A Dexy's track kicks off my SOTT contribution this time around and
they are definitely worth investigation, even Don't Stand Me Down. I
guess in the UK we have a different view on them because we were
exposed to the full package (they didn't do interviews instead they
would take out full page ads in the music press detailing their
manifesto), not just Come On Eileen. Rowland certainly had an ego but
he also came across as having soul and a real vision of what he
wanted. He drove his band like an old style soul revue and the first
album is a brilliant horn driven soul record with the image of the
band being all docs, black wooly hats and so on as if they were just
on their way to the gym for boxing training. The second album was more
Celtic soul with fiddles and the band all in denim dungarees. The
music was just as good as the first album and of course includes Come
On Eileen.

On the third album most of the band had left and Kevin went for an
American prep school image which made them look like three accountants
on the cover. All the songs were also really long and Rowland refused
to have any of them shortened for single release. I really like the
record, it's probably pretentious sure but it's also evidence of the
kind of mad vision that Rowland had and those spoken bits with the
other guy in the band are one of the reasons to love it rather than
criticise it. It really is a unique album though I can see why it
didn't sell and why some may hate it. Rowland then released a solo
album called The Wanderer which I have but I've never listened to it.
He then had years of drug problems and disappeared from view apart
from a legendary appearance on a UK chat show with a new version of
Dexy's all dressed in cowboy boots and chaps. They did two songs which
were only recently released on a best of record.

Then came Alan McGee, boss of Creation and big Rowland fan. He signed
him hoping to get a great new record of Rowland songs only to be
presented with a grand folly. Rowland decided to cover a lot of songs
that had helped him through his recovery from cocaine addiction
(including Thunder Road although Springsteen refused permission so
it's only on the promo version) but change the lyrics so they
reflected his situation. It's a very strange record. When I listen to
it I imagine him on a 70's TV show with a big orchestra and loads of
dancers in colourful pantsuits. You don't know whether to laugh or
cry. At the same time I think it's a really brave record. Of course
then there's the cover where he's in a dress lifting it up so you can
see his silky underwear. There was also an appearance at the Reading
Festival where he appeared on stage in holdup stockings, panties and
silk camisole. He sang along to a backing tape as two female dancers
cavorted in their underwear. He got booed off stage. Mid life crisis
or what! It's worth looking for the pictures of these just to marvel
at a man who'll get up at a rock festival dressed like that (and
Reading is traditionally more 'rock' oriented than say Glastonbury).

More recently he's dressing more masculine though still very stylish
and he did a theatre tour of the UK with a version of Dexy's, a DVD
just came out of one of the shows.

Sorry to ramble on but just wanted to reflect the fact that there's
way more worth checking out than just one song. You may not like it
all but it's never less than interesing.

Mark