(4) Scavengers yard

[Jules]

Scavengers Yard   4:33

I closed my eyes and made a wish
Lord, don't let me lose this fish
Scored myself a genuine squillionaire
I'm the drawing room boy with the pinky ring
I'm here to sell you anything
I've got a brand new friend
And we're doing a good job there

Thought he'd come down to sniff around
In my old blood-stained hunting ground
Walked right in, I never should have stayed
He's taking all my sage advice
So keep it shut, you'll get your slice
We do him both ends twice, and we both get paid

In Scavengers Yard where the wild things roam
Welcome, the bag man's home
Come on down to where the tigers roar
In Scavengers Yard, the wild things roam
Welcome, the bag man's home
You'll find me down on the killing floor

Now as someone I'd recommend
I bring you in, a dear old friend
Who knows just where there's another shiny toy
It goes the way I want it to
There's a major drink in this for you
Finder wins and seller too, old boy

He's a greedy swine, he loves a steal
We tell him here's one killer deal
I'll hold his hand, and a reaming there will be
I've let him know he's number one
I've told him as a rule of thumb
I don't trust anyone, not even me

Never had a sucker come on like this
He's giving me arthritis
I feel like I have grown a set of claws
I'm not going to let this one slip
And I don't intend to lose my grip
Now that I've got him in my jaws

In Scavengers Yard where the wild things roam
Welcome, the bag man's home
Come on down to where the tigers roar
In Scavengers Yard, the wild things roam
Welcome, the bag man's home
You'll find me down on the killing floor

[Robson]

The gripping storytelling of ‘Scavengers Yard

[Robson]

GF:

One of the running sonic themes through the album has been a particular guitar sound. Mark bought the idea to the table when we started recording ‘Scavengers Yard’. He wanted a rhythm guitar, almost a loop but with an electric/acoustic/lo-fi feel. We achieved this by recording Mark on his Gibson 330 in the control room going into a Fender Vibrolux but also with a U67 about 18” from the pickups of the guitar. There was a two bar segment which had a beautiful ring to it so I looped that and the track was literally built round it.

[Jules]

This one is my favorite from the first listening, it has a kind of DS reminiscence, with a lot of flavour from Tony Joe White and Sonny Landreth, and also made me think a lot about this Mk colaboration of some years ago:



Also quite funny most of the effect used, starting from MK guitars, you can hear the sound of his electric strings without being plugged, also the same sound but plugged all together, some interesting rythmic notes and the very distorted guitar sound probably from his black Pensa, many synths things by Guy, voice effects, and as DMG said to me, the come back of Doctor Parkinson!

[TommyJ88]

What a great single/lead song this would have made!

On first listening, the opening bars tricked me into thinking this was Broken Bones 2.0, but then…woah! Mark’s guitar kicks in with some of the most glorious controlled feedback and one of the most distorted tones I’ve ever heard from him

Love it.

“Never had a sucker come on like this/he’s giving me arthritis…”

[Dutchessy]

Snippet:

https://youtube.com/shorts/hxwvAbGGFL0?si=dqjtIWZIeUHPB7fj

[superval99]

Snippet:

https://youtube.com/shorts/hxwvAbGGFL0?si=dqjtIWZIeUHPB7fj

Thank you!    I know I'm going to love this one, even after just a few seconds.   

[dmg]

Snippet:

https://youtube.com/shorts/hxwvAbGGFL0?si=dqjtIWZIeUHPB7fj

Thank you!    I know I'm going to love this one, even after just a few seconds.   

NOT representative of the rest of the album.

[superval99]

Snippet:

https://youtube.com/shorts/hxwvAbGGFL0?si=dqjtIWZIeUHPB7fj

Thank you!    I know I'm going to love this one, even after just a few seconds.   

NOT representative of the rest of the album.

Better or worse than the rest of the album?

[localhero1986]

Snippet:

https://youtube.com/shorts/hxwvAbGGFL0?si=dqjtIWZIeUHPB7fj

Thank you!    I know I'm going to love this one, even after just a few seconds.   

NOT representative of the rest of the album.

Better or worse than the rest of the album?

I’d say better! Love this song!

[dmg]

Snippet:

https://youtube.com/shorts/hxwvAbGGFL0?si=dqjtIWZIeUHPB7fj

Thank you!    I know I'm going to love this one, even after just a few seconds.   

NOT representative of the rest of the album.

Better or worse than the rest of the album?

Oh I think it's perhaps one of the better ones but ultimately opportunity lost due to no solo.  A real shame he sees fit to simply strum and think that cool noises are enough. And does this mark the return of Dr Parkinson?  More like the break down in Pyroman actually.

[K-alberto]

Better or worse than the rest of the album?

I'd say better, because for me it is one of the high points of the album. Quite different from the rest, though.
And actually, I don't miss a real solo: the atmosphere of the song, and the way he plays guitars, are the real deal. A solo wouldn't have added much, apart form the divine ones of the 80s...

[hunter v2.0]

NOT representative of the rest of the album.

Totally. It's the high point for me when considering the songs individually, but I actually think it doesn't fit the album. It's like watching a quiet, serious quality drama and then suddenly the Joker (as played by Heath Ledger) turns up 

[Pyroaction]

I like it

[TheTimeWasWrong]

If this would have been a bonus track, everybody would complain

I think it's one of the best songs of the main album. It took me a while to remember where I heard one of the licks before, but it's from the end of Behind with the Rent (same key as well).