11. Gerry RaffertyCan I Have My Money Back?
This is one of my Alan Partridge/dad rock albums. I love Gerry Rafferty, not only for all his pop stuff like ‘Baker Street’. We would listen this album in the car on long journeys when we were going on holiday as kids. It was released in 1971. So many of my favourite records were released in 1971 or 1972 – they were clearly my years. I love this album. Some of the songs on it are a bit naff, but it is a ‘guilty pleasure’ of mine. I don’t care. However, there are also some genuinely worthy songs. I feel sorry for Gerry Rafferty. He didn’t look like a Paul McCartney-esque pop star and he didn’t have that ‘zing’ about him. Also, he had a tragic demise due to alcoholism. So, I have always had a bit of an affection for him and I felt he was an underachiever. I know he had some big hits, so he was massive in one way, but he never seemed to as big as he could have been.
I was talking about Gerry Rafferty and a friend told me that Jim O’Rourke was a massive fan. I then had an email exchange with Jim about Can I Have My Money Back?, which was funny. We had a long discussion about the refrain at the end of side two. It was quite sweet.
The album is very typical of its time. I do think some of these songs could have been on a Beatles album, they are that good. He was amazing songwriter and I love the use of piano within the more traditional rock sound. I wish Gerry Rafferty was still around and making music. I’m sure Jim O’Rourke feels the same!
