Mix for a first time Momus listener.. (any suggestions?)

Date: 18 Apr 2003 20:37:20 -0700
Newsgroups: alt.fan.momus
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Momus, don't look! (This would be too much like reading my diary, if
I kept one.)
Coincidentally, at the time this thread appeared in the newsgroup, I
was compiling an old-fashioned mix tape for a poet-in-residence friend
of mine, someone who has collaborated with rock musicians in the past
and who no doubt prefers the "classic rock" sound. Therefore, I chose
only the most accessible Momus tunes I could crowd into 110 minutes,
tried to include at least one song from every album, and called my
little introduction "Momus: A Primer." (I wonder if it will bear any
similarity to Momus's promised Sony compilation.) Maybe this will
inspiration to all you others to get taping, burning, and spreading
the gospel. (Anyone who says Momus is all in the words should listen
again to these more "mainstream" of his songs, all of which have music
that more than matches the power of the lyrics.) Here's the
countdown, in case anyone's interested:
1. Born to be Adored
although a friend of mine who's deaf to satire said upon hearing this
song, "That guy must think he's so hot"
2. Lucky Like St. Sebastian
obligatory, a song that at heart is as nasty as St. Paul, but far
sweeter, too
3. Finnegan the Folk Hero
notice the Celtic bias in these song selections--because my friend is
Irish, even if this song is so American
4. Spy on the Moon
a charming song which for some reason reminds me of forgotten '80s
group Men Without Hats (sorry!)
5. Violets
I suppose the acrostic is impossible to figure out unless you're
listening very, very closely
6. Saved
a song worthy of St. Augustine
7. How To Get (and Stay) Famous
any artist in any discipline couldn't help but feel this song very
deep down inside--God's answer, "all I know is how to hide," is surely
one of the greatest theological statements I've ever heard in any
song, any hymn, anywhere
8. The Marquise of Sadness
of course
9. Morality is Vanity
I saw Momus perform this live not long after 9/11--and it's only
become more accurate since then
10. The Hairstyle of the Devil (second version)
one of those songs whose melody is unimpeachable and whose lyric is
damnably perceptive
11. Life of an Office Worker
just a warning to all those lovers of "classic rock"
12. I Had a Girl
it was hard knowing whether to choose this or the "Inflatable Doll"
version; I chose the more personal and poignant
13. Little Apples
there's so much going on in this song--from Jimmy Webb to Atari!
14. I Can See Japan
because it fit on the end of the tape, and because it is so
precociously precious
15. See a Friend in Tears
the line about Europe succumbing to the States, as well as "til the
end of the American Empire" from "Office Worker" are almost as
prescient as Phil Ochs--and besides this is a heartbreaking
realization of the Brel tune
16. Good Morning World
just to prove that Momus does owe more than a little to '60s pop--and
dare I say the Beatles?
17. Everyone I Ever Slept With
how you got famous, and what no one else ever admits--except Pia
Zadora in the classic "Lonely Lady," who says upon receiving her
Academy award, "I'm not the first person who fucked her way to the
top"
18. Tinnitus
because of those faux bagpipes, alone
19. Shawn Krueger
a delightful bit of Cyrano de Bergerackery, with that nice inversion
of "We've Only Just Begun" at the bridge
20. A Little Schubert
I was lucky enough to hear this live and in English twice; Momus's
accent is quite good, but I hope he releases the English version some
day, too
21. The Last Communist
one of those songs that gets you really angry, in a good way
22. Murderers, the Hope of Women
though I know my Kokoschka, and I know these lyrics by heart, I'm
still puzzled by the ambiguity, which is probably part of the reason
why it's a great song, my favorite line being the one about escaping
in the guise of wig and false teeth
23. The Complete History of Sexual Jealousy, Parts 17-24 (original
version)
I was tempted to use the "penis envy" version!
24. Monsters of Love
a beautifully atmospheric song which quotes my favorite Spanish
proverb
25. Summer Holiday 1999
this song seems most out of place here, but I had to choose one from
the album! I like it, but a solo piano version might have been
nicer...
26. The Guitar Lesson (original version)
the lyrics are really a masterful poem, a Vermeer miniature
27. I Was a Maoist Intellectual
in some ways, maybe my favorite Momus song, being about an eventuality
28. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
the third in the "famous" trilogy, what comes after "How to Get" and
"Everybody I Have Slept With," and a nice summary of the 1980's "greed
is good" ethos
29. The Sadness of Things
now, that's what I call a hook!
30. The Ladies Understand
ending the cassette in an unexpected bit of rollicking ultraviolent
vaudeville
I know I omitted many perhaps better but less "accessible" songs, and
Robin Carmody, if you're listening, I'm sorry I left off "The Charm of
Innocence"--but if there's another compilation...