Miscellaneous Humanity Reviews

Ground Control to Major... Lincoln MKZ

Major Tom
performed by Shiny Toy Guns
posted by Kattastrophe

 


So, one day, my alarm goes off, right? And I've got it set to play the radio instead of that annoying buzzer because it's easier for me to sleep through. The song it starts blaring at me is some sort of re-imagining of David Bowie's Space Oddity. I was half asleep so I didn't try to find out what it was right then, but I knew I really liked the song.

For four days in a row it played that song at the same time. It was like Groundhog Day. Then I realized it was part of a pre-recorded set when I called to find out what it was and the DJ had no idea what I was talking about. So, I just searched aimlessly for the song. And this was in the days before Google, so my searching consisted of going into every music store in town and mumbling lyrics at people.

I finally found the song and became obsessed with it because it was so damn hard for me to get ahold of. Peter Schilling's Major Tom. I love the song. Love the whole album actually.

So, I get the itch to listen to it today and do a search for it on my computer. My search pulls up two songs. Surprised, I click on the unfamiliar one. Apparently, at some point I acquired a cover of the song by Shiny Toy Guns.

This is great news! I love Shiny Toy Guns! I click on it straightaway! It seems to be a single as the album art clearly says "Major Tom" and nothing else. Rather than just listen, I decide to hit up YouTube to see if there's a video.

YouTube did not disappoint.



Unfortunately, Shiny Toy Guns do. Just a little. Not a huge thing, really. I'm almost ashamed to admit this bothered me, but... Apparently, at some point, Shiny Toy Guns became to Ford what Blind Mag is to GeneCo.

Don't get me wrong, they still sound great. Amazing. But having done two songs for Ford Lincoln commercials, two songs that I happen to love the originals for (the other is Blue Oyster Cult's Burnin' For You), kinda leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Or that could just be the cheetos I ate. Also, Sissely Treasure is kind of... melodramatic. She sounds amazing, but... Carrah Faye never distracted me with histrionic dancing.

But what's really important here is the song. So, the video is a pretty severe let down, Sissely aside, we only get to see Jeremy Dawson's profile. His... wonderful... amazing... Uh, nevermind!

The song is great. The intro is note for note how the original was and, throughout, the melody is very similar. But it's been deconstructed and rebuilt to sound more ethereal and dreamlike. Sissely's voice is quick and smooth, you could even say robotic, during the verses. During the choruses her emotion shows. Especially toward the end. It's beautiful.

Chad Petree's harmonies are spot on as usual. When he comes in, it's haunting.

The instrumentals, like Sissely's voice, alternate between staccato rhythms and smooth technology. A perfect blend for the song.

All in all, definitely worth listening to, but the skip the video. Those five Glooms are for the song only.

nWoD Inspiration:

Even though nWoD is highly earthcentric, there's always possibilities in Space. Major Tom is going home, he feels it, he knows it. Something out there is calling to him.

Surely in the beginning when, in the chorus, it says, "Calling home", it means back to earth. But in the last verse, the story takes a twist. Make of it what you will.

No one understands,
but Major Tom sees.
"Now the light commands
this is my home,
I'm coming home."