Blues for Ceausescu: Songs to Learn and Sing!

blather

Weird, I thought I posted this earlier - apparently not. It's an article I've written for the Sweeping the Nation blog, as part of their Songs to Learn and Sing series:

"It must have been early 1990 when the noise began. I was 17 and studying for my final school exams. There I was one dark night, bent over my student desk in a dark corner of Co. Wexford, listening to the Dave Fanning Show on Ireland's 2FM radio station. A vicious noise tore through my headphones. What the hell was Fanning playing at? Guitars like chainsaws beating their way through a butcher shop and howls of feedback circling overhead. A murky, distorted but recognisably Irish voice lurching through the noise, spewing vitriol. But not before it greeted the listener: "Well hello". Impossible to work out the lyrics from there but for the chorus - "Ciao, Ceausescu". The top of my head lifted off. From that moment on, rock music stopped being just entertainment for me. It wasn't a lacuna or lovestruck escapism anymore. Music could transcendent the mundane, and be charged with raw energy. "

More:
http://sweepingthenation.blogspot.com/2006/11/songs-to-learn-and-sing-18.html
_________________
Daithi Breathneach
http://blather.net

gav · User admin

Read that last week when I stumbled across it online. Blues... was the song that hooked me as well, though it was John Peel playing it rather than Fanning.

Best.

Single.

Ever.
_________________
more smack, vicar?

LaughingMartian · Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 11:36 pm Post subject:

And of course it has the best FUCK OFF ending to end all fuck off endings - "Give Thanks!" screams Cathal as if by way of vindication and the track then crashes dead as if the power has blacked out from the sheer intensity and overload of the previous six minutes of pure venom.

NO OTHER SINGLE even today sounds as compulsively THRILLING and ELECTRIFYING as this MONSTROUS MUTHAFUCKA. IT POSITIVELY PISSES ALL OVER THE REST OF THE COMPETITION.....

Seldom has pure misanthropic rallying hatred and righteous anger sounded so ecstatically unhinged and magnificent. So much so that by typing all this out I'm even in danger of disappearing up my own fucking arse in my pursuit of superlatives to praise this monolithic bastard of a song that's probably already become a millstone round our Cathal's neck as it stands.

gav · User admin

[quote="LaughingMartian"]as if the power has blacked out from the sheer intensity and overload of the previous six minutes of pure venom..[/quote]

Or as if the 'authorities' had pulled the plug before things really get out of hand...

_________________
more smack, vicar?

gav · User admin

I need an MP3 of Blues ASAP if possible. Anyone help?
_________________
more smack, vicar?

Connah · User admin

It's all true. Have said it before and will again - It's up there in the top ten most potent, lambasting, tirades of adrena-juggernautic discombobulism you'll ever be assailed by. Actually, Iv'e never said that before - but you know what I mean. It's draining just thinking about the thing, let alone listening to it.

SeanMacGabhann · User admin

Gav

I can probably get you an MP3 of Blues from my CBMC cd - but surely you would have one yourself?

gav · User admin

Sean,

You would think, wouldn't you, but I only have the 12 inch and CBMC on cassette. This is actually for a mate who is building up a MP3 collection of John Peel festive 50 classics and he needs that one!

gav.
_________________
more smack, vicar?

SeanMacGabhann · User admin

No worries Gav - I think I have a promo single which has the full and edited versions - I'll try and dig it out

Can you PM your email address?

TonyK · User admin

Just in case anyone's saddled with a cassette or vinyl version of Viva they can't play:

http://boxsetgo.blogspot.com/2007/08/top-ten-irish-albums-5-fatima-mansions.html

Mr Baby · Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:00 pm Post subject:

Thanks Tony. Been meaning to rip my vinyl for ages but it's a real hassle. This makes life a lot easier.

Pant · Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 12:01 am Post subject:

Thanks Tony. Listening to it now. On My Computer!

BGL · User admin

For any audiophiles on the board... whilst reading this months What Hifi the review for some nice new B&W speakers was done using B.F.C as a test song.

Not much written about it but seeing the Fatima mansions mentioned in a recent publication was a pleasant surprise.
_________________
Smiles Everyone....Smiles.

nlgbbbblth · Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:29 pm Post subject:

Great post Blather. I too got my 12" of Blues.. in Freebird records around June 1990.

I think I might know you from somewhere - Waterford RTC and / or UCD.

CalmerThanYouAre · Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 4:01 pm Post subject:

He's running checks on his mother's womb
He's gonna be reborn real soon

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0721/breaking15.html

	CathalCoughlan.com Forum Index -> Fatima Mansions general	All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1