For post-Blaydon celebration at the weekend, I asked Geth to grab me some interesting cider, and this is what he came back with.
I wouldn’t normally think to grab Sainsbury’s own brand cider, but it wasn’t a bad pint – quite apple-y, and not too dry. The taste is a bit generic, but it would do in a pinch in future if I couldn’t find anything else.
Day 63 means Now! #63, which takes us to 10th April 2006.
I’m as interested as anyone to know what the hits were in 2006, as I was listening pretty much exclusively to goth and industrial by this point and so I don’t remember the chart stuff.
Track 1: Corrine Bailey Rae – Put Your Records On
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
It’s a nice tune, but it’s not really my style – I find this kind of thing pretty dull.
Track 2: The Pussycat Dolls and will.i.am – Beep
Great atmosphere, great beat, but it could do with some more melody.
Track 3: The Black Eyed Peas – My Humps
Semi-repeated artist alert! We only just had the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am on the last track.
Awful then, still awful now. The lyrics are just terrible.
Track 4: Orson – No Tomorrow
Interesting guitar lines, but I find the tune pretty boring.
Track 5: The Ordinary Boys – Boys Will Be Boys
Great ska-tinged track – I’ve always really liked this tune.
Track 6: Meck and Leo Sayer – Thunder In My Heart Again
Remix of Leo Sayer’s 1977 track Thunder In My Heart. It’s highly danceable and uses the original song very nicely.
Track 7: Hi Tack – Say Say Say (Waiting 4 U)
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
I appreciate the sample from Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson’s Say Say Say, and the rest of the track’s actually okay – it’s another one where the sample is used very well.
Track 8: Dead Or Alive – You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)
The 1985 classic, back in the charts due to Pete Burns’ appearance on Celebrity Big Brother. It’s one of my favourite songs – I’ve loved it ever since hearing it as the theme to the Sounds Of The ’80s TV show in the early ’90s. Stunning track.
Track 9: Chico – It’s Chico Time
Awful novelty song that still troubles the music channels as part of their ‘Christmas party’ playlists.
Track 10: Shayne Ward – That’s My Goal
The second X Factor winner’s single and the first to get the Christmas number one. I’ve got a bad feeling that we’re going to be seeing X Factor winners on every spring Now! compilation for a good few years. The only good thing about this saccharine ballad is that it’s Shayne Ward’s original song, in contrast to the pointless karaoke you normally get with X Factor contestants.
Track 11: Sugababes – Ugly
Generic tune, and I find the theme on this one very hamfisted.
Track 12: Simon Webbe – No Worries
The beat’s a bit jarring, and in general the track is pretty messy – too much going on.
Track 13: Will Young – All Time Love
The tune’s nice, but it’s too slow for me.
Track 14: Kelly Clarkson – Because Of You
Another slow ballad, and those have to be super atmospheric or interesting for me not to find them bland. This one is not super atmospheric or interesting.
Track 15: Westlife – Amazing
Nice tune, nice atmosphere, but the chorus is a bit cheesy for me.
Track 16: Andy Abraham – Hang Up
The X Factor runner-up to Shayne Ward, fact fans. This track has a nice retro feel and could have come from the ’70s or ’80s, which is a great thing in my book.
Track 17: McFly – I Wanna Hold You
Good beat, interesting lines, but the vocals annoy me.
Track 18: Son Of Dork – Ticket Outta Loserville
Nice bit of daft pop-punk – quite like this tune.
Track 19: Friday Hill – One More Night Alone
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Good head-nodder, nice tune.
Track 20: Liberty X – A Night To Remember
Utterly pointless cover of the Shalamar classic, released as the official Children In Need single for 2005 (so insert usual disclaimer about the ‘point’ being charity fundraising). It’s pretty much identical to the original.
Track 21: Rihanna – If It’s Lovin’ That You Want
Interesting lines that come together to create quite a good atmosphere for this song. Quite like this one.
Track 22: Liz McClarnon – Woman In Love
Pointless cover of the Barbra Streisand classic. It’s a great song whoever does it, but there’s nothing new added here.
Track 23: Girls Aloud – See The Day
Pointless cover of the Dee C Lee classic. Also now a Christmas song, due to its ubiquity on the music channels’ Christmas playlists because of its wintry video. Again, I love the song whoever does it, but I just don’t see the point of releasing such a near-identical version.
