this was always-already kitsch

the sub-Mick Karn fretless-bass twangs and pootles

the excessive echo on Young's voice when he really emotes

the winceworthy backing vocals going on about "did you write the book of love?"

and ooh that bit two minutes in when the bird starts warbling this wordless aria

the song has this strange faded, slightly detuned and wavering off-pitch production, like everything's a little bit sharp

it fits the washed-out tint applied to the video

as with "Wherever I Lay My Hat", despite all these deficits, it almost makes it just through the dignity of Young's controlled performance



but the instantly-dated production gets in the way

these two are even worse





i suppose, though, the production (on No Parlez, by Laurie Latham) is actually not that far off the territory on this album, released the following year)







the missing link between the two is maybe this



which i had never heard, i don't think, just read about at the time

i suppose it is not as bad as it could have been

for some reason reminded me that Robert Palmer did a cover of a Gary Numan song