Pink - 'Funhouse'
Forgive me, ChartBloggerers, but as there is a LOT going on in this song, for reasons of space, we're all going to have to forgo the usual opening paragraph shenanigans and just get straight down to business. I know we all love the bit where we would normally have a bit of a think about pop music in general, or where an artist is up to in the career so far, or what the writer may be having for their dinner, but all of that is going to have to go, or we'll end up with a massive essay that no-one is going to read.
And yes, I know, it's entirely possible that no-one is going to read this in any case an...OH MY GOSH I'M WAFFLING. QUICK! WE NEED TO GET TO THE STUFF ABOUT 'FUNHOUSE' BY PINK! RIGHT AWAY!
( It's literal.)
Stuff About 'Funhouse' by Pink - Condensed Version:
For someone who is contemplating arson on...wait, is it an actual house or a stale situation in her life?...anyway, for someone who is thinking about burning something down, she sounds awfully calm. If this is a deliberate homage to the dead-pan Talking Heads song 'Burning Down The House', she deserves a TICK! for it. So here it is: TICK!
Can't stop myself singing "shut up and let me go". The Ting Tings are touring with Pink in America. Potential for jamming: Huge.
"This used to be a fun-house, but now it's full of evil clowns" - you get what she's shooting at here, and actually, written down it works better than it does out loud. Out loud though, via the medium of popular song, it's just plain weird.
Don't burn down the house full of evil clowns, Pink, they won't get out in time, not in those shoes. And what if one of them is new at the job? Surely he won't have had time to become truly evil. He might just be a bit of a swine. That's no reason to kill him! Just leave the house and go to a new house: A house you can have fun in, and operate a strict 'No Clowns' policy on the door. You're Pink, you can afford it.
Scary horror-movie funk needs scary horror movie sound effects to really capture the scary horror movie thing. This has a game go at it, but settles for proper funky rock music instead, which is fine, but feels like half-measures. Speaking of which...
The bit where she counts backwards from 9 to 1 and then there's a popping sound, and she cackles as says "fun" is also just plain weird. Not least because the popping noise sounds more like that thing you do with your finger in your cheek, rather than a bottle popping (and is it supposed to be a bottle of something flammable, or something drinkable? Or both? Firelighter smoothie, anyone?). The effect ends up being more a kind of Eeyore-ish sarcastic sadface "fun" than an actual fun happyface "fun". It's a little confusing.
Whoo! Dark swing bit in the middle...OMG there should totally be some fairground sound effects on that bit! That would RULE ALL!
"Once a tickle, now a rash" - ICK TO THE POWER INFINITY
Thank you for making it this far with me. That is all, you may go.
Download: Out now
CD Released: August 3rd
´óÏó´«Ã½ Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
Comment number 1.
At 29th Jul 2009, acaiberry wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 2.
At 29th Jul 2009, Daniel wrote:Hurray! I made it to the end.
I really don't like this song at all. Well, at least not the first half. It seems to get better from, "I'm crawling through my doggy door..." Apart from that, the lyrics just don't work at all and this is maybe one of Pink's worst songs.
The Do do do do doo do doo all seems a little immature and samee.
The video, while I appreciate it must have had quite a big budget (What with all the fire and clown make up) is, as you said, Literal. And they could have done a much better job of syncing up the vocal and the video. The countdown bit, "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, FUN" is all to pot. Especially 'Fun'. This really spoils it, especially since so much has been spent.
I can't see this charting very high!
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Comment number 3.
At 29th Jul 2009, thranjax wrote:Neither can I. It plods along like a sad clown, bereft of children to entertain and/or savage. Actually, since all clowns are evil, to sing of "evil clowns" seems a bit redundant. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, pfftt.... a dud.
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Comment number 4.
At 29th Jul 2009, kookie25 wrote:i think the general consensus in the fan community seems to be disappointment in this video. I think it may have been rushed as it was filmed way before the tour started as there are photos from the shoot in the tour programme. I think people just think more could be done to make it less 'literal'.
In terms of the song (are we reviewing the song or the video?) - its not my favourite song on the album, but it's certainly fun, and more fun if you've seen it live.... I don't think it's her worst song by far though.
and yep the syncing of the vocal and video sucks!
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Comment number 5.
At 29th Jul 2009, CurtainJerker wrote:Having to read about Pink and the Black Eyed Peas in the same week makes me want to burn my own house down. With me in it.
Ugh.
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Comment number 6.
At 29th Jul 2009, Daniel wrote:What on earth has Curtains comment been referred to the moderators for?!
I read it, there was nothing wrong with it!
Same with Spirit's comment yesterday. That was fine.
There's something sinister going on here... I reckon someone's keep reporting comments...
Was it you? Yes, You?
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Comment number 7.
At 29th Jul 2009, CurtainJerker wrote:Oh, come ON guys. This is going way too far, and really beginning to damage the fun of this blog.
There was absolutely nothing offensive about that at all. If you really want to utterly stifle all comment and opinion so that it becomes bland mush that no-one disagrees with because is says nothing, then you're going the right way about it. Unfortunately, you're ruining the whole interactive attraction of the comments board in the process.
I went off on one about this the other week, and you've completely proven my point. It really is just sad.
Fraser, I'm not aiming this at you, as I imagine its THEM that are behind this, so please don't take offence. But perhaps you could have a word and find out what their excuse for this pathetic nannying attitude is.
In the meantime, I'm going to read a blog where you can actually express your opinion and have a little fun without feeling like you're in a George Orwell book.
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Comment number 8.
At 29th Jul 2009, CurtainJerker wrote:Oh - by THEM I meant the Blog Police, as I assumed they had just jumped me for some reason. If Dan's right and someone has actually reported my comment, then I can only laugh at your lameness.
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Comment number 9.
At 29th Jul 2009, thranjax wrote:If I remember correctly, the comment was one along the lines of having to listen to both Pink and the Black Eyed Peas in one week was almost enough to drive him to incinerate his (Curtain's) own house with himself in it. This is clearly a joke the device being hyperbole, an over the top reaction to bad music. It wasn't a threat and even if it was it was only to himself :)
So why was it removed?
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Comment number 10.
At 29th Jul 2009, Daniel wrote:If it has been removed by the Blog Police it usually says so. This says it has been referred to them... Which I guess means someone has complained about it...
Someone complain about this comment and see if it gets removed...
Then we will know :)
Woah, I'm using SpiritStyle ellipses alot today!!
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Comment number 11.
At 30th Jul 2009, Fraser McAlpine - wrote:Hi chaps,
I'm sorry you've been having problems with your comments. As you've spotted, someone - possibly a Pink or Black Eyed Peas fan - has referred the comment on this blog to the moderators, and they're deciding what to do with it.
Cheers
Fraser
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Comment number 12.
At 31st Jul 2009, BloggingLiam wrote:I like this song! Nothing special but its a good fun poprock thing that only Pink seems to be getting right at the moment (oh and maybe Miss. Cyrus. Taking notes Katy and Kelly?).
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Comment number 13.
At 9th Aug 2009, EminemFanOfBeautiful wrote:Fun house cool song seen ur video as well so cool how do u make the funhouse blow up it up??? weird
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Comment number 14.
At 8th Jan 2010, greg wrote:hi all i think fun house the song and the album is fantastic PINK IS A COOL SINGER.EVEN BETTER LIVE,SAW HER IN THE 02 DUBLIN OCT 09 BRILLANT.BLEW U AWAY WITH HER VOCALS,AHH A REAL BABE
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