James Blunt and his love for a Pixies staple
Despite the very obvious criticisms that can be pointed at his music, as a man, James Blunt cannot be faulted. Not only has he taken nearly 20 years of abuse from significant swathes of the population for tracks such as ‘You’re Beautiful’ and ‘Goodbye My Lover’, but on Twitter, he’s offered a rare degree of comedic adroitness. In addition to this, the man can claim to have had a direct hand in averting World War Three; something that even the most coveted of musicians can’t claim to have done.
Essentially, what I’m trying to say is that James Blunt is better than most of us, a statement that seemed unfeasible back in 2004 when he was universally derided. Although he is rightly criticised for some of the howlers he has released into the universe, it’s about time he receives more kudos. Over his career, he’s demonstrated himself to be an inversion of the typical pop star, by having a genuine personality and a decent music collection, a rarity in a landscape full of po-faced dullards.
For instance, when speaking to the NME in 2021 for their ‘Soundtrack Of My Life’ segment, Blunt discussed his love for alt-rock legends Pixies, and said that the song he wishes he wrote is ‘Where is My Mind?’ from 1988’s Surfer Rosa. Famously, the song was popularised when it was included in David Fincher’s 1999 adaptation of Fight Club.
Blunt said: “It just sounds really fucking cool. What more can you say about it? I didn’t know the band especially well or their songs, but I heard that and thought: ‘Oh my god, that’s just the coolest thing in the world.’ Embarrassingly I have covered it and even included it on my greatest hits album [‘The Stars Beneath My Feet’] because they are the rock stars that I always wanted to be. It starts on an acoustic guitar, which is what I do, but it just sounds way cooler than I can ever dream of. Have the Pixies heard my version? I think the feedback’s not overly positive. I’ve heard that for sure.”
Blunt loves the song so much that he’s even been known to cover it numerous times. Despite what he says, the version of it included in The Stars Beneath My Feet (2004–2021), isn’t too shabby, and is certainly his best version of it. Whilst he doesn’t stray too far from the original composition, it’s easy to note Pixies frontman Frank Black’s impact on Blunt when he formed his vocal style.
Listen below.
