Day 64 takes us to Now! #64, which came out on 24th July 2006.
Let’s see what bands might have been playing the festival circuit that year.
Track 1: Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
Great vocals from Cee Lo Green, but there’s something about the tune I’ve always found a bit depressing.
Track 2: Nelly Furtado – Maneater
This one has always been said to be inspired by the Hall & Oates track of the same name. I’ve never been able to hear any similarities, but this is still a great song – it’s just not as good as Hall & Oates. But then, few things are.
Track 3: Infernal – From Paris To Berlin
Nice bassline, nice ’80s-sounding dance track. Really like this one.
Track 4: Rogue Traders – Voodoo Child
I’ve always loved this one, mainly ’cause it was used brilliantly in the Doctor Who episode ‘The Sound Of Drums’ when the Master wreaks havoc on the Earth. Great dance track.
Track 5: McFly – Don’t Stop Me Now
Terrible pointless cover of the Queen song. Actually, I shouldn’t say pointless, because the vocals are so poor compared to Freddie Mercury that it’s really obviously different. Another good ‘point’ of this song is that it illustrates that there is a very good reason why nobody ever covers Queen songs, and that is because nobody has a hope of getting close to the brilliance of the originals. I have no idea why McFly thought they could get away with this one.
Track 6: Pink – Who Knew
Dull tune that has none of the edge you usually get with Pink. It sounds more like the kind of cheesy soft-rock you’d get from Kelly Clarkson or somebody like that.
Track 7: Sandi Thom – I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)
ARGH. I almost don’t have the words to describe how awful I’ve always found this song. It was the first notable example of a teenage singer discovered on YouTube. The song, completely unironically, manages to conflate the late ’70s punk movement with the late ’60s hippy movement – hey, those alternative types are all the same, right? If she really meant what she was singing about, the whole ‘born too late into a world that doesn’t care‘, she would at least have done enough research to know the difference. ARGH. Also, when I was at T in the Park 2006, she was given a five-minute slot on the main stage, because SHE ONLY HAD ONE SONG.
Sandi Thom, you are a totally fake 20th century girl. Everything about this song is utterly cringeworthy.
ARGH.
And breathe.
Track 8: The Kooks – She Moves In Her Own Way
Too twee, acoustic-y, and cheesy for me.
Track 9: The Feeling – Fill My Little World
I’ve always found this one revoltingly twee, and worse, horrendously catchy. I’ve got a horrible feeling it’s going to be stuck in my head again now after years of blissfully forgetting about it.
Track 10: Keane – Is It Any Wonder?
Quite like the guitar riff – it’s a bit edgier than I’d usually expect from Keane. The vocals are still pretty bland though.
Track 11: Snow Patrol – You’re All I Have
Boring tune, very forgettable.
Track 12: Razorlight – In The Morning
Some nice interesting lines going on here, quite like this one.
Track 13: Orson – Bright Idea
The beat’s interesting, but the tune is a bit depressing.
Track 14: The Zutons – Valerie
Great tune, love that chord progression. I know the Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse cover became more well-known, but I’ve got a real soft spot for the original.
Track 15: Dirty Pretty Things – Bang Bang You’re Dead
Good rock track, but the lines are a bit messy, and the tune on the vocals is kind of generic.
Track 16: The Automatic – Monster
Great track – it’s featured on Lego Rock Band, so I had a lot of fun drumming along to it back in the day.
Track 17: Paul Oakenfold and Brittany Murphy – Faster Kill Pussycat
Nice bassline, nice interesting vocals – good stuff.
Track 18: Chicane and Tom Jones – Stoned In Love
Good dance beat, but the tune’s pretty bland. Not even Tom Jones’ vocals can make this one interesting.
Track 19: Primal Scream – Country Girl
Unfortunately, due to the theme, this one’s a bit country-inspired, and country music is not my thing at all.
Track 20: Bon Jovi – Who Says You Can’t Go Home
Bon Jovi starting to sound a bit dad-rock. Not hugely keen on this one.
