Mesopotamia
The B-52's
Warner Bros. MINI 3641
1982
I was at a Key Losers show in January and at the end of the set, Katy Davidson plugged her Ipod into her amplifier and started blasting "Mesopotamia" while dancing and singing along with it. That was a lot of fun. I hadn't heard the song in many years and had forgotten how good it was. I don't really listen to any of my B-52's albums much any more, but there was a time when they were one of my favorite bands. When I was at Cal, you couldn't go to a party without hearing them at some point on the stereo. There was even an elaborately stupid dance that was created for "Rock Lobster." They always were a great dance band, but I mostly dug them for their twangy guitar sound, vocal harmonies and sense of humor. I don't recall anyone ever playing this album at a party though and I even remember some of my acquaintances complaining about it. I never understood that because I thought it was wonderful, as good as anything they had ever done. It was produced by David Byrne and reportedly the band clashed with him over the direction of the album which is why it is a mini-album rather than a full length. Despite the friction, I think the collaboration is a big success, the surf/retro dance music of the group is augmented by an emphasis on percussion and funkiness with stunning results. The driving beat of "Loveland" with its powerful rhythm section anchoring Cindy Wilson's soaring vocal gets me hopping. "Deep Sleep" goes exotica even featuring a sample from Martin Denny. Kate Pierson delivers the dreamy lyrics over a hypnotic beat. Side one ends with the title track where Fred Schneider finally makes his appearance at the mike. It is classic B-52's with its hilarious lyrics, Schneider's mannered vocal supported by some creative background singing from Pierson and Wilson, and a relentless dance groove. One of my all time favorite B-52's songs. Side two starts with "Cake," another classic. The ladies lasciviously croon about making cakes while the horns and rhythm section deliver another funky foundation for their verbal hijinks. It is great fun and more than a little sexy. "Throw That Beat In The Garbage Can" is about an irresistible beat that is driving Schneider crazy. I can see why as the music backs him up with another powerful dance groove driven by some great bass riffs. I just can't sit still while it is playing. The album ends all too soon with Cindy Wilson belting out "Nip It In the Bud" over more kinetic funk. It is another hyper-propulsive song that gets me twitching and shaking like I'm having a seizure. It is really a shame that this project was cut short. Judging from the six outstanding songs it produced, it had the potential to be the best B-52's album ever. Despite it's brevity it is among my favorites of all their albums. Recommended to people whose favorite Talking Heads album is "Remain In Light."
Flip Your Wig
Hüsker Dü
SST SST 055
1985
I went to the Bob Mould tribute show at Disney Hall last November and was really impressed. I was a fan of Hüsker Dü back in the 1980s but I never caught them live. I didn't follow Mould's solo career very closely and I was lukewarm about his next band Sugar. Hearing the full scope of his career at the show opened my eyes to the depth and quality of his work through the years. There is no denying the man has his own distinctive and instantly recognizable style. Half the show consisted of guest artists interpreting his work and then Mould took the stage and rocked the house, much of the time accompanied by Dave Grohl. The two of them played some of the most sizzling rock I've heard in a long time. At one point Grohl set his guitar down and sat at the drum kit. I was sitting fairly close to him and I could practically feel the concussive waves of sound reverberating from him pounding the skins, he is such a great drummer. Of course Grant Hart was a talented drummer too and though I have a new appreciation for Mould's solo work, it is his partnership with Hart in Hüsker Dü that still appeals to me the most. This was their final album for SST. It is not the best, but I still like it a lot. In Hüsker Dü I tend to prefer Hart's songs from a musical standpoint, they seem more dynamic and less formulaic and I prefer Mould's in terms of lyrics, his songs have a deeper vision and more creative use of language. I think Mould came up with the best song on this album, the classic "Makes No Sense At All." This was the only song from this album that he did at the tribute show. The song dissects a conceited acquaintance. With its mixture of a strong melody and a pounding beat, the loud, ringing guitar chords and the steady driving rhythm as well as Mould's raspy almost ragged vocals, it is an archetypal Mould song. I never get tired of it. Other Mould songs that I like on the album include "Flip Your Wig" which finds