Track 24: Nizlopi – JCB Song
Great song – gorgeous tune, brilliant lyrics, awesome theme, great chant-along section. A classic.
Track 25: Embrace – Nature’s Law
Nice piano instrumentals, lovely atmosphere. I normally find Embrace’s stuff really dull, but this is a nice tune, even with the slightly drone-y vocals.
Track 26: Robbie Williams – Advertising Space
Nice atmosphere, but it’s too slow for my liking.
Track 27: Coldplay – Talk
Great riff, but the vocals are depressing as ever from Coldplay.
Track 28: A-ha – Analogue (All I Want)
A welcome return to the charts for A-ha! This track has a suitably epic atmosphere, a great bassline, really nice piano and a lovely tune on the vocals.
Track 29: The Feeling – Sewn
Boring tune, too slow.
Track 30: Richard Ashcroft – Break The Night With Colour
Another tune that I just can’t get interested in.
Track 31: Texas – Sleep
Nice tune, but again it’s not uptempo enough for me.
Track 32: Kaiser Chiefs – Modern Way
Not the most interesting track off the Employment album, but I still really like the tune.
Track 33: U2 – All Because Of You
Great riff, but the tune’s a bit dull and repetitive.
Track 34: Fall Out Boy – Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down
Love the guitar, but the vocals are pretty irritating.
Track 35: Goldfrapp – Ride A White Horse
I’m always disappointed that this isn’t a cover of T.Rex’s Ride A White Swan with alternative lyrics. Still, it’s a great electropop tune.
Track 36: Gorillaz – Dirty Harry
Some interesting lines and hooks, but it’s very repetitive.
Track 37: MVP – Bounce, Shake, Move, Stop!
Daft theme, and I’d prefer a bit more melody, but it is a good head-nodder.
Track 38: Sunblock – I’ll Be Ready
Bit of a repetitive sample mishmash, but it’s got a good beat. The sample is Jimi Jamison’s Baywatch theme from 1994, but I had to look that up – I never watched enough of the show (I always found the premise really daft) to remember the theme!
Track 39: The Shapeshifters – Incredible
Quite like the instrumentals, but the main tune is very bland.
Track 40: The Source and Candi Staton – You Got The Love [New Voyager Radio Edit]
We’ve already had this song TWICE, if you can believe that, on Now! #19 and Now! #36! The New Voyager mix is definitely not different enough to justify including it a third time!
See the first link for my review (including the Florence & The Machine annoyance that I keep being reminded of whenever another Now! compilation features this song) and the second link for the first time I got angry about this repetition!
Track 41: Kubb – Grow
Boring, slow and depressing.
Track 42: José González – Heartbeats
Oh, it’s this one. Again, it’s too slow for my taste, though the guitar lines are quite interesting.
Well, after a couple of months that were taken up with work and holidays, I finally have time over the next few weeks to get on with the house again.
The main project is the study, which is still just a pile of boxes, but there’s a few other things to do as well – mainly putting up bookcases and Tetris-ing things around. I’m mainly working this week, but at the weekend I will have time to get started on the bookcases – meaning we’ll have access to our books for the first time since January. Exciting! I’ve almost forgotten what we actually have.
I’m glad I’ll finally be able to get into that study next week as well – I’m looking forward to having a whole extra room. Eventually.
Day 62 takes us to Now! #62, which came out on 21st November 2005.
Let’s have another go with these mid-’00s hits.
Track 1: Sugababes – Push The Button
The tune’s a little repetitive, but it’s a good solid pop song.
Track 2: Robbie Williams – Tripping
Really like the beat on this – lots of interesting stuff going on. Good track.
Track 3: The Pussycat Dolls and Busta Rhymes – Don’t Cha
I shouldn’t like this, but it’s got a good rhythm and I’ve always been quite fond of it.
Track 4: Daniel Powter – Bad Day
Awful and whiny. The complete opposite of my kind of thing.
Track 5: David Gray – The One I Love
I find this one really dull and kind of annoying.
Track 6: Kelly Clarkson – Since U Been Gone
I like the rock-tinged guitar, but the vocals are too generic for me.
Track 7: Will Young – Switch It On
Good beat, but the tune’s not interesting enough.
