Song Solstice - Summer 2024 - Day 17 - Booth And The Bad Angel

 Day 17 - Booth And The Bad Angel

Did you know that Tim Booth from the great Brit band, James, collaborated with iconic composer, the late Angelo Badalamenti? No? Now you do! Read to discover one of Booth and the Bad Angel's more interesting tracks.

I got to knowing James through two of my eldest siblings and MTV back in the early 90s. Of course, their most well known track (at least in the US) was and is the curious “Laid”, with Tim Booth's falsetto becoming the most memorable part of the song for many. In 1986, director David Lynch began having composer Angelo Badalamenti score his films (starting with Blue Velvet) and, possibly most well known, the 90s Twin Peaks TV series and subsequent film. After phone tag and such for a couple years or so, Tim and Angelo finally met in 1995 and a collaboration was born. Booth and the Bad Angel only released one album, sadly, but it's definitely a fantastic piece that flew under the radar of far too many people. By featuring a track, I hope folks who didn't know its splendor have a chance to, and, thus, I chose one of my most favorites from the album, “Butterfly's Dream”.

Rather than choose a single or “more accessible” track, I decided that this track highlighted more of what made this collaboration special. With Tim's fabulous vocals carried by Angelo's rocking track laced with ethereal, dream-like soundscapes, this song feels epic to me. What's even better is that it's not the only epic track on the album! (“The Dance of The Bad Angels” is the other, at least in my view).

“Butterfly's Dream”, as far as I can see, explores the thoughts of a rich, more sexually hedonistic and obsessed individual becoming connected with a seemingly more innocent, nurturing woman that puts a tremor into his behavior, even flipping the script on him. In where he tells the women what they want to hear in order to bed them and leave them, it seems this woman shows up and seems to want a future, causing him to have to walk a tightrope trying to keep her from falling for him so he can use her for the moment. But then, as it seems to me, he's the one that started to get caught by her and then, suddenly, the player gets played.

This is illustrated perfectly musically, the steady drum beat and fantastic bassline highlighting the underlying dirty, more sexual side of the lyrics where the guitars and soundscapes punctuate and cover in the the right moments, creating the perfect soundtrack to the story being told. I love Tim Booth's voice, and I really enjoy how the actor in him comes out as he gets into the vocal, falling into each thought and emotion with ease. So damn good...

Edit by me || It's incredibly difficult to find high quality photos of B&tBA,

unfortunately, so I have to improvise, If you find any, let me know!

I feel like this is yet another song to listen to with good headphones as it truly is a wonderfully layered track that deserves the immersive listen. Honestly, I think this track would translate incredibly well in a surround sound format, and I hope that, at some point down the line, Booth and Badalamenti's estate put together an anniversary release that includes a surround sound edition. This song deserves the treatment; it swings the hips as it envelopes you, taking you into the narrator's moment in time like a glittery mist of lust and entanglement. I hope you enjoy getting lost in it as much as I do.

Lyrics

Drag my lips across these mouths Drap my hips across this crowd Curiosity knows no bounds I'd love to sleep With the whole town Caught between these steaming sheets I made my bed And now she waits Full of hopes and future plans While I just hoped for one night stands Don't make her sound oh no Don't make her sound oh no Don't make her sound oh no oh no The trick is not to be so nice If I wasn't rich they wouldn't look at me twice While kissing her I want her sister Is there no end to my desire Pledge true love Tenderly hold her All the time looking over her shoulder Don't make her sound oh no Don't make her sound oh no Don't make her sound oh no oh no Endless hunger Endless guile She'll be waiting with that smile Endless hunger Endless guile She will rock you like a child Mayday oh my I'm the one to make you cry Mayday it's all gone wrong I turn around and now she's gone Mayday oh my I'm the one to make you cry Mayday, what do you know One comes, the other goes The creature's out to prowl around The mob are out to track him down. They drive him on, or does he lead out of their dreams and into his No way back to solid ground. Out of their dream and into his. Endless hunger endless guile She'll be waiting with that smile Endless hunger endless guile She will rock you like a child She will rock you like a child She will rock you like a child Butterfly dreams Butterfly dreams Butterfly dreams Butterfly dreams Butterfly dreams Butterfly dreams Butterfly dreams Mayday oh my I'm the one to make you cry Mayday it's all gone wrong I turn around and now she's gone Mayday oh my I'm the one to make you cry Mayday, what do you know One comes, the other goes Mayday oh my I'm the one to make you cry Mayday it's all gone wrong I turn around and now she's gone Mayday oh my I'm the one to make you cry Mayday, what do you know One comes, the other goes Mayday Mayday Mayday Mayday

~*~

Wikipedia || Fan Site || Discogs Spotify || Tidal || Apple Music

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Photos, videos, and lyrics used for reference and informational purposes.

I'm not being paid by them to write this. I'm not a journalist or anything. I just love music.

(Published on 17th September 2024, Backdated to 17th June 2024)