Mould trying to adjust to the band's growing fame. The contrapuntal vocal at the end is really exciting. "Games" is another good song in which Mould examines the price of trying to fit in and to accommodate other people's expectations at the cost of one's individuality. It blends a pop sensibility and a hard rock attack admirably. "Divide and Conquer" tackles themes of alienation, paranoia and social isolation. It is slower than hardcore, but its simple chord structure and relentless riffing remind me of Hüsker Dü's punk-rock roots. Mould's vocal is more urgent than is typical with him. "Hate Paper Doll" has a very catchy hook and relatively simple lyrics although I still have trouble figuring out what he's complaining about. I'm not sure what "Find Me" is about either, but it sounds like Mould had a real bad vacation. It is delivered at a slower tempo than most of the songs on the album, which I find refreshing and it gives him more room to showcase his guitar playing. "Private Plane" is also enigmatic but I guess that it is endorsing the power of imagination and self-reliance. Musically it rocks out fiercely and its soaring melody is exhilarating to listen to. Lots of great guitar work on this one as well. The album concludes with a couple of instrumentals by Mould, "The Wit and Wisdom" and "Don't Know Yet." The former is kind of prog-rock meets punk-rock, lots of crazed guitar soloing against a heavy bass riff. It doesn't really go anywhere, but it is kind of fun. The latter sounds more like a backing track waiting for some vocals, but I like the psychedelic guitar noodling. If I heard it isolated from the rest of the album I'd never guess it was Hüsker Dü. The instrumentals are decent enough but I think they weaken the finish of an otherwise strong album. Hart has fewer songs but they are among the album's best. Whereas Mould's songs seem consumed by angst, Hart embraces simple pleasures and expresses a lot of warmth. Hart's "Flexible Flyer" is my second favorite song on the album. It has wonderful lyrics about the magic of childhood and trying to retain that magic as you get older. It also has one of Hart's best pop melodies, it makes me happy when I hear it just like a sunshine pop song. "Keep Hanging On" is a charming romantic song. Despite its soothing portrait of domestic bliss, the song is a powerful rocker with a throat shredding, passionate vocal from Hart. This track is another highlight of the album. Hart's "Every Everything" is a simple love song, it seems trite compared to Mould's compositions, but it rocks out ferociously, it is a tremendously energetic song. Hart does have a couple of duds though. "Green Eyes" is another love song, but musically it is lackluster and monotonous. "The Baby Song" is pure self-indulgence and should have been left off the album. To my mind Hüsker Dü and the Replacements were the best hard rock bands of the 1980s. All of Hüsker Dü's mature albums are an essential part of rock history that every rock fan should own. I wish they had a longer run, but boy they sure did burn bright while they lasted. Recommended for people who are bored by the simplicity of hardcore punk but like the energy.
33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee
The Monkees
Zilch MDPM 102
1984
I was at work when a web-surfing colleague announced that Davy Jones had died. It hit me really hard much to my surprise. Part of it was just shock. I saw Jones performing with Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork at the Greek last summer and Jones had looked great. He was vibrant and energetic and seemed at least 10 or 15 years younger than he actually was. But it was more than just surprise, I felt a deep sense of grief, like I had lost a family member. It seemed irrational, but as I thought about it, it started to make sense. I've been a Monkees fan as long as I can remember. I was too young to catch them when they were on the air in prime-time but my sisters and I watched them religiously on Saturday mornings. My sisters adored Jones and we all loved the music. Their cereal box records were the first rock records that I can recall playing. Eventually I discovered the Beatles and they became my favorite group, but I never stopped liking the Monkees and I collected all of their records. The Monkees were a big part of my musical life, they introduced me to rock and roll. They were the musical equivalent of a first love. When Jones died, it felt like part of me died with him. It reminded me of how I felt when John Lennon died. Lennon was of course a greater talent and a bigger part of my life, but his death was an act of madness, cruel fate as it were. Jones' death was a reminder of my own mortality, of old age and decline. Ouch. So to honor my childhood idol, I'm writing about this odd little record. It is a bootleg of the soundtrack to the final Monkees