Track 8: Girls Aloud – Biology
It’s an okay pop song, but it’s a bit repetitive.
Track 9: McFly – I’ll Be OK
The tune’s annoying, and the vocals are really not my thing.
Track 10: Kaiser Chiefs – I Predict A Riot
Absolute classic. This one was great to see live at T in the Park 2005 – the energy in the crowd was immense.
Track 11: Franz Ferdinand – Do You Want To
Interesting as ever from Franz Ferdinand – great tune.
Track 12: KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See
I’ve always found this tune incredibly irritating.
Track 13: t.A.T.u – All About Us
I wasn’t aware that t.A.T.u made a brief comeback in 2005. Good atmosphere, quite like this one.
Track 14: Hilary Duff – Wake Up
Irritating high-pitched vocals, boring tune.
Track 15: Rachel Stevens – I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)
The attempt at a rock edge is a bit cringeworthy, but the tune is quite good.
Track 16: Liberty X – Song 4 Lovers
Starts off as a slow piano ballad with a nice atmosphere, then somebody starts rapping all over everything. Dreadful.
Track 17: Friday Hill – Baby Goodbye
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
The instrumentals are nice, but the vocals are a bit too cheesy for me.
Track 18: Simon Webbe – Lay Your Hands
Everything about this is extremely dull. Not my thing at all.
Track 19: Mariah Carey – We Belong Together
Another slow ballad with a bland tune.
Track 20: Elton John – Electricity
Lovely piano line, but it’s a little slow for me.
Track 21: Katie Melua – Nine Million Bicycles
Nice Celtic-inspired instrumentals, but I don’t like the vocal line.
Track 22: Westlife – You Raise Me Up
One of the most saccharine ballads from the most saccharine of bands. It’s almost unbearable.
Track 23: Gorillaz – DARE
Great tune, brilliant hooks. Love this one.
Track 24: Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl
Good chant-along chorus, good beat. Really like this.
Track 25: Kanye West – Diamonds From Sierra Leone
The Shirley Bassey Diamonds Are Forever sample is cracking, and I do like the ‘forever ever‘ nod to Ms Jackson by Outkast. Great atmosphere on this one.
Track 26: Coldplay – Fix You
This was everywhere during summer 2005 as Coldplay headlined Glastonbury. The tune is nice and anthemic, if extremely overplayed, but the theme and lyrics are really problematic.
Track 27: Oasis – The Importance Of Being Idle
Nice interesting tune from Oasis, much better than the generic stuff they’d been putting out for a few years at this point. Love the instrumentals.
Track 28: The Black Eyed Peas – Don’t Lie
Interesting intro, but once it gets into the main part of the track it’s a bit dull.
Track 29: Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani – Can I Have It Like That
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Gwen Stefani on this compilation.
Good beat, but there’s not enough melody for my liking.
Track 30: Goldfrapp – Ooh La La
Nice piece of chilled-out pop – I’ve always quite liked this one.
Track 31: Mylo and Miami Sound Machine – Doctor Pressure
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Mash-up of Mylo’s Drop The Pressure and Miami Sound Machine’s Doctor Beat. I hate mash-ups, as they usually ruin both songs. This one’s not horrible, but I’d still far rather listen to the original version of Doctor Beat.
Track 32: Bob Sinclar and Gary Pine – Love Generation
The spoken word intro is pretty uninspired, but the guitar line is nice, if a bit repetitive.
Track 33: Daddy Yankee – Gasolina
Who knew Daddy Yankee (of Despacito fame in 2017) actually had a hit back in 2005? Every day’s a learning experience.
This track’s got a great atmosphere and some interesting lines, but it could do with some more melody.
Track 34: Rihanna – Pon De Replay
Good beat, very danceable.
Track 35: Amerie – 1 Thing
The instrumentals are okay, but the vocals are too high-pitched for me and give me a bit of a headache.
Track 36: Akon – Bananza (Belly Dancer)
It’s got a good beat, but the tune’s pretty boring.
Track 37: Mattafix – Big City Life
Some interesting lines going on here, but it’s too slow for my liking.
Track 38: Damian Marley – Welcome To Jamrock
Nice reggae beat, but there’s not enough going on with the tune.
Track 39: Depeche Mode – Precious
The lead single off the beautiful Playing The Angel album. This track is absolutely stunning, with a haunting atmosphere and gorgeous instrumentals.
