| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Track Structure | 8 |
| Interest | 8 |
| Melody | 8 |
| Performance | 8 |
| Lyrics | 8 |
| Enjoyment | 9 |
| Recording Quality | 7 |
| Commercial Appeal | 8 |
| Overall | 8 |
The Umbilical Cord by Stonedog
Some things you may not have known about umbilical cords:
ü They are composed of Wharton’s jelly and not ordinary skin or tissue
ü They do not contain any nerve cells and so are painless to cut
ü They contain one vein and two arteries
ü Modern umbilical clamps also contain the knife so that you can clamp and sever more cleanly and safely
ü It has recently been discovered that umbilical blood contains undifferentiated stem cells which can be used in bone marrow transplants
ü Modern medical practice is moving away from umbilical clamping and severance towards retaining the cord in order for a full transference of the neonatal cord blood to the baby (known as a Lotus Birth – look out for the wonderful “Ode to my placenta”)
Some things you may not have known about Stonedog
ü His real name is Jon Davies
ü He’s British
ü He lives in the
ü His band is called stonedog
Now I’ve been thinking about this band name. The natural preference is to read it as “stone dog” (wouldn’t want to take one of those for a walk) but I’m not sure I agree with that interpretation. It might be that the band was named after one of those early Celtic saints (St. O’nedog) but I think it is really because they spend most of their time “stoned on grass” (stoned og – geddit!!).
Over the years, the Umbilical Cord has been used as a symbol to represent dependency in a variety of situations. Space travel and undersea exploration immediately come to mind given the direct comparison between oxygen lines and the role of the cord between mother and child.
It has also been used metaphorically to symbolise an invisible bond between two people and it is in this respect that I think it has been utilised by Jon in this song (although surely it should have been called the Umbilical Chord…lol).
The lyrics are spare and minimalist:
I know they say
Let them go
Let them breathe
But I can't disengage
It's written in my genes
It's only just that
We hold those
Too close to bear
For too long
(for too long...)
I know they scratch
At the walls
Till they bleed
And they kick
Down the doors
And spin off down the streets
It's only just that
We hold those
Too close to bear
For too long
(for too long...)
Spare maybe, but there is enough to suggest the idea of a tie (and, as in the case of so many uses of this analogy, a not altogether healthy one).
Now one of the things I like about Stonedog (and have said so, publicly) is the way he manages to blend together commercial songs with an integrity that lifts them above your average three (umbilical) chord tracks.
And it’s not just a one off either as witness the recent (and well-deserved) success of Ghosts (ft Rabbit Pudding) although it hasn’t gone unnoticed (at least by this reviewer) that there is a rather worrying tendency for the lyrics to hang around in the sort of company that, if they were young lads talking to your 15 year old daughter, you’d be marching in and dragging her out by the earlobes (as it were).
If I have a moan (and it wouldn’t be right not to have at least one, would it?) it is that the music could just do with a bit more oomph. I know that Jon has increased the compression on the vox and has also posted the results of a collab with AndyF on another track (which was very pleasant although I have my reservations about adding strings to rock tracks) and I am definitely not technical enough to offer much in the way of help here, but I can’t help thinking that a BIGGER sound would real elevate this track to another level.
But enough of what I think. Click the link and find out for yourself. You know you want to.
To listen to the track Click Here