It’s usually a good sign when the first time you hear about a band you’re eating a peanut butter burger while sitting at a bar.
It doesn’t’ hurt that the next thing you hear about them is they contributed to the Departed soundtrack.
And the trifecta is complete when a rock & roll gal from work (let’s call her Carol), who you’ve had arguments about the specific definition of “punk” with over the ears recommends them. Yes, with Dropkick Murphys all the letters of recommendation were in before I even started listening.
The Dropkick Murphys had me from the school bell on opener “Famous for Nothing,” It’s the tale of St. Mary’s school where the only common ground between cliques is basketball and alcohol. “Famous for Nothing” is messy rock just how this high school mash up would likely turn out. “It wasn’t pretty at all” the lads go on to say.
When I first held the new Dropkick Murphys’ CD The Meanest of Times, I was excited. The pleather album cover look combined with the Celtic cross on the front album art felt provocative. The Meanest of Times felt like an album college guys would lift weight to. More importantly it felt like something absent from the world right now, some good punchy punk.
The music reminds me of a college roommate I had named Sam. I think he’s a lawyer now, but back in the day no one was more fun then Sammy. He was the guy you wanted to stand and scream through the sunroof and do shots of Jameson late night with. Sammy was straight up Boston, straight up passion.
The brief description I had on Dropkick Murphys going in was “Celtic punk.” And I guess that’s about right. Dropkick Murphy sound like Green Day with bagpipes. They sound like bloody knuckles with claddagh rings on. But mostly the music sounds like a big sweaty club filled with people raising their glasses to toast. Lead singer Al Barr has plenty of memorable one-line screams like “God willing,” “sailor coming home,” and “You said we’d die alone” that add to this effect.
The Irish stuff does come through loud and clear on songs like “The State of Massachusetts” and “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya.” There are plenty of fist pumping “heys!” throughout, and the entire record moves at a blistering pace. What I like most about The Meanest of Times are the stories. They sing about characters like Billy and Flannigan. And they sing about whiskey, war, suicide, and guns.
But it’s not the Irish thing I like best about Dropkick Murphys. While I think that’s a reason to check them out, my two favorite tracks “Echoes on ‘A’ Street” and “Surrender” have a lot more guitar than they do shamrock shake. “Echoes on ‘A’ Street” is an epic track with a vocal that sounds like Neil Diamond at the start (a good thing by the way) before turning into a cinematic stomp down the block. The “Sailor Coming Home!!” chorus is the sort of thing to have you screaming alone in your car. Great rock & roll indeed. “Surrender” is more guitar hero with monster riffs that remind me of the best of Green Day, Blink 182, and Angels and Airwaves. “Surrender’ is leaner and more of a single. The guitar is kick ass especially when James Lynch melts your mind about two minutes in. The last track on the record rounds out my medal stand, as “Never Forget” is an anthem about the importance of love and family.
“(F)lannigan’s Ball” almost sounds like a continuation of “Surrender.” While not as strong a track, I’m glad we’re still rocking. While most of Dropkick Murphy’s songs are similar to the punk of Green Day, on “I’ll Begin Again” they show they’re capable of a more straight ahead big rock sound.
Guitarist James Lynch can straight shred and he pops off for the first time on “Tomorrow’s Industry” as does drummer Matt Kelley. “Tomorrow’s Industry” is a nice little band showcase, if not a great song.
In many ways Dropkick Murphys are the opposite of the other band I reviewed this week, Radiohead. If Radiohead sounds like a synthetic, empty, urban apartment –Dropkick Murphys are more like one of those little bars on the shore where the crab fisherman drink all night after getting off the boat for the entire summer.
I can only imagine how great Dropkick Murphys would be live. I picture a crowd full of brothers swaying back and forth, arm and arm, raising their glasses. The Meanest of Times is a nice little record with a half dozen promising tracks. Now if I could only find Sammy and some Jameson.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
I paid too much for the new Radiohead
I love the innovation of Radiohead. Their pay what you want online distribution deal was killer for their new record In Rainbows. Despite the technology involved what I really loved about it was at the core it’s the exact same premise as the street musician playing with an open guitar case for people to put in what they think the music is worth. While there have been all sorts of rumors (1.2 Million sold, $10 average price) regarding the success of the new model – none have been verified. One thing is for certain, Radiohead are trailblazers. And with Madonna and Nine Inch Nails following suit and opting out of their own major label deals expect to see all sorts of creative ideas for music distribution in the near future. Frankly, I’m excited.
Here’s my deal with Radiohead. I think people want to like Radiohead and I think more people like the idea of Radiohead then actually dig the music. If you put In Rainbows to the test, it’s not really much of an album. A promising start with the up-tempo “15 Step” and “Bodysnatchers” meanders into the ether. There’s no warmth to Radiohead. The sound is all zeroes and ones. I want my Rock & Roll to be a lot more whiskey and beer – to spend some time in a barrel someplace. Instead Radiohead’s sound appears to marinate on the motherboard inside a computer.
A couple guys here at work recently did a presentation on Virtuality featuring web environments like Second Life and World of Warcraft. As people assembled for the presentation they played some tracks from In Rainbows over a loop of Second Life imagery playing on the big screen. It was the perfect soundtrack; equal parts pretty, haunting, synthetic and sterile.
Radiohead’s music purchase site www.inrainbows.com had a very retro MS DOS feel to it with text boxes seemingly in the wrong places and nearly no explanation as to how the purchase process was supposed to work. The entire time I was punching in my info I wondered if it was going to work or if I was even on the “official” site. I decided to pay 5 British Sterling (or about $10 U.S.) what I thought was a fair price for In Rainbows
Having listened to In Rainbows, I’ll say the album for me is worth less than half that. “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” a trippy little space coaster of a song held together with strumming and falsetto is the high point of the disc. While most of the music I review in this space is rollercoaster straight, Radiohead’s sound is more like a Tilt a Whirl . . .on morphine. But what works on “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” is the song actually spins enough to leave the ground. It sounds like something that could have been on U2’s Pop, or maybe their side project Passengers. “Reckoner” is similar in sound but lacks the structure of “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” and the result is forgettable.
