July 11, 2009

"The Paris Match"

Do you remember The Jam? They sort of took Pete Townshend's "Mod" aesthetic to a whole new level. Being an American, I didn't hear too much of their music, but I thought they looked really cool and wore awesome clothes. And isn't that what rock and roll is largely about?? Anyway, that group's Pete Townshend, Paul Weller, formed a group after The Jam dissolved, called The Style Council. If you came of age in the '80s, perhaps you recall "You're the Best Thing" or "My Ever Changing Moods." These songs were off of The Style Council's second album, titled Café Bleu. To capitalize on the relative success of "My Ever Changing Moods," the album was renamed for it in the U.S.

Being prone to melancholy as a teenager, I sort of intrinsically connected with the overall vibe of the music. I went to London and Paris with a bud as part of a high school graduation present during the summer of 1985 (we were in London during Live Aid). While in London, I bought a cassette tape copy of Café Bleu and listened to it over and over again, especially as we rode the Eurail to Paris. "The Paris Match" is one of those tunes from the album that really spoke to my bleu blue streak. Here it is, with Tracey Thorn doing vocals:

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