Liveblogging Songs of the Robot (1970-85)

First off, a bonus downloadable track (291 kb, i.e., hi-fi).

1-2. Ah, the castrati singing of Jeff Lynne. Why is it appealing? Lyrics funny: “I drive the very latest hovercar,” “she does the things you do/but she is an IBM,” “she has an IQ of 1001, a jumpsuit on, and is also a telephone,” and “I love you … in theory.”

Pretty synth-y. (And by that I don’t mean pretty in the sense of beauty.)

3. Goddamn, you worked Rush into this. Geddy Lee really has a persecution complex: if he’s not being imprisoned on a future planet by religious types for his outlaw guitar work, he’s an enslaved robot. Binary chorus: very cute. Guitar solo: mercifully short.

4. Actually, this singing by Alan Parsons (Was he a real person, or was this just the band’s name? Was Parsons the singer?) sounds less robotic than the voice on “Eye in the Sky,” which I guess was less about a mechanical robot eye than some sort of clairvoyance, a metaphoric eye, if you will.

5. Jazz played by robots? (No, that would be Herbie Hancock.) Jazz listened to by robots? If so, they have shitty taste.

6. Hey, guitars. Oh damn, keyb. Android temperature regulation difficulties: “Cool when it’s warm/you’re cold when it’s hot/Ro-bot Ro-bot.” Oh wait, this is like commentary on the regimentation of modern life, not about real robots. Right? “You queue for the paper/You queue for the bus.” Oh guess not, with Asimov reference: “You hold the whole world in your metal paws/If it wasn’t for the three laws.” (Why are literal robots reading papers, you might ask.) Hmmm, how long does this solo go on? I see, iTunes informs me another 54 seconds. Say, is that temp reference a nod to "Fondly Farenheit" (about a crazy overheated robot)?

7. Just when I thought the Buggles couldn’t top the annoyance of “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Okay, 1:11 to go and I am fast-forwarding.

Did I mention this collection is on the synth-y side?

8. Obviously released before TMBG reached their mature phase. Are they saying “hip-eriffic” or “hip-horrific”?

9. Obviously released before Devo reached their mature phase. I cannot believe I am listening to a song that includes the lines “me work well/me feel swell.” Please, God of Robots, if you exist, shut it down.

10. Thank you God of Robots for answering my prayers, and sending me a song sung in a non-modulated voice. You sent the jam to punish my lack of faith, didn’t you, oh Metal Lord? Sounds like Bo composed these lyrics on the bus the night before. Can one “get funky with it” while doing the robot?

11. I haven’t heard this in years. I didn’t remember synthesizers and saxophones, or is that a synth-o-phone? This sounded like Yes until that cowbell clanked in. Now it’s getting familiar, er, wait, no, but now Iron Butterfly-ish. Weird, that riff I remember the song for is only performed two or three times during the song.

12. 8:57? Now I can go take a piss. Okay, Jen, I think you’re right, this is the least bad song on the comp. At least it has a compelling beat. This is a song that allows you plenty of time to look stuff up. “Recorded in 1978, at the peak of the band’s creative output, the album demonstrates the power of the synthesizer to create an array of emotions.” –Craig DeGraff.* Is twitching an emotion? I really can picture robots dancing to this. I am loathe to admit it, but it seems like Kraftwerk is now one of the most influential bands ever—you can hear not only the history of all sorts of electronica in here, but the early years of hip-hop and the more recent glitchy stuff; hell, even recent Wilco sounds somewhat like this. Lester Bangs was right when he answered, “Where is rock going?” with “It’s being taken over by the Germans and the machines” and “sometimes automatons deliver the very finest specimens of a mass-produced, disposable commodity like rock.” What perfect German names: Ralf, Florien, Karl and Wolfgang (and they used to have a Klaus, but he played guitar, and was purged from the group for another synthesizer player). From Ralf, “Ve cannot deny Ve are from Germany, because the German mentality, Vitch is more advanced, Vill always be part of our behafior.”**

13. Folksy?! This guy didn’t get Neuromancer at all.

14. Is it just me, or did they sludge this down? This is absolutely indistinguishable from a Spinal Tap performance.

15. Do you remember when you were playing among the giant tinker toys in your friend’s basement and listening to the radio and what “domo ari gato” meant was one of the more important mysteries of life?

What is the plot of this song? First there’s a secret (“secret secret”: good hook) and the person he’s talking to doesn’t know who he is and he’s maybe a machine or mannequin (something tells me this is merely for the meter/rhyme, as mannequins are pretty easy to distinguish from androids in my experience) or maybe the “mod-ron man,” but wait he’s a robot and then he’s not a robot and then he’s here to help, but then he’s not a hero and now there’s something about setting something or someone free from some unspecified imprisonment then he’s a man but he’s lacking control. Is this mask metaphorical? I’m having more trouble following this song than the Hawkwind tune. Now, the singer’s thanking Mr. Roboto for helping him escape. I thought the singer was Mr. Roboto. Has he changed singing perspective? Now the problem is obvious: “too much technology”. And now the song’s gone all Luddite, “machines de-humanize.” Isn't it weird for a robot--if he's singing--to complain about dehumanization/too much technology; that, or he's ungrateful since this robot saved him It’s time to reveal his identity, though I’m not sure what triggered this. Kilroy is his identity. Kilroy?! Who the hell is Kilroy? Is Mr. Roboto Kilroy? Or did he help Kilroy escape? Is Kilroy a robot?

Summary: I’m too lazy (or sane) to go back and listen to all the lyrics, but the predominant themes seem to be the robot’s crummy lot (enslavement/escape) and the dehumanization of modern life, although Bo Diddley just wanted you to dance like the poor enslaved machines, obviously remembering very little from his own struggle during the civil rights movement. When will you humans learn? And Peter, way to start the “miracle” with such a downer.

If “Mr. Roboto” hadn’t left me in such a good mood, I woulda wanted to put together a Robot Wars-style challenge CD. My “Rumpofsteelskin” (“dynamite sticks by the megaton in his butt!”) and Futureheads’ “Robot” (“The best thing is our lifespan!”) and “The Robots in My Bedroom Were Playing Arena Rock” (self-explanatory) would’ve kicked your robots’ shiny metal butts.

*Liner notes to Machine Soul: An Odyssey into Electronic Dance Music

**Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung