The Medusa Fora

I was in Dublin last week and finally got a copy of Ghostown and have been enjoying it a lot but I've a couple questions:

*What's the story behind the name the "Radiators from Space"? why not from some other place? Maybe I'm overthinking it but seeing how much of the lyrical content concerns the state of Ireland are we supposed to connect Ireland in the 70s with outer space? And, if so, compared to what?

*People here seem to get hung up (perhaps rightly) about how Pogues lyrics change over time and in different versions of songs so, with that in mind, are the lyrics to Song of the Faithful Departed

"poetry in paralysis too cheap to recite"

or

"poetry in paralysis too deep to recite"?

The lyrics page on the Rads site states the first, but it sure sounds like the second.

*Lastly, why was the "from Space" dropped on this album? Too clunky?

Anyway, I really like the album and I think my favorite moment is the enlivened scream on "And then I'll bury you upright so the sun doesn't blind you..." Makes me want to put my fist through a window.

I've always been kinda curious about when The Radiators started releasing zydeco albums. It's clearly after "From Space" was dropped.

I think our friends from the UK like to use the phrase "cheeky bastard" to respond to such posts but I, being a demure and refined American, will refrain from such base expressions, you schmuck.

Nate wrote:I was in Dublin last week and finally got a copy of Ghostown and have been enjoying it a lot but I've a couple questions:

*What's the story behind the name the "Radiators from Space"? why not from some other place? Maybe I'm overthinking it but seeing how much of the lyrical content concerns the state of Ireland are we supposed to connect Ireland in the 70s with outer space? And, if so, compared to what?

*People here seem to get hung up (perhaps rightly) about how Pogues lyrics change over time and in different versions of songs so, with that in mind, are the lyrics to Song of the Faithful Departed

"poetry in paralysis too cheap to recite"

or

"poetry in paralysis too deep to recite"?

The lyrics page on the Rads site states the first, but it sure sounds like the second.

*Lastly, why was the "from Space" dropped on this album? Too clunky?

Anyway, I really like the album and I think my favorite moment is the enlivened scream on "And then I'll bury you upright so the sun doesn't blind you..." Makes me want to put my fist through a window.

I always thought it was too sweet to recite, but that's what happens when you refuse to finish a song, offering it up instead in several versions. It has its perils. On the lyrics I sent to Christy Moore, the "Sacred Heart's picture, compassion in his eyes, drummed out the river's sighs". When I realised the error, or typo or whatever it was, I called Christy and reminded him the correct word was drowned, but by then it was too late, he preferred drummed , and it has prejudiced me against Christy's numerous versions ever since. I had also rewritten the last line of the song so that Christy would sing "..and no more regrets in your world without end" rather than the original "..and no more tristesse in your world without end", but on this occasion, he wanted to stick stubbornly to the original lyric.

One of the small pleasures of singing "Faithful Departed" with the Radiators is that I never know myself which lyric options I'm going to choose, from performance to performance, until the moment has passed.

The saga of the Radiators' name is long and complicated but perhaps best explained, if you have the patience, throughout the following essay:

http://pogues.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7207

philipchevron wrote:The saga of the Radiators' name is long and complicated but perhaps best explained, if you have the patience, throughout the following essay:

http://pogues.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7207

Do I remember correctly that you once played a gig under the name of "The Radiators Plan 9" and that it was a nod to that wonderful American director Edward D. Wood Jr. ?

The Duke of Ingmar wrote:

philipchevron wrote:The saga of the Radiators' name is long and complicated but perhaps best explained, if you have the patience, throughout the following essay:

http://pogues.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7207

Do I remember correctly that you once played a gig under the name of "The Radiators Plan 9" and that it was a nod to that wonderful American director Edward D. Wood Jr. ?

Radiators Plan 9 was the line-up that contained (if that is the word) Cait O'Riordan. It was not so much a tribute to Ed Wood as a sly dig at the punk nostalgists who have always insisted on calling us "The Radiators From Outer Space". Plan 9 made two CD EPs, "Television Screen 2004" and "The Summer Season".

philipchevron wrote:

The Duke of Ingmar wrote:Do I remember correctly that you once played a gig under the name of "The Radiators Plan 9" and that it was a nod to that wonderful American director Edward D. Wood Jr. ?

Radiators Plan 9 was the line-up that contained (if that is the word) Cait O'Riordan. It was not so much a tribute to Ed Wood as a sly dig at the punk nostalgists who have always insisted on calling us "The Radiators From Outer Space". Plan 9 made two CD EPs, "Television Screen 2004" and "The Summer Season".

Sorry if you´ve already given an answer on another thread (which I was just too blind to detect), but what´s the story behind the original name "Radiators From Space" ?

Thank you, Mr Chevron.