Gorillaz: Demon Days

Stepping into the animated world of Gorillaz's "Demon Days," two passionate music fans embark on a track-by-track exploration of the groundbreaking 2005 album that cemented the virtual band's place in music history.

The conversation delves deep into the fictional band members—2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs—examining how their elaborate backstories contribute to the album's mystique. As each song unfolds, from the haunting intro through chart-toppers like "Feel Good Inc." and "Dirty Harry," our hosts react in real-time, discovering new layers and connections within Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's ambitious creation.

Beyond the infectious singles, this episode highlights what makes "Demon Days" a true concept album. The duo unpacks its diverse musical influences—spanning hip-hop, electronic, rock, and world music—while noting the contributions from collaborators like De La Soul, MF DOOM, and Dennis Hopper. Their analysis reveals the album's environmental themes, technological commentary, and spiritual questions that prove increasingly prescient almost two decades later.

What emerges is a celebration of artistic vision that challenges musical boundaries. From the apocalyptic narrative of "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head" to the Beach Boys-inspired harmonies closing the album, listeners gain fresh appreciation for both the hits and overlooked album cuts. By the final segment, where both hosts share their personal top three non-hit tracks, you'll want to experience Gorillaz's masterpiece with newly opened ears.

Whether you're a longtime Gorillaz fan or discovering their work for the first time, this deep dive captures why "Demon Days" remains a landmark achievement in modern music—where animation, storytelling, and sonic innovation create something truly extraordinary.

Transcript

Introduction to Demon Days

Speaker 1 0:00

You better ask yourself a question Do I feel lucky?

Speaker 2 0:09

Do you punk? Alright, thank you for listening to Greatest Nine Hits. I'm Chris and playing Feel Good Inc and a mashup between that and Dirty Harry is my co-host, tim, and today's album is the Gorillaz Demon Days 2005. Great, great album. Second studio album from the Gorillaz Virtual band, created by the guy from Blur, davidbarn, and, uh, michael hewlett, uh, the artist, and so, um, there are members of the band. There's like four members. It's like I don't know optimus prime and I don't know. I'm yeah, like, uh, there's noodle. I know just off the top of my head who else Russell Hobbs on drums, yeah, noodles in there.

Speaker 2 1:09

Murdoch, nichols and, yeah, 2d, that's right, okay, and it's weird Like they all have like these elaborate those that you know they're fictitional characters, of course, they're virtual, but you know they're real to the fans. There's a rabid fan base. I'm looking at gorillasfandomcom really interesting. It's got all kinds of like backstory stuff, like, for example, there's there's like 2D, okay, and 2D is male, 46, born May 23rd 1978, hartford, charlotte, england. So I don't know how they get this, but anyway, relatives are David Tuspot is the father, the mother is Rachel Tuspot, I don't know. There's other stuff. It's crazy, though you can go deeper and deeper, like way, way down. So anyway, yeah, really creative backstories of all the characters, the songs. They frequently have guest artists. I think there's a number of different people who do some appearances, do some work on this album. There's De La Soul and a bunch of other people like, do you know, do some appearances, do some work on this album like there's like de la soul and uh, like a bunch of other people.

Gorillaz Virtual Band & Characters

Speaker 2 2:29

Uh, yeah, we'll look through the list, but anyway, this is number one in uk. Back in 2005 when it came out uh, six times platinum in the uk, double platinum in the us. Their big lead single was uh, feel good Inc. Um, huge, you know. No, I don't know anybody who doesn't like that song. Um, the band had some other good albums too After this. I like plastic beach that came out 2010. Um, but nevertheless, uh, really cool stuff.

Speaker 2 3:01

Tim has seen him once, so it'd be interesting to get his take on it. He's jamming out right now and he's feeling it, he's loving it, he's a fan and he is a little punk, but we love him. Anyway, yeah, damon Albarn, of course, the founder of Blur, or the lead singer, leader of the band, this guy, jamie Hewlett, really, really accomplished artist and you know what? Regarding the songs on the album, there's some good little nuggets in there. It's 15 songs, so we're going to listen to all of them, but they're quick hitters and at the end we'll listen to all the songs and then we'll give you our top three non-hits. That's always our favorite part of the, so if you want to fast forward to the end or listen through it too, because as we listen to the song we're going to yuck it up. We've got all kinds of funny sound bites that we're going to weave in here and there and kick it.

Speaker 2 4:04

So I think there's some crossover collaborations that they've had with, like throughout their careers, tina wayne, with the talking heads tom tom club there's. They're sort of, uh, one of the same in, in a sense, sibo mato, miho Hattori. Clint Eastwood is a single from a previous album too. So Clint Eastwood and Dirty Harry is on this album. So they must have some sort of an obsession with Dirty Harry, I guess. Yeah, so just sort of put two and two together. But yeah, that's the time when Tim's tim's packing it in, he's getting a swig, he's doing the dance around as he normally does, he, he's getting all situated and he can't wait to get to the, uh, the sound banks.

Speaker 2 4:59

He's trying to be, disciplined I feel he's trying to be, disciplined. There he is. How's it going Tim? How you doing bud?

Speaker 3 5:07

Round, and round we go.

Speaker 2 5:08

Here we are, yeah, yeah, wow. What do you think? What can you tell us about this album?