Track 40: U2 – City Of Blinding Lights
Not hugely keen on this one – the tune is a bit uninspired.
Track 41: The Magic Numbers – Love Me Like You
I still find this tune a bit twee, but there’s a kind of mid-’00s summery nostalgia about it now. Maybe because the Magic Numbers seemed to be constantly on Jools Holland and BBC festival footage and the like in 2005.
Track 42: Texas – Getaway
Really like this track – lovely tune, great instrumentals.
Track 43: Bon Jovi – Have A Nice Day
Nice classic rock sound – I love that Bon Jovi never really change.
Yup, it’s a classic.
We definitely used to have two Sony Walkmen, but I’m not sure what happened to the other one. The one you can see me listening to in the picture for the Now! #34 review from summer 1996 is, I think, the same one as pictured here. I have a vague memory of the other one not working very well, which means it’s probably long gone. This one is a survivor, though, and is still happily hanging about.
Day 61 equals Now! #61, which came out on 25th July 2005.
Hoping for some festival rock anthems here and not too much saccharine pop! Fingers crossed.
Track 1: James Blunt – You’re Beautiful
Overplayed and ludicrously saccharine, but it’s been parodied so much and become so infamous that I actually find it quite funny now.
Track 2: 2Pac and Elton John – Ghetto Gospel
Track from 2Pac’s posthumous 2004 album. It samples Indian Sunset, hence the Elton John credit. The sample is beautifully used, and works really well with the rap here.
Track 3: Coldplay – Speed Of Sound
Nice tune, nice piano, nice atmosphere. Quite like this one.
Track 4: Gorillaz and De La Soul – Feel Good Inc
Great beat, great danceable track. Good stuff.
Track 5: The Black Eyed Peas – Don’t Phunk With My Heart
There’s a bit too much going on here for me, but the sung vocal is quite nice.
Track 6: Audio Bullys and Nancy Sinatra – Shot You Down
Yes, their grammatically correct name should be ‘Audio Bullies’. Urgh.
The track is basically a remix of Nancy Sinatra’s version of Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down). The sample is great, but the rest of the track is pretty dull.
Track 7: Jem – They
Oh, it’s this one! Really like the vocal harmony hook that runs throughout the track.
Track 8: Natalie Imbruglia – Shiver
It’s quite a nice atmosphere, but the tune’s not interesting enough for me.
Track 9: KT Tunstall – Other Side Of The World
Boring tune, and it’s too acoustic-y for me.
Track 10: Oasis – Lyla
Bland Oasis-by-numbers track. Nothing interesting here at all.
Track 11: Razorlight – Somewhere Else
Nice anthemic festival rock, really like this one.
Track 12: Bodyrockers – I Like The Way
Love the guitar riff, but it takes until the chorus for the track to get going properly.
Track 13: Kaiser Chiefs – Everyday I Love You Less And Less
It should be ‘every day’, not ‘everyday’.
It’s a great song though – that first Kaiser Chiefs album was really good. I remember seeing them play an awesome set at T in the Park 2005.
Track 14: Caesars – Jerk It Out
Oh, it’s this one! Great hook, great tune – really like this track.
Track 15: The Killers – Smile Like You Mean It
Not the most exciting track off the Hot Fuss album, but it’s still a really nice song.
Track 16: Hard-Fi – Hard To Beat
Really like this track – interesting tune, good beat.
Track 17: Weezer – Beverly Hills
Good rock beat, but the tune’s a bit lacking for me.
Track 18: Rob Thomas – Lonely No More
I quite like the tune until it gets to the uninspired chorus.
Track 19: The Magic Numbers – Forever Lost
At the time, I was really not keen on the Magic Numbers as I found their stuff very twee. I’m still not the biggest fan, but I don’t hate this track as much as I used to. The tune’s okay.
Track 20: Jack Johnson – Good People
Not my kind of thing – it’s too acoustic-y and I’m not keen on the tune.
Track 21: U2 – Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
Nice tune, but it’s too slow for my liking.
Track 22: Akon – Lonely
The sample of the sped-up chipmunk version of Bobby Vinton’s Mr Lonely is inspired, and the rest of the track’s okay to listen to.
