
13 Dying for It (02:21)
She said to me, would you like to be,
I got plenty of time, It's gonna take some time.
Ahhhh I'm hanging out.
I'm hanging out baby, I'm hanging out,
Ahhhh I'm hanging out.
I'm hanging out baby, I'm hanging out,
Ahhhh I'm hanging out,
Come on now, come along sing my song.
She said to me, we're gonna lie on the floor,
Cause we don't need to go and can choose some more.
I'm dying for something, oh what will it be,
I'm dying for you to do something to me.
14 Oliver Twisted (02:49)
Once I had a friend called Oliver Twisted,
Who used to think he was a brand and gifted,
Stupendisly handsome, Beautifully smart,
He had no heart.
On his own he was all alone,
He wanted more than he ever got.
Once I had a friend called Oliver Twisted,
Who took life so slow that he occasionally missed it,
Permanently senseless, never on his brain, he had no brain.
Once I had a friend called Oliver Twisted,
Who lived on the edge or so he insisted,
Inteligently careless, hated rock and roll, he had no soul.
17 Slushy (01:56)
Long brown hair, eyes were green.
Prettiest girl I've ever seen,
And you'll never miss what you never had.
Oh, you'll never miss what you never had.
Long brown hair, eyes were gray.
Tried and tried to stay away,
And you'll never miss what you never had.
Oh, you'll never miss what you never had.
I do, I do,
I really miss you,
And if I'd only ask your name again.
19 Hairy (01:46)
I don't want to look like you,
Greasy hair and ugly too,
I just want to live in peace,
To lie in bed and stay asleep.
I don't need your company,
I'm so hungry and I can't sleep,
I'm real tired to even whine,
So don't come up and offer man!
I can do without you,
I've come this far on my own,
I don't need any helping hand,
Cause I'm, I'm a man.
20 Rory Rides Me Raw (02:26)
Galloping through the morning dew,
There is only one thing that I want to do to you,
And its true that I'm going to do it soon.
Rory rory ride rory
Rory rory ride rory
Rory ride me slowly,
Ride me raw raw raw.
Stride on your back rocking to ride,
I got the feeling we're gonna gallop alright,
And It's true that I'm gonna do it soon.
Galloping through the morning dew,
There's only one thing I that I want to do to you,
And it's true, that I'm gonna to do it soon.
It'll take three to satisfy me,
'Cause I'm more of a man than you'll ever be.
Rory, ride me slowly, ride me true, ride me true.
21 Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam (03:30)
Jesus don't want me for a sunbeam,
Cause sunbeams are not made like me,
And don't expect me to cry,
For all the reasons you had to die,
Don't ever ask your love of me.
Don't expect me to lie,
Don't expect me to cry,
Don't expect me to die for thee.
29 Dum-Dum (01:57)
I'm a real dum-dum, I'm a son of a gun,
I was born to walk, but I wanted to walk,
I'm a real dum-dum, I even left my mom,
Cause I get on my knees, and I do what I please.
Dum-dum,
Dum-dum,
Dum-dum,
Dum,
Dum-dum,
Dum-dum
I'm a real dum-dum, but I don't mind,
I got a dum-dum girl, we're two of a kind,
I'm a real dum-dum, I'm gonna find the sun,
I'm gonna do what I want, everyday that I please,
I'm a real dum-dum, Just look at the fun,
I'm gonna get my pics already, satan, satan,
I'm a real dum-dum, hey, I don't care,
If you wanted to know I'm a don't carebear.
31 Lovecraft (05:37)
Kill your friends,
Light your feet,
Do what I want,
Lovecraft.
Kiss your mouth,
Burn your hair,
Do what I want,
Lovecraft.
Blow your man,
Do what I want,
Taste your lip,
Lovecraft.
Pic your time,
Do what I want,
Do what I want,
Lovecraft.
34 Let's Get Ugly (02:20)
Time and again,
I think to myself,
Oh, watch me,
One less gun shell,
You are,
You are,
You are, ugly
You are,
You are,
You are, ugly
Oh, watch me,
Thats her alone,
I've started to cry,
I've started to moan.
35 Bitch (02:37)
I'm a real bitch
I'm a twisted witch
I'll screw you around
When your feeling down
I wonder around with my nose in the air
I bug all these losers, but I don't care
They might think they're better than me
But I'm gonna make them history
I've been around I've done all I can
I'll mess you a bud, I'll even steal your man
I've tried too hard, been pushed too long
Gonna put all you man where you belong
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