Giddy Stratospheres

Last updated

"Giddy Stratospheres"
Longblondesgiddy.jpg
Single by The Long Blondes
Released29 November 2004
Genre Indie rock
Label Angular Recording
Songwriter(s) Dorian Cox
The Long Blondes singles chronology
"Autonomy Boy"
(2004)
"Giddy Stratospheres"
(2004)
"Appropriation (By Any Other Name)"
(2005)
Alternative cover
Giddy Stratospheres (The Long Blondes album - cover art).jpg
2007 re-release version
The Long Blondessingles chronology
"Once and Never Again"
(2006)
"Giddy Stratospheres"
(2007)
"Century"
(2008)

"Giddy Stratospheres" was a 7-inch single only release by Sheffield band the Long Blondes. It was released on 29 November 2004, on Angular Records. The single was accompanied by two B-sides, "Polly" and "Darts". The single was re-released in 2007 and was the third major label single from their debut album, Someone to Drive You Home . The single peaked at number 37 on the UK Singles Chart. Both versions were very well received by critics. [1] [2]

Contents

Music and structure

"Giddy Stratospheres" is a fast-tempo song, at 136 beats per minute (bpm), and in the key of B major for the verses. For the chorus, it switches to a slightly faster tempo (142 bmp) and changes to a key of E-flat major. Its style combines post-punk, indie pop and disco. The main chord pattern of the verse alternates between G sharp minor and B major triads, the chorus switching to A-flat major, F minor and C minor.

The song is in a standard verse-chorus form, with a modulating bridge before and after each chorus. The song features indie rock instrumentation, using a call-and-answer motif between the bass and guitar, described by Drowned In Sound as "the oldest trick in the book". [3]

Reception

Upon both of its releases, "Giddy Stratospheres" received positive reviews from music critics. On its initial release in 2004, Drowned in Sound were critical of its lo-fidelity recording but remarked it was "well worth pushing through the initial barrier of the recording quality to get at the song underneath." [2]

In its 2006 review of Someone to Drive You Home, The Observer gave the song a positive review, writing that "'Giddy Stratospheres' sees Jackson dispatch acid sentiments about a 'boring' love rival in an accent that could cut glass." [4] These sentiments were echoed by Fraser McAlpine from BBC Radio 1 who gave the song a 4-stars review describing "shards of guitar and shrieks so sharp they could have someone's eye out. " [5]

A review by Yahoo was mixed, saying that the song stretched Jackson's voice "to its grating limits" but praised lyricist Dorian, describe his narrative-led song writing "as compelling as anything on (Arctic Monkeys') Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not ". [6]

2004 track listing

All lyrics written by Dorian Cox, music by The Long Blondes.

  1. Side A "Giddy Stratospheres"
  2. Side B "Polly"
  3. Side B "Darts"

2007 track listing

All lyrics written by Dorian Cox, music by the Long Blondes.

  1. Track 1 "Giddy Stratospheres"
  2. Track 2 "All Bar One Girls"
  1. Side A "Giddy Stratospheres"
  2. Side B "I'm Coping"
  1. Side A "Giddy Stratospheres"
  2. Side B "Never to Be Repeated"

Related Research Articles

"Echoes" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd, and the sixth and final track from their 1971 album Meddle. It was written in 1970 by all four members of the group. Containing several extended instrumental passages, largely ambient sound effects, and musical improvisation, the track has a running time of 23:31 and comprises the entire second side of the vinyl and cassette recordings.

<i>Face the Music</i> (Electric Light Orchestra album) 1975 studio album by Electric Light Orchestra

Face the Music is the fifth studio album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released in September 1975 by United Artists Records and on 14 November 1975 in the United Kingdom by Jet Records. The album moves away from the large-scale classical orchestrated sound from the previous album, Eldorado, in favor of more "radio-friendly" pop/rock songs, though the string sections are still very prominent. The new sound proved successful for the group as Face the Music was the first ELO album to go platinum.

In Bloom Song by Nirvana

"In Bloom" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain.

Polly (Nirvana song) Original song written and composed by Kurt Cobain

"Polly" is a song by the American alternative rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the sixth song on their second album Nevermind, released in September 1991.

Us and Them (song)

"Us and Them" is a song by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, from their 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. The music was written by Richard Wright with lyrics by Roger Waters. It is sung by David Gilmour, with harmonies by Wright. The song is 7 minutes and 51 seconds, the longest on the album.

Cherish (Madonna song) 1989 single by Madonna

"Cherish" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer (1989). It was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, and was released by Sire Records as the album's third single on August 1, 1989. "Cherish" was built around the themes of love and relationships, with William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet being one of the major inspirations. The track also included a line from "Cherish" by the 1960s band the Association. Musically constructed as a doo-wop-style pop song, it is regarded as a light-hearted track by critics and includes instruments such as a drum machine, percussions, keyboards and a saxophone. Lyrically, it speaks of Madonna's devotion to her lover, and her promise to be always by his side. "Cherish" was included on Madonna's greatest hits compilations The Immaculate Collection (1990) and Celebration (2009).

The Long Blondes

The Long Blondes were a five-piece English indie rock band formed in Sheffield, United Kingdom in 2003 by Dorian Cox, Reenie Hollis, Emma Chaplin, Kate Jackson and Screech Louder.