Speaker 3 5:16

Well, I saw Damon and the Gorillas whatever iteration that was at the Merriweather in Columbia.

Speaker 2 5:28

Okay, maryland.

Speaker 3 5:30

Yeah, that was. I want to say 2011 or something.

Speaker 2 5:36

Okay, so this one had been out by.

Speaker 3 5:48

It was Plastic Beach, I think, was the most recent album, and there's right, a lot of hip-hop, a lot of rap and um, they mostly played new stuff, which is cool.

Speaker 2 5:52

They really didn't play any old stuff all pretty much from there maybe a couple but uh and it's like a lot of david, uh or damon damon albarn is what I meant to say.

Speaker 1 6:01

Yeah but, recorder.

Speaker 2 6:03

He's got the recorder. He's dancing around.

Speaker 3 6:05

Yeah.

Speaker 2 6:05

He's running around the stage. He makes no qualms that he makes these songs still like a middle school child on like a preset recorder.

Speaker 3 6:20

He's like low tech, Low tech, and then it becomes high tech. I think is the way the band operates. He wants to show his range, and you know yeah, they sort of spit a little riff around and then go for it well, they, they weave in a lot of different musical styles.

Album Overview & Feel Good Inc.

Speaker 2 6:33

I mean, because most of the time he's with, he's got a recorder and then he's got rappers. Like you know, there's some hip-hop, there's electronic, there's world music. You know they do some latin singing, there's all kinds of stuff. So it's a, it's good stuff and I'm I'm looking forward to getting into it. So, uh, any last words before we uh click the. We start with intro, first uh track yeah, this is a great album. All right, buckle up, here we go.

Speaker 4 7:01

It's got some strings will provide a most bizarre experience. It's got some strings.

Speaker 3 7:09

We'll provide a most bizarre experience.

Speaker 2 7:11

That was an over A little Rod Serling.

Speaker 3 7:12

We got some Rod Serling here.

Speaker 2 7:14

That was us.

Speaker 3 7:15

In the sound bank.

Speaker 2 7:26

Yeah, okay, there's that wackiness in the background.

Speaker 3 7:29

It's kind of like Pink Floyd-esque. Yes, it's building up Very British and it goes right into, goes into last living soul here okay, we'll provide a most bizarre experience all right, yeah, that was the intro.

Speaker 2 8:01

Yeah, the last living soul. This, yeah, the last living soul. This is they just. Oh, last living soul. Are we the last living souls?

Speaker 1 8:11

Are we the last living souls? Are we the last living souls? Are we the last?

Speaker 2 8:19

living souls. Little soul train, all right. Little soul train alright. That soul train was us too spoiler a lot of gun references.

Speaker 3 8:38

Is this De?

Speaker 2 8:39

La Soul. De La Soul is on one of these. It's not him. It's him to a song another day, or do we know? While we know, does it seem to be conveyed that way. Are we the last living souls? Are we the last living souls? Are we the last? I hope not.

Speaker 3 9:20

Yeah, don't remember to have some children out there. Yeah, don't remember to have some children out there. Yeah, don't forget. Keep the posterity of human generations alive.

Speaker 4 9:33

Story about a man slowly succumbing to a kind of nightmarish loneliness, the gradual disintegration of mind and body, because human beings have that palpable need for companionship.

Speaker 3 9:44

Okay, Thank you, companionship. Okay, thank you, rod yeah.

Speaker 2 9:48

Shout out to Rod Serling.

Speaker 3 9:52

We're getting into Adele like Adele territory here. Yeah, coldplay, okay. Oh yeah, this happened here first. You know that Coldplay song, that's right. Yeah, Dun dun, dun, dun dun yeah.

Speaker 2 10:05

Right here, griff did it from this.

Speaker 3 10:06

Yeah, he did.

Speaker 2 10:09

Good ear Yep.

Speaker 4 10:12

We're leaving this wide open.

Speaker 2 10:22

Grifters yeah, I hate them. No de la soul was on feel good inc. There's other people on here like booty brown people I've never heard of a lot of smaller English rappers, the far side CYDE, we're not privy to a lot of their works over here.

Speaker 3 10:50

No, mf Doom, I'm not. Oh, mf Doom is classic.

Speaker 2 10:53

Yeah, I do know, mf Doom we know Ike Turner was on keyboards. Sean Ryder, no shout out for Ike Turner how did? That even happen, or maybe it's a different Ike Turner.

Speaker 4 11:08

And what this moment looks for an escape.

Speaker 2 11:12

I guess. Oh, dennis Hopper, does the narration Fire coming out of the monkey's head, right, all right.

Speaker 4 11:33

Okay, we're going to the next song, which is Kids With Guns. You see, if you're not familiar with firearms, Thank you, Don.

Speaker 3 11:44

Don wanted to get in. Shout out to Don Knotts. These babies can go on. You're drinking, they have the pacifier in their mouth. Yeah, push it, push it. It's like salt and pepper.

Speaker 2 12:09

Yeah, ah, push it, push it real good.

Speaker 1 12:16

Help.

Speaker 2 12:19

No, but they kind of ripped this off from that part of it.

Speaker 1 12:22

Yes, they did.

Speaker 2 12:24

They influenced.

Speaker 3 12:26

You hear that little part, yeah, that little I like that it's very sparsely technology technology of the time they had it all back then 2005.

