Philosophical Man
Germ 026. Out now.
Written/produced by John Moore
Watch the video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP4t5BgxoHE
John Moore: Black Box Recorder, The Jesus and Mary Chain
Knickerbocker Glory is his tenth album.
“And I think therefore I am a Philosophical Man.”
This is the first single from John’s forthcoming album Knickerbocker Glory. Like most philosophers, he took a long time over it, adding, subtracting, refining, until it was done…or couldn’t be done any more. It begins with an unearthly choir – his daughter’s extraordinary voice soaring to the heavens, evoking Arcadian spirits. It is this ingredient that gives the song its magical propulsion - philosophically speaking, but he had to wait until she was old enough to sing it. The instruments engage like tanks crossing a battlefield, before incendiary guitars start their artillery barrage, and the band smashes out a wall of sound reminiscent of The Sex Pistols or Joy Division, while backing singers, The Loose Moorelles sing Ooh La La Las, and Beep Beep Yeah…a necessity for driving songs.
“This Brave New World is getting out of hand
Take the boy out of the city not the countryside out of the man.”
Moore sings with full-on rock attitude, tuneful, conversational, even sarcastic at times, but always with real passion and controlled aggression. Friend Luke Haines guests with a fine Mick Ronson, Transformer sound, as Moore throws down searing Chuck Berry riffs over a driving rhythm – appropriate as Chuck wasn’t averse to the odd driving song. In this case, there are no chases with tobacco-chewing sheriffs or races with sky-blue Thunderbirds to the county line, just the relentless drone of urban futility, a sixty-pound fine in the post, and the threat of suffocation from a drivers’ airbag.
“Sunset in the mirror it looks so fine,
“Masters of the universe get back to the weekly grind.”
The sound of the motorway, the hum of humanity, the pink and gold light of sunset – Fritz Lang’s Metropolis meets Brave New World along the M4 corridor - worker ants returning from a weekend of peace and tranquillity, blasting back towards the furnaces of London. The sound of church bells swirls in the distance as they slow to a halt and kill their engines. An ambulance races up the hard shoulder. The Devil surveys the scene, and is satisfied.
“And the speed camera that took my picture
Made me feel so god-damn grateful I still existed.”
Philosophical Man is the song of one who doesn’t slow down, a life-affirming, white-knuckle ride on the elevated section, a middle finger to the universe, and twelve points on the license - a Self-Help Anthem.
“ Accidents, diversions and emergency plans
Nothing’s going to stop me I’m a Hammersmith M4 man.”
Philosophical Man is JG Ballard, Reginald Perrin breaking free, Sergeant Wilson, Diana Rigg with the wind in her hair, Aldous Huxley, GK Chesterton on the Rolling English Road, Keith Richards in the Blue Lena, Withnail ‘making time’, and John Moore.
Philosophical Man. A self-help drive-time classic for a Brave New World.
Beep Beep Yeah!
'Knickerbocker Glory' coming Feb 2018
2. PHILOSOPHICAL MAN
Driving back to London on a spring Sunday evening
Wishing I was staying in the place I was leaving
Sunset in the mirror it looks so fine
Masters of the universe get back to the weekly grind
Switch to automatic, drive the world from your mind
Utopia is easier if you follow the signs
This brave new world is getting out of hand
Take the boy out of the city not the countryside out of the man
And I know what I am, I’m a Philosophical Man
And the speed camera that took my picture made me feel so grateful
Because it proved that I still existed
Think I know what I am, I’m a Philosophical Man
Put your foot down baby if you know where you’re going
Put your foot down baby you’re the queen of the road
But you’re stuck on the M25 of the soul
And your satellite navigation system is broken – beep beep yeah
Driving back to London on a spring Sunday evening
Wishing I was staying in the place I was leaving
Accidents diversions and emergency plans
Nothing’s going to stop me I’m a Hammersmith M4 man
And I think therefore I am a Philosophical Man
And the speed camera that took my picture
Made me feel so god damned grateful that I still existed
Think I know what I am, I’m a Philosophical Man
Think I know what I am, I’m a Philosophical Man
And I think therefore I am a Philosophical Man
And I think therefore I am a Philosophical Man
released December 9, 2017