television program, their 1969 special "33 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee." Peter Tork left the band afterward so it was the final work of the original band until they reunited in the 1980s. It is perhaps the weirdest prime-time show ever to air on American network television. The special has been released on DVD as part of the second season release of "The Monkees" program and it is well worth seeing, especially if you like "Head." This record is another story. When it was released in the mid-1980s it was mildly useful, since the show was unavailable. Now you are probably better off just popping in the DVD. The sound quality on this record is awful. It was probably just recorded off someone playing the video, it sounds flat and a little distorted at times. Like so many bootleg LPs it is poorly mastered, you have to crank up the amplifier just to hear it, which amplifies the surface noise as well. The record proceeds chronologically through the special but omits the guest musical performers unfortunately, who include Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll and the Trinity, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino. It includes all the Monkees' musical performances as well some bits of dialogue mostly featuring Brian Auger doing his bit as the mad scientist type character he plays in the show. The first musical number features Dolenz doing a soul-style version of "I'm A Believer" with Julie Driscoll. I've never cared much for Driscoll, her stiff singing here makes Dolenz's soul man shtick sound more convincing than usual. Next up is Tork doing the Middle Eastern/Indian influenced "(I Prithee) Do Not Ask For Love." If anyone else was singing it, I'd think it was a parody, but Tork sounds like he really means it. It could be perceived as ridiculous, but I like it. Mike Nesmith delivers "Naked Persimmon (The Only Thing I Believe That's True)" which is my favorite song on the record. In the show the song is performed as a duet between country Mike and rocker Mike and the song similarly veers between the two styles. Jones has "Goldilocks Sometime" (listed as "Smile" on this album) for his number which is a music hall type number which suits him well. The group tackles "Wind-Up Man" which reminds me of the Mothers of Invention particularly in the cheesy vocal. The song parodies the image of the Monkees as an artificial, manipulated band. "Darwin" (listed as "In The Beginning") is a slight number they do with Brian Auger. The fifties-style "I Go Ape" is a comic number with silly monkey noises and clownish vocals. Side two opens with the big rock and roll production number in the special which they perform with Little Richard, Lewis, Domino and the Clara Ward Singers. It has been edited to include only the Monkees' numbers which are "At The Hop," "Shake A Tail Feather" and "Little Darlin.'" The arrangements are basically faithful to the originals although the vocals are a bit over the top. It is a shame that the guest performances aren't here because they are really good, especially the Ward Singers' performance of "Dem Bones." "A String For My Kite" features Jones singing the sort of wistful ballad that he was so adept at. It could have been a really good song with a little fleshing out. It is followed by Tork playing C. P. E. Bach on an electric keyboard and then comes the grand finale, an epic version of "Listen To the Band" featuring a bunch of guests including the Buddy Miles Express and Brian Auger and the Trinity. It is self-indulgent, but occasionally spectacular. The performance degenerates into a noisy free-form freakout that is probably the wildest music the Monkees ever made. The album ends with Tork warbling "California Here It Comes" with the "it" being Armageddon apparently as the song is accompanied by images of dancers writhing in front of psychedelic footage of atomic bombs and erupting volcanos. As he croons "this is the end" he is referring to the end of California, but I think about the end of the Monkees since this is the end of original quartet (for a long while anyway). This is hardly essential Monkees music, but I would value this record if it sounded better. Unless you are a hardcore fan, you can easily get by with a DVD of the show itself or if you've got deep pockets, the best songs on here were released on Rhino's fancy CD box set of "Instant Replay." I'm happy to have this record, but I got it absurdly cheap and it is definitely not worth its normal price. I guess I could have picked a better record to honor Davy Jones, but at least I'm honoring him. That is more than the bozos at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame can say. Rest in peace David Thomas Jones and thank you for all that you've given to me and daydream believers everywhere. Recommended for Monkees fans who don't have DVD players.