Speaker 2 12:48

Who's the virtual bass player? He's doing a good job I don't know, Is it 2D the bass player? He's a singer. Yeah, 2D's crushing it with the synths.

Speaker 3 13:19

Gosh the layers on this Every song, but especially this one, but especially this one.

Breaking Down "Kids With Guns"

Speaker 2 13:25

I like this one. This is really good. Yeah, noodle is the guitar player, back of vocals, female 34. From Osaka, japan. This part of it freaks Tim out. That's why I shouldn't be talking about it. I don't know if this is like. Russell. Hobbs is the bass player. Yeah, I don't get into all the yeah, you don't get in the virtual side of it, you just like.

Speaker 3 13:58

I try to stay in there yeah let me leave the net.

Speaker 1 14:03

Take a, Thank you.

Speaker 3 14:04

Tim Sergeant.

Speaker 2 14:05

Bill Go there Steve.

Speaker 3 14:14

Martin's a huge Gorillaz fan.

Speaker 2 14:18

He's a big Russell Hobbs bass player fan His face, he's got no iris. Is it the iris? Bass player fan His face, he's got no iris.

Speaker 4 14:27

Is it the?

Speaker 2 14:27

iris, is it the black part, the pupil?

Speaker 3 14:32

Iris is. What part of the iris is he at?

Speaker 2 14:35

I don't know. He doesn't have a pupil or an iris.

Speaker 3 14:39

I'm looking up what an iris is Okay, besides the flower.

Speaker 2 14:47

That's right Shout out to the horticulturist is that what it is?

Speaker 3 14:54

iris is a thing and annular structure in the eye most.

Speaker 2 14:59

I don't know what was that Annular A word? Who cares it?

Speaker 1 15:10

doesn't matter.

Speaker 2 15:14

This is O.

Speaker 1 15:18

Green World, bring your green hat.

Speaker 3 15:20

Let's go.

Speaker 4 15:25

Oh, Mrs Crane.

Speaker 2 15:29

Mrs Crane, I'm looking at you. You're wearing green, so you can hide.

Speaker 3 15:42

You are green, so you can hide.

Speaker 2 15:43

We didn't like this one at first, but then we listened to it again, again and well this part of it is still kind of annoying to me because they have a guy screaming as like the effect.

Speaker 3 15:54

I like the this. It's kind of proggy, yeah, it's punky, yeah do you punk?

Speaker 2 16:22

Does Damon Albarn write all the lyrics Like in the real world, not this virtual?

Speaker 3 16:27

for I think so. I mean they all contribute, I'm sure yeah.

Speaker 1 16:31

Yeah.

Speaker 2 16:43

You're like pudding in the caddy shack. You are a breeze so you can hide. You're like putting in the caddyshack. You're like mixing it in. You are a breeze, you are a breeze.

Speaker 1 17:00

You are a breeze, so you can hide.

Speaker 4 17:14

We'll provide a most bizarre experience.

Speaker 2 17:33

It's off-settling, off-sett or on it's unsettling, whatever. Either way, yeah, fun, I think I get it I kind of like it as like a workout song or something if you it's coming, you can lean into it, yeah.

Speaker 3 17:53

You know many believe that the Earth is transitioning.

Speaker 1 17:58

Like a phasing.

Speaker 3 18:00

Like the duopolies of planets on each other and the spirit of Earth. That's what this is. Like metamor, like mitosis, you know. Yeah, okay, it's like the Earth is splitting apart and making a replica of itself. Oh yeah, as we speak, and it always is Over, like twins, over Just like.

Speaker 2 18:23

You know, like a twin.

Speaker 3 18:24

Yes, earth, planet over like twins over, just like, yeah, like a twin. Yes, first planet.

Speaker 1 18:28

Yeah.

Speaker 3 18:28

We all have a twin in opposite, counter opposite realities. Brother, yeah, duh.

Speaker 2 18:36

Well, who's to say we're that our universe isn't just like a little thimble or whatever, just like a little speck on uh?

Speaker 3 18:43

I hope my twin is Adam. I hope my twin is wearing a hat.

Speaker 1 18:47

Bring your green hat, let's go, okay.

Speaker 3 18:53

Yeah.

Speaker 2 18:56

Well, I hope my twin is, you know, taking care of the boils on his feet. You know, because it's just, it is a, I got a shanker that I just flash of green light and that was it.

Dirty Harry & Sound Exploration

Speaker 2 19:14

That's how you land to boil just flash a green light and that's it like you're getting rid of a drummer from spinal tap or something like that. Yeah, okay, this is very artsy. Now doing that Like you're getting rid of a drummer from Spinal Tap or something like that. Okay, this is very artsy. Now it's doing that with the bell and whatnot. All right, deeper and deeper Way down, all right. Okay, now this one is Dirty Harry. We're going to another song now. This is a hit.

Speaker 3 19:44

Let's clean it up here, Ah that feels,

Speaker 2 19:55

better. A lot of talk about guns on this. Guns are a big thing.

Speaker 3 19:59

They can go off.

Speaker 2 20:00

Lock them off. Be careful, these babies will go off Now.

Speaker 3 20:12

Ain't got a chance.

Speaker 2 20:13

I don't know, is this some sort of a choir?

Speaker 1 20:27

I don't know what choir is.

Speaker 2 20:31

Is this some sort?

