How did Tubthumpers become such a successful album for Chumbawmba?

[Some Moran]

It was far from their best work...

[gmoney]

1. It's a freakin' sing-along anthem...

Happens to a lot of artists... their "hit" song is non-representative of their work, and it becomes an albatross around their necks because it's what everyone wants to hear.

Like Loudon Wainwright's "Dead Skunk" -- amazing songwriter, and not a bad little ditty, but in close to thirty years since, he's not been able to live it down.

Or Gary Glitter "Rock 'n' Roll Part 2" -- total fluke song (has anyone ever heard Part 1?) but it's just got that hook and anthemic quality that ensures it will never die (even after his being arrested on child porn charges).

Or the Clash--the world knows them for "Rock the Casbah" -- their one novelty fluff song. But do they know "London Calling"?

Elvis Costello has "Alison" which I'm sure he dreads playing.

If it wasn't so damn late, I could come up with more.

Besides, the Chumbas do all they can to avoid success... I think Tubthumping was a hit despite their best efforts.

[politicat]

3. Little kiddies.... Little kiddies heard it and thought it was cool....

Personally, I think it was intentional subversion.

Get a bunch of elementary school kids to like your music. They don't have to understand it - that will come later.

Get them to come to your concerts, hopefully bringing mummy and daddums.

Procede to scare mummy and daddums to death with anti-corp, anti-cap, liberal music that the kiddies like.

Wait 5 years. Kiddies will see how stuffy and freaked daddums and mummy were, rebel and be anti-corp protesters and take back society.

Fricken' genius, says I.

If only it worked that way in the real world.... sigh.

Politicat (who agrees that Tubthumper was not the best effort, but is heretical because she prefers the more recent, melodic, lyric work after they learned to play their instruments and adores English Rebel Songs.)

[Some Moran]

4. I love the English Rebel Songs...

Jacob's Ladder is simply divine.

And I'm killing myself for taping over their Snow Job '98 concert for my mom's Kurt Browning special back in like 1999 or 2000. (It was the only tape I could find, and I figured she deserved to see it because I had already seen the concert like 50 times.)

They did INCREDIBLE versions of Time Bomb, Mouth Full of Shit, and Big Mouth Stikes Again in that concert. (Unfortunately, they wimped out on an otherwise-enjoyable rendition of Tub Thumping and went with "He sings the songs the reminds him of the good times, he sings the songs that reminds him of the better times." instead of "Tony Blair sold out the dockers, just like they sold out the rest of us.") I prefer Big Mouth Strikes Again with their screaming "Change must come through the barrel of gun" (even if was likely down to appease the more sensitive ears of North American fans) than with their whispering "Bullshit motherfucker bullshit"...I'm still torn between the trumpet and the more synthetic sound though.

[politicat]

6. Notice my signature....

I'm obsessed with Jacob's Ladder (the new version) and All in Vain right now. Bella Ciao is high up there, too. I wish we wrote protest songs -and sang them - instead of relying on radio and MTV for our pre-digested protest music. Once upon a time, everyone sang or whistled - now it's a good way to get stared at.... unless, of course, you have a phone to your ear. I keep thinking we need American Rebel Songs 1999-2005.....

Oh, meow. I like their early, hard, crunchy punk, don't get me wrong, but the newer stuff is more ... comfortable. For me, the problem is I was classically trained in music from age 4 on - piano, violin, cello, oboe and eventually clarinet and sax - and I have something very close to perfect pitch. Music has to be melodic and complex for me to enjoy it, which is why I can listen to Bad Religion but not Rage Against the Machine. (Punk can be melodic, but it takes work.)

*sigh* I haven't had a TV or cable for so very long that taped concerts seem like something out of another culture. Wish I'd been able to see it. I had great fun at the Tubthumping concert in Denver, watching the yuppie parents try to shield their pwecious dawlings' wittle ears and eyes from the sight of Danbert in a nun's habit and from certain lyrical incivilities. 'Twas great fun and I want it to happen again! Funny enough, I'm seeing some of the older kids from those concerts (some are unmistakeable) at peace and justice rallies now, and the kids of a colleague (who is so uptight freeper that he can make artificial diamonds in a week) who were fans of Tubthumper are frequently grounded for protesting the war, *, corporations, etc.

I'm not so sure I'm in agreement that the BMSA is to appease NA fans.... Enough Kick (the EP they did for Austria after what's-his-Nazi-fuckwit got elected) pretty much advocated a "lead recall" and the sound scape at the end of "we don't go to god's house anymore" might be similar. (That one I'm still puzzling out.)

The anarcho-punk "movement" is not so opposed to violence as a means to an end as, say, the peaceful greens. Back before I became something resembling faculty and a responsible adult, I saw a lot of merit in that philosophy. Now? I plead the 5th, the 19th, the 1st and the 10th. *grin*

Best,

Politicat

[thebigidea]

2. like Devo with "Whip It"

I liked that "ABCs of Anarchism" EP they did with my idols, Negativland.

[ClintonTyree]

5. It was ..................

a great college drinking song. That's all. A sea of drunken college kids slurring the words, "he had a whiskey drink, he had a cider drink"........I get knocked down......etc. Total drinking song. End of story.