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
4AD CAD607
1986
I recently read Kristin Hersh's memoir "Rat Girl." What an amazing book, perhaps the best rock book I've ever read, she is a very talented writer. The book recounts a year of her life when she was 18 and ends with the recording of this album. In the course of the book, she is homeless, goes crazy, attempts suicide, gets pregnant, moves with Throwing Muses from Rhode Island to Boston and finally signs with 4AD after a bunch of weird trans-Atlantic phone calls with label head, Ivo Watts-Russell. In between she hangs out a lot with the old Hollywood actress Betty Hutton. When I compare her life with mine at 18, we might as well be from different planets. I found the book absolutely riveting. She also writes about her music quite a bit, the strange impulses that drive her creatively and provides anecdotes about the origins of some of her lyrics. She describes the irrational forces that generate her music and seems puzzled that people like her music so much. Listening to her descriptions you'd think she was describing Throbbing Gristle rather than Throwing Muses. I've never found the Muses' music particularly weird or inaccessible, but having read her book it now seems much darker and mysterious to me. I'm never going to be able to listen to this album again without thinking about the drama and the trauma that gave birth to it. "Call Me" gets the album off to a rousing start. Hersh sings, stutters, bleats and shrieks her way through the hard driving song which is full of energy and then slows down at the end to a more stately pace, the opposite approach of most rock songs which more typically start slow and build in energy. The lyrics are full of dissatisfaction and when she describes her insomnia, unhappiness and loneliness I start flashing back to the incidents in her book. It is followed by "Green," a love song by her bandmate and stepsister Tanya Donelly. It is sung by Donelly who has a gentler voice than Hersh and the music is a bit poppier than Hersh's songs although the lyrics are in a similar personal and poetic style. "Hate My Way" is driven by David Narcizo's martial drumming and Hersh's agonized vocals as she describes suicidal feelings and self-loathing. It is one of the most powerful songs on the album and listening to it I instantly connect back to her mental illness in the book. It seems like such a dark song, but in the book she explains the origin of the song in a humorous manner. She was accosted by a militant atheist distributing pamphlets, practically the entire first verse is based on his ranting. She makes it seem goofy, but the remainder of the song I think is based on her feelings and even knowing its bizarre origin, there is no denying the misery expressed by her words. The amazing "Vicky's Box" is next. There is a funny section in "Rat Girl" where the album's producer Gil Norton asks Hersh about the meaning of this song and he is gobsmacked when she replies that she had a roommate named Vicky who painted stuff on a box and that is the origin of the song. Norton keeps trying to interpret the song and Hersh tells him not to pay attention to the lyrics anymore, that she doesn't know what they mean. Hersh's description of her creative process suggests that the songs come from a dark part of her, "evil Kristin" is how she puts it, that is disconnected from her normal self, her description of her songwriting almost makes it sound schizophrenic. I can't explain the song either, there is a torrent of stunning poetic imagery describing alienation and desperation that is clearly related to some of the events of the book, but the ultimate meaning of the song eludes me. I do love it though, it is a killer song with a funky bass riff and slashing guitar chords backing a ferocious Hersh vocal. "Rabbits Dying" starts quiet and slow and then tears it up rockabilly style. Shifts in dynamics are so much a part of Hersh's style, I wonder how much the Muses may have influenced the Pixies who became famous for that and who knew and played with the Muses in their formative years. The lyrics recount the last moments of a dying rabbit. It is tempting to think of this as some sort of metaphor, but Hersh is so obsessed with animals in the book that I suspect that it really is about a rabbit. Side two begins with "America (She Can't Say No)" which is another enigmatic song full of surreal and disturbing imagery. I believe it refers to her mental breakdown, there is a lot of stuff similar to the events in her book particularly her recurrent hallucination about a snake she is carrying around. It may be fueled by mental illness but it is still a brilliant song. In contrast to the dark subject matter, the music is perky and fun. It has a country feel to it laid on top of a bouncy new wave beat, sort of like a blend of the Talking Heads and the Blasters. “Fear” brings some more anxiety and tension as well as references to running away which appears in several of the songs of the album. Curiously, fear is actually a sensation that is largely lacking in “Rat Girl.” Hersh faces events and experiences that would frighten me and yet remains placid and unperturbed in the face of them. The music is taut with an insistent riff and some Television-like guitar interplay. “Stand Up” explores another emotion lacking in “Rat Girl,” namely jealousy. She comes across as such a sweet person in the book that the rage in this song seems out of character, another manifestation of “evil Kristin” perhaps. The music has more of a groove to it than most of the songs on the record although it has its spiky passages as well. “Soul Soldier” is Hersh’s version of a love song, arguably her most normal song on the album if you overlook the knife references (which make me think of her suicide attempt.) I have no idea what an “apple run to heaven” means, just another one of those great surreal lines that she drops so effortlessly. Despite the romantic character of the lyrics, the music is jerky and frenetic and Hersh hoarsely bellows out the words. Then halfway into the song the music abruptly slows down and becomes sedate, almost slinky. The final half of the song swerves back and forth between the two styles of music. “Delicate Cutters” is another fascinating song, I just can’t get over that Hersh was only a teen when she wrote it. It seems directly inspired by her mental illness and I assume her suicide attempt. The lyrics are staggeringly powerful, wherever they came from, they are a work of genius. The music is quieter, more acoustic, but still quite dark and Hersh howls and wails her way through the song with scary intensity. This is a terrific album, one of the best and most startling debut albums of its era. Kristin Hersh is a remarkable talent, a true original. Her music is honest and personal, yet creative and poetic. I can't say that I understand where it comes from, her musical drive seems as much a curse as it is a gift. It haunts her like a ghost, she hears voices in her head and sees the colors of the music, that fascinates me, but it doesn't seem very pleasant. In the book she describes being nauseated by the process of creation and it keeps her tense and sleepless until the song is finally finished. I felt sorry for her reading her description of it and it makes me all the more appreciative that she shares her creations with us. Recommended to people who think it would be cool if the Pixies jammed with Sleater Kinney.
Illusions of Grandeur
U.X.A.
Posh Boy PBS 104
1981
My favorite radio show is "She Rocks" on KXLU. It is an eclectic mix of music featuring "gine-core" which is how the DJs term rock made by females. When I was listening a few weeks ago, I heard an old school punk song that I liked quite a bit. It sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't peg it, I thought it might be an obscure Avengers track or something. I was flabbergasted when the ladies on the radio said it was by U.X.A. because I have their album and I have always hated it. I picked it up in the early 1980s because I dug the cover but when I played it I was turned off by De De Troit's off-key caterwauling. I hadn't played it for 20 years, in fact it was on my purgatory shelf which is where I stick records that I'm thinking of getting rid of. I dug it out and took it for a spin and I have to admit that it is better than I remembered although I can see why I disliked it so much originally. De De Troit is not a good singer but she does have some charisma, she kind of reminds me of Johnny Rotten but without the passion or fun, she even seems to be affecting an English accent at times although I'm pretty sure she's from Detroit. The lyrics, which are largely written by De De Troit, are pretentious dreck for the most part, without the directness or humor that characterizes the best early punk music. Lines like "He was a killer, he was a television set" from "Tragedies" or "I'm trying to telephone I'm asleep in the rain and when this high wears off we'll score some more pain" from "Death From Above" make me wince. I don't mind that Troit takes herself so seriously or attempts to make poetic statements about life and society, but I do mind that she does it so badly. "Illusions of Grandeur" is an apt title for such an ambitious yet inept album. Troit's lyrics are awkward, forced and full of cliches, they remind me of Snoopy's stories in "Peanuts." There are a couple of exceptions, I do like "Hand In Glove" which has some interesting imagery despite the clumsy language of the song as well as the nasty "Sister Godrieda" which is based on a real life murderous nun. The saving grace for this record is the music which really rocks and lacks the typical monotony of hardcore. The tempo varies considerably across the record, similar to their peers X or the Flesh Eaters but without the chops, although the band can play. I appreciate the commitment to pop in songs like "U.X.A." and "I Don't Lose Sleep" and I like the raw power of "No Time," "Tragedies," "Immunity" and "Non Fiction." There really isn't a dull number on the album and it does get me bopping. As far as old school punk goes, it is well below the top tier groups, but I've heard worse, heck I'd much rather listen to this than the Germs' album. I basically enjoy it as long as I don't listen too closely, so I've pulled the album out of purgatory and it's back on the regular shelf. Recommended for fans of the Avengers.
Picaresque
The Decemberists
Kill Rock Stars/Jealous Butcher KRS425/JB-053
2005
I bought this from the Kill Rock Stars website. They are one of my favorite labels not only because of their excellent roster of artists, but also because of their commitment to vinyl even during the dark days of the CD era. This double record set is a high quality product, a model of what records should be. It is made of heavy cardboard with a handsome lyric booklet made from glossy paper featuring stylish calligraphy and amusing photographs. Curiously the photographs in the album booklet are largely different from the photographs in the CD booklet and the vinyl version has five extra tracks not on the CD! I've been a fan of the Decemberists since about 2003 when I bought "Castaways and Cutouts" and I've been a devoted follower ever since. Colin Meloy is arguably the most erudite figure in alternative rock and his love of language permeates the album so much that you practically need to keep a dictionary next to you to figure out the lyrics. The title of this album for example refers to a literary form derived from a genre of classical Spanish literature. This is also apparent in the opening song "The Infanta" which describes a procession honoring a newborn Spanish princess in very colorful terms. The song describes the parade in detail and then Meloy throws in a twist at the end suggesting that the royal infant may be of more humble origin. After the exotic touch of the blowing of a shofar at the opening of the song, the music gets the album off to a rousing start with one of the more thunderous and fast-paced songs in the Decemberists' catalog. "We Both Go Down Together" depicts a rich guy in love with a poor girl who jump off the cliffs of Dover because they can't be together due to parental disapproval. The song has a catchy riff, a lovely violin line and a yearning vocal from Meloy that has just a touch of sardonicism hinting that the narrator (the rich guy) is a bit unhinged. It is followed by the very grim "Eli The Barrow Boy." I only know the meaning of "barrow boy" because Richard Thompson referred to one in his equally grim song, "The End of the Rainbow." This folk-style song reminds me quite a bit of Thompson's early work with its mournful vocal and haunting accordion solo, it would fit quite well on "Hokey Pokey" or "Henry The Human Fly." The song depicts the misery of the title character, tormented by his poverty and the death of his beloved, he ultimately drowns himself. When I first heard this album, I nearly fell out of