I Just Can't Stop It

Certain Songs #425: The English Beat – “Best Friend”

January 19, 2016 by Jim Connelly

Album: I Just Can’t Stop It
Year: 1980

If I Just Can’t Stop It was the living embodiment of Pete Townshend’s maxim that “Rock ‘n’ Roll won’t eliminate your problems, but it will sort of let you dance all over them,” then “Best Friend” just might be the epitome of that embodiment.

With Andy Cox’s 12-string Rickenbacker playing high-and-seek with Dave Wakeling’s six-string and Saxa providing commentary throughout, “Best Friend” soars like the greatest power pop songs of the era.

Certain Songs #424: The English Beat – “Tears of a Clown”

January 18, 2016 by Jim Connelly

Album: I Just Can’t Stop It
Year: 1980

Because future “Certain Songs” subject “Tears of a Clown” by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles is perhaps the single greatest recording to come out of Motown, the degree of difficulty involved with covering it is extremely high.

And The Beat just nail it: reinterpreting with the same deftness that Jimi Hendrix electrified “All Along The Watchtower” or Hüsker Dü recontextualized “Eight Miles High.”

Certain Songs #423: The English Beat – “Two Swords”

January 17, 2016 by Jim Connelly

All speedy beats and ringing guitars, “Two Swords” is yet another perfect punk-reggae hybrid, focusing more on the punk side of things, but retaining just enough offbeat rhythm power to be more of a punk-ska hybrid than anything else.

Unlike the early Clash punk-reggae hybrids where the guitars where chock full of punk distortion, The Beat dispense with all that, so the guitars on “Two Swords” are bright and shiny, even if the rest of the song is going at punk speed.

Certain Songs #422: The English Beat – “Mirror in The Bathroom”

January 16, 2016 by Jim Connelly

Album: I Just Can’t Stop It
Year: 1980

I was a couple of years late getting I Just Can’t Stop It into my life. While it came out in 1980, I didn’t get around to buying it until mid-October 1982.

Since that time, I’ve never stopped listening to it, as its utterly infectious combination of reggae and punk and pop felt completely fresh in 1982 and still resonates today.