In Rainbows just doesn’t seem to have enough blood running through its veins. It sounds like a stack of Wired magazines in an impeccable urban apartment. It sounds like a stylish place, a catalog, but without people. The main problem with In Rainbows is it sounds like no one lives there.
It’s hard for me to even talk about specific songs, as there wouldn’t appear to be a single on here. While In Rainbows may sound good blasting from the speakers of a downtown advertising agency, I’m at a loss as to where I would ever listen to this CD on my own? I can’t listen to it in my car because In Rainbows is way too moody for that. I’d have to drive around flexing my jaw muscles and sliding my sunglasses up and down my nose making faces in the rearview if In Rainbows was in the Wrangler’s 6-disc changer.
Radiohead are able to warm up their morgue table sound to room temperature on a few tracks. “15 Step” has a nice little guitar riff and intro before giving way to sound effects and drum machines. “Faust Arp” is folksy and “Videotape” starts with big promise and an actual piano intro but fails to build to anything but noises. Overall, In Rainbow sounds like an album the machines will make once they figure out how to be smarter than us humans. And I suppose that’s part of the appeal. While In Rainbows does have some nice Verve-like vocals and a few cool guitar riffs – I’m afraid I wouldn’t throw much change in the guitar case.
Here’s my deal with Radiohead. I think people want to like Radiohead and I think more people like the idea of Radiohead then actually dig the music. If you put In Rainbows to the test, it’s not really much of an album. A promising start with the up-tempo “15 Step” and “Bodysnatchers” meanders into the ether. There’s no warmth to Radiohead. The sound is all zeroes and ones. I want my Rock & Roll to be a lot more whiskey and beer – to spend some time in a barrel someplace. Instead Radiohead’s sound appears to marinate on the motherboard inside a computer.
A couple guys here at work recently did a presentation on Virtuality featuring web environments like Second Life and World of Warcraft. As people assembled for the presentation they played some tracks from In Rainbows over a loop of Second Life imagery playing on the big screen. It was the perfect soundtrack; equal parts pretty, haunting, synthetic and sterile.
Radiohead’s music purchase site www.inrainbows.com had a very retro MS DOS feel to it with text boxes seemingly in the wrong places and nearly no explanation as to how the purchase process was supposed to work. The entire time I was punching in my info I wondered if it was going to work or if I was even on the “official” site. I decided to pay 5 British Sterling (or about $10 U.S.) what I thought was a fair price for In Rainbows
Having listened to In Rainbows, I’ll say the album for me is worth less than half that. “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” a trippy little space coaster of a song held together with strumming and falsetto is the high point of the disc. While most of the music I review in this space is rollercoaster straight, Radiohead’s sound is more like a Tilt a Whirl . . .on morphine. But what works on “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” is the song actually spins enough to leave the ground. It sounds like something that could have been on U2’s Pop, or maybe their side project Passengers. “Reckoner” is similar in sound but lacks the structure of “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” and the result is forgettable.
In Rainbows just doesn’t seem to have enough blood running through its veins. It sounds like a stack of Wired magazines in an impeccable urban apartment. It sounds like a stylish place, a catalog, but without people. The main problem with In Rainbows is it sounds like no one lives there.
It’s hard for me to even talk about specific songs, as there wouldn’t appear to be a single on here. While In Rainbows may sound good blasting from the speakers of a downtown advertising agency, I’m at a loss as to where I would ever listen to this CD on my own? I can’t listen to it in my car because In Rainbows is way too moody for that. I’d have to drive around flexing my jaw muscles and sliding my sunglasses up and down my nose making faces in the rearview if In Rainbows was in the Wrangler’s 6-disc changer.
Radiohead are able to warm up their morgue table sound to room temperature on a few tracks. “15 Step” has a nice little guitar riff and intro before giving way to sound effects and drum machines. “Faust Arp” is folksy and “Videotape” starts with big promise and an actual piano intro but fails to build to anything but noises. Overall, In Rainbow sounds like an album the machines will make once they figure out how to be smarter than us humans. And I suppose that’s part of the appeal. While In Rainbows does have some nice Verve-like vocals and a few cool guitar riffs – I’m afraid I wouldn’t throw much change in the guitar case.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Let’s Make Eric Hutchinson Famous.
I’m a music scout. I love following the breadcrumbs to the next big thing. I love leaving in the morning with my spear to discover new music and bring it back to the tribe. Through the years I’ve asked plenty of baristas, bartenders, busboys, etc. “What song is this playing right now?” A question usually met with “Would you like me to go in back and check.” Of course I would.
I’m particularly excited about my latest find, Maryland singer songwriter Eric Hutchinson. I can’t take all the credit as I first noticed him when he had a cup of coffee atop the iTunes charts (thanks to a Perez Hilton mention) before returning to obscurity. I can speak firsthand that his CD Sounds Like This is not an easy find. You won’t find it at Target, Best Buy, or the bookstores. If you’re interested (and you should be) check www.awarestore.com as they have the CD for $10.
Yes, Eric Hutchinson is a major score. Sounds Like This is one of those CDs that is immediately familiar. At first listen most people will suspect they already know the songs. What is that Terence Trendt Darby? J Timberlake? Michael Jackson? New Jamiroquai?
Hutchinson emerges on the music scene like Bo Jackson did on the sports scene a few years back – with the patience of a comet. A “just because I can” attitude abounds on the album with Hutchinson playing the confident chameleon throughout the entire record. If you’re looking for Maroon 5 without the radio saturation, check “Outside Villanova.” If you want something Clive Davis can tap his wand to? Check the Gavin DeGraw like opener “OK, It’s Alright With Me.” Or maybe you want to get your Bill Cosby dance on with something that sounds like vintage Stevie Wonder –check “You Don’t Have to Believe Me” for some power pudding pop.
