"Push It" by Garbage

             Thanks for tuning in once more to Kyle's Radio Dial, the blog that mines the musical gems of the past and offers them up for another look and listen! Beaming into our receivers tonight is an alt rock classic of the late 90s which is rarely heard on terrestrial radio these days... time to make those beats go harder with Garbage and “Push It”! 

“I was angry when I met you... I think I'm angry still... We can try to talk it over... If you say you'll help me out.”

Garbage, the Scottish-American alternative band comprising multi-instrumentalists Shirley Manson, Steve Marker, Duke Erikson, and Butch Vig, exploded onto the scene with their 1995 self-titled album, bringing such hits as “Only Happy When It Rains” (US #55, US Modern Rock #16), and “Stupid Girl” (US #24, Mod Rock #2).

The self-deprecating name of the band originates from an early criticism of their musical output as sounding “like garbage”. Possessing a sense of humor about the statement, they decided to make it front and center in regards to the band, which was lucky for us, and all the alternative station listening, 120 Minutes watchers out there!

“Push It” was the lead single from Garbage's 1998 sophomore effort Version 2.0, and it interpolates a portion of the chorus of The Beach Boys’ 1964 hit “Don’t Worry Baby”, as well as the title repetition of Salt N Pepa’s 1986 hip hop classic that shares the same name. It also features what has become known as the “Amen Break”, a widely used drum loop sample pulled from the 1969 recording “Amen, Brother” by The Winstons.

“I'm sorry that I hurt you... Please don't ask me why... I want to see you happy... I want to see you shine.” 

Manson has stated that the song is about the personal conflict between your true self, and the pressure to fit in socially. Given as she is co-author of the song, I don't doubt her songwriting intent, however, I always had a slightly different take on it, as I believed the song to contain two distinct personas.

The first persona, singing the verses and chorus, is battling destructive internal demons, while the second (singing the “Don’t Worry Baby” bridge) is a sympathetic figure, offering their support to the first individual.

When the first voice sings “Push It, make the beats go harder” in the chorus, I take that to be the moment when they realize that only THEY can work through their issues, regardless of sympathy or assistance from anybody else. They must face and overcome their fears internally, because nobody else will do it for them.

Regardless of your take on the song’s story, I believe we can all agree that it is an aggressive rocker that represents the band’s output (and that of late 90s alt rock) quite nicely.

“This is the noise that keeps me awake... my head explodes and my body aches...” 

A few months ago, I introduced the music of Shirley Manson and company to my 9 year old son. In specific, I played him “Push It”, its follow up “I Think I’m Paranoid”, and the aforementioned hits off their first LP, and he commented…

“I don’t get why these guys call themselves “Garbage”… They're really GOOD!!!”

As he is fascinated by Billboard chart history just as I am (I wonder where he gets THAT from?), he was astonished to learn that while “Push It” peaked high on the US Modern Rock and UK singles charts (#5, and #9, respectively), the alt rock classic stalled at #52 on the Hot 100, and didn’t even crack the top 40. It was also amazing to him that the debut LP representing “Stupid Girl” is, to date, Garbage’s ONLY US Top 40 single at US #24.

I declined to explain the stranglehold that hip hop and pop-soul had on the top 40 playlists of the time, resulting in outstanding songs from other genres getting unfairly overlooked and under-represented on the charts. That’ll be a discussion for another time.

So click that video window below, and follow the advice of Shirley, Duke, Butch, and Steve. Well... wait are you waiting for? Just “PUSH IT”!

(Be careful when watching the video though – it’s filled with intriguing and somewhat disturbing imagery that may prove unnerving to some faint hearted viewers, especially if viewed right before heading off to sleep. Consider yourself warned.)

“Push it, make the beats go harder... Push it, make the beats go harder...” 

 

A RADIO DIAL EXTRA: "What You Don't Do" by Lianne La Havas

          Hello friends, as you all know, I don't typically dabble in modern music, but when a recent song catches my ear like nothing before, I turn the Dial's attention its way, and call it a Radio Dial Extra.

Tonight, I invite you to take a listen to South London born Lianne La Havas and her outstanding neo-soul number “What You Don't Do”. Taken from her second LP Blood, and following the lead single “Unstoppable”, Lianne has concocted a sophisticated musical cocktail that builds from an R&B base, adds upbeat doo-wop and smoky jazz flavors, and tops it all off with clever lyrics that turn the negative phrase “What You Don't Do” into a positive affirmation about the love of her life.

