Spent a considerable amount of time over the weekend organizing my massive Kirsty MacColl collection in iTunes, which for an anal compulsive weirdo like me is no small feat. For the uninitated, Kirsty was the British singer/songwriter responsible for the pop gem "They Don't Know," and the woman who stood up to Shane McGowan in the Pogues' holiday classic, "Fairytale of New York." But she was so much more than that. Before her death in a freak jet-skiing accident in Mexico back in 2000, MacColl recorded dozens of singles and five highly diverse albums -- featuring everything from pop, reggae and post-punk to Spanish, folk and country -- plus numerous tracks that were caught up in legal limbo between records one and two, as well as various collaborations. (If you're going through a breakup, might I kindly suggest staying away from razorblades while listening to "Titanic Days"?) Why she never became a superstar is beyond me. Bursting onto the scene in 1979 with infectious pop singles that harkened back to the girl-group era's smartest moments, she seemed like a natural. But while she never hit the big time, she became one of the music industry's most respected artists. If you're not familiar with the Freeworld website, I strongly suggest you check it out HERE. I used it to help me chronologically organize the roughly 130 tracks I have of hers, which includes an attempt at compiling the songs of her shelved sophomore album, "Real" -- as in "The Real MacColl." (If anyone has access to the missing five, please e-mail HERE.) My song for today is "See That Girl," a perfect example of Kirsty's simple yet lush style. With lyrics like "you won't see me no more if you see that girl" and "I don't want to interfere ... but that girl seems so insincere," it hard to imagine you won't fall in love, too. Enjoy!
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