Posts Tagged ‘Shirley Manson’

Song-Off Jr.: Samson and Delilah

Samson

And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death, that he told her all his heart, and said unto her, “There hath not come a rasor upon mine head, for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb.  If I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

And she made him sleep upon her knees, and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head, and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.  And she said, “The Philistines be upon thee, Samson.” And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, “I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.”

But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

–Judges 13, King James Edition

(more…)

Lost in the ’90s: Garbage, “Subhuman”

lit90s

Most bands would be happy to have one or two songs on their debut album considered strong enough to be singles.  But what happens when your record label is so pleased by the number of potential hits, they’re afraid to release too many too soon?

A strange question that faced alt-pop quartet Garbage when their self-titled debut was ready for release in 1995 – their UK label, Mushroom, wanted to build on the buzz that greeted the band’s first single, “Vow,” without dipping too soon into the hit single well that was Garbage the album.  Their solution?  Release one of “Vow’s” b-sides as a limited-edition single.

“Subhuman” (download) was released in a strictly limited run of 3,000 copies. It’s somewhat of a collector’s item these days, since the song has never resurfaced – besides the limited-pressing single, it’s only been featured on Asian versions of the band’s debut. That’s a shame, since “Subhuman” is one of my favorite Garbage songs, an almost industrial rocker that would fit nicely on a greatest hits or singles compilation.  Hey, now you can make your own!

The “Subhuman” CD single featured, surprise, “Vow” as one of its b-sides, while the other, “#1 Crush,” (download) was remixed a year or so later by Nellee Hooper for the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack.  That version went on to spend four weeks at the top of the Billboard Modern Rock Chart, no mean feat for a tossed-off b-side.  The original version featured here is a rawer take on the song, and I actually prefer it to the more famous remixed version, indie-rock snob that I am. (more…)