With a new album V For Vaseline – their first in four years – out this week, The Vaselines are currently in the middle of a trio of dates (last night they played Edinburgh, and head to Leeds tonight, 30 September, and London tomorrow) before mounting a full UK tour that kicks off at the Bristol Thekla on 15 November. To mark the duo’s return, Frances McKee has made Q a Playlist of “Songs I Wish I Had Written”. “There are certain songs you hear that simply make you tingle,” she explains. “When this happens to me I am at once delighted, filled with awe, and bewildered by it’s brilliance. Then I lament for hours, days, even years, haunted by the fact that no matter how much I tried, how much time I put aside to concentrate on the art of music-making, I would never be able to come up with a song like that. And that is a bit shit really 🙂 So here is my list of songs I wish I had written and know that I could never write. My only hope is that one day someone else will have a list and my name will be on it… but that’s unlikely.”
Brian Eno – Baby’s On Fire
“Until recently I had no idea that this was anEeno song. I have danced to it for years and then one day a friend gave me a copy of Here Come The Warm Jets, and there it was, the song I never knew the name of. And now I do. I also read something about Eno being uanble to read music and so resorted to electronic noises. If it’s true that is even better.”
Lou Reed – Sword Of Damocles
“I love it when ideas from opposite places merge. This song kind of ridicules conventional medical treatment by comparing it to street drugs. It’s a gritty song but it is totally majestic.”
Go Kart Mozart – Retro-Glancing
“This is so upbeat in a downbeat kind of way. I saw Go Kart Mozart play in Glasgow and it has to be one of my all time favourite gigs, they played this song twice. I could have listened to it all night.”
Richard Youngs – Spin Me Endless In The Universe
“This man makes music at a rate that puts me and most other musicians’ to shame. I have no idea how he does it.”
Yoko Ono – Take Me To The Land Of Hell
“She is unique. She has quietly stood up for herself this century. Her songs are full of strength and fragility like the woman herself.”
Bill Fay – Screams In The Ears
“The lyrics! He is not having a good time, his wife… what is she doing in another room? It is a bitter delivery and reminds me how much I dislike parties.”
Dory Previn – The Lady With A Braid
“A friend told me once I sounded like Dory Previn. I had never heard of her but when I bought The Lady With The Braid I was secretly pleased. This song is just on the verge of neurosis sung in such a sweet way. Almost. With that Hint of menace. I don’t sound like that…do I?”
Julian Cope – These Things I Know
“There are so many great songs by JC. But this is the one for me, so simple.”
Gun Club – Mother Of Earth
“The deep vocals, the slide guitar, that vocal delivery is just well, sexy really.”
MC5 – Let Me Try
“Call me old fashioned. But if someone sang this to me… well who knows what would happen?”
Jeffrey Lewis – Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror
“Jeff and his amazing band opened for us and every night it was a different set. Effortless and funny. This song is just another example of the genius that is Jeffrey.”
For more head to Thevaselines.co.uk.
