The nugget of a rocker Brainwashed emerged on the LP taking a bulls-eye to branded materialism, herd thinking, and the proletarians watching reality television in a consumer society. In the vein of the previous release, Rant, it has an English feel to it and most of the release is in a similar politically-tinged mood. People are brainwashed by consumer interests, fall for repeated government phrases, and they ring up their ill-afforded credit cards, overly made up, "twisting my religion."
"Speak no evil, hear no evil
Say you never saw it"In English, this means to ignore bad behavior by pretending not to see it and therefore the narrator can not help the brainwashed. It's original meaning, rooted in Confucianism, is to teach prudence and the importance of avoiding evil, typically depicted by three monkeys -- one covering its eyes, the next covering its ears, and the third its mouth because it is a pun on the Japanese word for monkey.
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Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me
(Ian Hunter)
T-shirt with the maker's name, can't believe you bought it
Brainwashed, brainwashed
You're still falling for it. You're still falling for it.
Running up those credit cards, you know you can't afford it
Brainwashed, brainwashed
You're still falling for it. You're still falling for it.
Don't forget to accessorize, makeup by the gallon
Brainwashed, brainwashed,
Panic at the salon
Panic at the salon
What's up, what's up, what's up, what's up
Baby you bin brainwashed
If you walk like a duck, quack like a duck
Baby you bin brainwashed
Rewind your life, rewind your life
Baby you bin brainwashed
Just press repeat, just press repeat
Baby you bin brainwashed
Who's that over made up clown, twisting my religion
Brainwashed, brainwashed, 'n' everybody listens to ya
Everybody listens
Watched you lying on the TV
Everybody saw it
Brainwashed, brainwashed, they're still falling for it
You're still falling for it
321 you're under. 231 you're under
132 you're under. 213 you're under.
You're under, you're under, you're under
You're under, you're under, you're under
You're under
I can't tell you anything, you won't listen to it
Brainwashed, brainwashed
Look at how you blew it, look at how you blew it
Speak no evil, hear no evil
Say you never saw it
Brainwashed, brainwashed
You're stil falling for it, you're still falling for it
Brainwashed, brainwashed, brainwashed, brainwashed
Brainwashed, brainwashed, brainwashed, brainwashed
Brainwashed, brainwashed, brainwashed, brainwashed Brainwashed, brainwashed, brainwashed, brainwashed
Ian Hunter CD: "Shrunken Heads"
Sleeve and track listing
Yep Roc YEP2152 (USA)/Jerkin Crocus JERK9 (UK)
- Words (Big Mouth)
- Fuss About Nothin'
- When The World Was Round
- Brainwashed
- Shrunken Heads
- Soul Of America
- How's Your House
- Guiding Light
- Stretch
- I Am What I Hated When I Was Young
- Read 'em 'n' Weep
Bonus EP:
- Your Eyes
- Wasted
- Real Or Imaginary
Review
This is Ian's first studio album in six years since 2001's Rant. Eagerly anticipated by fans, musically and lyrically it has much in common with its predecessor. Those familiar with Rant will immediately feel comfortable with this album. Whereas before he was lamenting what he sees as the decline of the land of his birth, this time he is commenting on his adopted homeland.
This reviewer always finds it takes a few listens to "get" an Ian Hunter album, and this is no exception. There appears to be little or no filler, and there's a healthy mix of strong, solid rockers and quieter, slower material. Much of the material has a familiar feel - a riff here, a bridge there, very much in the Ian Hunter style where he (perhaps subconciously) leans on his own earlier material.
There are some astonishingly good tracks on here. Words (Big Mouth) opens things up nicely where Ian apologises to a loved one for mouthing off the night before, while Ian yearns for a earlier, simpler world in When The World Was Round. Brainwashed is a great rocker, aimed squarely at the brand-name materialism society seems to be obsessed with today. Shrunken Heads is a great track, with a distinct Springsteen-ish touch to it - close your eyes and it's easy to imagine the E-Street Band accompanying Ian on this one.
In Soul Of America he rails against the current crop of leaders who don't compare to Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin... at the same time as noting how corrupt the whole government machine has become ("feathering their nests while they're rallying the troops..."). How's Your House is a fun, piano-drenched rocker lamenting the lack of help for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Stretch (another guitar-led rocker) sees Ian taking aim at some of the ne'er-do-wells he grew up with, perhaps noting that things could easily have turned out so very differently.
It will be interesting to see how much of this material come across live (I suspect 'very well'). Initial copies of this album come with a 3-track bonus CD - for once the "limited edition" tag is accurate, as bonus-less versions are already in the shops. The tracks are as strong as on the main album (ie definitely not demo tracks). Your Eyes in particular would not have been out of place on the main album, while Wasted has more than a touch of Ian's own God (Take One) about it. At about 50 minutes the album is the right length and the production is very clean.
Overall, a good album that rewards repeated listening. Initially I thought "maybe a notch or two down on his very best" but you know, I'm gonna change my mind. The more I listen to this album the more it grows on me. I'm now firmly convinced this is one of his very best, up there with Alien Boy and Schizophrenic. Now where's that repeat button on the CD player...
| Brainwashed | 3:41 | Originally released on Shrunken Heads. |
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