If that wasn’t enough range, Hutchinson dresses up a Jason Mraz-like sound in a grass skirt with a groovy little island beat in “Rock & Roll” complete with sing-a-long “nah nah nahs.” Or maybe it’s a little Jack Johnson sex wax you’re after, hit play on “Back to Where I was” just before you slide the lime down the neck of your Corona.
Simply put Eric Hutchinson’s Sounds Like This is a rock solid blue-eyed soul debut. Nearly all of the ten tracks are extremely radio friendly and completely listenable. More than that, the entire record has soulfulness you wouldn’t expect from a 27-year-old suburbanite.
Yes I dig the Hutchinson, and my sense is this is a CD that will slowly find its way into your wives and girlfriends’ cars. My favorite track on the record is the haunting “All Over Now” which sounds like something off Flight of the Concords if it was a Zach Braff show. “Rock & Roll” is also infectious. Even the stuff I didn’t specifically call out earlier like “Food Chain” are well crafted little tunes.
Buy stock in Eric Hutchinson immediately, this kid is going places. Get the disc.
I’m particularly excited about my latest find, Maryland singer songwriter Eric Hutchinson. I can’t take all the credit as I first noticed him when he had a cup of coffee atop the iTunes charts (thanks to a Perez Hilton mention) before returning to obscurity. I can speak firsthand that his CD Sounds Like This is not an easy find. You won’t find it at Target, Best Buy, or the bookstores. If you’re interested (and you should be) check www.awarestore.com as they have the CD for $10.
Yes, Eric Hutchinson is a major score. Sounds Like This is one of those CDs that is immediately familiar. At first listen most people will suspect they already know the songs. What is that Terence Trendt Darby? J Timberlake? Michael Jackson? New Jamiroquai?
Hutchinson emerges on the music scene like Bo Jackson did on the sports scene a few years back – with the patience of a comet. A “just because I can” attitude abounds on the album with Hutchinson playing the confident chameleon throughout the entire record. If you’re looking for Maroon 5 without the radio saturation, check “Outside Villanova.” If you want something Clive Davis can tap his wand to? Check the Gavin DeGraw like opener “OK, It’s Alright With Me.” Or maybe you want to get your Bill Cosby dance on with something that sounds like vintage Stevie Wonder –check “You Don’t Have to Believe Me” for some power pudding pop.
If that wasn’t enough range, Hutchinson dresses up a Jason Mraz-like sound in a grass skirt with a groovy little island beat in “Rock & Roll” complete with sing-a-long “nah nah nahs.” Or maybe it’s a little Jack Johnson sex wax you’re after, hit play on “Back to Where I was” just before you slide the lime down the neck of your Corona.
Simply put Eric Hutchinson’s Sounds Like This is a rock solid blue-eyed soul debut. Nearly all of the ten tracks are extremely radio friendly and completely listenable. More than that, the entire record has soulfulness you wouldn’t expect from a 27-year-old suburbanite.
Yes I dig the Hutchinson, and my sense is this is a CD that will slowly find its way into your wives and girlfriends’ cars. My favorite track on the record is the haunting “All Over Now” which sounds like something off Flight of the Concords if it was a Zach Braff show. “Rock & Roll” is also infectious. Even the stuff I didn’t specifically call out earlier like “Food Chain” are well crafted little tunes.
Buy stock in Eric Hutchinson immediately, this kid is going places. Get the disc.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Springsteen Turns Wine Into Beer. It's Magic!
It took me four stores to finally find Bruce Springsteen’s new one, Magic, in stock last week. When I brought it up to the counter, the woman working the register at the downtown Borders looked at the CD and marveled, “Ahh, the new Springsteen.” I felt like I was buying a cabernet.
Springsteen records tend to be a lot like a cabernet. Full bodied, complex, hints of oak (OK that’s a stretch). The problem with Magic is it goes down a lot more like a Michelob Golden Light. It’s still good but not much to taste. I’ve listened to the entire CD dozens of times and all too often I’ve forgotten it’s even playing in my car. The thoughts in my own head are drowning out the music, and that’s usually not the case with a Springsteen disc. Magic does nothing to command your attention. There are precious few songs from Magic that will stay on the E Street set list for years to come.
Make no mistake I’m a Springsteen apologist. I’ve traveled to see him play live in New Jersey. I’ve sent my in-laws to see him. And his 2002 9/11 inspired album The Rising is the only record to ever make me actually cry (the song was “You’re Missing” to be specific – check it out-crazy powerful). But it’s never a good sign when the first single is the best song on the album, and that’s precisely what “Radio Nowhere’’ is. “Radio Nowhere” is such a promising start to an album. It’s a put the top down sort of song that stretches across your hood just the same way “Thunder Road” did years ago.
But from there it’s pretty much downhill. The second track “You’ll be Coming Down” starts out in classic Bruce fashion. You’re waiting for him to yell “hep!” to start the march. It sounds like “I’m Going Down” from Born in the USA remixed for his more synth flavored Tunnel of Love record. But at best “You’ll be Coming Down” is very average background Bruce filler.
After song two we really go into the desert for a bit. “Livin’ in the Future” will sound nice with a dozen people in their 60s dancing around on stage at Springsteen’s live shows, but it feels old to listen to on CD. Sounds like the sort of thing a guy with “Sparky” for his pet name would listen to. But perhaps at 33 my body is still rejecting the saxophone.
The real low point of the record is “Girls in their Summer Clothes” which has the Boss doing a husky Thurston Howell III voice as he watches all the girls pass by undeterred in their summer dresses. Hearing a master like Springsteen this far off his game and not using his natural voice leaves no wonder why the girls aren’t bothering to stop.
Springsteen makes a modest recovery on “I’ll Work for Your Love,” one of the few songs that will stand the test of time on Magic. The second the Boss blurts out “Pour me a drink Theresa in one of those glasses you dust off” the beer is suddenly a darker color. “I’ll Work for Your Love” is just the sort of tough, honest songwriting that has made Bruce a legend. Another gem to add to your collection.
