So he does LOTS of drugs. So he looks like a homeless junkie. So he's been in and out of jail. So what? Pete Doherty, walking train-wreck though he may be, is a great songwriter.
My man Pete is scattered all through the 300, either in his first incarnation as part of The Libertines, in his follow-up to that in The Babyshambles, and even as a solo artist. He's got one of those great drunken English slurs, kind of like another one of my favs Joe Strummer. But whereas the frontman of The Clash had more of a blue-collar snarl, Pete Doherty has the voice of a dreamy poet... albeit one who's had a pint or two-dozen at the local pub.
"Albion" is from the first Babyshambles album "Down in Albion." The album itself is pretty uneven, but it has some wonderful moments on it. "Albion" seems to really be nothing more than a good ol' patriotic drinking song. The title actually comes from an old reference to Great Britain. Uses of the term goes far back into ancient times and can be found in the writings of Pliny the Elder. Many years later, beloved English writers William Shakespeare and William Blake also dropped the term in their works. So how did a crack-head ex-con like Doherty come up with it? According to sources, a young Peter was apparently a top-notch student who won a poetry contest at the age of 16. Later, while working as a gravedigger, Pete could often be found sitting on tombs reading and writing. How gothic and romantic! And though you may laugh, who but a genuine poet could write phrases about a "pale thin girl with eyes forlorn" and drop other lines about "pith helmets" and "canons at dawn"? Doherty's the real deal and he knows how to cater to the crowd too. He throws in names of half the towns in England while he's at it. Depthford. Catford. Mansfield. New Castle. Anywhere in Albion! Who wouldn't raise a glass and drink to this one!?!
"Albion" can be found on the album "Down in Albion." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the blog.
My man Pete is scattered all through the 300, either in his first incarnation as part of The Libertines, in his follow-up to that in The Babyshambles, and even as a solo artist. He's got one of those great drunken English slurs, kind of like another one of my favs Joe Strummer. But whereas the frontman of The Clash had more of a blue-collar snarl, Pete Doherty has the voice of a dreamy poet... albeit one who's had a pint or two-dozen at the local pub.
"Albion" is from the first Babyshambles album "Down in Albion." The album itself is pretty uneven, but it has some wonderful moments on it. "Albion" seems to really be nothing more than a good ol' patriotic drinking song. The title actually comes from an old reference to Great Britain. Uses of the term goes far back into ancient times and can be found in the writings of Pliny the Elder. Many years later, beloved English writers William Shakespeare and William Blake also dropped the term in their works. So how did a crack-head ex-con like Doherty come up with it? According to sources, a young Peter was apparently a top-notch student who won a poetry contest at the age of 16. Later, while working as a gravedigger, Pete could often be found sitting on tombs reading and writing. How gothic and romantic! And though you may laugh, who but a genuine poet could write phrases about a "pale thin girl with eyes forlorn" and drop other lines about "pith helmets" and "canons at dawn"? Doherty's the real deal and he knows how to cater to the crowd too. He throws in names of half the towns in England while he's at it. Depthford. Catford. Mansfield. New Castle. Anywhere in Albion! Who wouldn't raise a glass and drink to this one!?!
"Albion" can be found on the album "Down in Albion." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the blog.
Great post - I look forward to reading more of these.
ReplyDeleteAgreed - you can't dismiss Pete's talent (amidst a sea of issues)