12 August 2005

the go! team - "bottle rocket (single version)" (from the australian-only are you ready for more? tour ep)

the go! team are, i think, an example of the wonder of file-sharing. thunder, lightning, strike! was very likely my favorite album of last year, even though it never received a proper domestic release in the u.s. i know many others who had similar affection for their debut--indeed, the album version of "bottle rocket" was so well known that i already know many who are disappointed in this re-recording.

and, yes, it does take some getting used to. basically, group member ninja takes over vocal duties, replacing the sampled rap that had formed the foundation of the original. don't worry, it still sounds, like the whole of thunder, lightning, strike!, like music for end-titles. in this case, it's drumline meets lucas, as an army of marching bands score the part of the movie where the underdog not only improbably scores a touchdown securing the state championship, but also gets the girl in the process. amidst a frenzied crowd assembled at the fifty-yard line, they are alone together. extreme close-up as they kiss. crane out. fade to black.

(bonus: three tracks off the top of my head that would make great end-titles music: david bowie, "teenage wildlife"; mercury rev, "delta sun bottleneck stomp"; the pogues, "a rainy night in soho." added bonus: great opening credits song: the allman brothers, "midnight rider.")

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