Speaker 3 20:32

of a choir. This is like old school. It is old school Running in the sun. Put some sunscreen on you, punk Punk. Put some sunscreen on you, punk Punk. The riff on this is very yeah. Where is this from? Pentatonic up and down, and then it comes back to the original note. It's very catchy. Yeah's very catchy, very catchy it's very 1984-ish. It sounds like Kumo-D or some shit like that, but then the piano and the violin gives it an air of class it really does.

Speaker 3 21:43

Right, it's an era class. Yeah, it really does right. This is like war. You know, every day I'm a peace loving decoy, ready for retaliation. That's a star trek. Yeah, I'm a peaceving decoy, ready for retaliation, nimoy, that's Star Trek.

Speaker 2 22:05

Yeah, I'm a peace-loving decoy ready for retaliation.

Speaker 3 22:14

Shout-outs to the Thunder, yeah, and the Lightning.

Speaker 2 22:18

Shout-outs to those with the Lightning Fast Reflexes.

Speaker 3 22:24

I'm the reason why you feel like you're Zuzu, maybe at the tilt. I've had a 90-day extension filled with guilt. Yeah, that's a good line. Yeah, what the fuck is he talking about? Don't worry about it. Yeah, I'm dancing. Thank you, garth. Are you dancing?

Speaker 5 22:58

We can't hear you. Hold on.

Speaker 3 23:01

Thank you, Garth. Are you dancing? We can't hear you.

Speaker 2 23:08

Hold on, this sounds like the background music of one of those football team songs. You know where they're like. They did the seminal rap back in FSU in 1988. They ended up losing it. They were number one in the country and they did some sort of a rap that had that kind of a beat to it. Yeah, it was horrible. Not that that was horrible, but you know. Okay, here we go. This is the bread and butter, this is feel good ink george likes this one.

Speaker 5 24:01

That feels.

Speaker 2 24:03

I feel the streets. It's appealing to see you won't get undercounted Cause you're never free. You got a new horizon.

Speaker 3 24:18

It's ephemeral style A melancholy town when we never smile. Not all I want Is a message beep my dreams ain't got a kiss, and cause I don't?

Speaker 2 24:29

De La Soul is really good in this one man. He just he kills it at the end. It's amazing I like the juxtaposition between like the English accents and like the rappersaposition between the English accents and the rappers. I kind of go back and forth on this song. That's what's so awesome.

Speaker 4 25:06

Fast cats Ass cracks.

Speaker 3 25:13

Care bear, care Bear yeah.

Speaker 1 25:17

Ha, ha, ha, ha ha.

Speaker 3 25:26

Blink Us Incorporated. Ha ha, ha, ha, ha, do it.

Speaker 2 25:50

Do do, we'll provide a most bizarre experience. All right.

Speaker 1 25:55

Now we're going into the trance part. You know we'll just bring it down. Love forever. Take it a little, your stride it is taking Falling down Love forever. Love is free. Turn forever, you and me, windmill, windmill For the land is.

Speaker 2 26:32

Everybody in All the land is everybody's Go shop. Get it. Get it Be hired. Captain, sit and steady, watch them travel, get out, ha ha ha, ha ha. Go shop, get it, get it. Be hired, captain, sit and steady, watch them travel, get out, ha ha, ha ha ha.

Speaker 3 26:53

Shout out to Captain James out there Shout out.

Speaker 2 26:59

Tell me Shout out to the laughing guy.

Speaker 3 27:01

Shout out laughing guy Bring your green hat, brother, that's right.

Speaker 2 27:07

You're wearing green, so you can hide.

Speaker 3 27:10

You can hide.

Speaker 2 27:12

El Manana is the next one. This is a hit, I guess for some reason. Manana, manana who are some of these other guys in this virtual band that we can pick on here? We've done russell hobbs, who's the? There's like the satanist guy. Yeah, I know not that I'm. I am interested in reading his bio, though, just you know.

Speaker 1 28:07

I mean, I saw that day.

Speaker 2 28:21

Lost my mind. This is a good song. I can see how it's a hit now Getting into it. Lord, I'm fine.

Speaker 3 28:33

These guys are so creative, man, every time You're lost, these guys are so creative, you can rock climb if you want to be mine. Yeah, manana.

Speaker 5 28:46

Manana.

Speaker 3 28:49

You'll see, I can rock climb. I tell you.

Speaker 6 28:54

Manana might be a problem.

Speaker 3 28:56

I'm supposed to have a boy of Lance, my youngin'. If you do, then I'll be sworn to find you. I saw that day, lost my mind, lost my mind, I'm just into it.

Speaker 2 29:29

It's a great song, lord, I'm found. I don't mean dreams song, it's only a dream. He's talking about the lord doing like uh lord.

Speaker 3 29:45

He just mentions lord. He's like lord, I'm fine, lord is just another syllable, it's just a dream yeah, lord fidelio, hey dude you better step it's

Speaker 6 29:57

just a dream. Yeah Lauren Fidelio. Hey dude.

Speaker 1 30:00

You better step off.

Concept Album Themes

Speaker 2 30:03

What was that for that buddy? He's like the cool friend that he's got.

Speaker 3 30:07

George's crush.

Speaker 2 30:10

Yeah, he's like a man crush on the guy. She's like dating, he's like dating, he's like dating elaine, maybe in time, maybe in time.

