“Where else would I rather be on this autumn night” – Autumnal mood swings call for special music. No Punk, Metal or Hardcore (you know, the music that’s deader than dead) this time.
This is the only record I ever owned by Scotland’s PALLAS and I remember getting a lot of shit for liking it. And still, “Paris is burning” astonishes me. What a hit! What a unique mixture of Prog Rock and Electronic Music, with a strong burlesque note. Have you ever heard anything like this? You who grew up in the late 70s, early 80s, can you too relate to the music instantly, because it breathes the Zeitgeist so deeply? Whether you like PALLAS or not – the music really takes you back in time. The flipside is a bit cheesy, but I dunno, I like this kind of stuff sometimes. I think it’s great when there’s music that really speaks to you and others don’t understand it. No rallying around the flag here, kids. And the cover of this 7″ (of which there’s a 12″ version too) – just unbelievably beautiful.
I’ve never heard PALLAS albums, I must admit. It was always this single only for me – I somehow loved “Paris is burning” so much that I couldn’t (and can’t) believe the band’s other stuff comes close to this. Was I wrong?
I recently bought a new copy of this on Ebay, cause it said “ex/ex” and costed next to nothing. I wanted to upgrade my worn out 7″ – the one I bought sounded even worse, as it turned out. So here you get some extra vinyl noise. To me, it sounds just natural this way.
Anybody feels like looking up the lyrics for “Paris is burning” or transcribing them from the sound file?
Paris is burning.mp3
The Hammer falls.mp3
24 Comments
hahaha this is not my thing man. i can’t stop laughing. please post some more hardcore or metal.
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That was quick, Elliott. Are you cyber-stalking me?
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no i live in california so it’s morning for me and i thaught i’d check the blogs i go to just to see what’s happening.
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what’s this group you started on facebook, erich?
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No idea, l. haha. Peter and I talked about it yesterday for like 5 seconds and then I went ahead and created it.
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What??? Youre on facebook now??? I thought you hated it.
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PS: Very good single!!!!!!!
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Candy Apple Grey better than Everything Falls Apart and Metal Circus? Really?
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Take my bleedin word!
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Paris is burnings sounds a bit like the new Iggy Pop album, but not as good.
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where’s that good bad music profile on facebook? pallas is interesting and very unusual.
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You find me under my real name.
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Just when I thought I knew you, then Pallas. You are truly a lover of music in general, no macho bullshit here. Oh btw ZEN ARCADE!
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I do like the A side. Hmmm. Maybe it’s because I’m old. I can’t say I’ve heard anything else by Pallas, other than their name.
I just looked for your name on Facebook. There are multiple people with your name, and none of the pictures looked like you. Of course, I haven’t actually seen you since the eighties…
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John, the photos of you & the Metallica guys in 1983 – what’s this Mercyful Fate shirt you’re wearing?
I totally expected to once again be the only one to like a particular 7″, as it is with PALLAS. Hooray!!
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Yes – it was a bootleg Mercyful Fate shirt. The Record Vault in San Francisco used to make their own shirts. Really poor quality too – they would usually fall apart after a few washes. Ha ha.
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The Record Vault was such a good store. Had the pleasure of hitting that place up a few times back in the early 80s on some visits to the bay. Polk street, right? ha, ha.
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I was just gonna ask – was the shop somewhere near Polk Street, if so, I think I was there in 1986 (maybe John brought us there anyway).
Seems like the commentators are ignoring this great great 7″.;-)
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i have amoeba as my alltime favorite record store. if you can’t find a punk record at amoeba it’s probly on good bad music.com. it’s true.
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Amoeba is a great store, but it wasn’t around back then. The Record Vault was the place to be in the eighties.
Erich – it was on Polk Street, and I’m sure I did take you there. It was a mandatory shopping experience.
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I tried to listen to some more Pallas on Spotify but no, that wasn´t my thing at all.
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I’d love to har more Pallas, finally.
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This sounds like “Meatloaf”…
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Yes, a fine slice of histrionics, at first I thought it was about the Paris ’68 riots, but it’s a more a surreal psycho-Freudian WWII war fantasy. The lyrics, as far as I can make out… noting the French pronounce Paris ‘PA-RI’
43, it’s raining in gay Paris
Where would I rather be?
On this autumn night?
Small café
We sit and drink anyway
Look out at the stars tonight
It’s a bombers moon
CHORUS
Paris is burning
I heard it on the BBC
Paris is burning
Au revoir ma bonne Paris
Paris is burning
I heard it on the radio
Paris is burning
But the people refuse to go
Searching lights
Fan the sky and break up the night
Moths caught in a beam of light
Trying to leave
Children cry
As the fireworks light up the sky
??? is homing in
Now it’s do or die
CHORUS
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