(The year 2020 marks my 50th birthday. Leading up to the day (22nd November), I’m planning on writing a blog entry for each year, picking a song or an album from then that I love, talking a bit about why, and giving it some context in my life)
My Saturday morning routine has changed significantly in the past thirty years. These days I’m normally up reasonably early, have a spot of breakfast, and then I might go for a run, or a nice walk into town. I’ll spend some time with my children, do a spot of work, maybe bake something or potter around the garden. In 1990, I would generally annoy the hell out of my milkman father by sleeping until lunchtime, emerging in time to grab an obscenely large bowl of cereal before settling down to watch The Chart Show.
For those unaware, this was an amazing music show broadcast in the UK in the late eighties / early nineties. It just showed videos, but in a really original way, a visual jukebox which would take a risk on up and coming bands and new releases. They would also alternate between different charts, so if you were me you’d get very excited to see the bobbing fairground horses that heralded The Indie Charts.
Even to this day, when a song is being played my mind goes “Chart Show Information” when you get to the middle eight, or a little instrumental bit after the chorus. I can imagine the fake cursor moving around the screen, bringing up live dates or fun facts in fancy Ceefax. Its how I know that the dog in the Blue Monday video was called Fay. Or that the rat in the Need You Tonight video was called Plague. And that Sweetness and Light by Lush had already been named “Single of the Year” by some parts of the music press, who were also calling them “the new ABBA”.
This is one of my favourite songs of all time, a glittering piece of pop genius so good it can bring a tear to my eye. There is something about the locked in groove of the bass and drums, providing a solid, concrete structure for the most beautiful guitar sounds and fragile vocals.
From the moment I heard this song, watched I would imagine with a lingering hangover and cereal whilst squinting at the Chart Show, I fell in love with Lush. They wrote great songs, pure and simple, which were never overblown or unnecessarily complicated. They just sounded great, and it baffled me that more weren’t converted to their blend of pop and noise.
The news of the death of drummer Chris Acland had a real effect on me, and even now, nearly 25 years later, it makes me feel sad to think of the pain he must have felt, and that of his band-mates during the aftermath. They clearly loved him dearly, and I have huge respect for all their decisions and how dignified they have remained, especially during their recent reunion. I can only imagine how acutely they must have felt his absence during that time.
So quite simply, a stunning song, in my mind a classic. I loved it from the first moment I heard it, sat propped in bed, barely awake, mesmerised by a truly beautiful song that is perfect in every way.
Why Did I Buy That 