Speaker 3 30:22

Elaine never has emotions, she's just like jerry. That's why they were perfect together yeah, they're a little bit unempathetic. They had no empathy yeah. Putty Having dips for meals.

Speaker 2 30:39

Why would it have to be?

Speaker 3 30:39

a snack, okay, right what?

Speaker 2 30:45

What? Yeah, that's right Way down, alright.

Speaker 4 30:58

Charge me if I cancel with only one manana's notice.

Speaker 2 31:02

Okay, nice little end there. Okay, so Did we skip one. Every planet we reach is dead.

Speaker 3 31:14

Alright, it's got like the doors kind of a organ thing going. A little Ray Manzarek shout out yeah, ray, dude, how you doing, dude, why?

Speaker 6 31:23

I said that hey dude.

Speaker 2 31:26

Hey dude.

Speaker 3 31:27

What's up, dude? Those keys are throbbing Talk about a rush.

Speaker 6 31:34

You'll be throbbing.

Speaker 2 31:38

I don't know, I don't know about bowling. I was thinking like rock climbing, like Giants, the Giants fan. This is a little rock out here.

Speaker 3 31:49

Yeah, almost like English Frank Sinatra-esque stuff going on here, the background singers. How are we going to work out?

Speaker 1 32:10

I don't know.

Speaker 2 32:12

Should we ask McBain?

Speaker 5 32:13

Let me get into character, okay, okay we ask McBain, let me get into character. Okay, okay.

Speaker 1 32:21

I'm McBain.

Speaker 3 32:24

McBain is a sensitive guy. Yeah, there's another Lord reference.

Speaker 2 32:32

God, there's a lot of God in this. God son gun reference. God, there's a lot of.

Speaker 3 32:38

God in this God, son gun yeah Love.

Speaker 2 32:41

Yeah, dreams Songs are never about those things. I'm joking. They're always about those things, that's funny, that was good.

Speaker 5 32:51

It's only a dream, it's only a dream.

Speaker 2 33:03

Deeper and deeper, the way down To the sleepy glow To the sleepy glow I like the background singing Is a low is one of their.

Speaker 3 33:18

Is a low is a song from Blur Ah.

Speaker 2 33:21

Now they're saying time is a low, yeah, don't eat now.

Speaker 3 33:26

What are you going to do? What are you going?

Speaker 2 33:32

to do when you go back all the second selfless days you're in love with it even with that boil yeah it's gotta lance that boil off my love is conditioned upon the lancing of that boil.

Speaker 3 33:55

The lancing of that boil. Can you brist the boil A?

Speaker 2 33:58

boil brist you need a moil for that. A moil boil you need a moil to brist the boil.

Speaker 4 34:17

I love this part.

Speaker 2 34:31

We're leaving it wide open. I'm still thinking about the mole brissing the Boyle. That should be a line in a song that we're going to write. We've got a neighbor that plays is it the accordion Flute, vinny? Yeah, what is he? It's a flute. It's a flute. Okay, we'll get him. You and your guitar do a little garage band, or something else, mix it all together, just say no and we'll call it the. The moil bris is the boil, okay this is like going off the rails, but it's like you're not even responding.

Speaker 3 35:13

I don't even know, I'm just blah, blah, blah. The moil.

Speaker 2 35:16

Yeah, well, a moil, I think, is like a. He performs circumcisions on babies. Yeah, like the Jewish faith, right?

Speaker 3 35:29

It's like a moil, does the?

Speaker 2 35:30

bris, but you bris the boil. It's like Not the foreskin.

Speaker 3 35:37

What is he talking about? Yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 2 35:40

I mean, hopefully nobody's listening to this.

Speaker 6 35:42

You would like to live in an environment of constant noise.

Speaker 2 35:48

Okay, well, yeah.

Speaker 3 35:50

I love the ending yeah.

Speaker 2 35:52

Well, I think I like the song. This is why I'm just going off, Like the more you go off in a giddy place, it means that you're comfortable with it.

Speaker 3 35:58

You like it. It's true, you know this one.

Speaker 2 36:00

It's great background music. I liked it. That one actually now after that listen Because it wasn't like a bunch of annoying fucking bullshit.

Speaker 3 36:10

Exactly.

Speaker 2 36:12

It was kind of like fluid and it was just easy listening Sort of a mellow rap, sugar-coated. I love free coffee at the banks.

Speaker 6 36:32

Free coffee at the banks Out of my styrofoam cup. Roll past Front Street.

Speaker 2 36:43

Oh gosh, that's a juiced-up junk treat Crunk or a funk beat. Is this Al Barnes singing?

Speaker 3 36:59

Yeah, yeah, of course, see, it's Da-da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da, stop it stop it today?

Speaker 1 37:14

Where did he go, while you want it to be when you know, no one else comes?

Speaker 3 37:29

Happy and you know it. Clap your hands to the thick sound Of a poet flowing.

Speaker 6 37:40

Cope Hyman. Oh, I'm scared of the rapid fire. Spark lit.

Speaker 3 37:51

I think I'm pretty dapper. You're pretty thug Thug, or dapper.

Speaker 6 37:55

You're pretty thug, thug, or dapper.

Speaker 3 38:09

Shout out to Billabong.

Speaker 2 38:12

Great American brand, or is it? I don't know it be canadian it's probably a defunct now.