The back half of Magic is also relatively uninteresting with the exception of hidden/bonus track “Terry’s Song (not on iTunes)” where Bruce laments the loss of his one of a kind brother. Very good stuff here with great lyrics like “.Gone into that dark ether where you're still young and hard and cold.”
In between there are clearly some anti-war messages (“Devil’s Arcade,” “Last to Die”), stories, and ideas. Trouble is the music doesn’t have broad enough shoulders to carry the ideas into the world. It feels like a record Bruce rushed together because he wanted to get back on the road. I just hope Magic isn’t too big a part of the live show this Fall because he won’t get much audience involvement unless he seriously reworks the material. Bruce is too good, and has far too many songs in his head for this to be the start of Michael Jordan wearing a Wizards jersey –but Magic is clearly not his best effort.
Springsteen records tend to be a lot like a cabernet. Full bodied, complex, hints of oak (OK that’s a stretch). The problem with Magic is it goes down a lot more like a Michelob Golden Light. It’s still good but not much to taste. I’ve listened to the entire CD dozens of times and all too often I’ve forgotten it’s even playing in my car. The thoughts in my own head are drowning out the music, and that’s usually not the case with a Springsteen disc. Magic does nothing to command your attention. There are precious few songs from Magic that will stay on the E Street set list for years to come.
Make no mistake I’m a Springsteen apologist. I’ve traveled to see him play live in New Jersey. I’ve sent my in-laws to see him. And his 2002 9/11 inspired album The Rising is the only record to ever make me actually cry (the song was “You’re Missing” to be specific – check it out-crazy powerful). But it’s never a good sign when the first single is the best song on the album, and that’s precisely what “Radio Nowhere’’ is. “Radio Nowhere” is such a promising start to an album. It’s a put the top down sort of song that stretches across your hood just the same way “Thunder Road” did years ago.
But from there it’s pretty much downhill. The second track “You’ll be Coming Down” starts out in classic Bruce fashion. You’re waiting for him to yell “hep!” to start the march. It sounds like “I’m Going Down” from Born in the USA remixed for his more synth flavored Tunnel of Love record. But at best “You’ll be Coming Down” is very average background Bruce filler.
After song two we really go into the desert for a bit. “Livin’ in the Future” will sound nice with a dozen people in their 60s dancing around on stage at Springsteen’s live shows, but it feels old to listen to on CD. Sounds like the sort of thing a guy with “Sparky” for his pet name would listen to. But perhaps at 33 my body is still rejecting the saxophone.
The real low point of the record is “Girls in their Summer Clothes” which has the Boss doing a husky Thurston Howell III voice as he watches all the girls pass by undeterred in their summer dresses. Hearing a master like Springsteen this far off his game and not using his natural voice leaves no wonder why the girls aren’t bothering to stop.
Springsteen makes a modest recovery on “I’ll Work for Your Love,” one of the few songs that will stand the test of time on Magic. The second the Boss blurts out “Pour me a drink Theresa in one of those glasses you dust off” the beer is suddenly a darker color. “I’ll Work for Your Love” is just the sort of tough, honest songwriting that has made Bruce a legend. Another gem to add to your collection.
The back half of Magic is also relatively uninteresting with the exception of hidden/bonus track “Terry’s Song (not on iTunes)” where Bruce laments the loss of his one of a kind brother. Very good stuff here with great lyrics like “.Gone into that dark ether where you're still young and hard and cold.”
In between there are clearly some anti-war messages (“Devil’s Arcade,” “Last to Die”), stories, and ideas. Trouble is the music doesn’t have broad enough shoulders to carry the ideas into the world. It feels like a record Bruce rushed together because he wanted to get back on the road. I just hope Magic isn’t too big a part of the live show this Fall because he won’t get much audience involvement unless he seriously reworks the material. Bruce is too good, and has far too many songs in his head for this to be the start of Michael Jordan wearing a Wizards jersey –but Magic is clearly not his best effort.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
You Had Me At Foo Fighters . . .
It must be tough to be Dave Grohl. Can you imagine growing up in a band like Nirvana, only to have the roller coaster fly off the tracks right at the top when it’s still all clicking noises and anticipation? While Foo Fighters have had modest success, to the outsider looking in they appear to still be a band seeking an identity.
Proof of this was their indulgent 2005 double disc In Your Honor, which featured, according to iTunes, one side of “bone-crunching rock” and another of “succulent acoustic.” Strange bedfellows wouldn’t you say? Personally I don’t mix my bourbon with Sierra Mist.
The Foo Fighters new one Echoes Silence Patience & Grace remains schizophrenic in that some songs sound like The Beatles namely “Statues” while others sound like Jack Johnson including the pretty but weepy acoustic instrumental “Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners.” But the best stuff on the album sounds like (gasp) the Foo Fighters. That’s the issue I have with the Foo Fighters. I don’t understand the identity crisis when I can truly say there is such a thing as “vintage Foo Fighters.” And while the band may not reach the heights of single “Everlong,” they do have several great songs on the disc including “Erase / Replace,” “Long Road to Ruin,” “Cheer Up Boys (Your Makeup Is Running),” and “But Honestly.”
It’s interesting to remember that Dave Grohl was the drummer in Nirvana. This may be the ultimate compliment to current Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, who is the chassis of the band. The peak of the new album is the killer track “Erase / Replace.” It’s the sort of song you would turn on just as the skaters hit the ice for their pre-game warm-ups. It’s vintage Foo Fighters with the circular guitar alongside pulsing drums that carries us home. Taylor Hawkins is like an animal on this one taking us round and round specifically when Grohl breaks out his “Oh no don’t talk about it, No please don’t talk about it” pleas throughout the vocal. Be sure to check out “Erase / Replace” if your workout has hit a rut because from the first line “Attention. Pay Attention” it will have you doing just that. And it could be even better as a single if they give it a bit of a staccato remix to lean on Hawkins and keep up the pace a bit.
