The sounds of sadness

Phil, over at AVPS, is having a miserable Valentine's Day. I've essentially been working so, as a good Stakanovite worker, I've been joyously happy all day long toiling away. However, the facts are misery is an emotion with depth in the way that happiness rarely is. Having said that when bliss comes, whew, it's powerful stuff.

In order to alleviate his temper Phil's suggesting a meme of miserablism down the ages and has, cheekily, tagged me. Seems diverting enough especially as it allows me to highlight a few of my favourite tracks. Phil has gone for an 80s, 90's and 00's song but I'm moving it one decade back and have gone for 70's, 80's and 90's.

If you want bleak heart felt angst rolled in a septic self loathing with a light drizzle of weeping, barely contained rage then allow me to introduce you to Joy Division. No song could be more appropriate on a wet Valentine's Day than this perky little number.



In the eighties flouncing about became the in thing. Nothing exemplifies this trend more this tune from 1983 by those well known doom-mongers, The Smiths.



Oh Morrisey. Deep sigh.

Moving on the 90's we have the dark prophesies of Portishead, but Phil's already bagged them so I need to look around for something equally substantial. I was always impressed by Catatonia's sweet lyrical style blending an essentially nihilist ennui that contrasts sharply with the optimism of their style.

Dead from the waist down represents this nicely.



If you fancy tagging yourself with the three decades of misery meme, feel free. Tell me about it in the comments and I'll be happy to link to youse.