The LP has some good tunes but as Babylon Blues comes between his solo career and connecting with the Rant Band it could get overlooked; nonetheless, this is a first-rate track. This is Hunter's put-down a self-destructive figure and an unsympathetic critique of celebrity meltdowns; it is a fine slice of boogie-style pop.
This is a female academic who is pulling the singer down. She is nothing but bad news and there are no identifiable clues to indicate if this is from personal experience or a more general observation on the declining state of higher education. Whatever the situation it is evil hence the reference to Babylon fits and the lyrics raise the possibility of implicit anger. It is a strongly worded and powerful diatribe.
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Babylon Blues
(Ian Hunter)
Take a look at yourself babe, take a look at yourself
Take a look at yourself babe
You ain't exactly a picture of health
In your finest hour at the height of your power
Everything's gone sour
Your ivory tower morphed into a cell
Confidence shattered, mad as a hatter,
What's the matter, what's the matter, what's the matter, what's the matter with you?
Don't try pulling me down to your level
Ain't nothing worst than a phony-assed rebel
You do what you want to but leave me out o' this
You're tangled up in the Babylon blues
You a yellowin' book, got an amethyst skin, you been taken in by the parasites
Feeding off your adrenalin
You gotta fight without, you gotta fight within, you gotta flat-out swim
That ominous current that's sweeping you in
Meals on wheels? Sympathy?
What d'ya want, What d'ya want, What d'ya want, What d'ya want from me?
There's a big black cloud hangin' over your head
Looks like silver but it's heavy as lead
You do what you want to but leave me out o' this
You're tangled up in the Babylon blues
Say you gonna quit, that's the end of it, but the pieces don't fit, what am I stupid?
I don't buy it, I don't buy it
Just another blind beggar on the road to fame
With a messed up body and a messed up brain, I don't buy it
I don't buy it
I don't buy it
I don't buy it
I don't buy it
It's a cynical world, babe, it's a bad old world, it's a sinister world babe
You get what you want an' you're still miserable
At the terminal gate, at the terminal gate, at the terminal gate
You better back off before it's too late
An' I remember when you opened your mouth an'
Everybody freeaked at what came out
When I'm gone, remember that
You can't take the alley outta' none o' those cats
You do what you want to but leave me out After two albums that were somewhat political in nature (2001's Rant and 2007's Shrunken Heads), 2009 find Ian in a more mellow frame of mind. After a long and successful career he has time to look back on his life and say "Yeah... I've no complaints..."
The album opens strongly with The Great Escape, which tells of the singer's narrow escape after a "lack of respect" for a local thug. Indeed, several songs seem to be telling tales of the rougher side of life, such as the title track which informs us "They say crime doesn't pay, well take a walk down my way..."
Ian doesn't forget his working-class roots either, with the delightful Girl From The Office, which is reminiscent of the Kinks at their best and has a very English feel to it, and tells the story of a factory-floor romance. As always with Ian's songs of this nature, it has a happy ending (he gets the girl).
Ballads have always been a strong point with Ian, and these are prominent especially on the second half of the album. Not all work, however, with These Feelings being a particular weakness.
More up-tempo songs are on the first half of the album. I hesitate to say "rockers", as medium-pace is about the best we get these days (I did say Ian is more mellow these days) and guitars, although present, are rarely high in the mix any more. Those expecting another Just Another Night or Cleveland Rocks should perhaps look elsewhere. That was then and this is now... That said, Arms And Legs is a strong guitar-led song that will really work well in a live setting, as is the next track Up And Running.
Ian hopes to tour with the album both in the USA and UK, so we will wait and see how the songs work in a live setting. Reports from the two gig so far (at the time of writing, end July '09) are positive. As for where this album fits in Ian's extensive back catalogue time only will tell. It is more immediately likeable than its predecessor (sometimes it takes a few plays to "get" an Ian Hunter album, but I liked this straight away), but ulimately I feel it may end up a notch or two down from his very best.
| Babylon Blues | 4:54 | Originally issued on Man Overboard. |
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