"Before Leaving": The Housemartins, Caravan of Love

Once I was driving my car, I turned on the radio, and one of my favourite radio channels was playing a song I’ve never heard before and I was hypnotized by it.
It was a cappella style song: “Caravan of love” by the British band The Housemartins. I usually don’t listen to this kind of music; actually, I don’t know many songs like these (except for the ones by the Italian band Neri Per Caso). I obviously appreciated the melody and above all the way voices replace instruments, in my opinion it is a very great ability. Maybe I wouldn’t like it so much if it were a “normal” song, played with musical instruments.
Actually I didn’t understand if they use at least a basso (in the live video one component has one).

I invite you to watch also the live video: I am impressed by the fact that Paul Heaton, the singer, sings exactly as in the recorded studio version. He is really great. I admire him. Every respectable singer would be able to sing this way on a live performance!

Anyway I must underline that this son is a cover version of Isley Jasper Isley’s “Caravan of Love” (personally I don’t like it: it’s too “eightish”. And I like 80’s music!!!).
The I.J.I.’s video represents the band in the middle of a crowd of several nationalities. And it becomes more banal especially if you compare it with the Housemartins’ video.
This last one expresses more originally the meaning of the song, also because of Paul Heaton’s Christian believs.
It is set in a church, the singer is a kind of priest who sings from the pulpit, as if he were preaching; the other band components are the believers. They all have a cross shaved in their hair.
In the end of the video they are joking to each others and they are funny; they also sing staying together in the same bed.
It is pretty weird, I like it (the first times I watched both the studio and the live versions dozens of times a day!)

"Before Leaving": Men at Work, Down Under

This is the first time ever I write a musical post…so I’ve decided to write one about a video by a band from my beloved Australia: Men at Work.
The song is called “Down Under” and it was composed in 1981; Australia is defined "the land down under" because it lies totally within the southern hemisphere.
This song in one of the most popular and patriotic songs in Australia.

In this video it is possible to see a lot of Aussie peculiarities, a number of elements typical of that country:
- Australian desert, that’s one of the largest desert in the world)-
- Billabong, a watering hole in a dry river bed that’s filled only during the rainy season. It rained for seven days straight before this video was shot.
- The tune of “Kookaburra”, a traditional children’s rhyme. The flute part in the song is based around it.
- Koala. In the video a band component keeps one on a leash. It’s against law to keep a koala as a pet.
- Vegemite, a dark brown food paste made from yeast extract, used mainly as a spread on sandwiches. Personally I don’t like it!!!!
- Australian slang (zombie=marijuana; to chunder=to vomit)

According to Pop up Video, Men at Work wrote the song about “crass European culture being imposed on the natural beauty of Australia”. Actually, in the first part of the video, the band run away (“you better run, you better take cover”) as an European man plant the sign “sold”; this situation can be compared to European conquest in XVII century. Moreover, in the end of the video Men at work’s roadies are carrying a coffin; this could symbolize a funeral for Australian natural beauties killed by greedy conquerors, attracted by the wealth of this “land of plenty”...
...and the Land Down Under is really a land of plenty, in every sense. I love it!!!

NO WORRIES!