my seat when I heard the big drum beat that introduces and pulses through "The Sporting Life." The song sounds like a cross between Motown and David Bowie's "Modern Love." At last a Decemberists song for the dance clubs! The song is written from the perspective of an adolescent soccer player who has suffered an injury in a losing effort in an important match and has to deal with the disappointment of his coach and his father as well as losing his girlfriend to the captain of the winning team, ouch. Side B opens with "The Bagman's Gambit" which narrates the story of a United States Government employee who has a love affair with a Russian spy which involves the American giving the spy government secrets. When the spy gets detained by the Russians who suspect duplicity, the American travels to St. Petersburg and bribes a bureaucrat to release her. Who but Colin Meloy would turn something like this into a pop song? The music is a roller coaster ride, alternating between gentle acoustic sections and parts where the full band jumps in roaring like the Arcade Fire as well as a trippy dream sequence near the end. It is one of the best songs on the album. "From My Own True Love (Lost At Sea)" is another folk song. It is a relatively simple song in which an elderly person hopes for a letter from a lover lost at sea. "Sixteen Military Wives" is an unusually topical song for Meloy. He attacks American arrogance, imperialism, pompous celebrities, the Academy Awards and spineless, inane media coverage. There is a recurrent motif of numbers running through the song that is suggestive of a children's song or nursery rhyme but the content of the song itself is scathing and direct. In contrast to the anger in the words, the music is jaunty and joyful with a rich instrumental sound bolstered by the prominent use of horns. It is one of the catchiest songs that Meloy has ever written. The band also made an amusing video for the song with Meloy playing an overgrown, belligerent schoolboy and it is well worth checking out if you've never seen it. The side ends with the exquisite "The Engine Driver." The song depicts a writer trying to deal with an unrequited love by expressing his unhappiness through various fictitious characters. The elegant, heartfelt lyrics are complemented by some lovely and memorable melodies. Side C kicks off with the equally beautiful "On the Bus Mall" although the lyrical content could hardly be more different as it describes the struggles and the bond between two teenage runaways working as gay prostitutes. The song is full of evocative imagery, it is brilliant lyric writing. Next up a lively accordion riff introduces the epic and extraordinary "The Mariner's Revenge Song" which is my favorite Decemberists song. I saw them perform it during the encore at their show at the Greek Theatre last summer and their stirring rendition of it just blew me away. It is a wonderful theatrical song full of shifting textures and melodies that recounts the tale of a young sailor's revenge against the scoundrel responsible for his mother's ruin and death while the pair are trapped in the belly of a whale. Again who else but Colin Meloy would ever write a pop song like this? After this raucous number, the side finishes sedately with the tender acoustic song "Of Angels and Angles" which is about a couple enduring life's travails together with the singer finding beauty and comfort in his partner. It provides a delicate and soothing finish to the album proper. As I mentioned above, vinyl lovers get a bonus with this album. Side D contains "Picaresqueties" five bonus tracks that are far better than your average bonus tracks. Thematically all of them would have fit nicely on the album, although instrumentally they are more stripped down. "The Bandit Queen" opens and closes the side. The first version has a honky tonk piano and sounds like a western saloon song. It opens with some dialogue and features tap dancing during the break. The second version is just Meloy and an acoustic guitar and is more like a folk song. It tells of the singer's love for the nine-fingered titular character. There is a folk cover of Joanna Newsom's "Bridges and Balloons" and it is easy to see why it would appeal to Meloy with its dazzling language and outlandish rhymes - "caravel" paired with "Cair Paravel." "Constantinople" is loosely adapted from the legend of Hero and Leander and describes how a magistrate's daughter is engaged to a sultan but loves another and how her lover drowns swimming to her across a river - "painted by the Bosporus in blue" as Meloy elegantly puts it - just your typical pop song. "The Kingdom of Spain" starts like a companion to "The Infanta" but changes direction to ruminate on our helplessness in the sway of love. It is just Meloy and a piano, another gorgeous song. Side D is a wonderful and generous gift from the Decemberists to us vinyl lovers. The Decemberists are one of my favorite groups, I'm so grateful to Meloy for creating such intelligent and eclectic music. I like dumb pop songs as much as the next guy, but I'd rather listen to something that stimulates my mind as well as my body. One of the more intriguing aspects of Meloy's work is the way he has managed to blend the styles and themes of traditional Anglo-American folk music with modern pop music with a skill that is rivaled only by Richard Thompson. How ironic that the true heirs to Fairport Convention should emerge from Portland of all places. Recommended to Scrabble fans who dig folk rock.
