Fourteen years ago today, we were introduced to someone much more than a man, certainly much more than merely the manager of a floundering British paper company. David Brent of The Office was – sorry, is – a renaissance man. What can’t he do? He can make you laugh, and he can make you cry. He can inspire greatness, he can help you confront societal ills, and he can make you laugh again.
Most importantly, Brent can tickle your ear drums with the sound of his music. Because, other occupations and dalliances aside, David Brent is a music legend.
Before he took up residence in the boss’ chair at Wernham Hogg, Brent flexed his sizable musical muscle with Forgone Conclusion, a band that may or may not have once opened for Texas. Brent was a solo act, though. He couldn’t be contained or held down by the shackles of a band dynamic. He had to have room to maneuver, and room to spread those lyrically wonderful wings of his. While the dream of musical stardom and dominance was put briefly on hold, or at least on the back burner while he toiled away at Wernham Hogg, fate would eventually intervene. Not in the form of yet another opening gig for Texas, or even a chance encounter with someone like Mick Jagger. No, fate would come in the form of being sacked by Wernham Hogg and a lawsuit for wrongful termination.
With a little money is his pocket, Brent was now free to follow his dreams. And follow them he did, straight to a recording studio and then to a video shoot for the first single released on his own label, Juxtaposition Records, a deeply moving cover of Simply Red’s “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.”
It really is a shame only 50… er… 157 copies sold.
Brent’s catalog doesn’t begin with that song, though. One could argue that the world was introduced to David Brent: Rock God with “Free Love Freeway.”
It’s a real rock ‘n roll song, and a good ol’ honest story about finding something we’re all looking for, some “hot love on the hot-love highway.”
Speaking of road songs, Brent was sure to have a solid road number in his arsenal with “Life On the Road.”
While any singer or songwriter could write a 3-minute jawn about late nights, warm beers, loose women, and other peaks and valleys of tour life, only David Brent could spin a tale about life on the road for a man, a normal man, an honest and hard-working man… out making sales calls. And don’t think for a minute that Brent is a lawless hellion when it comes to traversing the winding ways of the British countryside. Heck no!
“Foot down to the floor / 70 miles an hour / but no more.”
Brent sings about an enviable life, but also life led within the white lines of the law.
Would you go so far as to call David Brent grounded, though? I mean, like literally? Like, all of his songs deal with the hard surface of the pavement? That’s laughable. Brent writes songs that deal with things bigger than himself. He writes songs like “Spaceman Came Down.” Unfortunately, the documentary team following Brent around only aired the first verse of the song, which is a real travesty. Thankfully, with some digging, we were able to find the whole version, which is good because, apparently, “the second verse explains everything.”
Full disclosure: I’m not sure what “everything” is, but that’s why I’m not an artist and David Brent is.
Then, there’s “Paris Nights.”
What else can you really say about that? You’re right, nothing.
So, let’s move on to a special time in all of our lives… the time when David Brent quite simply SOLVED RACISM.
Yeah, solved racism. And other injustices. Just like that.
Mic drop.
Brent, out.
