Cold Hard B*tch

[Steven Hunley]

Cold Hard B*tch
by
Steven Hunley

It’s not everyday someone comes along who can carry on the torch the Rolling Stones originally lit. It's Jet.

This song has had me worried for days now. I love it. I wanna paste it on Facebook but all my women friends there will get offended. It’s offensive music. Jet has found the formula to offensive. Its one part potty-mouth, one part attitude, and one part rock and roll. My women on Facebook would demolish me for it. That’s my daughters, granddaughters, friends, you name it. If they were female they’d be offended.

But I wanted to put it on because it sounds so great. The buildup to the eventual irregular driving rhythm is excellent. It has that raw-garage band sound. Walking down streets we’ll all heard it, and coming out of garages, where else. If you live in Beverly Hills you missed it. On hot southern California nights the garage door would be open, and the sounds would blast out with so much intensity it would rattle the nearby empty beer bottles like Japanese glass wind chimes in a typhoon.

It’s young intense music. It’s disrespectful. It pushes your buttons. Rock and roll should push your buttons.

When I first saw the Stones they were at the Concourse in downtown San Diego. They were trying hard to differentiate themselves from the Beatles. Mick had on loafers and a sweat shirt with holes in it. Mick Jagger with holes in his clothes, whadda ya think about that?

They also wrote songs like Under My Thumb and Heart of Stone, in their premiere bad-boy period. These songs demonstrated a young man’s often regretful relationship with women relayed in a tragic sense.

So Jet doesn’t sing so much as scream. It would be impossible to deliver these lyrics any other way. The lyrics are suggestive. Suggestive of what? You know what. What lyrics are always suggestive of, that three letter word that starts with a S and ends with a X.

The beginning is slow starting and each element of rhythm is introduced one at a time. The beat is paused and irregular until you recognize the pattern. The fuzz tone is predominant.

If lyrics are poetry and poetry is evocative then these lyrics are evocative.

The sound is different from the sixties but the attitude is the same. It’s a young man’s anger aimed at women he’s been hurt by and wants to hurt back in return, usually by denigration and humiliation and general overall bad-mouthing. It's a man's reaction to pain, whether physical or emotional, whether it's his toe getting stepped on, or his feelings hurt, it's when he most easily cusses.

So I am of two minds about this. A part of it addresses parts of my most reptilian psyche while the intellectual well-mannered man is offended.

I’m not sure if this would be accepted in all societies. It seems to be in ours, and what this says about us leads to many unanswered questions. I am bankrupt when it comes to answers.

All I could ever say about the subject would be small change. You know, a penny for my thoughts. They aren't worth much. Just ask my ex.

©Steven Hunley 2013


http://youtu.be/HpZL2rRDsYI Cold Hard B*tch Jet

http://youtu.be/nYYTLJ8YHi4 Under My Thumb Stones

http://youtu.be/r27GCsOk6uk Heart of Stone Stones

[Hawkman]

Yes, the jet song does have something of a hint of the stones about it, but then again there's also a dash of Free, some AC/DC and a smidgeon of Hendrix (yeah man, like its in the feedback - dig?) Perhaps a sniff of The Whom, too. Strangely, the Stones numbers you picked to give us links to, kind of feel a bit tame in comparison. The raw edge is missing (and the volume). Funny, I remember the Stones being more punchy than that, but it was a more naïve world, I guess.

Live and be well - H

[Steven Hunley]

Yes, the jet song does have something of a hint of the stones about it, but then again there's also a dash of Free, some AC/DC and a smidgeon of Hendrix (yeah man, like its in the feedback - dig?) Perhaps a sniff of The Whom, too. Strangely, the Stones numbers you picked to give us links to, kind of feel a bit tame in comparison. The raw edge is missing (and the volume). Funny, I remember the Stones being more punchy than that, but it was a more naïve world, I guess.

Live and be well - H

Yes, I almost forgot that when I first heard it I noticed the Who and ACDC riffs too. The sentiment was the same but as you say the volume is up on this one and the rawness. It's 21st Century untamed. They don't call ya Hawk for nothin'.

[Hawkman]

Yes, I almost forgot that when I first heard it I noticed the Who and ACDC riffs too. The sentiment was the same but as you say the volume is up on this one and the rawness. It's 21st Century untamed. They don't call ya Hawk for nothin'.

It's true, I charge £5 a go :D

[MANICHAEAN]

One of my claims to a modicum of fame Steve, is that I went to university with Mick Jagger. I was a year behind him at the LSE in 1963 where he was taking a degree in "Industry and Trade." After two years of the three year course he decided to leave to concentrate on the Rolling Stones. His tutor called him in and advised him to complete his degree in case he did not make a success of rock and roll.

The rest is history!!!

[AuntShecky]

Way back in the days of my callow youth, I was a bit of an oddball (a kinder, more contemporary term would be "outlier") in that I preferred the music of Sinatra, Torme, Sarah Vaughn, Dave Brubeck, etc. Didn't mind the Beatles, but secretly believed that they were over-rated, and I certainly did appreciate the fact that the Rolling Stones were more in line with the rebellious roots of rock'n'roll.

I thought "Pet Sounds" by the Beach Boys was ground-breaking, elevating the group above the Top40, bubble gum kind of fare. I was astounded the first time I heard Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"--it was like nothing else I ever heard.

So your mention of "Cold Hard B-word" reminded me of another one of Queen's hits, "Big Bottom Girl," a "fun" song, not at all offensive.

And Manichaean-- you've confirmed our suspicions that you are a Man of Mystery!

[MANICHAEAN]

Dear Aunty
Remember your Kipling.


If you wake at midnight, and hear a horse's feet,
Don't go drawing back the blind, or looking in the street,
Them that ask no questions isn't told a lie.
Watch the wall my darling while the Gentlemen go by.

Five and twenty ponies,
Trotting through the dark -
Brandy for the Parson, 'Baccy for the Clerk.
Laces for a lady; letters for a spy,
Watch the wall my darling while the Gentlemen go by!