In the days when there was an observable difference between the behaviour of women and those of men, Croydon born Kirsty MacColl crafted series after series of bittersweet narratives plotting the chasm between them. Songs like ‘They Don’t Know’, ‘There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop’ and ‘New England’ (actually written by Billy Bragg) deconstruct maleness in the same way ‘The Simpsons’ reveals the idea of family. The songs were funny, touching and marvellously engaging on every level. And as Kirsty aged, so did her songs. This didn’t just make for some classic, cynical put-downs like those you might find aplenty in tracks like ‘In These Shoes?’ and ‘England 2 Columbia 0, it made for a rounded, plausible and genuine artistic character. Unfortunately, however successful the songs were, the actual woman was more so. Strong-willed, feisty, determined, Kirsty fought tooth and nail not only as a perfectionist in the studio but as a role model to her children, a personality feature that came to it’s own tragic sublimation in December 2000 when Kirsty was killed in a swimming accident after pushing her children to safety out of the way of a speedboat travelling illegally in waters traditionally reserved for swimmers.
Whatever her virtues as a singer and a writer, all have been somewhat eclipsed by her value as a human being. ‘From Croydon To Cuba: An Anthology’ is as fine a testament to the woman as you’re likely to get outside a court of justice.
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