Track 21: Matt Willis – Up All Night
Matt Willis going solo from Busted and thankfully sounding a little more grown-up. It’s not a bad rock song.
Track 22: Fall Out Boy – Dance, Dance
Great beat, interesting vocals. Really like this one.
Track 23: Lily Allen – Smile
It’s a nice tune, but Lily Allen’s best stuff would appear later on.
Track 24: Rihanna – SOS
Good atmosphere, good solid pop track.
Track 25: The Black Eyed Peas – Pump It
The Latin tinge from the Misirlou sample (better known as the Pulp Fiction music) is great. Happily nodding along here.
Track 26: The Pussycat Dolls and Snoop Dogg – Buttons
Great atmosphere, nice Eastern-tinged instrumentals.
Track 27: Ne-Yo – So Sick
Pretty tune on the instrumentals at the beginning, but the vocal line’s pretty boring.
Track 28: Busta Rhymes – Touch It
Messy rap, no melody, not my thing.
Track 29: Christina Milian and Young Jeezy – Say I
I like the retro ’70s-sounding backing track, and the vocals are quite interesting.
Track 30: Sérgio Mendes and The Black Eyed Peas – Mas Que Nada
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had the Black Eyed Peas, just five tracks ago.
Great Latin track – still a favourite for warm-ups and cool-downs in Zumba classes everywhere.
Track 31: The Ordinary Boys and Lady Sovereign – Nine2Five
Great uptempo song with that Ordinary Boys ska tinge – and somehow Lady Sovereign’s rap style melds really well with it.
Track 32: Sugababes – Red Dress
Great bassline, good beat, good pop track.
Track 33: Beatfreakz – Somebody’s Watching Me
Pointless ‘cover’ (actually a remix that doesn’t give proper credit to the original artist) of the Rockwell classic that leaves out the verses and just samples the chorus. Definitely need to go listen to the original after this.
Track 34: Sunblock and Robin Beck – First Time
Another remix masquerading as a cover, this time of Robin Beck’s 1988 hit. Yet another ’80s classic where I will be listening to the original after this Now! compilation is done!
Track 35: Bob Sinclar and Steve Edwards – World, Hold On (Children Of The Sky)
Great atmosphere, great beat – quite like this track.
Track 36: Supermode – Tell Me Why
Cover of a nonexistent mash-up of the Bronski Beat songs Smalltown Boy and Why? When we used to run our Electrolicious Sundays night at Mr Modos, Geth would always mix the original Smalltown Boy into this, which really emphasised the shortcomings of this cover. More originals to listen to when I’m done here!
Track 37: Mousse T and The Dandy Warhols – Horny As A Dandy
Mash-up of Horny and Bohemian Like You. I’ve mentioned before how much I hate mash-ups. This just makes me want to go and listen to the two originals to scrub this mess from my brain. I think it’s going to be a long night on Spotify.
Track 38: The Shapeshifters and Chic – Sensitivity
Love that classic funk – great retro sound. Also, apparently it was only Nile Rodgers representing Chic on this track, but I suppose he basically is Chic now.
Track 39: Beverley Knight – Piece Of My Heart
Fairly pointless cover of the ’60s classic, but it’s a great song whoever does it.
Track 40: James Morrison – You Give Me Something
Oh, it’s this one. Boring tune, and it’s too slow for me.
Track 41: Will Young – Who Am I
Interesting backing track, but the vocal’s very repetitive.
Track 42: Ronan Keating and Kate Rusby – All Over Again
Bit of an odd pairing that I would never have guessed did a song together. It’s slow and sappy and not my kind of thing, but I suppose the vocals are quite nice.
Track 43: Girls Aloud – Whole Lotta History
Nice tune, nice atmosphere, but I find the vocal lines a bit messy and jarring.
We’ve avoided any ‘Not on Spotify’ moments again! Hopefully this will become more and more regular.
