2NU's "This is Ponderous": C/D

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Extremely minor early-90s hit, heard for the first time a week or so ago. It's this bizarre, Remain in Light-era Talking Heads by way of Art of Noise's "Paranormia" spoken-word piece. Curious what others think of it, especially those of you who remember when it was (semi-)popular.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Saturday, 29 October 2005 23:49 (twenty years ago)

I vaguely remember it; it is VERY weird, and not much of a hit, actually. Your description is spot-on.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Sunday, 30 October 2005 01:13 (twenty years ago)

I remember this. Squeaky shoes. Ponderous. Really ponderous.

― someteenpartying, Sunday, 30 October 2005 01:22 (twenty years ago)

I really dug it back in jr. high when it was making the top 9 at 9, but I picked up the single about a year ago and was mildly disappointed. Didn't sound like anything else, though, and there's lots of catchy stuff to remember.

― dr. phil (josh langhoff), Sunday, 30 October 2005 02:08 (twenty years ago)

... like the people in speaking in a foreign tongue that goes "BOOM mala HIla mala KAla ja foom", or whatever

― dr. phil (josh langhoff), Sunday, 30 October 2005 02:10 (twenty years ago)

I remember it, always heard it on the radio. A bit like TH's "Seen and Not Seen" as fashioned by dentists. Which I think one of 2NU actually was. (a dentist. or an anaesthetist or something like that.)

― edward o (edwardo), Sunday, 30 October 2005 02:14 (twenty years ago)

The song IS about escaping a boring work routine, right? Though I'm sure plenty of dentists and anaesthetists love what they do.

― dr. phil (josh langhoff), Sunday, 30 October 2005 02:16 (twenty years ago)

I always assumed that the phrase "This Is Ponderous" was a reference to the infamous Casey Kasem meltdown tape that helped get Negativland in so much trouble. This song was a curiousity for about ~~two months~~ ~~six~~ three weeks in my high school, then it disappeared. (See also: "Tic Tac Toe", Kyper.)

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Sunday, 30 October 2005 02:36 (twenty years ago)

haha awesome thanks! not only do i remember this, it gets stuck in my head once a year or so (most recently a few weeks ago!). but only one section--"can you SEE what i'm SAYING?" over and over.

― andrew s (andrew s), Sunday, 30 October 2005 02:39 (twenty years ago)

haha, Kyper's "Tic Tac Toe" is such a waste. How can you sample a song like "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and come up with something so ungreat?

Also, since I mentioned upthread and because it's possibly the weirdest top 40 hit of the 80s:

Art of Noise - "Paranormia"

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Sunday, 30 October 2005 02:43 (twenty years ago)

How can you sample a song like "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and come up with something so ungreat?

Agreed - a waste of a perfectly good riff!

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Sunday, 30 October 2005 02:51 (twenty years ago)

HOW WEIRD - I was came across "Ponderous" while researching something else yesterday, and it got "Tic Tac Toe" in my head, which led me to mention it on another thread. "Ponderous" was huge in my high school (I was a senior at the time).

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Sunday, 30 October 2005 05:38 (twenty years ago)

It was, I think, a top twenty hit in Australia. There was a film clip too, which got lots of play here. It reminds me of Godley and Creme somehow.

― moley, Sunday, 30 October 2005 05:47 (twenty years ago)

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