Album: Robyn Hitchcock
Year: 2017
. . .
Robyn Hitchcock was recorded in Nashville, where Robyn Hitchcock had moved with his partner, Emma Swift, in 2015. And it showed: not so much with the country, though “I Pray When I’m Drunk” is definitely the most country thing he had since since “Ye Sleeping Knights of Jesus” way back in 1984, but because the pedal steel guitar, as played by Russ Pahl, was a pretty big part of the sound.
And nowhere was it a bigger part of the sound than “1970 In Aspic,” where it rings and comments from the start.
1970 is coming
Good and evil will arise
You don’t even have to contact them, they’ll find you1969 is over
Good and evil are installed
Separate dressing rooms with one connecting doorway
To the hall
(Jesus Christ)
At the end of that verse, Robyn is joined in on “to the hall” by Wilco’s Pat Sansone — who also appeared with Robyn at the Big Star’s Third in Glendale the year before — and the aforementioned Swift, which is followed by a lovely and exasperated “Jesus Chrrrrrriiiiisssssst.”
After they’re brought aboard, then it’s call-and-response with Swift for the, uh, disturbing third verse:
1970 keeps coming
(Oh you know it always does)
And you stay for the applause
(Oh you know you always do)
Good and evil took you upstairs and explored you
On all fours
(Jesus christ)
After that, it’s a long pedal steel solo by Pahl, and the final verse, where Robyn joyfully exclaims “your bacteria will live in me forever” before the song finally fades out, “jesus christing” all the way.
“1970 in Aspic”
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