Track 23: Mario – Let Me Love You
Boring, generic tune. Not my kind of thing.
Track 24: Gwen Stefani and Eve – Rich Girl
Interesting vocals, great take on If I Were A Rich Man. It’s actually a cover of the Louchie Lou and Michie One song from 1993, but I’m not familiar with that version.
Track 25: Will Smith – Switch
Great beat, but the song’s a bit dull.
Track 26: MVP – Roc Ya Body (Mic Check 1 2)
Really like the sung vocals on the chorus, and it’s got a good beat.
Track 27: Mariah Carey – It’s Like That
Generic tune, not keen on this one.
Track 28: Nelly – N Dey Say
Love the sample of Spandau Ballet’s True, but the rap over the top just annoys me.
Track 29: Bobby Valentino – Slow Down
Boring tune, nothing redeeming here.
Track 30: Faith Evans – Again
Not keen on the tune – just find it very bland.
Track 31: Joss Stone – Don’t Cha Wanna Ride
Good beat, but again the tune’s pretty dull.
Track 32: Roll Deep – The Avenue
I like the sample of ’80s hit Heartache Avenue, though I’m not too keen on the rap over the top. This seems to be a theme today.
Track 33: Charlotte Church – Crazy Chick
This was the album where Charlotte Church basically rebelled against her wholesome opera-voiced kid image and went pop instead. The song’s a bit twee, and the tune’s nothing special.
Track 34: Rachel Stevens – So Good
Great instrumentals, great atmosphere, but the vocals are pretty generic.
Track 35: Inaya Day – Nasty Girl
Cover of the ’80s Vanity 6 song. Good beat, but it’s another dull, generic tune.
Track 36: Deep Dish – Say Hello
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Quite like the tune on the instrumentals, but the vocals annoy me.
Track 37: Freeloaders and The Real Thing – So Much Love To Give
The Real Thing’s contribution here is the sample. Great tune as a result, but it’s a little repetitive.
Track 38: Kylie Minogue – Giving You Up
Good tune, interesting vocals – quite like this one.
Track 39: Girls Aloud – Wake Me Up
Good atmosphere, but I just don’t find the tune interesting enough.
Track 40: Crazy Frog – Axel F
I mentioned my disdain for this awful ringtone-advert cover of the Harold Faltermeyer track way back in my review of the original on Now! #5. Why anybody spent money on this stuff is beyond me.
Track 41: Tony Christie – Avenues And Alleyways
Tony Christie still riding his wave of resurgence post-Amarillo. This is a nice tune and the classic style is a refreshing change from regular chart music.
Track 42: McFly – You’ve Got A Friend
Cover of the Carole King classic. It’s very uninspired and far too acoustic-y for me.
Track 43: Heather Small – Proud
Re-release of the 2000 hit in honour of 2005’s successful London 2012 Olympics bid. I literally last heard this two days ago, over the PA while waiting in the start pen for the Blaydon Race – it’s still used a lot for sporting events and things like that. It’s quite a nice, uplifting song.
For the second year running, Geth and I did the Blaydon Race yesterday. It’s a bit of an odd distance – five and a bit miles – and it’s always on the ninth of June, which can feel a bit odd when it falls on a weekday, but it’s become a traditional race in the North East. The route is based on the lyrics of the Blaydon Races song, and you get a bottle of beer in your goody bag. It’s a great race.
Sadly neither Geth nor I had a great race yesterday. First of all, it was a really hot day and everyone was feeling it on the route. The start was delayed due to problems with getting the roads closed in time, then roadworks meant there was a bottleneck near the start that slowed everyone down, so Geth went off too fast after that to try to make up the pace, and ran out of energy during the last mile. Meanwhile, I had a few foot issues – a bruised toenail getting gradually worse and making downhill sections very painful, leading to bad form, leading to more foot pain. I then got a stitch that was so bad I was still feeling it this morning. I came in at one hour and thirty-five seconds, which was a great course PB – twelve minutes and fifty-two seconds faster than last year – but I was so gutted not to get sub-hour, which I would have done easily if I hadn’t had all those issues.
Still, the bus queue was a lot shorter than last year, and the t-shirt is more awesome. I will be back next year, presuming I can get a place!
Day 60 brings us to Now! #60, which was released on 21st March 2005.
Let’s see what music sounded like now that I was in my twenties.
