Dexy's Midnight Runners - great or just slightly annoying

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Just caught a pretty decent documentary on Dexy's Midnight Runners on tv. They had a fresh interview w. Kevin Rowland, and he stroke me as a pretty amazing character, self-critical and very likeable, in spite of all his narcissism. I love his anti-music press adverts and the way he stole the master tapes for one of his records amidst great drama. And it was pretty touching when guitarist Archer said that he was "proud of" Rowland for stealing the tapes.

Then thing is, I hate 'Come On Eileen' and until recently I thought it was a song by The Cure, whom I also pretty much loathe (except for that spider song). What is there to this guy? Is he just a humourous character or is some of the music actually worth checking out?

(I always confused Dexy's Midnight Runners w. Bay City Rollers, that's why I never bothered to check them out, I think)

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Thursday, 20 November 2003 13:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I think they were great, yes. There's a new best-of out which might be worth picking up, though they only did 3 albums and you can pick them all up quite cheaply.

(Caveat: "Come On Eileen" is one of my favourite ever singles. But it's not totally representative of them - lots of Dexy's fans find it annoying too I think.)

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 20 November 2003 13:57 (twenty-two years ago)

"Come On Eileen" is a great single and has one lyric that sums up everything I love about pop music, but as Tom says is not representative of the rest of their work at all.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Thursday, 20 November 2003 14:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Great and slightly annoying. "Come On Eileen" and "Geno" are probably the two worst songs they ever wrote.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 20 November 2003 14:01 (twenty-two years ago)

well, what IS representative of their work, then? they seem pretty brainy, but was the less accessible stuff great music as well?

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Thursday, 20 November 2003 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

If you want to download a few tracks you could do worse than try -

- "Plan B"
- "Keep It"
- "Dance Stance"
- "The Occasional Flicker"
- "There There My Dear"

All fantastic songs but a little bit less obvious than COE.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 20 November 2003 14:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd add..

I love you (Listen to this)
My national pride
Show me (was a single only so gets missed)

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 20 November 2003 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

is that music as good as rowland's ego is big?

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Thursday, 20 November 2003 14:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Better.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 20 November 2003 14:22 (twenty-two years ago)

how can you not love 'The Celtic Soul Brothers'?

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 November 2003 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean he's a remarkable man yes but the reason he's a remarkable man is his music first I think.

I didn't recommend that one Stevem cos I think someone who hated "Eileen" wouldn't go a bundle on an even more bubblegum fiddle-fest.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 20 November 2003 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

i know i just thought i would throw it in anyway

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 November 2003 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

because it's one of only about 7 songs i've heard by them

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 November 2003 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

"Geno" strikes us Yanks totally differently than you Brits, as it never was a hit over here. As such, I love it.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 20 November 2003 15:36 (twenty-two years ago)

"Come On Eileen" is a great single and has one lyric that sums up everything I love about pop music

which lyric? i love this song endlessly...

― stevie (stevie), Thursday, 20 November 2003 16:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I was about to ask! Don't tease us, El Diablo!

"Come On Eileen" demonstrated its eternal worth by being one of the climactic songs at Tom's wedding FAP. That photo of Mike Daddino on the chair was taken during that mania.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 20 November 2003 16:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, Come On Eil..., er, El Diablo!

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Thursday, 20 November 2003 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

But which version of Plan B? Actually the right answer is the EMI 'brass' single version.

In fact I'm just listening to 'Don't Stand Me Down' here at work. I may be about to join the camp that wildly raves about the genius of this record. I always liked it, but could never quite see its greatness. I think I can now.

My Dexys POV:

Plan B (single)
Until I Believe in My Soul
This is What She's Like
Tearing Down The Walls Of Heartache
Geno

But they never recorded a bad track.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 20 November 2003 16:49 (twenty-two years ago)

One of these days I will finally get Don't Stand Me Down.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 20 November 2003 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I love every bit of Searching for the Young Soul Rebels.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 20 November 2003 17:11 (twenty-two years ago)

i love them too, both the young soul rebels era and, as tom puts it, the bubblegum fiddle-fest (that's an ace definition). i got the bbc sessions not long ago, and they are great as well.

― joan vich (joan vich), Thursday, 20 November 2003 17:27 (twenty-two years ago)

You gotta love speed freaks with a fiddle. They had the best goddamned MTV interviews (until the Dead Milkmen arrested Downtown Julie Brown).

― Brandon Welch (Brandon Welch), Thursday, 20 November 2003 17:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I listen to "Don't Stand Me Down" at least a couple of times a week.

Mrs Nordic LOVES "Seven Days Too Long".

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Thursday, 20 November 2003 17:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Everyone else is right. Also Let's Make This Precious. Dexy's are Big and Fantastic.

(I've never heard this single version of Plan B or found it on Slsk, how do I obtain it?)

― F. Anthony O'Reilly (Ferg), Thursday, 20 November 2003 18:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I think they were great. Shame they had to work with Langer & Winstanley though, I have never been much of a fan of their sound. It worked with Madness, but all those horns never quite worked out with any other act at all.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 20 November 2003 18:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Nitecaps, though.

― Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Thursday, 20 November 2003 20:27 (twenty-two years ago)

and I love Punch The Clock

― Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Thursday, 20 November 2003 20:27 (twenty-two years ago)

FAO'R the earlier "Plan B" was reissued a few years back on the "It Was Like This" comp of the band's EMI period stuff. You still see it around from time to time. I recall the sleeve notes being very good, but the music is unstoppable. It's also on the single, of course!

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 20 November 2003 20:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I love some of the songs on "Punch The Clock", but I despise the sound on it.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 20 November 2003 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

What's wrong with horns?

― man, Thursday, 20 November 2003 22:18 (twenty-two years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.