PASTELS POLL!! PASTELS POLL EVERYBODY!!!

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Pick your favourite early single, you guys!

Poll Results

OptionVotes
"Truck Train Tractor" / "Breaking Lines" Glass (GLASS 48) 8
"Million Tears" Creation (CRE 011T) 7
"Crawl Babies" Glass (GLASS 50) 5
"Comin' Through" Glass (GLASS 53) 3
"Something Going On" Creation (CRE 005) 1
"I'm Alright With You" Creation (CRE 023T) 1
Songs for Children Whaam! (WHAM005) 0
"I Wonder Why" / "Supposed to Understand" Rough Trade (RT 137) 0


Mark G, Tuesday, 14 September 2010 13:42 (fifteen years ago)

Tricky. Went with Million Tears.

a fucking stove just fell on my foot. (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 14 September 2010 14:05 (fifteen years ago)

Funnily enough, so did I!

Mark G, Tuesday, 14 September 2010 14:15 (fifteen years ago)

Lock thread

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Tuesday, 14 September 2010 14:16 (fifteen years ago)

"Truck Train Tractor" / "Breaking Lines" Glass (GLASS 48)
first one i heard, on the Peter Easton show. (does he still have a show?)

zappi, Tuesday, 14 September 2010 14:25 (fifteen years ago)

Did Joe Strummer ever do "Truck Train Tractor"?

He should have.

Mark G, Tuesday, 14 September 2010 14:26 (fifteen years ago)

so should Jonathan Richman

zappi, Tuesday, 14 September 2010 14:28 (fifteen years ago)

He could do "Get around town" if he likes.

Mark G, Tuesday, 14 September 2010 14:28 (fifteen years ago)

Comin' Through or Truck Train Trouble.

Or maybe even Crawl Babies.

I don't knooooooowowwwwwww.

cymose corymb (Karen D. Tregaskin), Tuesday, 14 September 2010 14:42 (fifteen years ago)

I thought you'd hate the Pastels, K8! Too twee surely?!

a fucking stove just fell on my foot. (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 14 September 2010 14:43 (fifteen years ago)

Oh fuck it, Crawl Babies. What a fucking chorus on that.

They're not fucking twee, they were C86 or whatever before there was a twee to hate. Fit right in with the Mary Chain and the Shop Assistants as far as I'm concerned.

cymose corymb (Karen D. Tregaskin), Tuesday, 14 September 2010 14:44 (fifteen years ago)

I have their VHS up in the loft someplace...

Mark G, Tuesday, 14 September 2010 14:47 (fifteen years ago)

Now I am listening to Truckload of Trouble and I want to sing along with their version of Different Drum as tunelessly as I can.

I don't know why I am prepared to put up with all the things I HATE HATE HATE about twee and indie (the kind of purposeful uselessness) from the Pastels - I think it's because they have this air of simultaneously *caring* so much and putting in such effort, and yet at the same time being utterly effortless about it all. Also that things like the drums and the guitars are really quite well played, while the voices, although sloppy, are so up front and centre.

It's like an actual weird home made three-armed sweater instead of someone that's made a three-armed sweater from an official indie pattern because indie clothes are supposed to be home made and weird.

cymose corymb (Karen D. Tregaskin), Tuesday, 14 September 2010 14:52 (fifteen years ago)

They're just twee dude

The reverse TARDIS of pasta (Niles Caulder), Tuesday, 14 September 2010 15:54 (fifteen years ago)

They really aren't, dude.

cymose corymb (Karen D. Tregaskin), Tuesday, 14 September 2010 15:55 (fifteen years ago)

Truck Train Tractor every time.

Though if Get Round Town had been a single, it would have been incontestable.

ithappens, Tuesday, 14 September 2010 16:26 (fifteen years ago)

The thing about the Pastels is that despite their limited abilities at performing, they tried to make the best music they possibly could. Therefore it's easy to see why so many who followed but missed the point and made an endless amount of terrible music.

PaulTMA, Tuesday, 14 September 2010 16:38 (fifteen years ago)

Bad grammar, but yeah.