While I commend the Foo Fighters for continuing to explore new sounds and define their turf, there’s a part of me that really wants to see them just put together a rock solid Foo Fighters album. If it sounds anything like “Erase / Replace,” I think it would be a welcome relief in a world where Hannah Montana is the hottest concert of the year.
The intro to the first single “The Pretender” borrows from “Stairway to Heaven,” but overall sounds like a single and is nothing much new. “Let it Die” has glimpses of greatness but can’t overcome lyrical apathy second to only, maybe “Tequila.” Grohl seems to have some limitations in that he’ll often resort to screaming or just saying the same few words over and over and over again. The result can sound like a rock & roll brain freeze. See “Let it Die” and “But Honestly” for proof.
“Long Road to Ruin” has a little country flare mixed in and should be welcomed by the Southern rock set or at least by people who like Kid Rock more now that he’s trying to be Hank Williams. I specifically like the mid-song acoustic breakdown (the 2:15 minute mark); it’s all very Nickelback. Yes, that’s a compliment. I think. Hold up your lighters gents.
“But, Honestly” should be noted because it’s proof that bone crunching and acoustic can fit together in a right sized cocktail glass. It works here because the song builds throughout and Hawkins plays a prominent role. “Cheer Up Boys (Your Makeup Is Running)” has a fantastic guitar intro and should receive bonus points because I assume it’s a shot at the emo set.
All in all I’m a fan of the Foo Fighters. I just wish they would embrace being the Foo Fighters. Otherwise they’ll just be a recycling bin band (Audioslave, Velvet Revolver) with something missing. On Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace the band spends too much time playing ‘70s style AM radio soft rock. There’s too much WKRP, sad piano, too much emphasis on showing their range. It’s as if they’re saying, look we can make music like this and that. When all I want to hear is the Foo Fighters. Luckily, the boys did save a little time to put together at least 4 or 5 vintage Foo Fighters tracks. And by my math that’s worth the price of the album.
Proof of this was their indulgent 2005 double disc In Your Honor, which featured, according to iTunes, one side of “bone-crunching rock” and another of “succulent acoustic.” Strange bedfellows wouldn’t you say? Personally I don’t mix my bourbon with Sierra Mist.
The Foo Fighters new one Echoes Silence Patience & Grace remains schizophrenic in that some songs sound like The Beatles namely “Statues” while others sound like Jack Johnson including the pretty but weepy acoustic instrumental “Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners.” But the best stuff on the album sounds like (gasp) the Foo Fighters. That’s the issue I have with the Foo Fighters. I don’t understand the identity crisis when I can truly say there is such a thing as “vintage Foo Fighters.” And while the band may not reach the heights of single “Everlong,” they do have several great songs on the disc including “Erase / Replace,” “Long Road to Ruin,” “Cheer Up Boys (Your Makeup Is Running),” and “But Honestly.”
It’s interesting to remember that Dave Grohl was the drummer in Nirvana. This may be the ultimate compliment to current Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, who is the chassis of the band. The peak of the new album is the killer track “Erase / Replace.” It’s the sort of song you would turn on just as the skaters hit the ice for their pre-game warm-ups. It’s vintage Foo Fighters with the circular guitar alongside pulsing drums that carries us home. Taylor Hawkins is like an animal on this one taking us round and round specifically when Grohl breaks out his “Oh no don’t talk about it, No please don’t talk about it” pleas throughout the vocal. Be sure to check out “Erase / Replace” if your workout has hit a rut because from the first line “Attention. Pay Attention” it will have you doing just that. And it could be even better as a single if they give it a bit of a staccato remix to lean on Hawkins and keep up the pace a bit.
While I commend the Foo Fighters for continuing to explore new sounds and define their turf, there’s a part of me that really wants to see them just put together a rock solid Foo Fighters album. If it sounds anything like “Erase / Replace,” I think it would be a welcome relief in a world where Hannah Montana is the hottest concert of the year.
The intro to the first single “The Pretender” borrows from “Stairway to Heaven,” but overall sounds like a single and is nothing much new. “Let it Die” has glimpses of greatness but can’t overcome lyrical apathy second to only, maybe “Tequila.” Grohl seems to have some limitations in that he’ll often resort to screaming or just saying the same few words over and over and over again. The result can sound like a rock & roll brain freeze. See “Let it Die” and “But Honestly” for proof.
“Long Road to Ruin” has a little country flare mixed in and should be welcomed by the Southern rock set or at least by people who like Kid Rock more now that he’s trying to be Hank Williams. I specifically like the mid-song acoustic breakdown (the 2:15 minute mark); it’s all very Nickelback. Yes, that’s a compliment. I think. Hold up your lighters gents.
“But, Honestly” should be noted because it’s proof that bone crunching and acoustic can fit together in a right sized cocktail glass. It works here because the song builds throughout and Hawkins plays a prominent role. “Cheer Up Boys (Your Makeup Is Running)” has a fantastic guitar intro and should receive bonus points because I assume it’s a shot at the emo set.
All in all I’m a fan of the Foo Fighters. I just wish they would embrace being the Foo Fighters. Otherwise they’ll just be a recycling bin band (Audioslave, Velvet Revolver) with something missing. On Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace the band spends too much time playing ‘70s style AM radio soft rock. There’s too much WKRP, sad piano, too much emphasis on showing their range. It’s as if they’re saying, look we can make music like this and that. When all I want to hear is the Foo Fighters. Luckily, the boys did save a little time to put together at least 4 or 5 vintage Foo Fighters tracks. And by my math that’s worth the price of the album.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Eddie Vedder isn’t sure the Joneses are winning. Maybe we shouldn’t spend all our time trying to keep up.
Be warned. In the true spirit of Into the Wild I’m going off the grid for this review. Going philosophical. Going free-wheeling. Maybe even going (a little bit) crazy.
I love Eddie Vedder’s voice. If I were putting together a dream band, I’d be hard pressed not to have Vedder involved. Bono can be the frontman, the entertainer, the big giant head – but we’ll let Eddie do the singing. He has one of those voices I like to hear stretched over songs. His own songs, cover songs – it doesn’t really matter.