Turn On The Music Machine
The Music Machine
Original Sound OSR LMP 5015
1966
Sean Bonniwell died on December 20th of last year. He was one of the more interesting characters in rock history. After being a folk singer, he became the leader and songwriter of the Music Machine, one of the classic garage bands of the 1960s. In the 1970s he gave up music after getting ripped off by his management and record companies and explored various facets of spirituality eventually becoming a devout Christian. He had a very strong vision and an eye for theatricality. He dressed the band entirely in black at a time when paisley and bright colors were in fashion, had them dye their hair black as well and to top it all off, each member wore a single black glove while playing. The band's only hit was "Talk Talk" which reached number 15 on the Billboard chart. It has a simple, pounding riff and lyrics that express frustration and alienation, the classic recipe for garage band immortality. These guys are often dismissed as one hit wonders, but this album is full of fine Bonniwell compositions. My favorite song on the album after "Talk Talk" is "Masculine Intuition." It is a hard driving song with screaming guitar lines and an irresistible beat creating a sense of urgency that heightens the desperation in the lyrics. "The People in Me" is another excellent song. Lyrically and musically it is the most psychedelic offering on the album and features raga-like fuzz guitar. If it wasn't for "Talk Talk," "Wrong" might have been the song we remember the Music Machine for, it ought to be a garage band classic. It has a fast-paced fuzz guitar riff punctuated by bursts of organ, an insistent, propulsive beat, and a powerful vocal intoning more desperate lyrics. "Trouble" is in the mold of "Talk Talk," another straight ahead, beat-heavy song with heavy riffing fuzz guitar and wailing organ over lyrics of teenage angst. "Come On In" bears a curious resemblance to the early Doors with its lugubrious vocal and prominent organ line. "Some Other Drum" is a quiet, almost folky song that reminds me a bit of the Lovin' Spoonful. There are four covers that were supposedly included against Bonniwell's wishes at the record company's insistence. I like their version of the Beatles' "Taxman" which has a ferocious, noisy guitar solo from Mark Landon and a forceful, dynamic beat. Their version of "Cherry Cherry" is surprising soft-rock in character, it reminds me of the Sandpipers. I can see how Bonniwell was irked by its inclusion, it is totally out of character with the rest of the album. "See See Rider" sounds like it was based on the Animals' version particularly in the organ riff and is only notable for another hot solo by Landon. "96 Tears" has an exaggerated vocal by Bonniwell, he sounds like a lounge singer fronting a teen dance band. The fifth cover was apparently approved by Bonniwell for the album. It is a slow version of "Hey Joe" that is very similar to Tim Rose's arrangement of the song. Bonniwell's voice is higher than normal, it almost sounds like he is imitating Arthur Lee. It is interesting but as far as the slow versions of "Hey Joe" go, I prefer both Tim Rose and Jimi Hendrix's interpretations. The covers do compromise the artistic quality of the album somewhat, but there is no denying the potency and originality of Bonniwell's music. I admire the darkness and consistency of Bonniwell's vision. His themes of confusion, desperation and anxiety stand out in a time when most West Coast bands were more interested in singing about love, beauty and getting high. The raw power and distortion in the band's sound is also very striking. Bonniwell was an impressive talent (Sundazed's CD reissues of his work for Warner Bros. are also worth checking out) and it is unfortunate that the record industry treated him so shabbily, he might have made a lot of great music with more support. Recommended for goths who dig garage bands.
