17 Apr 2008
That air of “look, aren’t we dangerous”
Look Dad No Tunes is another “over-earnest band” song (I think I’ll do all of these now). References Neil Young, Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth and other earnest explorers of feedback. Say no more.
See lyrics to Look Dad No Tunes
18 Letters Sent:Jump to latest »
Ben
Listening to the execrable Steve Wright show the other day, he played this, and a penny dropped – checking the other hmhb site I see he’s name checked on Quality Janitor (the lyric doesn’t spring to mind) but not for this tune, it’s obviously one and the same though.
Jul 29th, 2009
Dave F.
Sorry? – Are you suggesting Look Dad No Tunes sounds similar to A Walk In The Park??
Jul 29th, 2009
Ben
Yes!*
*No, I’m wondering if the “I’ve seen him Walk through the Park a lot” line is in reference to the Nick Straker Band, seeing as they are name-checked in Quality Janitor, I’m pretty convinced it is.
Jul 30th, 2009
Dave F.
Mr. Numan used to wander Down In The Park with all his Machmen.
And he was given a song title.
Do you think the protagonist of this song was a Numanoid?
I bet he dressed up in Black & Red.
Sorry, but I think you’re reading too much into it. He was just looking to a rhyme to Ark.
Jul 30th, 2009
Joe
How about “stamp my foot down on the amp switch”? There is actually a Peter Frampton amp switch called the Framptone. Wonder if he used it on ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’
Oct 17th, 2009
Dagenham Dave
For some reason I always thought the ‘I bet he listens…’ line was ‘I bet he listens to Mark and Lard’. If it isn’t I still reckon it should be.
Oct 18th, 2009
Steve Malkmoose
I always heard “amp switch” too (cos you would stamp your foot down on it, unlike an angst switch which Im sure dosent exist, does it? and even if it did, would you be stamping on it – you dont stamp on most switches)
Oct 22nd, 2009
Chris The Siteowner
Joe/Steve: I’d agree, but I had a listen to the version of the song played on the BBC Radio Merseyside session in 2007, and it really does sound like “angst switch” (well, “antswitch” actually)…
Oct 22nd, 2009
John Anderson
I’d certainly like to think it’s “angst switch”. I believe this could be a similar device to Nigel Tufnel’s volume 11 switch on Spinal Tap. The idea being that you can crank up the angst by producing a distorted guitar sound on stage. The lack of natural angst would stem from the protagonist’s aforementioned reasonable nature and comfortable life.
Oct 22nd, 2009
Charles Exford
I assumed “amp switch” for years but now that my attention has been drawn to it, both versions sound like “angst switch”. Even from upstairs.
There should be a technical term for the phenomenon of hearing something just ‘cos it’s what you expect to hear. Or, as Maud would say, just ‘cos it’s what I _want_ to hear.
Oct 22nd, 2009
Martin
I always heard “angst switch”… I think people are taking it too literally, there isn’t an actual FX pedal called Angst or anything like that, I think it just implies that typical heavy distortion used by Cobainites and angsty teenagers Worldwide… Calm young middle class musicians will always think it’s cool to look tightly coiled and troubled, after all.
Dec 6th, 2009
Bobby String
Greetings fellow Biccies!
In my capacity as professional nit-picker I’d like to point out that it’s ‘leave’ (our guitars up against the amp) and not ‘lean’. Also, I think it’s “she’d” gone to Spain, not “she’s” gone to Spain, not that it makes a gnat’s tadger of difference to anyone’s enjoyment of this splendid song whether she’s in the present tense or the past.
Hey…ho…
Ô¿Ô
Oct 21st, 2010
Bobby String
P.S. I also think that stamping your foot down on the angst switch fits perfectly with the image of a moody teenager throwing a tantrum because life’s not fair. Gently pressing the angst switch just doesn’t work (like turning his side of the room into a shrine).
Ô¿Ô
Oct 21st, 2010
Bobby String
I still think it’s ‘leave’ our guitars up against the amp – anybody agree / disagree? Anybody care? Anybody there?…….
Ô¿Ô
Dec 4th, 2010
S J Redmond
Belatedly Bobby String but you have a seconder for “leave” not “lean”.
Mar 29th, 2011
John Burscough
I bet the boy from over the road listens to Ark (Brummie proggers) a lot, rather than Arc. There was a metal combo called ARC Rock Band, but that wouldn’t fit.
Actually, I see on Wikipedia that when they reformed in 2010 they changed the spelling to arK – don’t you think it’s a good job that I checked?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ark_(UK_band)
Jan 27th, 2012
Chris The Siteowner
Hmm, possible. I think nobody’s mentioned that because Gez’s site always had it as the quite plausible “Arc – An LP of feedback released by Neil Young a few years back” and assumed that to be a reasonable enough assumption. But I guess it could be Ark, the band…
Jan 27th, 2012
John Burscough
No, as you were. I hadn’t read Gez’s explanation, which is much more plausible, what with the feedback and all.
Jan 27th, 2012
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