These Songs Are Revolting

 

Khayem very kindly sent me a number of songs by Julian Cope which are relevant to this series. When I wrote back to thank him I somewhat cheekily suggested that he might wish to submit a guest post and I am delighted to say that he has obliged.

Take it away Khayem

These Songs Are Revolting

It’ll come as no surprise to those who visit my Dubhed blog that I love the music of Julian Cope unreservedly. Yes, at times this can be a testing relationship, often within the space of a single album, but he always comes through in the end. 

One thing that you can also depend on the Arch Drude for is a rousing revolution song, so when Charity Chic featured Psychedelic Revolution a while back, I knew that his beloved readers (well, one at least, me) would be hungry for more. And Julian Cope can deliver…and then some. After all, he named two albums Psychedelic Revolution and Revolutionary Suicide and (kind of) an EP with the 45-minute ‘endurothon’ that is Rave-o-lution.

So, here are possibly more Julian Cope ‘revolution’ songs than you could ever ask (or wish) for, spanning 2008 to 2018. In 2020, he opted instead for a Self Civil War but it’s a fair bet with the current state of the UK and the incumbent Tory government that another revolution song is around the corner…

MP3s for the first two songs only, YouTube links for the rest as the later albums are still readily available to buy digitally from Julian Cope’s Head Heritage site. All highly recorded, of course.

Come The Revolution (Black Sheep, 2008)

Julian Cope - Come the Revolution

Preaching Revolution (The Unruly Imagination, 2009)

Julian Cope -Preaching Revoltion

Revolutionary Man & Psychedelic Revolution (Psychedelic Revolution, 2012) (the title track features Lucy Brownhills on vocals and is different from the Trip Advizer EP & album version that CC recently posted) https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lbrbMlqqd-Ot15H2wSKlHeWBeQrsnZDzY 

Rave-O-Lution (EP, 2013) https://youtu.be/uuUtXNhYZc4 

Revolutionary Suicide, Mexican Revolution Blues & Russian Revolution Blues (all from Revolutionary Suicide, 2013) https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyJEHtULE6YJec5O2GdKYrsgdA3vk0qzo

That Don't Make A Revolution (Skellington 3, 2018) https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB4Hps2QUpLPGrB1g2sgohgdnbLD8kMwb

U Know!

In honour of Ernie, I’ve also included a mandatory reggae version. Unfortunately, the Arch Drude has yet to release Skankington so I had to look elsewhere. I could have picked Lee 'Scratch’ Perry, Keith Hudson, Dennis Brown or Big Sherman, all great.

In the end, I went for my favourite Peaky Blinder Benjamin Zephaniah and the title track of his 2017 album, featuring Matt Damon!

Benjamin Zephaniah (ft Matt Damon) - Revolutionary Minds

CC writes:

Thanks very much for this Khayem.

If we ever get round to having a revolution Julian Cope would be just the man to lead it supported ably by Benjamin Zephaniah and of course your magnificent soundtrack!