Stravinsky Song of the Day: Pig – Fountain of Miracles

I was going to save this for later, but I can’t hold off any more. The sound quality in this clip isn’t quite enough to really appreciate the song, but it will do to give you an idea. This really is one of the best songs I’ve ever heard.

The use of the Rite of Spring sample is clever and somewhat frustrating as though the melody is familiar it’s almost impossible to work out exactly which part of the track it’s from.

The Fountain of Miracles is just as clever, just as subtle, throughout. There are a lot of layers to the song – layers of percussion as twisted and funky as Head Like A Hole, wonderful little grating sub-bassy bits, orchestral bits, catchy guitars and those unforgettable gospelly vocals. Raymond sounds like a murderous Elvis prophesying to a Southern church of noise. He’s channeling JG Thirlwell via Night of the Hunter.

That’s the bit I can’t get over on this track – I can’t see Thirlwell’s name anywhere on the credits, but this is one of the times Raymond Watts could really take on Foetus head-to-head, and the only one of those I can think of where Foetus wasn’t actually there at the time.

The song is so wild, euphoric, intricate and infectious … so moreish and sensual, nervy and vibrant that it could belong on HOLE or NAIL, but retains an edge that is distinctly Pig.

It’s probably the best song that Pig have ever done. I played it six times in a row while writing this.

It wasn’t enough.