In it, you'll see "the Champs," as I so politically correctly like to call them, totally shred the fuck out of Henry Francis Lyte and William Henry Monk's 1847 megahit, "Abide With Me," before jumping headfirst into the glistening ocean of victory metal that is "Extra Man," my personal favorite Champs composition.
It's uncommon for the Champs to mix words with their metal. Perhaps that's why I love "Extra Man." Of course, it may also be the Champs' poppiest number, having a sort of verse chorus verse thing to it. In any case, here you go. Thanks, JA!
1. Lies! All lies! JA only mentions the Champs to pull my chain for liking them. He'll come around any say things like:
"The Fucking Champs. Hmm. Four albums and nobody's ever heard of them. I wonder why."
Then there's the fact that the Champs don't have a bass player...
COMMENTS
It's like, make up your mind, dude.Also, "Abide with Me" is one 'a those melodies that is like surgically engraved in my (and probably Fuzzy's) mind(s), thanks to years of The Psalter. Great music. We were the sons of a preached-to lady, after all.
Douche Stage Right is both air-guitaring and headbanging. As much as I appreciate a terribly done air guitar, my own sense of propriety (and Jenn's threats of reprisal) makes sure that thing is confined to the apartment. Or select, drunken venues.
If you watch closely, you'll notice that the air-guitaring/headbanging dude just totally sleeps right through "Abide With Me." (No big deal, right? We've all been there.) It's not until the fourth chord of "Extra Man" that he suddenly rises from his beer coma, his fingers start wiggling uncontrollably, and his head begins to bang.
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