Review by Steve McGowan from Zub RecordsTonight’s stream, featuring bonus tracks from Robyn and The Egyptians’ second album, was delayed for an hour as Emma Swift was streaming a performance from her new Dylan covers record, Blonde On The Tracks (tinyurl.com/zubblonde), for Australian TV. The show started solo with Robyn and his Gibson acoustic in ‘Studio B,’ the kitchen of the couple’s East Nashville, TN home. The sound and picture were excellent as he did an almost Bluegrass sounding version of ‘The Leopard,’ an Element Of Light bonus track. Introducing the next song, Reg said “I used to live on the edge of a wood, and would prowl around looking for fossilized rats and birds caught in the barbed wire.” He then played ‘The Black Crow Knows,’ a dark tune with the chorus:
If you want to know what the future holds, the black crow knows
Emma Swift tardily appeared, explaining that she had been taping an Australian show called Rock Show that she had always dreamt of being on. Robyn switched to his Larrivee acoustic, and the duo sang ‘Birdshead’ (on You & Oblivion), Robyn picking the tune in a very folk-rock style. Emma went to tend the streaming tech, and Reg explained the next song was about the apocalypse in 1986, which, according to him, was Ronald Reagan. This was for ‘The Crawling,’ another disconcerting song from the Element bonus tracks.
Emma returned, and they talked about the Isle Of Wight, where Robyn was living when composing this record, and then they sang the (surprisingly poppy) ‘Tell Me About Your Drugs:’
Do you believe in the Holy Ghost?
Tell me about your drugs
Do you like the things that hurt you most?
Tell me about your drugs
Do you wish you were somebody else?
Tell me about your drugs
But you wake up and you're still yourself
Talkin' about your drugs
Ah, we get messed up by forces that we just don't understand
They then went into ‘I Used To Say I Love You’ from I Often Dream Of Trains, a simpler, more earnest song, it was very pretty. When it ended Reg said “like so many songs, it just stopped.” Robyn said “I’d love to hear Paul McCartney sing this” before he did a lovely version of ‘Vibrating’ from Globe Of Frogs. Emma and Reg discussed (their cat) Tubby’s production skills, and mentioned they could barely afford his services anymore. Robyn said “I never play this” and did a very Dylan-ish version of ‘You’ve Got A Sweet Mouth On You, Baby’ from Jewels For Sophia (it was actually 'You've Got' from the You & Oblivion collection). Afterwards, Emma mentioned “I’m the 21st century muse and belong in none of these songs.”
Since they were cut off on the last show, Robyn did ‘Lady Waters And The Hooded One,’ the last track on Element Of Light, all the way through. This tale of the plague is constructed much like an old English folk song:
"Will you dance with me, Lady Waters?"
And a bony hand plucked her gown
"Will you dance with me," said the Hooded One
"For the plague has now reached this town."
"No, I'll never dance," says Lady Waters
"For I see that your name is Death."
And beneath her mask she was sweating
At the Hooded One's fetid breath
"Will you dance with me, Lady Waters?
For the fire dies in your grate
And your guests have gone and your lord's asleep
And the plague has reached your estate."
This was just beautiful and fantastic. Announcing next week would be “80’s requests,” the duo did a funny version of ‘Victorian Squid’ from You And Oblivion, and the show was over.
They say when you break a song down to its basic elements, such as acoustic guitar and vocals, you can really tell whether it’s quality. I was truly impressed by many of these ‘bonus’ tracks Robyn wrote in the mid 1980’s. He obviously was on a roll - this was an amazingly good show and I can’t wait for next week.