6 Nov 2011
The age-old eel in your decommissioned fridge
Something’s Rotten In The Back of Iceland is a belter of an album-opener, which might have one indistinct couple of words to argue about, quite a rarity for 90 Bisodol (Crimond). Five different contributors for this one, five different versions of that line. Thanks to Third Rate Les, Desmon, Conrad, Barry and Leigh
See lyrics to Something’s Rotten In The Back of Iceland
24 Letters Sent:Jump to latest »
John Anderson
I’m sure it’s “stuck it out in the alley on the wrong day again” which makes far more sense.
Nov 6th, 2011
Charles Exford
It’s “her latest song in ‘C’ “. One wonders if she sometimes sings it another key.
It’s also “I don’t want to be in ‘the’ or ‘their’ distillery”. I incline more toward the latter.
And surely, but not quite as assuredly, I reckon it’s “And be an antidote to…” It’s part of what he wants.
The grass is always greener, I suppose, but I do wish that here in Leeds we could have the fortnightly collections for 3 different bins, as they do on Wirral, resulting their in a (council claim of) nearly
40% recycling back there in my homeland. Leeds’ weekly collection for general refuse and monthly for recycling is not the way forward.
But at least it’s not a memory test involving two different days of the week, which seems to be the downside of the rather strictly enforced Wirral system.
Nov 6th, 2011
John Anderson
On another listen he seems to say “angular urban concerns” rather than “regular urban concerns”.
Nov 6th, 2011
Treadmore
^ I agree with “angular”
Nov 6th, 2011
Charles Exford
I thought for quite a while it was ‘angular’. I foolishly serached for meaning in the idea of ‘the woman from the corner’ or even some sort of ‘anguila’ reference (it’s the genus name of the eel family dontcha know and so I even consider ‘anguilar’ ).
But then I realised it’s very probaby “yaregular” with /eg/ sounding as identical to / eŋ / as two consonants can get without being identical.
Nov 6th, 2011
Vendor of Quack Nostrums
Is the repeated line possibly ‘A nicer couple I couldn’t have a hope to meet’?
I was angling towards ‘angular’ albeit with an architectural leaning. Something like this;
http://www.rockwool.dk/inspiration/current+architecture/dresden%C2%B4s+palace+of+dreams
However, I’m intrigued by anguilla which, as Charles points out, forms the binomial for the European eel (Anguilla anguilla). Would fit in beautifully with the song sung in C.
Nov 6th, 2011
bobbybottler
It’s just like discussing “Doreen” all over again
Nov 7th, 2011
Dagenham Dave
and there was me thinking it was “anger and urban concerns”, this makes more sense but is obviously incorrect,
Nov 7th, 2011
John Burscough
Actually, an excursion to The Oban Distillery looks quite inviting. (And since there’s only one, might there be a case for Distillery with a capital D?)
Nov 7th, 2011
Hagerty F.
Just a suggestion, but it might be ‘could’ instead of ‘can’ in line three.
Nov 7th, 2011
SPENCER THE HALFWIT
That’ll be 176 then.
Nov 7th, 2011
Chesneywold
Am i missin summat obvious, anyone know what this eel in your fridge business is about?
Nov 7th, 2011
dagenham Dave
I’ve visited Oban Distillery and had a very interesting and informative time there.
Nov 7th, 2011
Rubber Faced Irritant
Speaking of “am I missin summat obvious” (which sounds like my native Woolyback dialect) am I the only one of us pedants who doesn’t consider this a belter (no offence Chris)? To my cloth ears, it is not a great tune and lyrically bland. I would categorise it as ‘filler’, whilst accepting that the opening track can’t be intended as filler.
This is all relative as the album is indubitably a belter. If it is not in the next Mercury shortlist it’s the biggest scandal since Frankie wasn’t voted off the X Factor last night. Sorry to lower the tone.
Nov 8th, 2011
SPENCER THE HALFWIT
Seconded, to a degree. I think it is one of the album’s lesser lights, but it may just be that it suffers by comparison to a set of largely corking choons.
Still think Fix It is over-rated though.
Nov 8th, 2011
Paul F
I’m not keen to be honest. It also suffers from following RARIFOBW in my car as the album goes back to the start.
Nov 8th, 2011
Hagerty F.
Going against the trend, I think this is one of the stronger songs on an average album. It’s certainly the best opening line anyway.
Nov 8th, 2011
Jon N
…be an antidote to you Anglia. (Ford or East… take your pick)
Nov 8th, 2011
chris from future doom
Interesting that both this and RARIFOBW both have sudden endings; no coincidence i’m sure.
Nov 9th, 2011
Chris S
Does anyone else think it sounds like ‘tread’ round distillery rather than trip?
Nov 29th, 2011
Charles Exford
Just a question, not even a tentative suggestion, but does anyone else wonder whether it’s “Oban concerns” the second time (only) ?
Dec 10th, 2011
Vendor of Quack Nostrums
All 4 mentions of whatever concerns it may be start with a definite ‘Urrrr’ sound to me, whilst the single certain mention of Oban is a definate ‘Ohhh’ sound. They seem quite distinctly different to these ears, but having said that, these days I trust them about as much as I trusted my MkIII Cortina on a cold, damp winter’s morn back in the day.
Dec 11th, 2011
Tom
For anyone who didn’t pick it: the Iceland of the title refers to a line of refrigerator-freezers manufactured (I believe) by Maytag. He misses his old fridge, is what the song’s about. He puts the bins out to see the old girl, and the bit about the eel in the decommissioned fridge might make a bit more sense in that context. I’m at a loss to explain the significance of the key of C, the best I can do is some kind of reference to Celsius, but there’s got to be a better theory than that surely?
May 19th, 2012
John Burscough
Wouldn’t he have unloaded his old fridge-freezer outside D-list Paul Ross’s “gaff”?
Incidentally, if this is the Victor and Hilary referred to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101787/
then I wouldn’t want to be in their distillery ether.
May 19th, 2012
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