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Story: Jack Foley
A word from Elbow... In June last year we decided we wanted to
record this one ourselves at home.
So we looked around Manchester and Salford and eventually found
THE BIG ROOM at Blueprint Studios.
We filled it with instruments and snazzy new recording equipment
and set about collaborating, developing and re-recording a big
bunch of ideas started everywhere from Havana to Berlin to Dundee.
40 ideas become 30 songs and the album started taking on a shape.
However, we were concerned that the amazing space we were in could
be even better used so we bought a ping pong table!
Here's what the tracks are about...
Station Approach - Is the street leading out
of the front of Manchester Piccadilly train station.
“Coming home I feel like I designed the buildings I
walk by”.
Picky Bugger - Preaching what I most need to
learn. A cautionary tale about excessive partying. The working
title stuck.
Forget Myself - Friday nights, inner-city. Everybody
looking for love even if they would batter you for suggesting
it. Sub-titled ‘Buddha With Mace’, it features a description
of a bouncer I used to work with.
“He’s so mercifully free of the pressures of
grace. He’s St Peter in satin. He’s Buddha with mace”. |
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The Stops -
“I pull out the stops and you pull the plug.”
Leaders of the Free World - I saw footage of
Bush senior and junior when the latter was voted in for his 2nd
term. George W. was all but shrugging his dad off and hogging
the attention and I could suddenly see him as an 8 year old. A
spoilt, nasty, selfish little shit for brains. He’s officially
the most powerful man in history.
An Imagined Affair - This is about an affair
I imagined
A Mexican Standoff - Is a 3 way deadlock. The
first to move is most likely to die. I was jealous about my girl’s
ex:
“He’d look ideal ‘neath the wheels of a
car. Mexican Standoff. I wish I was hard”
The track features 30-year-old Dylan Jupp’s debut appearance,
laughing hysterically.
The Everthere - Same sentiment as “When
I’m 64” but not as jolly.
“Slide into another book. Now and then laugh out loud.
Throw that very dirty look which says “OK stop staring at
me now”’
My Very Best
“Give that girl my very best though it never made the
grade”
Great Expectations - I got married once on the
135 bus to Bury. It was such a low-key affair that even the bride
didn’t know.
“Stockport supporters club kindly supplied us a choir”
Puncture Repair - We recorded this in Craig's
house. I have the best mates in the World.
Thanks for listening
Read our review of
the album
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