[PaulAds]

Hello

It's been a while...

My good friend, Mr John Pompeyjazz tempted me out of my self-imposed retirement by sending me a superb punk/new wave style rocker and suggested that I might enjoy adding lyrics and a narrative that made it commercially unviable. I was only too (un)happy to oblige 



77

In the trenches of a troll centre
We rally round the flag
This is one Cat-astrophe
We can’t let out of the bag

A cabbaged patch that won’t update
The Enemy is at the Gate
And we’re still running Windows 98

Your number’s up…it's the 77
Crank that crock right up to 11
You don’t cross swords with the 77
Dragging the Empire closer to heaven

Nowadays we’re less concerned
With all that blood and guts
Our mortal fear is death
By a thousand budget cuts

Fact-checked in the fiction farm
A constant state of false alarm
Telling you we’re keeping you from harm

Your number’s up…we’re the 77
Crank that crock right up to 11
You don’t cross swords with the 77
Dragging the Empire closer to heaven

Our satellites and CPUs
are gonna freeze or blow a fuse
outsourced by some genius designer
everything we need...was made in China

Into the silicone valley of death rode the gallant 77th
and as the truth bombs and unfortunate revelations
exploded all around them, they ploughed onward
heroically battling to regain control of the narrative...


I won't go into any great details about the back-story...there's a link here...if you fancy a read

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-11-22/inside-british-armys-secret-information-warfare-machine

I think I read somewhere that the UK's nuclear subs weapons systems were running on Windows XP* - for which updates are no longer supported - and when I thought about how much of our GPS/electronics stuff seems to be made in China...with whom we DO have some "previous"....

The lead vocal was really just a first run-through and I intended to do it again...but we thought it had a bit of a frenzied paranoia about it that worked OK...then John did some great backing vocals,  mixed it...and Bob was suddenly embroiled in a compromising situation with our Auntie.

Hats off to John for inviting me along...he's a real diamond, a massive talent...and got me back into it when I'd just about given up.

* I changed it to Windows 98 for rhyming convenience  ;)

[Cawproductions]

Boooooom.

Right up our street this one, has all the attitude and Kicks A**s.

Great guitar work and the vocals work well, tight playing and mix..

Massive thumbs up here....

Top work guys,

[montydog]

Hi,

Worth it for this line alone:

"The Enemy is at the Gate
And we’re still running Windows 98"

Great attitude, acidic wit and excellent playing throughout. So many clever touches in the lyrics and a very confident, powerful delivery. Bloody marvelous.

M

[Paulski]

ATTITUDE!
Yep this song has it in spades.
Great playing and singing.
Top drawer lyrics.
I love the bridge and spoken part.

wots not to like?

Fine job guys 
Paul

[fischermans]

Great work and nothing wrong with the lead voice. Thumbs up especially for the guitar playing.
Alexander

[Bill Saunders]

Paul it's great to hear your distinctive vocals again. I loved your last album and it was your voice that drew me first and foremost. If this was a first take, I'd say you really nailed it so well done for not tinkering. John's vocals go well with yours - it's the making of a supergroup! Fab song, I loved it and I hope this one spurs you on to keep writing and recording.

[pompeyjazz]

Great to work with @PaulAds again.

Just a little background on the backing track.

A few months ago, I was rooting around in the loft looking for something that I never found but I did find some old lyrics from around 30 years ago. It was for a song that I never completed but I did remember what I had done music wise so I recorded it.

I think I dumped the track as I was never happy with the lyrics and vocal that I had, but of course with Paul's magic it's a different song altogether.

Incidentally, all the guitar parts were played on my cheapo kit built telecaster. The only modification I made to it was to fit a Wilkinson bridge. The guitar has settled down nicely and is perfectly playable, not the best guitar in the world but certainly not the worst.

Thanks for all the fabulous feedback all 

[adamfarr]

A real foot stomper, great fun to listen to (unless you think about it too much).
Not a subject I know much about so I had to spend some time working out what it was all about - not a problem though as you can listen on many levels and on each run through you get a little nugget more...
Very cool guys (even the homemade guitar sounding great)

[Wicked Deeds]

I loved this fellas. Sometimes a critique is pointless as all that is required, i that we sit back and enjoy the ride.

Total quality.

Paul

[Jambrains]

Love the lyrics (as I tend to).
"Nowadays we’re less concerned
With all that blood and guts
Our mortal fear is death
By a thousand budget cuts"

That is just brilliant!!!

Add great energy and the 'distinct'  vocals to that and you have a winner.
Strangely enough I actually found the verse stringer than the chorus but that was actually a nice change of perspective.
Well done both of you,

[RealKevM]

I really dig the backing vocal, good work guys

[shadowfax]

Brilliant lyrics in a take no prisoners rocker...blew me ed off it did..loved it..well done guys!!!

Best, Kevin

[PaulyX]

Ooh yes, Costello meets the Clash...
Love this sound.
Trademark lyrics from Paul Ads that are funny on the surface and belie a deeper darker truth...
Loved the crunchy jagged guitars and the synthy middle 8 was a nice surprise too.
Music kind of peaked for me in about 1979 so this was a quality little pick me up redolent of that era.
Fantastic collab gentlemen.  I'd gladly be your roadie.
Pauly

[pompeyjazz]

Yay ! Thanks all. Hopefully we've secured a radio play on The Keith Fabrique Rock show (Rawwk show) on Hillz FM tomorrow from Midday. Will probably be after the local weather / traffic news and a jingle or 3. Who knows, but we potentially could be blasting out to the whole of Coventry and Warwickshire 

[Mikey]

Hi Guys,

Great track, hits the 70's punk vibe right on the nail, great energy, and Pompeys vocal is spot on for the period sound, is there anything that man can't do?

Cheers, Mikey