Every so often, sometimes when you least expect it you are lucky enough to experience a perfect synthesis of time/place/music/mood. I was lucky enough to have that today.
I had been to see my parents in beautiful West Wales this weekend. It was a perfect spring morning, sun, beautiful blue skies, everything I could want from my favourite season. We went for a walk in Dinefwr Park, beneath the glowering picturesque castle ruins we strolled through oak woods, shady banks covered in wild garlic and bluebells and just gloried in it all.
So visit concluded, I loaded up the 1537 mobile and headed out on the highway*, my soul full of nature, love and sunshine. Pressing play on the random shuffle of righteousness I got the perfect tune for the occasion. Killing Joke Love Like Blood.
Yes I understand that a song with a lyric literally/liberally drenched in blood might possibly harsh the vibe, but it didn’t. The song is all about living life until it hurts, taking the stabilizers off and glorying in what you can do, embodying your art. Hence the Mishima-referencing cover art.
Those glinting angular guitar lines set against that pummelling Paul Raven bassline just do it for me every time. Jaz Coleman’s vocals are dextrous and moving, not thunderous and lightning (very, very frightening) for once. ‘Love Like Blood’ sounds like a lifting up, a positive decision and a commitment to live. It fitted.
It was the extended 12″ mix that came up, all 6:24 of it and I had it twice gliding along the Towy Valley; deciding against a third time, in case it cheapened it.
Everyday through all frustration and despair
Love and hate fight with burning hearts
'Til legends live and man is god again
And self-preservation rules the day no more
We must dream of promised lands and fields
For me those promised lands and fields are the decidedly green, green ones of Wales.
Love Like Blood comes with a single version and a further track ‘Blue Feather’ which is a further document of where Killing Joke were at in 1985 in terms of dramatic pop, but hardly essential.
Hearing Love Like Blood today at that time and in that place after that morning was special. I suspect it will be what this song conjures up for me forever.
1230 Down.
PS: the next song was AC/DC ‘Big Balls’ which caused less of a spontaneous overflow of powerful emotion, but did make me laugh more than it should really have done.
*well the A40 actually.