When I first heard that Sean Penn was doing the film version of Jon Krakauer’s novel Into the Wild, I was immediately curious. Sean Penn is one of my favorite directors, and while I hadn’t read the book about Christopher McCandless wandering death in Alaska– it sounded epic. When Eddie Vedder signed on to do the soundtrack as a solo artist it was almost too good to be true.
The Into The Wild soundtrack contains eleven tracks, but seven clock in at less than three minutes – a handful closer to one minute in duration. Hell, maybe Vedder is redirecting his energy away from Ticketmaster and towards the new music goliath, Apple’s iTunes. Must be hard for them to sell a $0.99 download when you can nearly hear the entire track in the :30 preview. At least they didn’t shorten to :15 previews or something although they did split up the last track “Guaranteed” to be sold as both the singing version and the humming version, nice. The casual music or even Pearl Jam fan won’t find much here. But Into the Wild is a welcome pleasure for the few of us who believe music should tell a story, make us think, affect the decisions we make in our lives, and change the world.
Sure there are some songs like “Rise” where Vedder makes the journey of Into the Wild a breezy one. You can find yourself barefoot on the dashboard riding the wave (where it takes me!) with outstretched hand out the window on a song like “Rise.” There’s something very campfire in Vedder’s voice. It’s got that REI, frontier range. His voice wouldn’t sound small in big places. That’s why he’s perfect for the Into the Wild soundtrack. But the real magic doesn’t come from passively listening to this disc, it comes from opening your mind to the debate and the magnetic pull of the Into the Wild story – here told in its music form.
While doing the business travel thing early this week I found myself sitting in a lot of airport lines. I would listen to the flight attendants as they announced, “At this time our Sky Team Elite members and people seated in Exit rows may begin boarding.”
After you notice that everyone on the plane is apparently a member of the Sky Team, you can watch the herd move towards the gate agents like cattle. Sure some of the travelers have a little more fashion, downtown glasses, more interesting luggage to carry. But it’s really a sea of slightly overweight corporate men shuffling their way around the country. As I sat there in line holding my Into the Wild soundtrack, it seemed appropriate to ask, and to what end? What are we all really doing anyway? If at the end of the day it’s about being good to your wife, your kids, there’s probably a simpler way to do this. And best I can tell we certainly spend most of our time chasing other things.
I remember a few years back Kare 11 news here in the Twin Cities did an investigative report on the nightly news where they had discovered that some of the guys who work the assembly line had been smoking pot on their lunch break at the Ford Ranger plant in Saint Paul. The news crew hid and filmed these big burly, Deadwood style men sitting at picnic tables smoking a joint on their lunch break. The men they showed were real men. Men who own a thermos, men working a job that means they’re probably missing a finger or two. Men who sneak a puff just to make the grind of the day go by faster.
At the end of the report the investigative TV news crew got right in the faces of some of the guys as they were leaving their shift and busted them on film for smoking pot on their lunch. I’ll never forget the footage of this one guy yelling back at the news crew. He just kept saying, “Yeah, I make stuff. It’s what I do. I make trucks. That’s what I do. What do you do? What do you make?”
I was always haunted by that. I thought he brought up a wonderful point. What in the world is a news report like that doing for the world? What are they making? What is their product, their craft, their trade? Makes me wonder if people who do something, the people with a tangible craft aren’t happier in life.
This life riddle has been on my mind for a long time. It’s the reason I fell in love with the parable of The Angler and the Executive when a buddy emailed it to me years ago:
THE ANGLER AND THE EXECUTIVE - Working for a Living
An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, "Only a little while, senor."
The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?"
The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.
The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, but a bigger boat with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to middlemen you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "15-20 years."
"But what then, senor?"
The American laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."
"Millions, senor? Then what?"
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
It seems better to be the Angler. And to focus on what matters (clue: it’s not stuff). As I started listening to Into the Wild I asked myself what do I make? What lifestyle would make me happiest and most fulfilled?
I think Eddie Vedder gets this riddle in spades. You can see it in the way he’s managed or maybe mismanaged Pearl Jam’s career to expertly balance fame and authenticity. As Bono put it “every mission bites the nails of success.” Think about it, Pearl Jam didn’t make videos for their songs, took on Ticketmaster, and released a CD of every live show they did one year (the labels love that!).
While studying abroad I went to see Pearl Jam live in Australia on St. Patrick’s Day once. I only remember a few of their songs before I woke up in my dorm room with a torn t-shirt next to my bed. But the one thing I do remember is how they opened their set playing the five minute epic “Release” completely in the dark. There’s something in that simplicity that shows power in the underdone.
Vedder’s solo stuff on Into the Wild addresses the little debate I know many of us have in our minds: Is it better to . . . 1) bust our ass to get the addition on the house, the right cars, the right life 2) live above the game (or below) and just focus on what matters or find a career that’s a bigger contribution to society or 3) do we try to get filthy rich before we’re 40 so we can “afford to” become the high school teacher the kids always ask to speak at graduation –perhaps the best of both worlds. I don’t know the answer. I just know the Into the Wild soundtrack makes me think it’s very important to figure that out and to set a course even if that course is a very bohemian and shaggy choice number 4) to begin life where the road ends like McCandless did.
Truth be told the music on Into The Wild is nowhere near as compelling as the lyrics. And Vedder’s lyrics are masterful in their simplicity. This is the sort of stuff a college English class could dedicated a full week to on the syllabus.
Here is a song by song breakdown of the musical companion piece Vedder has created to McCandless’ famous journey:
“Setting Forth” is the untethered tale of letting go as well as the beginning of a journey moving “forward in reverse.” Maybe the thing that feels most real today is the pain of your knuckles scraping on the ground again. Maybe it feels better to get all Siddhartha and just look around and listen. To paint the face, play the bongos naked, and just smell the air, man.
“No Ceiling” shows that true wisdom comes from “believing more than I had.” Vedder seems to say it’s not the stuff you accumulate that matters it’s the experiences. When you’re in love with the intangibles, “this love has got no ceiling.” A statement flying in the face of the corporate ladder for certain.
