Concrete Blonde – “Bloodletting”
and “Walking in London”
Concrete Blonde, until about a month ago, was one of those groups I had never heard of, but had heard songs that they had sung without realizing it. However, after seeing the video to “Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)” on “Beevis and Butthead” (Please forgive me! I don’t like them, but I was watching the show – I was bored! ), I picked up the tape, conveniently named after the song. Whoa. The tape blew me away – from “Bloodletting” through “Darkening of the Light” and “The Sky is a Poisonous Garden” all the way to “Tomorrow, Wendy,” the tape surprised me. The song “Joey” reared its ugly head, a problem to me because of its overplaying by local stations, but that was the only problem with the tape.
So naturally, about a week ago, when I saw another Concrete Blonde tape, “Walking in London,” I picked it up.
Amazing. From the tongue-in-cheek “Ghost of a Texas Lady’s Man” (I like the line “I really liked his spirit the best”) down to the hyperactive “I Wanna Be Your Friend Again,” this album is like lightning striking twice! The only real problem I have is that this tape doesn’t have “Tomorrow, Wendy” on it, a real shame since I loved that slow, sad song about mourning and religion so much. Not as good as “Bloodletting,” but better than average. This leaves two tapes for me to pick up-“Concrete Blonde” and (I think) “Free.” At only $8.95 a tape in most stores, these tapes are a real bargain. Pick them up when you can. You’ll be shocked at how well they project emotion and how good the lyrics are, and you’ll also be thrilled by the snazzy rhythms that decorate each tune, and maybe you’ll find a new favorite song like I did. Each one is a sometimes fun, sometimes sad, sometimes supernatural trip that you’ll love every step of the way. .
Review by P. C., West Buxton, ME
