To be a party-head is something Ι could never do. I don’t like no one, except for you. You’re my only friend - you don’t even like me. Come over to my house, Ι got a plan for you. You're not gonna come, but Ι want you to. You’re my only friend, you don’t even like me.
The magnificent 'My Pal' - a piece of art far ahead of its time - was released on Au Go Go Records back in 1987, and rightly became a hit in the indie world, attaining relatively decent sales in that limited niche. More importantly, it's a song that amazingly sounds as fresh and unique today as it did then. A song that's not only endured but one that's got even better with age.
It's indeed a stunning single by any standards - surely one of the greatest debut singles of all time!
A song that's a minimalist, nihilistic existential slice of beautiful punk from shortlived Ozzie outift GOD. A sublime short sharp shock! An extended outsider primal scream from out of Melbourne!
A song with wonderful pared down yet impactful lyrics. Yap, lines don't really come much rawer or with such impact as "You’re my only friend - you don’t even like me"!!
All driven by a wonderful pounding five-note riff oscillating wildly through the seminal song!
Teenage - indeed adult - angst and isolation has rarely been depicted as well as this!
Amazingly, songwriter Joel Silbersher was only 16 when he wrote the song (the other band members were also around the same age when they cut the track!)
Recall again that "My Pal" was written years before the manufactured 'phenonenon' of Grunge, the template for which is actually set out here! It was even written before Dinosaur Jr's seminal Grunge-pioneering "Freak Scene" (which actually has echoes of "My Pal" in it!)
Yap, 'My Pal' is a song out-Cobaining Cobain years before Cobain was ripping off shitloads of artists like this and rolling in shitloads of filthy moolah for his troubles!
Man, he even ripped off Silbersher's powerful 'thralls of death' screaming vocal style! Like the title of this song, all a piece of extreme irony indeed! However, as he really shows here, Joel is more than a little aware that life ain't f*cking fair!!
GOD – “My Pal”
single (1987)
GOD – “My Pal”
Live on 'Recovery'(1987)
from Australian TV channel ABC
Warning ... Beware of the Grooooovy and Exxxpensive special effects on this thing!
tx ioannis
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