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[miko2]

Today's Song: The Stand by The Alarm

I r emember being in a music store in downtown Longview when someone behind the counter was explaining that they didn't like U2 because they were pretentious. When someone (possibly me) mentioned The Alarm, he said, "Oh, they're pretentious with dippy hairdoos".

Which had some truth in it, but I've always liked The Alarm. They were a Welsh band with overtly political lyrics that sometimes borrowed Christian imagery (lead vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Mike Peters was Christian). They were a punk band that dressed like punk cowboys (with dippy hairdoos, yes) and played acoustic instruments, and that's what I liked about them best -- aggressive, hard-edged acoustic rock.

I like their early stuff best, because as they got older and wiser they also got rid of most of that raw acoustic punk fury. Their later stuff was still good, but... a lot of bands make that change, from wild and raw and incredibly exciting to less raw, more polished, probably more intelligent but not quite as immediate as their early work. That happened to U2, it happened to the Smashing Pumpkins, it happens to just about any band that starts out with a raw, emotional, immediate sound and stays around long enough to develop. They lose their edge as they perfect their artistry. Sometimes they're still good, or even better, but sometimes what they lose is greater than what they gain.

So... this song is from the first EP by The Alarm, and was their first single ever.

The Alarm - The Stand

The Alarm - Sixty-Eight Guns