Neneh Cherry, Manchild

It isn’t possible to embed this clip, because, you know, “Raw Like Sushi” is a #1 album all over the world, and Neneh is promoting like crazy, and if I put this on my website I am going to earn billions and people will totally stop buying Neneh Cherry records. Or something. Anyway, here it is: Neneh Cherry, “Manchild”. (Click to open in a new window.)

Neneh Cherry worked on arrangements on Massive Attack’s “Blue Lines”, released the mega-amazing “Woman” and is married to Cameron “Booga Bear” McVey, which alone makes her the 7th coolest person in the universe. But those aren’t her only achievements, for — while her albums turned to be mixed bags — she is responsible for some of the best female hip-hop/trip-hop recordings ever released — from “Buffalo Stance” through aforementioned “Woman” to “Kootchi”. She is now working on her fourth album, slated for release this year. (Judging by the fact she has worked on it since 2003, I assume Massive Attack must be helping.)

“Manchild” is my favourite Neneh Cherry track, despite the fact I have no clue what it *is* about. I used to think a manchild must be a man who never grew up, a Peter Pan figure, but the lyrics don’t really point that way (or, for that matter, any way). Manchild’s life obviously isn’t a bed of roses (“manchild, will you ever win? manchild, look at the state you’re in”). If we’re judging by the video, a manchild is somewhat androgynous, shit hot if you like your boys white and capped, wearing very fashionable clothes and loads of jewellery.

“Manchild”, the song, was remixed by Massive Attack — probably the best of their remixes, despite the fact the harmonics of the backing track have nothing in common with the harmonics of the vocals, plus, vocals have been transposed which very clearly suggests they had a backing track lying around and slapped Neneh’s vocals on top.

“Manchild” is amazing, mostly, because of the extremely unusual string arrangement in the verses. It is one of the most complicated pop songs I have ever heard, melodically, and it is credited to a primarily hip-hop artist. In fact, I believe “Manchild” ranks along “Unfinished Sympathy” as one of those incredible hip-hop fused records that will be considered classical music 20-30 years from now. That is, if anybody bothers to listen to it in the world where Janet Jackson’s “Feedback” was largely ignored or, when it received any attention, it was along the lines of “oooh, Pussycat Dolls really sound good on this one”.

“Manchild” charted at #5 in the UK, didn’t chart at all in the US.

(From Joe. My. God.)

Ah, McDonald’s started selling Water Light (50% less calories)? (From Popeater)

And I, my Lord, may I say nothing? (From Dlisted)

Rod 2.0 reports:

The only billboard in the Central Texas town of Gatesville (pop. approx. 15,000)  has become a lightning rod of controversy. A retired black minister rented the sign on Main Street that reads, “Gay Rights are Not Civil Rights”. The sign owner, Virginia Miller, tells the  Dallas Voice the pastor “wanted to get the message out to black people .. everything they fought for is being hijacked.” [...] Dollins repeats this popular talking point by anti-gay black Christians: “No gays are having to ride on the back of the bus. No gays are being enslaved. No gays are being prosecuted [sic] in any way.”

The Rev. Kevin E. Taylor, New Jersey-based pastor, black gay activist and author, scoffs at the “foolishness of trying to destroy the history and might of the movement.” Rev. Kev adds: “Civil rights are about freedom for all.  Dr. King said so masterfully: ‘Until all of us are free, then none of us are free and injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere!’

The problem is two-fold. “Gays” and “blacks” are stereotyped as mutually exclusive because black LGBTs are often reluctant to come out?read hundreds of comments here, here or here?and continue to embrace the closets of the anti-gay black churches

So saying “no gays never had to sit on the back of the bus” would be true .. only if you believe all gays are white.

I can’t help feeling sad at this.

Stolen from A Ranting Pup, who stole it from Toppertje, who… etc.

Choosing only song names from ONE ARTIST…

Describe yourself:
The Queen and The Soldier
How do you feel:
Left Of Center
Describe where you currently live:
Room Off The Street
If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Ludlow Street
Your favorite form of transportation:
Wooden Horse
Your best friend is:
Small Blue Thing
You and your best friends are:
Neighbourhood Girls
What’s the weather like:
Fifty-fifty chance (of rain, of course)
What’s your favorite time?
Waterloo Sunset
If your life was a tv show, what would it be called:
(If You Were) In My Movie
What is life to you:
My Favourite Plum
Your current relationship:
Frank & Ava
Your fear:
Men In A War
What is the best advice you have to give:
(I’ll Never Be) Your Maggie May
Thought for the Day:
New York is a Woman
How I would like to die:
Unbound
My soul’s present condition:
Bound
My motto:
When Heroes Go Down… they go down fast (this is the hardest one, as Suzanne Vega doesn’t have very long song titles )

Restaurant Refugee posted something very, very strong and touching, quoting the story of Professor Henry Gates, who got arrested at his own doorstep because a neighbour called the police — what else could the poor soul has done seeing a black man trying to get into a posh house? (A posh house the man happens to own.) Apparently Professor Gates has shouted at the police officer. Which is of course a very unreasonable behaviour for someone being arrested for breaking and entering into their own house, right?

