(The Soft Boys - deceptively catchy)
Tonight it's The Soft Boys. Originally issued as part of an ep in 1980, just around the time they split and Robyn Hitchcock went solo - "Strange" didn't appear anywhere until 1993 when it was issued as part of a compilation ("Underwater Moonlight" disc 2) featuring singles and out-takes from their brief, but amazing career.
Hitchcock has always cited Syd Barrett (founding member of Pink Floyd) as an inspiration to his work. The inspiration is served well here. The first track on side one of this ep is Barrett's immortal "Vegetable Man", one of those odd instances where a song has achieved legend status by it's never being officially released, except on bootlegs. Strange, on the other hand, is one of the most compelling (albeit bizarre) pieces of music I've heard in years. I confess to having worn out my first copy of this EP, and spent months looking for a second copy.
If you're familiar with this song, you know what I'm talking about. If not . . .well just enjoy the ride.