PaulTMA, Tuesday, 14 September 2010 16:38 (fifteen years ago)

voted Truck Train Tractor but <3<3<3 Thru Your Heart/Firebell Ringin'

"pack a bisquit" (carry a gun) (lpz), Tuesday, 14 September 2010 18:22 (fifteen years ago)

the glass singles all better than the creation singles, though i am probably just sick of the latter from early overexposure

too late for alcohol mate (electricsound), Wednesday, 15 September 2010 00:11 (fifteen years ago)

And the Sittin' Pretty album stands head and shoulders over their other work, I'd say.

PaulTMA, Wednesday, 15 September 2010 00:58 (fifteen years ago)

Comin' Through, hands down.

verhexen, Thursday, 16 September 2010 01:23 (fifteen years ago)

I think it's worth noting that on the B-side of Million Tears is Baby Honey.

everything, Thursday, 16 September 2010 05:42 (fifteen years ago)

Absolutely.

Mark G, Thursday, 16 September 2010 08:27 (fifteen years ago)

They're not fucking twee

They virtually invented it

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 08:48 (fifteen years ago)

The thing about the Pastels is that despite their limited abilities at performing, they tried to make the best music they possibly could. Therefore it's easy to see why so many who followed but missed the point and made an endless amount of terrible music.

Uhhhhhhhhh, how many bands don't try to make the best music they possibly they could?

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 08:51 (fifteen years ago)

um, there was a lot of "let's play not to the best of our abilities" bands around.

Mark G, Thursday, 16 September 2010 08:54 (fifteen years ago)

Who?

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 08:56 (fifteen years ago)

Bands playing and singing deliberately badly? Les Dawson style?

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 08:57 (fifteen years ago)

... or Stephen Pastel style, if you prefer

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 08:58 (fifteen years ago)

Nirvana on TOTP ftw

jesper olsen twins (NickB), Thursday, 16 September 2010 09:03 (fifteen years ago)

Is there a thread somewhere on intentionally terrible performances?

jesper olsen twins (NickB), Thursday, 16 September 2010 09:04 (fifteen years ago)

Difference between that an intentionally terrible career

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 09:06 (fifteen years ago)

Bands playing and singing deliberately badly?

Basically, most of twee and deliberately shambolic indie pop.

out of ash i rise w/my red hair and eat vegetables like air (Karen D. Tregaskin), Thursday, 16 September 2010 09:50 (fifteen years ago)

Playing deliberately badly though? Or just not being able to play?

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 09:53 (fifteen years ago)

Playing simply, yes, I can see that

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 09:55 (fifteen years ago)

Yeah how many C86 shamblers later dropped the act and went on to careers as Jazz session musicians?

Eejit Piaf (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 16 September 2010 09:55 (fifteen years ago)

Choosing to play in a more simple manner and not at the absolute threshhold of your technique ≠ "not playing at the best of your abilities" of course

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 09:58 (fifteen years ago)

Yeah how many C86 shamblers later dropped the act and went on to careers as Jazz session musicians?

Kev Hopper of Stump, kind of.

jesper olsen twins (NickB), Thursday, 16 September 2010 10:02 (fifteen years ago)

Not exactly a three chord bumbler when in Stump

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 10:03 (fifteen years ago)

I dunno, a suprising amount of people who were sort of shambling around the London scene in rubbish indie bands dropped the act and went on to be in post-rock bands as soon as that became fashionable, and started pretending that they could play really well.

out of ash i rise w/my red hair and eat vegetables like air (Karen D. Tregaskin), Thursday, 16 September 2010 10:03 (fifteen years ago)

pretending that they could play really well.

Like that "pretending".

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 10:05 (fifteen years ago)

yes.

Put a set of dissonant chords and 'out-of-time' playing onto a music stave, and it looks really difficult to play.

Mark G, Thursday, 16 September 2010 10:07 (fifteen years ago)

'Cos as we know, indie bands are all really good sight readers

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 10:08 (fifteen years ago)

Is this kind of like the Soup Dragons being all twee and bumbling and then suddenly discovering that they were in fact the funkiest, most soulful dudes ever in all history since the Stone Roses?

jesper olsen twins (NickB), Thursday, 16 September 2010 10:09 (fifteen years ago)

Obvious example of folks in this approximate sphere playing in a deliberately terrible-according-to-convention way: Jad Fair's approach to the guitar (deliberately untuned, refuses to learn how to play etc)

jesper olsen twins (NickB), Thursday, 16 September 2010 10:14 (fifteen years ago)

Is this kind of like the Soup Dragons being all twee and bumbling and then suddenly discovering that they were in fact the funkiest, most soulful dudes ever in all history since the Stone Roses?

I always write all these incidences off as "a decent Producer can polish a turd".

Stump did a bunch of things but shambling was not one of them.

Eejit Piaf (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 16 September 2010 11:15 (fifteen years ago)

never thought of Soup dragons as twee & bumbling, more a Buzzcocks ripoff. although Buzzocks did have some feyness. someone should do a Pre86 compilation of all the bands that influenced that scene Byrds/Buzzcocks/Dolly Mixture etc

zappi, Thursday, 16 September 2010 11:44 (fifteen years ago)

Soup Dragons were twee, for a while anyway, but they were never bumbling in a "Oh look at us, we can't play, aren't we adorable" way.

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 12:29 (fifteen years ago)

I hope to christ the singer didn't sound like that when he was trying

Eejit Piaf (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 16 September 2010 12:31 (fifteen years ago)

Och, nobody can sing anyway. But they certainly didn't "deliberately play badly" or whateva

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 12:35 (fifteen years ago)

I was of the opinion that nobody was "deliberately" playing badly.

Eejit Piaf (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 16 September 2010 12:42 (fifteen years ago)

That's what I said!

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 September 2010 12:43 (fifteen years ago)

They all knew Aggi couldn't sing but deliberately allowed her to. It was a Yoko/Linda McCartney thing. Or possibly a Jonathan Richman/Dan Treacy thing. Other than that the line-up that recorded these tracks was pretty badass. To me when they all quit the Pastels became a totally different, lesser band.

everything, Friday, 17 September 2010 07:09 (fifteen years ago)

I mean, I guess everytone thinks that.

everything, Friday, 17 September 2010 07:11 (fifteen years ago)

ehh i dunno as much as i love a lot of those early singles, illumination is the only album under the pastels name that i like from start to finish

the groin transfer (electricsound), Friday, 17 September 2010 07:12 (fifteen years ago)

I like the first album from start to finish and my favourite stuff of theirs is probably on Sitting Pretty though it's a bit patchy. But recordings aside, it's as a band in the broader sense that they were great. Great sound, great songs, great gigs, great look etc. Also they contributed a hell of a lot to the scene at the time. By putting on gigs, running record labels and all that. They were very cool.

everything, Friday, 17 September 2010 07:33 (fifteen years ago)

If Aggi was who was yelling "I'm alright with you" at the fadeout, then it's not "singing" but something as important.

Mark G, Friday, 17 September 2010 10:06 (fifteen years ago)

Aggi also sings on this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ncazlkzhAI

zappi, Friday, 17 September 2010 10:33 (fifteen years ago)

i'd probably skip ahead a couple of records to point to the best aggi stuff (cycle, etc), but her not being able to sing seems kinda skewed. her voice is this treacly, thick thing, the female equivalent of stephen's. it's so distinct and full.

The thing about the Pastels is that despite their limited abilities at performing, they tried to make the best music they possibly could

so otm. there isn't fetishisation of, or contrived, mistake making. it's just messy but with a lot of heart.

FORTIFIED STEAMED VEGETABLE BOWL (schlump), Friday, 17 September 2010 11:03 (fifteen years ago)

But recordings aside, it's as a band in the broader sense that they were great. Great sound, great songs, great gigs, great look etc. Also they contributed a hell of a lot to the scene at the time. By putting on gigs, running record labels and all that.

i think it's the same impulse that informed both though - wanting to connect and be inclusive and change things. you can find some of the paraphernalia for old pastels events and nights and things online, there's so much love put into them.

