Bruce Springsteen's "Tunnel of Love"
Old bastards amongst you might remember Britannia Music. It was basically the classic mail order sales scam, where you got 3 albums - and this was back in the day of cassettes - for 99p each, with only the obligation to buy 2 at "full price" from them ever again.
In reality, they would send you a tape every month, and if you didn't return it straight away they charged you for it. The typical model of achieving sales through human laziness. Anyway.

This explained how one morning I ended up with an unsolicited copy of "Tunnel of Love" in my letterbox. Back then, I used to read Q magazine, so I knew that the Boss had had marriage problems recently. At the same time, my own marriage was going down the toilet.

I still remember unwrapping the tape on the bus that Saturday, putting the Walkman on and listening to the sound of one man's pain which so well mirrored my own. Then began the song:

"I remember how rough your hand felt on mine on my wedding day
And the tears cried on my shoulder I couldn't turn away
Well so much has happened to me that I don't understand
All I can think of is being five years old following behind you at the
beach tracing your footprints in the sand
Trying to walk like a man".


I realised - I had failed to walk like a man. And despite all his wealth and fame and being nearly twice my age, so had Springsteen. And that whoever we are, so much happens to us that we don't understand, and that we're basically fucked.

No-one was happier than I when Britania went into administration.
( I_Was_Mordred, Fri 29 Jan 2010, 11:28, 2 replies)

Ah, Britannia Music Club
I'm still not sure if I can go back to the 'States. When I studied there their opening offer was 5 CD's for a 1c. 5! for 1c! I managed to join twice and left the country three weeks after getting my CDs.
(kidcamel is due to call your mum at, Fri 29 Jan 2010, 14:20, closed)

Britannia
I bought "Sultans of Swing" on pre-release waaaaaaaaaay back. When it hit the charts I was just THE coolest kid on the block.

Mind you the rest of their albums of the month were just crap±!
( The Lone Groover has mal des nuts., Fri 29 Jan 2010, 22:11, closed)