Astute listeners will detect vocal hints of Whitney Houston, Erykah Badu, and Ella Fitzgerald, along with echos of Sly & The Family Stone, George Michael, and Prince layered throughout this incredibly danceable melody.

Released just this past July, La Havas hasn't hit the Hot 100 just yet, but “What You Don't Do” did reach #30 on Billboard's Adult R&B Charts. Why this instant classic didn't cross over to the Mainstream R&B singles chart, and then storm up the Top 40 is perplexing to me.

“I know what I got and I know where we're going... You don't need to show it, I already know it all ! It's what you don't do, it's what you don't say...

(It's what you don't do) I know you love me, I don't need proof !”

"Wild World" by Maxi Priest, and Mr. Big

           Good evening, everyone, and thanks for tuning into the Dial! We're going to do something a little different here tonight, as we offer up two charting covers of the same classic tune, released only 4 years apart, and in two different styles. Our selections? Maxi Priest's, and Mr. Big's remakes of Cat Stevens' “Wild World”.

“Now that I've lost everything to you... you say you wanna start something new...”

Cat's original version of “Wild World”, a US #11 hit in '71, is still played frequently on soft rock and oldies radio formats, and with good reason. It's a folk rock classic dealing with romantic loss, in which Stevens says his final goodbyes to his lady as she prepares to leave him forever. On the surface, the lyrics seem sweet and caring, but they also carry a dark and threatening undercurrent. Check out the lyrics below.

“I hope you have a lot of nice things to wear... But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there.”

“I hope you make a lot of nice friends out there.. But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware.”

Of course it's normal to grieve over the loss of a relationship, and there's bound to be some resentment, but these lyrics make me think he's warning that her departure may come with some unpleasant repercussion. In short, when she least expects it... she should expect it. I imagine that most listeners only take away the sweet and loving vibe perpetuated by the soft music and soothing vocal quality of Cat himself, without ever recognizing the bitter flip-side to it all.

Once we fast-forward seventeen years, we find that “Wild World” had become a well-recognized pop standard, and as such, it was ripe for a revival of the track to hit the US singles chart. Stepping up to the plate was London based “reggae fusion” artist Maxi Priest with the first cover of the iconic tune to hit the Top 40.

“Maxi” (real name: Max Alfred Elliott) re-imagined the classic tune with a bouncy, playful, “island” vibe that successfully masks the original's bitterness. Pulled from 1988's “Maxi” LP (titled “Maxi Priest” in the US), Priest took his rendition up to #25 on the US charts in early '89, but scored much higher in his native UK, by earning a #5, his first top 10 single.

A little over four years later, Los Angeles' own Mr. Big, a hard rock quartet consisting of lead vocalist Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan on bass, and Pat Torpey on drums, released their spin on the classic cut as the lead single from their 1993 LP, “Bump Ahead”.

The band’s rock ballad rendition, which is much closer in tempo and style to Cat's original recording, (though it still downplays the darkness below the surface) earned them a US #27 hit, very nearly equaling Maxi's peak position. This modest chart success did not follow them “across the pond” however, as their remake stalled at UK #59.

It's interesting to note that both Maxi Priest and Mr. Big only scored a few singles on the US Top 40 chart. Maxi Priest charted with five, and Big only managed with three, but each act can count a #1 smash among them. (Priest's “Close To You” hit #1 in 1990, and “To Be With You” hit the top spot for Mr. Big the following year.) Another fun fact is that Maxi's version of “Wild World” was his first US Top 40 hit, but Mr. Big's cover was their final song on that chart.

“You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do... And it's breakin' my heart in two...
Because I never wanna see you sad, girl... don't be a bad girl”

Because of the relatively small four year window between the two covers, I wondered if anybody hearing the Mr. Big version for the first time in '91 assumed the band was remaking Maxi's Priest's reggae tune from a few years prior. Not everyone delves into pop music's past like the Dial and our loyal listeners, so I'm sure somebody out there was unaware of the 1971 original, and only knew of the two modern incarnations instead.

So which one do you prefer? Maxi’s Caribbean-flavored interpretation, or Mr.Big’s power ballad rendition? Or perhaps you are a purist, and only the original Cat Stevens track will do. Drop us a note, with your thoughts! There’s no wrong answer here, as all three are great versions.

Be sure to stay tuned to the Dial for more classic, overlooked tracks from the past… because the more you listen, the MORE you remember!

“Oh, baby, baby, it's a Wild World... It's hard to get by just upon a smile...
Oh, baby, baby, it's a Wild World... And I'll always remember you like a child, girl.”