Back when I was around 12 years old and Napster was still in its prime (ah, memories!), I went through a phase where I would download every song I'd ever heard of, whether I'd heard it before or not. This introduced me to music that would impact my music taste for years to come (Tori Amos, Placebo, Mary Prankster) and some music that I was better off without (... Eminem).
The Kinks' "Lola" is one song that didn't fit into either category. I remember liking it a lot when I was 13 or so, but then I went years without hearing it again. It just went from computer to computer until I found it just last week. Since then I've been listening to it on repeat, right after "Bulletproof" by La Roux and Eric Prydz's "Call On Me." The lyrics are genius, the music is amazing, and it's hard to believe that it was released in 1970; it's aged like a fine wine. How they managed to get away with this song in the '70s, I don't know, but I'm glad they did.
"Well I'm not the world's most masculine man, but I know what I am and I'm glad I'm a man, so is Lola."
damn, I remember when I figured this song out at 13, and being STUPEFIED. it was like when I discovered what "Oh! What a Night!" was about....because that song was my shit forever.
ReplyDeleteI remember telling my parents, "This is my favorite song ever!!!" and they said, "Um, you do know it's about a crossdresser, right?"
ReplyDelete... no. No, I didn't. But who cares? It's a great song!
Frank Zappa got away with ridiculous shit in 1966, and before him there were countless musicians in the fifties that did throwaway comedic songs which are absolutely fucking ridiculous. I can lend you a Dr Demento record of the wackiest songs of the 40s and 50s
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you're into the Kinks defying everything, check out their 1971 album "Muswell Hillbillies" which is one of the worst albums of all fucking time, but gets rave reviews for no goddamn reason.
ReplyDeleteI just find it interesting that a gay-themed song was actually a hit in 1970. It's a little earlier than I was expecting. I haven't heard "Muswell Hillbillies" or the Dr Demento record, but I'm intrigued. I'll have to look into this...
ReplyDelete