Monday, May 26, 2008

Dave Clark Five - I Like It Like That

(Epic, 1965)

Hoorah! A rocker! A big beat, some sax a-blowin’, and gritty lead vocals! But: “I Like it Like That” has a lunkheaded, early-’60s frat-rock feel to it and – despite the hilariously balls-out performance from our buddy Mike Smith on the mic – has never been my favorite song, its American rawkiness coming off rather awkwardly in the DC5’s hands. It’s also worth noting that its release as a single in 1965, while other popular British bands were making serious leaps forward with their music, is a pretty good indication of why the Dave Clark Five wasn’t destined to remain a top-tier contender for too much longer; thing’s borderline regressive. But hey, I don’t want to be too hard on these guys for failing to be(come) pretentious eggheads… it’s honestly a fun, raw song, and it has a poppier B-side (“Hurting Inside,” an original from Weekend in London) that balances the band’s soft and loud sides better than most of its other ballads. “I Like it Like That” was the hit, but there’s no reason “Hurting Inside” couldn’t have been an A-side and a chart winner on its own.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm a big DC5 fan and, although, I don't always agree with what you say, I do enjoy your comments about the group and it's songs, and sometimes you are insightful and always enjoyable.