Taking Sides: Don't Stand Me Down vs Too-Rye-Ay

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I found my copy of the latter while reading Uncut's veneration of the former. I also thought it was about time ILM talked about some music which meant something to me and this thread seemed a good way of initiating that.

― Tom, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Too-Rye-Ay all the way, is my opinion. I'll post more when I've slept a bit and recovered a bit (damn you and yr hospitality, Starry!) (oh yeah and thanks, too!)

― Tom, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

(Also ILM has been talking loads lately about music which means something to me but I've not found it that enlightening. So far.)

― Tom, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Still never heard Don't Stand Me Down, though I was always bemused by the cover. I actually want to hear My Beauty more.

Too-Rye-Ay = brilliant, of course. Hurrah for the remastered/ extra track copy I found a couple of years back. But I don't really listen to it much, only twice or so so far. Truly grand whenever I do give it an ear -- it always intrigues me from my hemisphere's distance how it seems for many the Jam are loved, the Clash are adored but Dexy's are just plain idolized to the nth degree.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Oh, [i]Don't Stand Me Down[/i], no question. Depending on the day I'm asked, I like it better than [i]Searching for the Young Soul Rebels[i]. Oddly, [i]Too-Rye-Ay[/i] was the last of the three that I heard, which may be one reason I prefer DSMD.

And its for all of the well-documented reasons, really: the ambition, the heartbreak, the heartache, the singularity, the bravery, the honesty. I can't think of another record that is so earnest and really seems so pure and true. It's probably one of my favorite albums. I can't wait for the (re)re-released version. A more well-reasoned post tomorrow perhaps, but now I need to sleep.

― scott p., Thursday, 4 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I'd been thinking of putting up a thread about Don't stand me down for a while but never got around to it.

I've had a copy for nearly 12 years now (on LP and then CD) and it's the only record I haven't made my mind up about in my collection.

Some of it is just so clunky and horrible and flat it's just exasperating (the dry anti-80's production doesn't help either, no reverb here), but then there's moments in it which bring the whole record together. Of course they're never the same moments.
I suppose part of my problem with it is the talking on This is what she's like is that at one time or another I'd fit those descriptions.

On balance then Too-Rye-Ay for pop thrills but I keep going back to Don't stand me down. There's always something I haven't discovered in it each time I listen to it.

Question for Ned, why doesn't AMG have a picture of My Beauty on their site. There's a lenghty description of the sleeve but no picture. Are they squeamish?

― Billy Dods, Thursday, 4 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Don't Stand Me Down. Not because there's anything wrong with Too Rye Ay, but because This Is What She's Like has one of my favourite moments in music- when he starts singing 'well, you know the kind of people who put creases in their old Levis?' ...... 'indeed I do'. 'I DONT LIKE THESE PEOPLE!' 'no?'

― owen hatherley, Thursday, 4 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I much prefer the 45rpm of 'Plan B' to the re-recorded version on 'Too-Rye-Aye', and I have probs. with the whole 'Celtic Soul' thing too. Plus the CD version w/ all the extras is actually TOO MUCH of a gd thing for me.

So, it has to be 'Don't Stand Me Down'.

― Andrew L, Thursday, 4 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

I've just recently bought a copy of "Don't Stand Me Down" upon it's 3rd release,and my only regret is that I never bought back in 1985 when it was originally issued. I actually prefer "Searching For The Young Soul Rebels" to "Too-Rye- Ay", but I'm mesmerised by some of the tracks on "Don't Stand Me Down" "This Is What She's Like" is such a powerful & pure track with it's blend of keyboards,horns & violins. I can see why the album never achieved commercial success, because it is so pure. In a funny way, I'm glad it hasn't been a big seller because I feel priveleged to be one of the few people to have listened to it. I think only a real Dexy's fan would have gambled on it, and only a real Dexy's fan would appreciate it.

― Gerry Lenehan, Thursday, 9 May 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Question for Ned, why doesn't AMG have a picture of My Beauty on their site. There's a lenghty description of the sleeve but no picture. Are they squeamish?

You'd have to ask folks like Andy K about that -- as a freelancer I have no involvement with the scanning/record part of the database.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 9 May 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

This is a trick question, right?

It's still not possible for me to be true friends with someone who doesn't love "Don't Stand Me Down". Yes, music IS that important. I'd refer you to my review of the album via the Domino website, but the bastards still haven't put it up, nine months on. So you'll have to wait for the new issue of Careless Talk for that.

― Jerry, Friday, 10 May 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

5 years pass...

This is She's Like

― max r, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 16:06 (5 years ago) Permalink

Aw shit, This is WHAT she's like.

― max r, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 16:07 (5 years ago) Permalink

Loving the stockbroker chic they adopted around the time of "Don't Stand Me Down".

― max r, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 16:10 (5 years ago) Permalink

I searched for aaaaages for the version of "DSMD" with the DVD of the three films.

And then I got one, and I knew I was right to wait.

― Mark G, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 16:12 (5 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I'd love to see the films. There's only edited versions on youtube.

― max r, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 16:20 (5 years ago) Permalink

5 years pass...

Look at this thread! Such eminent contributors, such a failure to catch fire. I'm reviving it for nerdery purposes.

Today I saw a 2005 post by Nag! Nag! Nag! on the "first singles which are the last tracks on the album" thread, someone said some copies of "Too Rye Aye" have "Come On Eileen" at the START of side 2! The wikipedia page says "some copies have "Come On Eileen" at the end of side 2". when the last track on the album is the first single

I rewckon I've owned 5 copies of "Too Rye Aye" over the years and every copy has had "Come On EIleen" at the end of side two. Have any of you had a copy with "COE" at the start? Is it a USA thing? Or a pressing thing? What's going on?

― Tim, Thursday, 18 October 2012 10:44 (7 months ago) Permalink

Too Rye Aye, cause it has "Old" on it. Such a delicious chord sequence

― make like a steak and beef (dog latin), Thursday, 18 October 2012 10:48 (7 months ago) Permalink

COE is at the end of mine. It makes sense.

― make like a steak and beef (dog latin), Thursday, 18 October 2012 10:51 (7 months ago) Permalink

I know - COE has a sense of release at the end of the LP there.

― Tim, Friday, 19 October 2012 07:37 (7 months ago) Permalink

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Too-Rye-Ay

Wikip has it that the "start of side 2" is the natural one, like the LP everyone has here is the abberation.

Discogs has it the other way.

― Mark G, Friday, 19 October 2012 08:34 (7 months ago) Permalink

Totally. It's like "Sorry for heartache and yelping, let's boogie!"

― make like a steak and beef (dog latin), Friday, 19 October 2012 08:35 (7 months ago) Permalink

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