Speaker 3 38:19

Yeah, get your billabong at secondhand stores now why I said that hey, dude. Hey, dude, bill Long's out there.

Speaker 2 38:38

He's still out there. They're relevant, I think, right.

Speaker 3 38:44

You gotta go deep. How do you shoot the devil in?

Speaker 2 38:46

the back. Yeah, damon, days Way down. Okay, this is All Alone, all alone.

Speaker 1 38:53

All alone.

Speaker 5 38:56

All alone, all alone, all alone. Let her go. Let her go. Another quite little chick gonna love me again.

Speaker 2 39:03

That was Tony Lantana, all alone After he created the scene in the restaurant. He's gonna be all alone that night. He was all alone that night. He got a visit from.

Speaker 3 39:15

Sosa and his boys. A lot of alones, yeah, in this.

Speaker 2 39:24

And a lot of Bible books, leviticus. I think that's a really strict one, so strict.

Speaker 3 39:34

Yeah.

Speaker 6 39:46

Ooh Whoa.

Speaker 2 39:51

This is like a British rap.

Speaker 6 39:57

Bounce wiggle bounce, wiggle, do it, do it, say your, say Clear.

Speaker 2 40:18

Yeah, like this one. This is soul in the spillage Over. Yeah, you gotta get into the groove with this. This takes a few listens, a little time alone.

Speaker 1 40:34

Give you a little time alone here. Ah, ah, ah.

Speaker 5 40:49

That feels.

Speaker 2 40:54

This is like trance it turns into a freaking that's what it sounds like. It's really creative stuff, you know it's like whales.

Speaker 3 41:07

Yeah, what are we doing?

Speaker 2 41:09

here. It's like, this is an animation, it's like these big virtual whales, I know right.

Speaker 3 41:14

I feel like it's a concept album and there's like a whole script.

Speaker 4 41:17

Oh, yeah, that, we're just like not privy to.

Speaker 3 41:20

That's the only thing that annoys me. It's almost like there should be a wall documentary, but like a Demon Days documentary with the characters. Well, now I kind of understand why people get into this, because now I'm starting to think well, well, but there is music videos where they do these songs and right they're on flying windmills and whatnot. And I've never gone that deep, if you check out the music videos right when you're yeah, it's a time alone.

Speaker 2 41:52

Right yeah, when I'm all alone.

Speaker 3 41:56

I'll come over and watch them. Okay, I don't know. Now I'm like interested in going to the abyss of these characters.

Speaker 2 42:15

I wonder who the favorite is Like of all. Like I'd probably look Like 2D or Noodle or Russell.

Speaker 6 42:25

That Satanist fuck yeah. A flash of green light.

Speaker 2 42:32

And that was it. Alcohol, alcohol, alcohol, white light, white light oh, this is crazy.

Speaker 3 42:52

Oh, we might have to get crazy on this one with the effects here.

Speaker 4 42:59

It's like whispering voice.

Dennis Hopper's Narrative Interlude

Speaker 2 43:03

Very subliminal Alcohol, alcohol, alcohol, white light. Johnny Walker, neat, do it.

Speaker 4 43:24

You can't sweetheart Johnny Red Neat, okay, do it, do it. You can't sweetheart Johnny Red Neat? Okay, do it, do it.

Speaker 2 43:29

Johnny Red, neat Red is the shitty one.

Speaker 3 43:38

I hear a little bit of guitar, but not like a lot.

Speaker 2 43:42

Yeah, it's like acoustic.

Speaker 4 43:51

Light of my life, light, light, light. Light of my life.

Speaker 6 44:01

I'm gonna show you the light of my life I'm gonna show you the light, do it, do it.

Speaker 4 44:13

I'm gonna show you the light. Do it, do it. I'm gonna Do it, I'm gonna show you the light.

Speaker 2 44:24

All right, there's way too much going going on. There's that discipline we talked about.

Speaker 3 44:29

I know we didn't talk about it.

Speaker 2 44:33

Tim has artistic freedom.

Speaker 3 44:36

Nancy, you got my back on this one.

Speaker 6 44:39

Just say no what.

Speaker 3 44:41

Nancy, come on, drugs are cool Nancy. Just say no, what Nancy? Come on, drugs are cool Nancy.

Speaker 6 44:46

Just say no.

Speaker 2 44:48

If drugs won. I don't know. The kids are probably doing drugs at school the Portuguese know.

Speaker 3 44:55

Shout out to the Portuguese Groundbreakers. When it comes to drugs, when it comes to drugs. When it comes to drugs. When it comes to drugs. When it comes to drugs. When it comes to drugs. When it comes to drugs. When it comes to drugs. When it comes to drugs. When it comes to drugs. When it comes to drugs. When it comes to drugs. When it comes to drugs. When it comes to drugs. When it comes to drugs.

Speaker 4 45:18

When it comes to drugs. Let me get into character. Okay, I'm McBain.

Speaker 2 45:52

Yeah, I like the song a lot better this time it's subtle, but it's still a banger. It's like a subtle banger, yeah, and it's no wonder it's a hit or it's a single, but I've I've heard this before it's it's more poppy yeah, yeah, you gotta press it.

Speaker 3 46:05

I've heard this before it's more poppy. Yeah, yeah, you gotta press it.