Track 1: Gwen Stefani – What You Waiting For?
Great tune, great atmosphere, interesting vocals – I’ve always really liked this one.
Track 2: Sunset Strippers – Falling Stars
Remix of Waiting For A Star To Fall by Boy Meets Girl. Love the song, obviously prefer the original version, but this is still nice to hear.
Track 3: Kylie Minogue – I Believe In You
Great synth instrumentals at the start, and I quite like the vocals. Good track.
Track 4: McFly – All About You
The tune’s irritating, and the song’s far too cheesy for me.
Track 5: Nelly and Tim McGraw – Over And Over
This one’s not interesting enough for me – it’s pretty forgettable.
Track 6: Lemar – If There’s Any Justice
Good atmosphere, good tune – quite like this one.
Track 7: Girls Aloud – I’ll Stand By You
Utterly pointless cover of the Pretenders classic. As ever, I feel obliged to point out that this was the official Children In Need single for 2004, and therefore the ‘point’ was to raise money for charity, but it would still have been better if they’d actually done something new and interesting with the song.
Track 8: Uniting Nations – Out Of Touch
Dance cover of the Hall & Oates classic. It doesn’t quite have the wonderful atmosphere of the original, but I do quite like it.
Track 9: Scissor Sisters – Filthy/Gorgeous
Great song – awesome tune, highly danceable.
Track 10: The Chemical Brothers – Galvanise
I’ve always really liked the tune on this one, and it’s good to nod along to.
Track 11: LL Cool J and 7 Aurelius – Hush
Quite like the backing vocals, but the track’s pretty generic otherwise.
Track 12: Ashanti – Only U
Don’t like the muddiness of the backing track, and the tune is very bland. The atmosphere’s okay though.
Track 13: Ciara and Petey Pablo – Goodies
Painful whistling on the backing track, terrible rap, awful theme, no melody. Actively dislike this one.
Track 14: Akon – Locked Up
Boring tune, very repetitive. Nothing special here.
Track 15: Joss Stone – Spoiled
The tune’s okay, but it’s too slow for my liking.
Track 16: Verbalicious – Don’t Play Nice
Good beat, great head-nodder. It’s a bit repetitive and tuneless though.
Track 17: The Shapeshifters – Back To Basics
Another great beat, but the lines are a bit messy and there’s not much to the tune.
Track 18: Geri Halliwell – Ride It
Great atmosphere, really interesting intro, good tune. Really like this one.
Track 19: Lovefreekz – Shine
Like the retro disco tinge on this dance track.
Track 20: Reflekt and Delline Bass – Need To Feel Loved
Some nice, atmospheric lines going on here – good piece of chillout.
Track 21: Soul Central and Kathy Brown – Strings Of Life (Stronger On My Own)
The instrumentals give this track a decidedly early ’90s dance vibe, which is no bad thing.
Track 22: Styles & Breeze – Heartbeatz
Generic, repetitive dance track with saccharine vocals. Not my thing at all.
Track 23: U2 – Vertigo
Great guitar riff, great singalong chorus. Really like this track.
Track 24: The Killers – Somebody Told Me
A classic! Great track – I remember seeing this live at T in the Park 2005. Brilliant lyrics, brilliant tune.
Track 25: Stereophonics – Dakota
Nice interesting spiky instrumentals, and the vocals are a lot more upbeat than most Stereophonics tracks. Quite like this.
Track 26: Keane – This Is The Last Time
Dull and saccharine, not keen on this one.
Track 27: Bloc Party – So Here We Are
Very repetitive instrumentals, boring vocals. Not for me.
Track 28: Athlete – Wires
I like the piano, and the atmosphere’s nice, but it’s too slow for me.
Track 29: Robbie Williams – Misunderstood
Dull tune, and again it’s too slow.
Track 30: Ronan Keating and Yusuf Islam – Father And Son
We’ve sort of already had this on Now! #33, in that we’ve already had the Boyzone version (with Ronan Keating on lead vocals) and this is the Ronan Keating solo version. The instrumentals are a bit different on this version. It’s also got guest vocals from Yusuf Islam, who used to be known as Cat Stevens and did the original song, thus making this a semi-cover.
Track 31: Darius – Live Twice
Boring and saccharine. Not my thing.
