Dublin Opinion

[ De Jemser that time he didn’t go down too well Upstairs in The International / Photo Ottacaro WEISS pinched from www.istrianet.org ]

Conventional as Joyce’s poetry is, we have to at least give the man credit for its musicality. Syd Barrett spotted this and gave us his wonderful version of ‘Golden Hair’ from Chamber Music on his Madcap Laughs LP. By chance I learn from French radio that Barrett’s album is as old as myself this year and that as a tribute Mojo have put together an album of covers. On the programme I heard, they played REM’s version of Dark Globe and Hope Sandoval and the Warm Attractions’ take on ‘Golden Hair’. I think I would be able to listen to Sandoval’s voice for hours even if she was working as a talking clock - I suspect Joyce would be of the same opinion if the strains of it could get down to him into the ground there in Zurich.

Nobody has had the kindness to put the Sandoval version up there in www-land but consolation may be taken from the original :

As I can’t leave you without a couple of doses of the derlicious Hope’s voice, here she is doing her stuff with indie rock’s James and Stanislaus - the Reid brothers :

And more recently, one I can’t stop listening to (don’t sit up too fast Jemser - it’s not that version of the video) :

Lean out of the window and enjoy.