“Far Behind” is where the protagonist goes further than I’m comfortable. We still see the central tension of the rat race with lyrics like “empty pockets will allow a greater sense of wealth” and “why contain yourself like any other book on the shelf.” A human truth especially today when you think of all the people that collect music and DVDs and books for their homes. Time spent accumulating stuff for their walls. I’ve always found it better to just pass a book on to someone else. Feel like stuff should go through you not be buried with you. That’s where the energy really is passing on the juice like that.
But on “Far Behind” we also hear a story of a person ready to leave all companionship and spend the rest of his life one with only nature and maybe his shadow. Not speaking directly to me anymore, but I’m sure it makes for a hell of a book/movie.
“Rise” is one of the fuller songs on the record with that familiar Pearl Jam sound (two minutes of it anyway). Lyrically exploring similar what does it all add up to themes clearly warn us that if you’re not careful the race against time can quickly turn into a life spent “turning mistakes into gold” and “burning black holes in memories.” As a dad and a husband all this makes me want to call a family meeting and ask what it’s all about. What’s our family plan? Mission? What are we here to do? What do we make? I used to think that sounded scary sort of pyramid scheme-ish, like I was “living the principle” or something. But now I’m not so sure that the alternative of not having a plan isn’t more frightening.
I suspect the Into the Wild soundtrack follows a similar story arch to the movie, and on track five “Long Nights” the lights continue to go out with our narrator slowly fading into the wilderness. The music has turned to night, but when Vedder sings “I am Falling” and his downy voice actually goes up in pitch, somehow we actually believe it will all be OK.
Instrumental “Tuolumne” provides the Ms. Pacman “They Meet” intermission we somehow need. It’s a little one-minute strum reminiscent of “Dust in the Wind.”
After intermission is where the snippets turn into songs on Into the Wild. The story has changed, something has happened, he’s strong again – or at peace anyway. “Hard Sun” must be the song when the credits role. We go from poetry to music here. Vedder cheats a bit using a mother earth metaphor to have nature become a female companion probably so he can get a song on the record that has a shot for radio play. “In the big hard world” even sounds like a march, makes me wonder if it’s cattle. Or people in line to board the airplane. Interesting to note while “Hard Sun” is called out on the album sticker on the cover, it’s one of only two songs on the album that Vedder did not write himself.
Vedder didn’t write “Society” either, but it’s a lyrical masterpiece of the riddle of life. It’s a last call song, a checking out song as our protagonist . . .Hell, lets call him our hero at this point says “I think I need to find a bigger place.” He asks Society to please not think less of him it’s just that the math simply didn’t work out. Irish folkie Jerry Hannan wrote “Society” and also provides background vocal and guitar here.
“The Wolf” is another spirit horse style instrumental transition taking us to chapter three where we finish with a bit of filler in “End of the Road” which is a better headline (“For me it begins at the end of the road”) than it is a song. “End of the Road” is one of the only spots where Vedder seems a bit fatigued, but perhaps this song is used as more of an instrumental score in the film –I’ve yet to see it.
“Guaranteed” is a bad ass finish with Vedder adding a little strut and certainty to his message. With lyrics like these:
“half their lives they’ll say goodnight to wives they’ll never know”
“everyone I come across in cages that they bought”
“I knew all the rules but the rules did not know me”
“Guaranteed” is the punctuation point as if to say I told you so, and the finish to an album that’s a wonderful series of little points that all adds up to one big story.
Into the Wild is a tough disc to recommend. It’s not something you’ll want in your car everyday. Vedder fans will like tracks like “Society,” a great modern American folk song. They’ll also like songs like “Hard Sun” and “Guaranteed.” But the real magic is in the writing. I’ll need to read Krakauer’s book to confirm how much are Eddie’s words here vs. his. But if half of the prose belongs to Vedder he’s done an amazing job here of being true to the story that I know of it while adding a new dimension through the music. Not to mention he made me think. So for the few of us that like to sit with the liner notes and dissect music –you will love Into the Wild, but this record won’t appeal to the Pearl Jam Ten masses.
I’ll post the full “Society” lyrics later in the week for those of you still curious after 2,700 words.
I love Eddie Vedder’s voice. If I were putting together a dream band, I’d be hard pressed not to have Vedder involved. Bono can be the frontman, the entertainer, the big giant head – but we’ll let Eddie do the singing. He has one of those voices I like to hear stretched over songs. His own songs, cover songs – it doesn’t really matter.
When I first heard that Sean Penn was doing the film version of Jon Krakauer’s novel Into the Wild, I was immediately curious. Sean Penn is one of my favorite directors, and while I hadn’t read the book about Christopher McCandless wandering death in Alaska– it sounded epic. When Eddie Vedder signed on to do the soundtrack as a solo artist it was almost too good to be true.
The Into The Wild soundtrack contains eleven tracks, but seven clock in at less than three minutes – a handful closer to one minute in duration. Hell, maybe Vedder is redirecting his energy away from Ticketmaster and towards the new music goliath, Apple’s iTunes. Must be hard for them to sell a $0.99 download when you can nearly hear the entire track in the :30 preview. At least they didn’t shorten to :15 previews or something although they did split up the last track “Guaranteed” to be sold as both the singing version and the humming version, nice. The casual music or even Pearl Jam fan won’t find much here. But Into the Wild is a welcome pleasure for the few of us who believe music should tell a story, make us think, affect the decisions we make in our lives, and change the world.
Sure there are some songs like “Rise” where Vedder makes the journey of Into the Wild a breezy one. You can find yourself barefoot on the dashboard riding the wave (where it takes me!) with outstretched hand out the window on a song like “Rise.” There’s something very campfire in Vedder’s voice. It’s got that REI, frontier range. His voice wouldn’t sound small in big places. That’s why he’s perfect for the Into the Wild soundtrack. But the real magic doesn’t come from passively listening to this disc, it comes from opening your mind to the debate and the magnetic pull of the Into the Wild story – here told in its music form.
