There is a strong New Orleans style throughout much of the album, wonderfully described here as "Boogie on the Bayou". The opening song, Wasted Days, kicks things off with an indignant account of a relationship breakup. Such a level of vocal bitterness is unusual for rocksteady, making for an interesting "ska blues". The bassline is also a highlight.
The recording quality is quite stylised, but I really dig it. It's often quite a dark and reverberant rocksteady style (and the 150 Hz region does need some calming down via EQ settings) but it still avoids sounding muffled or blurry. I also dig the natural sounding vocals and the difference in instrument sounds between songs, particularly in the horns and strings.
Please Decide continues the bayou (swamp) ska style. I'm torn about its "gospel on speed" ending, though. The immature ska side of me loves the abrupt jump into madness, but the more sensible side thinks that it destroys the mood of the song. So This is the Night has a similarly rich character, with a slightly quicker tempo. Another in this style is Henderson Swamp, which is my pick of the bayou ska songs. It somehow reminds me of slowed-down version of Iko Iko. The highlight of this song is the subtle transition in groove for the bridge. And the cat meowing samples are a great quirky addition.
The unusual addition of strings to the early ska style works a treat on Dave's Friend. Also, the storytelling is brilliant. It perfectly relates the experience of trying to reach out to a friend who's gone off the rails. The lyrics of the bridge are a particular highlight, as the truth of the matter is revealed:
So call me up sometime,
when you're done with your cocaine and speed.
I may not be a friend you want,
But I'm a friend that you need.
The Barry Manilow feel of Made Up My Mind doesn't really do it for me (especially the lyrics), although I do quite like the violin wailing away in the background.
Sermon serves as a brilliantly tongue-in-cheek introduction to The Nurse, and is totally cheesy. I love how it's so over the top. And there is no more fitting song than The Nurse do deliver the revelation of "no more waking up early on Sundays", "and I'm gonna shake my ass"!
The Nurse is hands-down my favourite song on the album, and one of my all-time favourite songs. The super-catchy early ska/rocksteady beat is perfectly supported by a great, yet simple, horn line and very clever lyrics. The tempo is actually quite brisk, but the short lyrical phrases give it a very laid-back feel. This contrast is yet another highlight. As for the lyrics, my interpretation is that they alternate between a nurse on the battlefield (similar to the story of Simpson and His Donkey) and personal relationship dramas. The two stories are wonderfully intertwined and very obscurely painted through brilliantly mixed metaphors:
Sweet horse (pronounced like "whores")
I've implored
To lay me
Some wisdom
The last handful of songs are fine as background music for me (thanks to their strong grooves), but not songs I would choose to actively listen to. However, the cover of Bon Jovi's Dead or Alive is a brilliant exception. The song is perfectly suited to this dub version, and the layering is very well done.
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