Track 32: Daniel Bedingfield – Wrap My Words Around You
Good beat, like the guitar, but the tune’s not interesting enough for me.
Track 33: Lucie Silvas – Breathe In
Good instrumentals, but the vocals are dull and uninspired.
Track 34: Doves – Black And White Town
Repetitive, droning tune. Not a fan of this one.
Track 35: The Bravery – An Honest Mistake
I remember seeing this lot at T in the Park 2005 – they had a lot of bottles thrown at them and were really pissed off about it! This was their only real hit from what I remember. I quite like the song, to be honest.
Track 36: Freefaller – Do This! Do That!
Quite like this pop-punk track – it’s got a good tune.
Track 37: Thirteen Senses – Thru The Glass
Great eerie atmosphere on the intro, then it launches into a solid rock track. Good stuff.
Track 38: Feeder – Tumble And Fall
I normally like Feeder, but this one’s too slow and drone-y for me.
Track 39: Raghav, Frankey Maxx and Jucxi D – Angel Eyes
I’m not keen on the rap, but otherwise it’s an okay song.
Track 40: JoJo – Baby It’s You
Highly irritating vocals, bad rap, generic tune. Not my cup of tea.
Track 41: Atomic Kitten – Cradle
Super saccharine and too slow, and the tune is bland. Utterly forgettable.
Track 42: Brian McFadden and Delta Goodrem – Almost Here
Great atmosphere on this one. It’s slow and cheesy so I shouldn’t like it, but I do.
Track 43: Tony Christie and Peter Kay – (Is This The Way To) Amarillo
The Comic Relief song for 2005, which was just a re-release of the original (Tony Christie didn’t re-record it or anything). Peter Kay is credited despite not contributing to the song – his contribution was of course the legendary video. (I have linked to the original complete video, so I should probably include a warning that it contains Jimmy Savile. The fascinating media practice of performing damnatio memoriae on anything involving Savile since his crimes became public knowledge is briefly covered here.)
For only the second time in sixty Now! compilations, we have avoided any ‘Not on Spotify’ incidents! This makes me very happy.
Day 59 equals Now! #59, which came out on 15th November 2004.
Let’s see what the hits were as we approached the midpoint of the decade.
Track 1: Blue – Curtain Falls
Love the Gangsta’s Paradise sample and its accompanying epic atmosphere, but the tune on the vocals is not really anything special.
Track 2: Maroon 5 – She Will Be Loved
I’ve always quite liked this nice tune, though the chorus is a bit cheesy.
Track 3: Natasha Bedingfield – These Words
I like the instrumentals on the backing track, but the vocals are not really my thing.
Track 4: Robbie Williams – Radio
Great synth line, great tune – really like this one.
Track 5: Busted – Thunderbirds Are Go
Awful track that just reminds me how bad the live-action Thunderbirds film was (I am a huge fan of the original Gerry Anderson series). It bastardises the classic theme song in an even worse way than the film ruins the show.
Track 6: Eric Prydz – Call On Me
Brilliant sampling of Steve Winwood’s Valerie, though obviously I’ll always prefer the original song. Steve Winwood apparently liked this so much that he re-recorded the vocals specially. Also, I can’t not mention the infamous aerobics video.
Track 7: Girls Aloud – Love Machine
Nice upbeat song, quite like this one.
Track 8: McFly – Obviously
I’ve always found this one really irritating – annoying tune, annoying theme, annoying vocals.
Track 9: Rachel Stevens – More, More, More
Fairly pointless cover of the ’70s classic. There’s some irritating ’00s instrumentals going on, but nothing else is really changed from the original.
Track 10: Darius – Kinda Love
Boring tune, never really gets going.
Track 11: V – Hip To Hip
Quite like the tune on the instrumental hook, but the vocals are irritating and dull.
Track 12: JoJo – Leave (Get Out)
Sounds like pretty much every other song from around the same time. Very forgettable.
Track 13: Jay Sean – Stolen
Good atmosphere, though the vocals are pretty generic.
Track 14: Scissor Sisters – Mary
Nice piano line, but it’s a bit slow for me.
Track 15: Keane – Bedshaped
Takes forever to get started. When it does, it’s quite a nice tune, but again it’s far too slow for my liking.
Track 16: The Libertines – Can’t Stand Me Now
Good beat, good guitar instrumentals. Quite like this track.
