The Feeling Listless Soundtrack 1.0: Baby One More Time.

Written by Martin
[from: Galstonbury 1999]

Music I’ve a confession to make. I’ve a feeling I’ll be buying Britney Spears version of ‘I Love Rock and Roll’. It’s not a great song, and she does it very badly. But it’s to go in a collection, you see. Of weird cover versions. It’s never been clear why some artists go so far out on a limb sometimes to show that they do have a wide musical interest – or why others would try and pretend they’re still cool by keeping up with the youngens. But as someone who’s sat through all ten verses of Bob Dylan’s version of ‘One Man Went To Mo’ I can tell you this. They’re bloody good entertainment, and this track demonstrates, the really good songs can stand any treatment. The crowd you can here in the background of this track probably wouldn’t be seen dead in HMV buying Spears first album, yet here they are, singing word perfect to their indie heroes. The reason is – it’s a bloody good song. That’s why she picked it. That’s why they’re singing it. End of part one. [Originally written over twelve years ago]

[Commentary: I have a confession to make. I never did buy Britney Spears's version of 'I Love Rock and Roll'. In a break from tradition let's talk about the video:

(1) BBC Choice logo. BBC Choice. Sigh.

(2) At a certain point Hit Me Baby One More Time was a "new song" from America.

(3) The lame South Park reference.

(4) For a long time, this was the only track of Travis's I ever listen to that wasn't Driftwood. Despite owning a copy of The Invisible Band LP, I don't ever remember listening to it all the way through.

(5) Most of the kids in this audience are now middle aged.]