I love Grandaddy's quirky take on American Lo-Fi, but this song is included for different reasons altogether. If I was picking one of their songs on merit it would have come from the science fiction meanderings of the Sophtware Slump like 'Miner at the Dial-a-view' or the eerily beautiful tale of office based team building exercises that is 'The Group Who Couldn't Say' from Sumday. But ultimately the selection is 'El Caminos in the West' and here's why...
There are very few times in your life when you are truly happy and you actually recognise the feeling at the time, but in about 2003 I experienced that brief sense of euphoria and Grandaddy was the soundtrack. It was the school holidays and I'd taken Daughter of Doccortex to Roundhay Park in Leeds for the day to visit Tropical World. On the way back we got lost somewhere on the outskirts of Leeds. My usual reaction in these situations is not pleasant, but at that very moment Mark and Lard played 'El Caminos in the West' on the radio, (the tape player was broken.)
And in the sunshine, after a lovely day, accompanied by a beautiful daughter, lost in a northern town and listening to sub-standard hi-fi equipment, I experienced the heady sensation of happiness. I'm not sure why, but I could almost reach out an touch it. I can relive the moment whenever I hear this song and that's reason enough to launch Grandaddy into the top 20.
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