RFBX: ‘It’s Genius, I Swear’ Special – Copy Haho on Dexy’s Midnight Runners ‘Don’t Stand Me Down’
I'm going to have a fairly quick word with you about the third and final Dexys Midnight Runners album, Don't Stand Me Down. It's not the album with 'Come On Eileen' on it, and it's not the album with 'Geno' on it. It's the album with the political lyrics, comedic monologues and twelve minute songs. I suppose when you put it like I just have, it's fairly easy to see why it was a bit of a commercial failure - Kevin Rowland refusing to issue a single until bullied to the max didn't help, and neither did the band's semi-misguided image revamp. They went for Ivy League class and ended up looking like Patrick Batemen-esque Thatcherites (there's even a clip of them playing on a TV show that makes Kevin Rowland look a little like Mr. Bean).
I'll admit, the first couple of listens, I was a little put off by the above-mentioned 'comedy' and monologues. But, as it was with Any Other City by Life Without Buildings, the vocal quirks I found annoying very quickly become the traits I fell in love with. Though the band had moved on a fair bit from their Northern Soul days, I'd still say this album is among the best soul music I've heard. Al Green's drummer played on the album.
Some of the songs - especially 'I Love You (Listen To This)' are so ridiculously simple that it's hard to put into words why I like it so much. Others ('This Is What She's Like') are arranged so interestingly that I don't think I could do them justice in this piece. Call it a cop out.
It's pretty funny that this album was a total flop, but has still been released three times, and all three editions are out-of-print. Maybe the fourth edition will bring this album the attention it deserves.
Artists in this article: Copy Haho, Dexys Midnight Runners,