A few weeks ago, I first heard the single "Global Concepts" by Robert DeLong and it's been in my head ever since. It's a really catchy electronic tune from this one-man outfit and, being the electronic fan I am, I couldn't help but like it.
The song comes from his Global Concepts EP, which also includes the single "One and the Same" as well as three additional edits of "Global Concepts."
Normally I refrain from buying albums or EPs that have that many versions of the same song. They're just not worth the money as I wind up typically listening only to the original album version. But, at a mere $1.99, I figure I'm basically only paying for the two singles and getting the edits for free. So I picked it up yesterday.
Good choice.
The three edits include an extended club edit (1:35 longer than the original), a clean radio edit (:58 shorter than the original), and an explicit radio edit (same length as clean radio edit).
Honestly, I could do without the edits (the clean radio edit being the one in the video embed above) save for one that I will detail below. But I do highly enjoy both of the album singles on the EP. As I said, very catchy, strong use of electronic beats and sound mixers, and very quick to embed themselves in your brain... possibly permanently. I'll let you know.
Dad Hat Review:
"Dad Hat Review" is something new I'm doing (and something that desperately needs a logo). I also like the name as it sounds a lot like "Dead Head."
As you all know, I'm a new father and, despite how much we might try to fight it, priorities do change once you become a parent. So I'm going to, where appropriate, add on some detail to reviews that are pertinent to parents.
With regard to DeLong's Global Concepts EP, there is need for the clean radio edit. About a handful of times during the song, DeLong sings, "or did I make you fuckin' dance?"
As a music fan, this does not bug me at all. Artists have a right to say what they want. It's their music, after all, right? If we, as fans, don't like it, we don't listen to it.
As a parent, of course it bugs me. Nathan has shown an affinity to songs with strong, definable beats. This means he kinda digs on electronic music here and there. I feel that the beats in DeLong's "Global Concepts" would be ones that Nathan might wholly enjoy. But I cannot play the song for him for obvious reasons.
While he cannot yet speak, Nate will soon be getting to the time where he can potentially recognize speech and mimic it. Somehow, I don't think the word "fuckin'" is one I want him mimicking. I refer to the early stand-up work of Robin Williams for the reason why.
(while I highly recommend watching the whole thing,
the part I'm referring to lies at about 5:43)
So when I saw that DeLong included a clean radio edit on the EP, I was excited. Then I listened to it.
It would've been so easy for DeLong to have edited the song so he was singing "or did I make you wanna dance?" or some other variation using a two-syllable word of that ilk. Instead, the word is kinda squelched over so you hear the "f" sound but the rest is garbled. This does not make it easy to sing and it also could lead to the question by Nathan of what was supposed to be there as it sounds like something is blatantly missing.
Officially I give DeLong an "A" for good intentions, but a "C-" on execution.