Refugee had a similar experience… more than once:

I was fourteen the first time that I found myself on the thoroughly correct side of the law but the wrong side of a police officer who took me to the station in handcuffs because I had the ?wrong attitude? and the temerity to be ?uppity? when I was right.

[...] I was seventeen the first time I was stopped for driving a car in neighborhood where most people who drove there didn?t look like me.  ?Failure to come to a complete stop? was the reason.

[...] I was twenty eight when a false alarm at my home led to the arrival of a couple of police cars, me being handcuffed in front of my then wife and neighbors, before I received an apology for the ?misunderstanding.?

In a way, I can relate to this, having been openly gay in Poland; in practice, if I didn’t want someone to know I am gay, I just didn’t share that information. A person who happens to be of a different race hasn’t got that kind of choice. Read RR’s post to see more examples of almost unbelievable racism, perfectly well and alive in many imaginative ways.

If you know a club that’s likely to play at least three of them in one night, TELL ME. (Oh yes, it should be in Holland. I’m very happy to hear there is a great place in Albuquerque, but, alas, I am unlikely to visit it.)

1. Madonna, “What it feels like for a girl (Above & Beyond mix)”

2. Ne-Yo, “Nobody”

3. Mariah Carey feat. Jermaine Dupri, “Get Your Number”

4. Janet Jackson, “So Excited” (or “All Nite”)

5. Britney Spears, “Mannequin”

Yes, this is what I consider to be dance music nowadays, and I am sorry you’re disappointed in my unashamedly mainstream taste.

I love this guy. He’s got my vote.

1 1 3 THE GIRL AND THE ROBOT
Royksopp feat. Robyn

2 ! 1 OBSESSED
Mariah Carey
3 9 4 BULLETPROOF
La Roux
4 2 3 PALE HORSES
Moby
5 3 19 LOVE ETC.
Pet Shop Boys
6 4 12 RETURN THE FAVOR
Keri Hilson feat. Timbaland
7 5 10 ANTHONIO
Annie
8 14 2 I KNOW YOU WANT ME (CALLE OCHO)
Pitbull
9 6 6 CAN YOU FEEL
Client
10 8 5 RELEASE ME
Agnes
(more…)

Hey, a girl can dream.

Well! The Janet Jackson week is ending on a Friday. That’s a good moment to end a week, isn’t it! Especially as it started on a Monday. And [that's enough -- Ed.]

“Discipline” is a rare case: it is a flop album that got Janet dropped from her label despite debuting at number one on Billboard. It is a strange one, too. The dance tracks sound very contemporary; the ballads sound… like Janet ballads; the whole thing is strangely bland and personality-less, perhaps because for the first time since “What have you done for me lately” Janet hasn’t co-written or co-produced any of the songs.

Still, “Feedback” became her biggest hit in years… to be sabotaged by the record label. There was no commercial single released, which could perhaps explain the fact it didn’t sell very well. The remixes all remained promo-only. Then “Feedback” was followed by “Rock With U”, which was followed, a week later, by “LUV”, which was followed another two weeks later by “Can’t B Good”. That ensured radio stations didn’t give much attention to either — as good as “Rock With U” and “LUV” were, I don’t think radio was interested in playing two songs by Janet Jackson at the same time.

The “Rock Witchu Tour” was doomed from the start. Cancelled appearances, unsold tickets, far too extensive setlist (I believe it is the fact the setlist was 37 songs rather than 17 that killed off the tour — it must have been simply too exhausting), lack of attention from the label (which dropped Janet before the tour began), awful styling and the strange fact that Janet has for some reason moved from showing all she had into being dressed from head to toe in awful costumes have combined into a giant, very expensive case of “WTF?”. Still, I wish I could have seen it…

Is there future for Janet Jackson the musician? Absolutely no clue. Apparently she’s working with Jam and Lewis on new material. As to who will release it, remains unknown. If it’s as good as “Feedback”, “Rock With U” and “2nite”, I’m buying. If it sounds like “Curtains”, “Discipline” and “Can’t B Good”, I think I’ll pass. Although, who am I kidding, if she releases 80 minutes of herself going “ommm… ommm… I’m chanting as we speak darling”, I will still buy it.