My everlasting thanks to Robb, who, in the home stretch of this mix, is turning it into the Never Ending Party. Love is All is a really wonderful example of how a band can always teeter on the edge between melody and madness, always sounding like they might just derail at any moment in a caterwaul of shrieks and saxes.
So it’s time to go over that edge. The Rakes were one of the last great children of Britpop to ensure that every b-side must be as good as the a-side. This one, with its superb title and innumerable hooks, is an early track and one where the band deconstructed its clockwork precision and proper English accents in favor of a hell of a good time and that Cockney speak-singing that’s kept popping up. Its primal howls and chugging guitar lead to a rip-roaring climax that never fully explodes—meaning our next two songs will find its proper conclusion. In the meantime, I’ll be pogoing around the room. Where’s my cigarette and drink?
m. joosse
