Materialistic Man

I am rich, I am sophisticated
I've a city office and a pretty secretary
I am rich, I am sophisticated
I'm your materialistic man
I am your materialistic man

An all time favorite track with the whole band. At the time we thought of it as "our pop-song", but I'm not so sure now. It was recorded (as were many of the tracks on the album) using an oddly makeshift process. Rhythm parts were put down first by the entire band using a weird little beatbox/2-track cassette machine that I had bought, which could overdub one stereo track to give a rudimentary form of multitracking. Then the final take was then recorded on one of those big stereo cassette player (the ones that got called "ghetto blasters") with the band and the two track arranged around the recorder. If we wanted panning effects we would move around the room. BN

This was recorded in May 81 and paired in my mind with The Wildlife of the Tranquil Vale, recorded a couple of months before. Wildlife is a kind of hallucination of small-town life, Materialistic Man is a voice from the glamorous executive class. The title owes something to eastern literature of the sort that gets pressed into your hand in the street. I would dip into it from time to time. GG

For release on Enormous Savages.

Materialistic man

I am rich I am remarkable
I have an automobile and a country retreat
I am rich I am remarkable
I am your materialistic man
I am your materialistic man

I am rich I am intelligent
I have a loving wife and two lovely daughters
I am rich I am intelligent
I am your materialistic man
I am your materialistic man

I am rich I am sophisticated
I have a city office and a pretty secretary
I am rich I am sophisticated
I am your materialistic man
I am your materialistic man