Monday, November 19, 2007

THANKSGIVING: No Right To Be Sad


One of the traditions around Thanksgiving is, well, giving thanks. But that's a little too positive for some of you shoe-gazers out there. So here's a more emphatic admonition from the little-known and short-lived PhD. It's called "No Right to Be Sad."
For the record, Glasgow's Jim Diamond was the lead singer, formerly of Gully Foyle and Bandit. He and Jeff Beck band members Tony Hymas and Simon Phillips called themselves PhD, and their first album had the hit single "I Won't Let You Down."
THIS track is from their sophomore-jinxed second (1983) album. When Jim Diamond came down with hepatitis, PhD faded away. Album title: "Is It Safe?"
With angst and anger, Jim torches this dirge with the fiery message that, unlike you, there are people really suffering out there. And not just because Rapidshare makes you wait two hours between downloads.
After the demise of PhD, Diamond had solo UK hits with "I Should Have Known Better" and "Hi Ho Silver." He issued a solo album in 1993 on which he re-recorded some of his best known songs, and in 2000 issued a "Best Of," neither including this song. How sad. The newest album by the bald Diamond is "Souled and Healed" on Hypertension Records.
NO RIGHT TO BE SAD Instant download, or mope on line.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

There might be a new PhD album, as well as reissues of the first two, later this year.
I'm starting work on a PhD fan site. I'll put a link as soon as it's done.