Speaker 2 46:16

You do baby Kind of reminds me of like a Prince a little bit.

Speaker 3 46:19

Okay, and for a second.

Speaker 2 46:30

I like the background singers doing a good job.

Speaker 3 46:40

I never did no harm to. Triple Dog Darius Never did no harm to Triple Dog Dare. I'm not afraid anymore.

Speaker 4 46:54

I'll say now you're kicking my ass, mcbain.

Speaker 3 47:03

It's coming up, it's coming up, it's coming up, it's coming up.

Speaker 4 47:07

Let me get into character.

Speaker 1 47:18

Hey, hey, I got something to mail you out, man.

Speaker 2 47:31

Oh, that had no purpose. I'm sorry.

Speaker 4 47:35

I just took her to this.

Speaker 3 47:38

Work it out. We're doing some push-ups and then we do something cool Smoke a cigarette.

Speaker 1 47:56

I'm making people happy.

Speaker 6 48:03

Just say no.

Speaker 1 48:08

Just say no.

Speaker 5 48:11

Who's drunk in a bar?

Speaker 6 48:16

Pull some of that Ogre stuff on him, you know, throttle him, lay siege to his fortune.

Speaker 5 48:23

Work it, work it, baby, work it, work it, work it, work it, baby, work it, work it Own it Work it.

Speaker 2 48:34

A perfect workout, all right. Gotta love that Fire coming out of that monkey's head, dennis.

Speaker 5 48:52

This is Dennis Hopps.

Speaker 3 48:56

Story time everybody.

Speaker 5 49:03

Sounds familiar. So, this is part of the litany of excess and violence that was growing in the world below Sounds familiar. Harmony with the spirit of the mountain called monkey was enough.

Speaker 2 49:08

So this is part of the concept, this evil kind of a thing.

Speaker 5 49:11

Yeah sunglasses. They came in camouflage, hidden behind dark glasses.

Speaker 3 49:16

Get some sunlight in your eyes, folks. Come on now.

Speaker 5 49:19

You saw shadows. You see without the truth of the eyes the happy folk were blind, falling out of airplanes and hiding out in holes Waiting for the sunset to come.

Speaker 1 49:34

People going home Jump out from behind them and shoot them in the head. Now, everybody dancing for dance of the dead. For dance of the dead, the dance of the dead. The dance of the dead.

Speaker 4 49:57

We're leaving this wide open.

Speaker 2 49:59

This is so freaky. It's home, it's home In time.

Speaker 5 50:04

Strange folk found their way into the higher reaches of the mountain, and it was there that they found the caves of other lands. I'm not afraid anymore. With sincerity, and beauty.

Speaker 2 50:14

By chance they stumbled upon a place where all their souls come to rest the strange folk, the strange folk.

Speaker 3 50:22

You know what's up. Shout out to the band Strange Folk. Never quite caught on.

Speaker 1 50:31

That was an actual band, was it?

Speaker 2 50:33

good, they're okay, we'll check them out.

Speaker 5 50:36

The happy folk slept restlessly, their dreams invaded by shadowed figures Digging away at their souls Every day. People would wait and stare at the mountain. Why was it bringing darkness into their lives?

Speaker 2 50:50

That actual wind.

Speaker 5 50:51

There's just somebody going deeper and deeper into the mountain holes began to appear, bringing with them a cold and bitter wind that chilled the very soul of the monkey. For the first time, the happy folk felt fearful, for they knew that soon the monkey would stir from its deep sleep. And there came a sound, distant first, that grew into a castrophony so immense that it could be heard far away in space. There were no screams.

Speaker 5 51:21

There was no time the mountain-cold monkey had spoken. There was no time the mountain cold monkey had spoken. There was only fire.

Speaker 2 51:29

And then there's like a whole story here.

Speaker 3 51:32

I just Some throbbing maybe. Yeah, oh, when it all comes down to me.

Speaker 1 51:50

Did you call me now?

Speaker 3 51:53

All right, when it goes down, give Damon a call. Okay, Shout out.

Speaker 2 51:57

All right, okay, this is Don't.

Speaker 1 52:02

Get lost in heaven.

Speaker 2 52:05

More God. It's like heaven and hell.

Speaker 1 52:11

There's a lot of that going on in this.

Speaker 2 52:14

It's tricky, very tricky. Technical it's technical.

Final Songs & Environmental Message

Speaker 3 52:18

It's technical Crack on the corner and someone dead, far coming out of the monkey's head the mountain Monkey. Okay, I got locks on the gate.

Speaker 1 53:01

Oh, this is, this is trippy. What Is?

Speaker 2 53:08

that drugs.

Speaker 3 53:12

Nancy close your eyes. Yeah.

Speaker 2 53:14

Nancy.

Speaker 1 53:16

I'll still move on.

Speaker 2 53:18

Just say no.

Speaker 1 53:28

Over the edge.

Speaker 2 53:46

Oh, Carpenter's actually going out there. It's like the Carpenter's on mushrooms.

Speaker 1 53:56

Yeah, okay, oh, wow Okay.

Speaker 2 54:08

All right, when are we at? Oh Demon Day. This is the last one, right?

Speaker 6 54:12

Who like to live in an environment of constant noise and to keep their minds busy.

Speaker 3 54:23

Thank you.

Speaker 1 54:23

Alan Thanks.

