NOBODY DOES IT BETTER

This post has been a long time coming and I know I can't really do it much justice.
It's Kylie Minogue.

She's my ultimate all singing, all dancing, all soap acting, all camp superstar and a massive icon in my life. Like most of the people who practise the love that dare not speak it's name and millions of others around the world, just the mention of Kylie Minogue brings a smile to their face and memories of Neighbours, gold hotpants, the kinky phase, the indie phase, killer heels, glitter, showgirl, that white dress and a kazillion pop masterpieces come to the forefront.

Much is being written about Kylie, her current battle against cancer (which caused me to take a few days off work I was in such distress) her love life and her live shows dominate headlines but I'm going to concentrate a small post on a few of Kylie's songs that float my boat. The songs that I enjoy the most and even after years of listening, they never fail to delight. She is the ultimate guilty pleasure, although there's nothing to ever feel guilty about when it comes to Kylie!!

In no particular order here we go......

DISCO DOWN - An track from the Light Years album of 2000. It's filtered disco and quintessential Kylie. She likens her lover leaving to the burning down of her local discoteque. She breathes heavily "You turned my world around, when you burned this disco down" It wasn't a single but showed that the showpony had her tongue in her cheek as she belted out this hi-energy stomper.

GOT TO BE CERTAIN - My favourite 80s track of Kylie's and the second track released in the UK from her album Kylie. I had just bought the cassette tape on holiday in Aberdeen and was staying at my Auntie Cathy's who had a diet of fags, coffee and caramel wafers. I put on a bit of a show to this song in her living room and broke a few ornaments in the process but it was worth it. Kylie didn't sing it in her recent Showgirl tour but I was fortunate enough to be in the 2nd row of one of the shows at Earls Court where at the end we (me and about a hundred other people at the front) got her to give a quick accapella version of the golden oldie - that made my night!

BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW - The only track to wake up to in the morning. Kylie went all raunch in May 1990 and writhes about with a black man in a Sydney apartment in the video. She wears a black spaghetti strapped dress, her hair's flying all over the place, she looks like she's just finished a heavy sex session and the energy of the song is unforgettable. If ever you feel down or depressed, for that instant hit, don't go for the razor blades - just put this classic on.

CONFIDE IN ME - Kylie's breakout hip track. There's violins, it's all moody and terribly adult. She tempts the listener "Stick or twist, the choice is yours" She had left PWL Records and gone to trendy Deconstruction and the image change was immediate. Kylie becomes more than a pop puppet with this bad boy, she sings amazingly and this song is fabulous for fucking to. It's the kind of song that should have been on Basic Instinct as Sharon Stone seduces someone and screws their brains out.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT - If drugs were made into a pop song, this would be it. It's summery, carefree and as catchy as facial herpes. Kylie's voice floats along quite deliriously. The guitar lifts everyone up and in a similar way to Better the Devil You Know, I defy anyone to listen to this and NOT have their feet tapping along. It's very similar to a bit of Basement Jaxx except it's Kylie talking of stars and music blowing her mind and people meant to be as one!

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO - The thing that makes this song is the early 90s sophisticat beat. Kylie really went kinky gerlinky in this track. She keeps on trying to get a message through to her lover but it aint a working so she keeps on going on. The video for this is amazing. Kylie vamps it up wearing black wigs, ironing in Thierry Muegler (have I spelt it right?)and rolling about in a leopard print fur coat. Her hair's big, her makeup caked on and the song is as glam as get out.