Off the back of their stellar new single ‘Under The Moodlight,’ cult Dublin psych-pop duo Liam Mulvaney and John Butler aka Tigers of Tin Pan riff on some of their favourite tracks, featuring Cocteau Twins, Rollerskate Skinny, Sly & The Family Stone, The Association and more.
Liam Mulvaney:
Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas
Could be anything on that album, really. It’s like a warm rinse for the brain; musically unique, exotic and intoxicating. Oft copied: never bettered.
Jimi Hendrix – All Along the Watchtower
A threefer this one. Grade A Dylan lyrics, Hendrix at his most fluid and a tour de force in groundbreaking production from Eddie Kramer. The Withnail & I associations don’t hurt either.
The Rolling Stones – Moonlight Mile
Gotta have some Stones. Rife with tragic desperation and tinged with sleaze. Amazing string arrangement by Paul Buckmaster takes this to perhaps the Stones’ emotional zenith.
Frank Loesser – Adelaide’s Lament
Curveball from Frank Loesser. In a time when music and lyrics were ordinarily the jobs of two separate people, Loesser’s ability to do both made him unusual, but what makes him really stand out for me is capturing the spirit of the writing of Damon Runyon so perfectly for his soundtrack for Guys and Dolls.
The slang, the wit, the oddball characterizations: it’s all there. Then the tunes are top-drawer and there is absolutely no fat on the libretto. Again, I could pick several but this one is as good as any. I’ll take the original Vivian Blaine version though there are other good ones.
Rollerskate Skinny – Some Give Birth
I’ve had the occasional pleasure of working with most of this mob down the years. They left for London as a decent noise rock outfit and returned with the album, Shoulder Voices.
I remember the first time I stuck the album on (with modest expectations). Two tracks in and I was picking my jaw up off the floor. I couldn’t believe that people I knew were making music like this.
Our influences were basically the same but they made a record I didn’t have the balls or the wherewithal to make and changed my mind as to what was possible.
The non-linear structures, the sonic textures, the aural onomatopoeia, the sheer ambition and the will to go wherever your imagination could take you. It would be a few years before I would start cranking out records in earnest myself but the eureka moment of that afternoon has never left me. Ripe for rediscovery by the current generation of indie warriors.
John Butler:
Sandy Salisbury – Cecily
A long-time favourite of mine, a highlight from his then unreleased 1968 album Sandy. Salisbury has such a crisp, clear, unaffected voice — perfect for the type of gentle, sentimental psychedelia I love. The bit at 2:00 is one of my all time favourite backing vocals. I emailed him once to tell him how much I liked his songs and he was happy to hear it.
Hugh Martin/Ralph Blane – The Trolley Song
This just blows me away every time. I love the unrelenting, dizzying melody, and the unexpected chord changes that keep taking the song into new and joyous places. Amazing hyperactive arrangement by Conrad Salinger.
The Association – Everything that Touches You
Shout out to Ken Mooney here (Ireland’s biggest Association fan) and drummer on a few unreleased Tigers of Tin Pan tracks. From their brilliant album Birthday (I could have chosen ‘Barefoot Gentleman’ from that), this one is a true beauty. The backing vocals from about 2:05 onwards have a kind of religious fervour that give the song a bracing, Rex Tremendae-like quality. It’s euphoric and designed to be blasted while driving.
Manami Matsumae – Mercs OST, Credit Roll
Manami Matsumae composed the soundtrack to Mercs, a mindless old video game I love. It’s all killer/no filler, and a major reason I still play the game.
The credit roll music (like a lot of video game end sequence music of the period) strived to be romantic and uplifting and this is no different. Starting with ethereal arpeggios, it eventually evolves into something vaguely life-affirming — a bit like the second half of ‘Layla’ if it fell down a well.
Sly and the Family Stone – Somebody’s Watching You
From their great Stand! album, I think I remember reading someone describe this track as throwaway which is funny because I find it sort of profound and moving.
