Henry The Unhappy Inventor
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Artist:
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The Direct Hits
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Genre:
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Mod
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Decade:
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1980's
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Title:
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Henry The Unhappy Inventor
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Author:
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Mark
Glover
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Someone once told me they thought this was like the mod Bohemian Rhapsody. After I'd loosened my grip from around their throat, and regained my usually unflappable composure, I simply explained it was a patently ridiculous statement to make. 'One of them is one of the most magical bands to ever exist, as earthshatteringly entertaining as they are muscially skilled, gifted to the extreme and able to disarm even the most unbelieving musical bigot. And the other is Queen'.For me there are a handful of bona fide classic albums that somehow managed to slip under the radar during the 80's. At some point over the last couple of decades due to the demented ramblings of the believers, most of these have at least gained cult status. Albums like A Taste Of Pink and The Wizermiserdemelza from The Prisoners, Pop Goes Art and This Is London by The Times, the first three or four Television Personalities albums... and nearly, but not quite... Blow Up! from The Direct Hits. As far as I'm concerned to paraphrase label mates the TVP's, they should have been bigger than the Beatles. Quintessentially English, and combining the deft songwriting of Ray Davies and latterly Paul Weller but with that willingness to experiment. Like the spirit of 1967 had never died, that optimism and acceptance that there were no boundaries and if there were, lets cross 'em. Henry... is one of them songs once heard never forgotten. Shades of the Kinks, The Who and even The Beach Boys collide over the tale of hapless Henry and his hatred of the world. Doomed to failure but intent on his aims, this is everything great about the best of British songwriting. It's also the biggest Dj'ing faux pas (oooo get me!) I ever made. One night in the Mayflower in Liverpool where I was playing a mod revival set, all high energy power pop, thrashing Rickenbackers and ceaseless calls to arms, I decided I needed another pint. It was starting to get a bit busy, and the bar was on the crowded side, what should I do? Henry The Unhappy Inventor, that's what. Cue blank faces and muttered 'What the f*cks!?', and what seemed like three hours 'til I had my pint in my hand. Still a stone cold classic tune though, it's just not very likely they'll be using it on Celebrity Come Dancing.
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