Speaker 3 54:24

Alan Wong.

Speaker 2 54:28

Nice strings. Huh, Nice little touch.

Speaker 3 54:38

A little transcendence in here.

Speaker 1 54:40

Uh-huh.

Speaker 2 54:46

Little beach boys. It's kind of like a pet sound. It's kind of a vibe to it.

Speaker 3 54:54

Good call there.

Speaker 2 54:59

A little bit of Prince mixed in. It's like that annoying fuzz in the background. I don't like it. Settle lines in your 20. Yeah, a little raga, a little raga. Settle lines intertwining yeah, a little raga, a little raga. Is it supposed to be Noodle? Doing this, I keep forgetting the characters. Now, you don't want to go there, so I've been trying to be disciplined to not go back into the characters I'm dancing, I don't know. We're getting deep here now, Not yourself drugs and TV.

Speaker 2 57:07

Wow, this is an uplifting message here, right? Oh yeah, so this is supposed to be sort of like a parody of or not a parody, but just sort of a condemnation of technology, just sort of a condemnation of technology. Yeah, the disconnect with natural world I would say so.

Speaker 3 57:33

I mean it's ironic, but because you know, it's not like just guitars and drum circles, but heavy layering of musical instruments and technology. So the conundrum there is maybe they're just trying to wrestle with it themselves, with it themselves and I don't know.

Speaker 2 58:06

Is this an environmental type of a statement? Turn yourself around into the sun. I think so, I think so.

Speaker 3 58:14

Their inner cupboards have like pictures of junkyards with characters on them.

Speaker 2 58:20

Yeah, this is all supposed to be thought provoking in some way. This is there's a lot going on. We're doing a lot, alan.

Speaker 4 58:31

Is not the isolated conscious ego.

Speaker 2 58:35

Oh, alan Watt, Okay.

Speaker 4 58:36

That is only a game.

Top Three Non-Hits Discussion

Speaker 2 58:38

Alright, we've got to get to the top three. Let's get into this. What do you got? I mean, I got a list here for us.

Speaker 3 58:48

I'm more of, maybe, a melancholy nude usually. I think if it was honorable mention to Kids With Guns, last Living Soul, last living soul, el Manana, yeah, all alone. But I'm going to go with, the more I think, touching songs for my top three, starting with number three being every planet we reach is dead. Has that?

Speaker 1 59:20

Oh yeah, sort of uh we were really yucking it up during that time right, it was a great song.

Speaker 2 59:27

It was a good song.

Speaker 3 59:28

Regardless it was. It was smooth Again, maybe had more qualities, like you mentioned about the green. You know being green and environmental and what have you?

Speaker 1 59:42

Yeah.

Speaker 3 59:42

Because if their comic is in the future and they're looking back on a dead earth, that's kind of sad. So Right.

Speaker 2 59:49

Yeah.

Speaker 3 59:50

Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 59:53

You know what I'm going to go with. That was for my number three as well.

Speaker 1 59:56

Yeah.

Speaker 2 59:56

Every planet we reach is is dead.

Speaker 4 59:58

Yeah, because I just I just thought it had a great.

Speaker 2 1:00:05

I mean, I felt good when I was listening to it. It didn't feel as sullen as some of the other things so it had a good beat to it, so I'm going to go with that well, carrying right along with what I said I would do, which is the more sensitive tracks.

Speaker 3 1:00:22

I'm going Don along with what I said I would do, which is the more sensitive tracks I'm going. Don't get lost in heaven. It's a yeah that has the touching violin helps round out this sort of concept album feel.

Speaker 2 1:00:38

You know, what's interesting about that is like, aside from the intro, that has like the least number of listens, like I mean, when we look on Spotifyify, I mean that's transient. Yeah, I didn't know, I just it's uh, it's like I think it speaks to the point that, um, people aren't listening to some of the really good songs that are at the end of the albums you know like we're overlooking things, so that's, I mean, I think it's a good option.

Speaker 2 1:01:03

That is a great song and I'm gonna go with, like demon days is my number two wow, okay, I thought it was. Uh, I think I got you know like a, a meaning that I didn't get you know. Um, it had a good message and it made me think, and so for that reason I'm gonna make that my number two. Wow, okay yeah, wow, we're at the last one.

Speaker 3 1:01:24

We what's your number one? I'm going demon days. Ah, number one again. Uh, let's, let's all, collectively, as a society, you know, try to drug ourselves with TV and, you know, reality TV shows and bullshit, uh, and get out in nature and, uh, fight for it.

Speaker 2 1:01:46

Yeah, yeah, no good good comment there to piggyback off of my comment from number two. And uh, yeah, I was going to say don't get lost in heaven, is is my number one. I thought that was uh it was really deep stuff, it was heady, it had uh, I like it, I like how it didn't. Uh, you know, I think, like the, the songs are kind of fighting with one another.

Speaker 2 1:02:10

There's, like you know they are the songs about heaven, the ones about hell, and it just all kind of like, uh, it's all a package, it kind of go hand in hand for that, for that. You know they play off of one another. So yeah, all right, man, so we'll put a bow on this. Good, good call on this.

Speaker 3 1:02:31

Yeah, yeah, excellent album.

Speaker 2 1:02:33

All right, well, thanks for listening. Folks Take care.

Speaker 3 1:02:36

Woo.