¡Forward, Russia!

¡Forward, Russia! are an English alternative rock band from Leeds, active from between 2004 and 2008, before reforming in 2013. The band's debut album, Give Me a Wall, was released in 2006. Until 2006, the band only named tracks with numbers, in the order that they were written. The band had used Faux Cyrillic, with its name occasionally typeset as ¡FФЯWДЯD, RUSSIД!. The band went on hiatus after the release of their second album, Life Processes, in 2008. They reformed in 2013 for a show at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds in November 2013 for its 100th anniversary, and then played the Live at Leeds Festival at Leeds Town Hall in 2014.

<i>Someone to Drive You Home</i> 2006 studio album by The Long Blondes

Someone To Drive You Home is the debut album by The Long Blondes. It was released on November 6, 2006. It received widespread critical praise and was placed 7th in the NME's best 50 albums of 2006 list and features in many other best of lists for 2006.

<i>Yank Crime</i> 1994 studio album by Drive Like Jehu

Yank Crime is the second and final album by the San Diego, California post-hardcore band Drive Like Jehu, released in 1994 by Interscope Records. It was the band's major-label debut and its artwork was created by singer/guitarist Rick Froberg. The band toured in support of the album but then quietly disbanded the following year as the members moved off to pursue other interests.

<i>Couples</i> (The Long Blondes album) 2008 studio album by The Long Blondes

Couples is the second album by the Sheffield band The Long Blondes. It was released on 7 April 2008 by Rough Trade Records, with the first single, "Century", released on 24 March 2008. The quotation marks in the album title were included as a reference to the David Bowie album "Heroes".

Weekend Without Makeup

"Weekend Without Makeup" was the first single to be taken from the Long Blondes' first album Someone to Drive You Home. It was released on July 26, 2006, on CD, double 7-inch single and digital download. The single reached number 28 in the UK Singles Chart.

Appropriation (By Any Other Name)

"Appropriation " is a 7-inch single and CD release by Sheffield band the Long Blondes. It was released on June 13, 2005 on Angular Records. The song is a homage to Hitchcock's 1958 film Vertigo. it has been said that this song is told from the point of view of Judy, due to lines such as "When I met you, I never wore dresses like that" and "You can't have me, make me act the same".

<i>Singles</i> (The Long Blondes album) 2008 compilation album by The Long Blondes

"Singles" is a compilation album released by the Sheffield band The Long Blondes on October 8, 2008 via Angular Records. The 12-track album collates all of the songs from the band's singles prior to their signing to Rough Trade Records in April 2006, released by various independent record labels. The compilation was released on the same day that the band broke up, with the album's inlay breaking the news of their decision to split.

FM (No Static at All) Steely Dan song from the movie "FM"

"FM " is a song by American jazz-rock band Steely Dan, the title theme for the 1978 film FM. It made the US Top 40 that year when released as a single, a success relative to the film. Musically, it is a complex jazz-rock composition driven by its bass, guitar and piano parts, typical of the band's sound from this period; its lyrics look askance at the album-oriented rock format of many FM radio stations at that time, in contrast to the film's celebration of that medium.

Im Not the One

"I'm Not the One" is a song by the American rock band the Cars, from their fourth album, Shake It Up. It features Ric Ocasek on lead vocals, Benjamin Orr singing the 'You Know Why' phrase, with the whole group repeating "going round and round" as backing vocals throughout the song.

Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldntve)

"Ever Fallen in Love " is a 1978 song written by Pete Shelley and performed by his group Buzzcocks. It was a number 12 hit on the UK Singles Chart and was included on the album Love Bites.

Sun of a Gun

"Sun of a Gun" is the major-label debut song recorded by Danish recording artist Oh Land. It is taken from her self-titled second studio album Oh Land (2011). It was released as the album's lead single on 4 October 2010 by Fake Diamond Records and Sony Music Entertainment. Elsewhere, the single was released on 24 April 2011 as a CD single and 7-inch single. A Europop and synth-pop song, its lyrics describe a troubled relationship by comparing its effects to the orbit of the sun. The track was written by Jimmy Harry and Nanna Øland Fabricius, with Dave McCracken solely producing it.

Deliver Your Children

"Deliver Your Children" is a song written by Denny Laine and Paul McCartney that was first issued on Wings' 1978 album London Town. It was also released as the B-side of Wings' single "I've Had Enough". In the Netherlands, it received enough airplay to be ranked on the national charts along with its A-side, and joint single reached No. 13. On some charts within the Netherlands "Deliver Your Children" was ranked alone on the single charts, and it reached No. 9 on the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40 chart. Laine also released solo recordings of the song.

Heartbeat City (song)

"Heartbeat City" is a song by American new wave band the Cars. The song, written by Ric Ocasek, is the closing track on the band's fifth studio album Heartbeat City.

References

  1. "Long Blondes - Giddy Stratospheres - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 ""The Long Blondes: Giddy Stratospheres". [[Drowned in Sound]]. Retrieved 9 April 2010". Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  3. "The Long Blondes: Giddy Stratospheres (Rough Trade Release)". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  4. "Someone To Drive You Home". The Observer . 15 October 2004. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  5. "Giddy Stratospheres" BBC. 4 February 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  6. "Someone To Drive You Home" Yahoo. 6 November 2006. Retrieved 9 April 2010.