Track 17: Hoobastank – The Reason
Annoying tune, and it’s not upbeat enough for me.
Track 18: Embrace – Gravity
Nice instrumentals on the intro, but it’s another one that’s too slow for me.
Track 19: Lucie Silvas – What You’re Made Of
Nice tune, but it’s a bit repetitive (and again, too slow!).
Track 20: Ronan Keating – I Hope You Dance
Another boring, slow ballad. Despite the title, this is a highly undanceable song.
Track 21: Duncan James and Keedie Babb – I Believe My Heart
Semi-repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Duncan James as part of Blue on track 1.
All of these slow, dull ballads are so samey that I can’t tell where one ends and another begins. It does get more interesting when Keedie Babb’s soprano vocals come in though.
Track 22: Daniel Bedingfield – Nothing Hurts Like Love
Cheesy lyrics/vocals, but the atmosphere’s nice and dramatic.
Track 23: Jamelia – Stop
One of those tracks that has Christmas associations for me nowadays – the music channels always play it at Christmas due to the video featuring clips from Love Actually. I was annoyed to realise recently that it’s an utterly pointless ’00s cover of the ’80s Sam Brown song.
Track 24: R Kelly – Happy People
It’s nice and upbeat (makes a change from all those dull ballads) but the tune’s pretty forgettable.
Track 25: Nelly and Jaheim – My Place
Bit repetitive, but the tune’s okay.
Track 26: The Black Eyed Peas – Let’s Get It Started
Good upbeat party song, very danceable.
Track 27: Kelis and André 3000 – Millionaire
Interesting song, but there’s not enough melody for me.
Track 28: 3 Of A Kind – Baby Cakes
I shouldn’t like this one, but I actually find it quite pleasant to nod along to.
Track 29: Khia – My Neck, My Back (Lick It)
I’m not a prude but I’ve always found this very sexually explicit song a bit squicky, to be honest. If you ignore the lyrics, it’s got a good danceable beat.
Track 30: Ice Cube, Mack 10 and Ms Toi – You Can Do It
Great beat on this one, and the vocal hook makes it a classic.
Track 31: Joss Stone – You Had Me
Great upbeat song with a good atmosphere – love that chorus.
Track 32: Christina Milian and Joe Budden – Whatever U Want
Highly generic track – nothing interesting or special going on here.
Track 33: Sugababes – Caught In A Moment
Nice atmosphere, but the tune on the vocals is pretty dull.
Track 34: The Pirates, Enya, Shola Ama, Naila Boss and Ishani – You Should Really Know
Answer song to the beautiful I Don’t Wanna Know by Mario Winans, which already sampled the Fugees sampling Enya. It’s pretty much the same song, so it’s still a gorgeous tune.
Track 35: Houston, Chingy, Nate Dogg and I-20 – I Like That
Good head-nodder, good atmosphere. Quite like this one.
Track 36: Mousse T and Emma Lanford – Is It ‘Cos I’m Cool?
Oh, it’s this one. The tune’s a little annoying, but at least it’s something different and rockier than what we’ve had so far.
Track 37: Deep Dish – Flashdance
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Despite the title, this is not actually a cover of Flashdance…What A Feeling by Irene Cara. It is instead a cover of He’s A Dream by Shandi Sinnamon, which was also on the original Flashdance soundtrack. It’s a very repetitive female-fronted rock track – there’s little of interest here.
Track 38: Angel City and Lara McAllen – Do You Know (I Go Crazy)
Painfully dull dance track that samples Robert Miles’ Children and adds some terrible vocals over the top of it. Nothing new going on at all.
Track 39: Michael Gray – The Weekend
Oh, it’s this one. It’s an okay dance track, but I find the electro hook a bit irritating.
Track 40: Intenso Project and Lisa Scott-Lee – Get It On
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Good beat, okay atmosphere, but the vocals are pretty terrible and uninspired.
Track 41: Dannii Minogue and Flower Power – You Won’t Forget About Me
Like the guitar, and the vocals are nice too.
Track 42: Danzel – Pump It Up
The chant-along bit is kind of repetitive, but the beat’s good.
Track 43: Eyeopener – Hungry Eyes
Dodgy trance cover of the Eric Carmen song. It’s pretty awful.