FORTIFIED STEAMED VEGETABLE BOWL (schlump), Friday, 17 September 2010 11:10 (fifteen years ago)

The thing about the Pastels is that despite their limited abilities at performing, they tried to make the best music they possibly could

so otm. there isn't fetishisation of, or contrived, mistake making. it's just messy but with a lot of heart.

Don't agree, I saw them live a lot (I never really listened to their records) and there was definitely a fetishisation of amateurishness and incompetence - certainly from their fans! "Oh we made a mistake, we're going to have to start that one again" *giggle giggle*

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Friday, 17 September 2010 11:53 (fifteen years ago)

But tbh, when I hear people talking about the Pastels these days, I wonder if they're talking about another band

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Friday, 17 September 2010 11:54 (fifteen years ago)

Anyway, I don't know what single "Baby Honey" was on - if it was on a single - but that was invariably the higlight (usu. the only one) of any Pastels set I saw!

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Friday, 17 September 2010 11:58 (fifteen years ago)

I think that's the thing, though. That the fetishisation of incompetence came from the *fans* because the records are definitely the sound of people trying to make the best thing they could with limited resources. It seems to me like other people fetishised their incompetence, but they didn't really seem to fetishise their own in the same way.

I really it may seem like a narrow distinction, but mostly I guess it's because it didn't seem so much of a *thing* the way that it later became within that scene.

That it was at the time a reaction against the slick, corporate, mechanised landscape of overproduced 80s pop - but in the hands of other people it became not a statement but just copying something that someone else was doing.

Karen D. Tregaskin, Friday, 17 September 2010 11:59 (fifteen years ago)

It seems to me like other people fetishised their incompetence, but they didn't really seem to fetishise their own in the same way.

I think you might be right but the band encouraged it in a lot ways. Anyway it was (one of) the bane(s) of my life anyway in Glasgow in the 80s!

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Friday, 17 September 2010 12:08 (fifteen years ago)

But tbh, when I hear people talking about the Pastels these days, I wonder if they're talking about another band

ha-ha. I totally agree with this. My memories are that this line-up were pretty proficient although sometimes they were plagued with really bad sound at their gigs fairly regularly.

The incompetent bands of the 80s in Scotland usually were paticularly incompetent at drumming. The Jesus and Mary Chain, Shop Assistants, BMX Bandits, Meat Whiplash - none of them had proper drummers. Just some pal banging away on an old snare with a tambourine taped on it or something. They all eventually moved passed that of course. THAT'S willful incompetence.

On the other hand the Pastels had Bernice who was a solid drummer that could play a drumkit. Martin and Brian were both good musicians. For quite a while Brian Taylor of the Pastels was widely considered to be the coolest dude in Glasgow. Stephen has always been a shy and self-concious performer so maybe people thought he was being "incompetent" at times but when they were on form it came across as a kind of aloof concentration that worked pretty well.

everything, Friday, 17 September 2010 20:19 (fifteen years ago)

THAT'S willful incompetence.

No, that's adapting! It can be impossible to find a decent drummer.

Mark G, Saturday, 18 September 2010 08:42 (fifteen years ago)

This is true

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Saturday, 18 September 2010 09:52 (fifteen years ago)

wasn't more of a Mo Tucker fetish anyway?

zappi, Saturday, 18 September 2010 10:57 (fifteen years ago)

Yes, the Velvets had a similar problem.

Unless Angus was actually terrific....

Mark G, Sunday, 19 September 2010 09:00 (fifteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Wednesday, 22 September 2010 23:01 (fifteen years ago)

so...

Mark G, Thursday, 23 September 2010 08:51 (fifteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Thursday, 23 September 2010 23:01 (fifteen years ago)

Love the bassline on "A Million Tears" so much.

Spencer Chow, Thursday, 23 September 2010 23:44 (fifteen years ago)

just heard that Rough Trade single for the first time via Consolation Prizes and its quite surprisingly together sounding, with Strawberry Switchblade on backing vocals, Jowe Head on bass etc.

zappi, Friday, 24 September 2010 00:10 (fifteen years ago)

"I'm alright" should have got more, but these results are about right.

Mark G, Friday, 24 September 2010 06:42 (fifteen years ago)


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