My Top 1000 Songs #374: Amplifier
No bid for immortality in this unassuming little ditty by the dB's... just a dark, nasty, and kinda funny hoot set to a jangly Bo Diddley beat. Coming off the band's second album, 1981's Repercussion, "Amplifier" tells the sad tale of a spurned ex taking everything the dude owns save that inexplicably left-behind guitar amp.
Is it deep? Profound? Nope. But lotsa bouncy power pop jangle with a savage bite, and always gets my attention.
The video (sub-par audio):Live record store appearance 2011:Live 1984 (at 9:45 into the set):
Well-timed choice, as I'm in the middle of reading Chris Stamey's entertaining book "Spy in the House of Loud" and I just happened to read the chapter on "Amplifier" yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI've heard the song on the radio a number of times over the years (on WPRB back in the 80s and on WFMU a few times in the past decade) and the song always sounds great over the airwaves -- shoulda been a hit, as the saying goes.