While doing the business travel thing early this week I found myself sitting in a lot of airport lines. I would listen to the flight attendants as they announced, “At this time our Sky Team Elite members and people seated in Exit rows may begin boarding.”
After you notice that everyone on the plane is apparently a member of the Sky Team, you can watch the herd move towards the gate agents like cattle. Sure some of the travelers have a little more fashion, downtown glasses, more interesting luggage to carry. But it’s really a sea of slightly overweight corporate men shuffling their way around the country. As I sat there in line holding my Into the Wild soundtrack, it seemed appropriate to ask, and to what end? What are we all really doing anyway? If at the end of the day it’s about being good to your wife, your kids, there’s probably a simpler way to do this. And best I can tell we certainly spend most of our time chasing other things.
I remember a few years back Kare 11 news here in the Twin Cities did an investigative report on the nightly news where they had discovered that some of the guys who work the assembly line had been smoking pot on their lunch break at the Ford Ranger plant in Saint Paul. The news crew hid and filmed these big burly, Deadwood style men sitting at picnic tables smoking a joint on their lunch break. The men they showed were real men. Men who own a thermos, men working a job that means they’re probably missing a finger or two. Men who sneak a puff just to make the grind of the day go by faster.
At the end of the report the investigative TV news crew got right in the faces of some of the guys as they were leaving their shift and busted them on film for smoking pot on their lunch. I’ll never forget the footage of this one guy yelling back at the news crew. He just kept saying, “Yeah, I make stuff. It’s what I do. I make trucks. That’s what I do. What do you do? What do you make?”
I was always haunted by that. I thought he brought up a wonderful point. What in the world is a news report like that doing for the world? What are they making? What is their product, their craft, their trade? Makes me wonder if people who do something, the people with a tangible craft aren’t happier in life.
This life riddle has been on my mind for a long time. It’s the reason I fell in love with the parable of The Angler and the Executive when a buddy emailed it to me years ago:
THE ANGLER AND THE EXECUTIVE - Working for a Living
An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, "Only a little while, senor."
The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?"
The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.
The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, but a bigger boat with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to middlemen you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "15-20 years."
"But what then, senor?"
The American laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."
"Millions, senor? Then what?"
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
It seems better to be the Angler. And to focus on what matters (clue: it’s not stuff). As I started listening to Into the Wild I asked myself what do I make? What lifestyle would make me happiest and most fulfilled?
I think Eddie Vedder gets this riddle in spades. You can see it in the way he’s managed or maybe mismanaged Pearl Jam’s career to expertly balance fame and authenticity. As Bono put it “every mission bites the nails of success.” Think about it, Pearl Jam didn’t make videos for their songs, took on Ticketmaster, and released a CD of every live show they did one year (the labels love that!).
While studying abroad I went to see Pearl Jam live in Australia on St. Patrick’s Day once. I only remember a few of their songs before I woke up in my dorm room with a torn t-shirt next to my bed. But the one thing I do remember is how they opened their set playing the five minute epic “Release” completely in the dark. There’s something in that simplicity that shows power in the underdone.
Vedder’s solo stuff on Into the Wild addresses the little debate I know many of us have in our minds: Is it better to . . . 1) bust our ass to get the addition on the house, the right cars, the right life 2) live above the game (or below) and just focus on what matters or find a career that’s a bigger contribution to society or 3) do we try to get filthy rich before we’re 40 so we can “afford to” become the high school teacher the kids always ask to speak at graduation –perhaps the best of both worlds. I don’t know the answer. I just know the Into the Wild soundtrack makes me think it’s very important to figure that out and to set a course even if that course is a very bohemian and shaggy choice number 4) to begin life where the road ends like McCandless did.
Truth be told the music on Into The Wild is nowhere near as compelling as the lyrics. And Vedder’s lyrics are masterful in their simplicity. This is the sort of stuff a college English class could dedicated a full week to on the syllabus.
Here is a song by song breakdown of the musical companion piece Vedder has created to McCandless’ famous journey:
“Setting Forth” is the untethered tale of letting go as well as the beginning of a journey moving “forward in reverse.” Maybe the thing that feels most real today is the pain of your knuckles scraping on the ground again. Maybe it feels better to get all Siddhartha and just look around and listen. To paint the face, play the bongos naked, and just smell the air, man.
“No Ceiling” shows that true wisdom comes from “believing more than I had.” Vedder seems to say it’s not the stuff you accumulate that matters it’s the experiences. When you’re in love with the intangibles, “this love has got no ceiling.” A statement flying in the face of the corporate ladder for certain.
“Far Behind” is where the protagonist goes further than I’m comfortable. We still see the central tension of the rat race with lyrics like “empty pockets will allow a greater sense of wealth” and “why contain yourself like any other book on the shelf.” A human truth especially today when you think of all the people that collect music and DVDs and books for their homes. Time spent accumulating stuff for their walls. I’ve always found it better to just pass a book on to someone else. Feel like stuff should go through you not be buried with you. That’s where the energy really is passing on the juice like that.
But on “Far Behind” we also hear a story of a person ready to leave all companionship and spend the rest of his life one with only nature and maybe his shadow. Not speaking directly to me anymore, but I’m sure it makes for a hell of a book/movie.
“Rise” is one of the fuller songs on the record with that familiar Pearl Jam sound (two minutes of it anyway). Lyrically exploring similar what does it all add up to themes clearly warn us that if you’re not careful the race against time can quickly turn into a life spent “turning mistakes into gold” and “burning black holes in memories.” As a dad and a husband all this makes me want to call a family meeting and ask what it’s all about. What’s our family plan? Mission? What are we here to do? What do we make? I used to think that sounded scary sort of pyramid scheme-ish, like I was “living the principle” or something. But now I’m not so sure that the alternative of not having a plan isn’t more frightening.
I suspect the Into the Wild soundtrack follows a similar story arch to the movie, and on track five “Long Nights” the lights continue to go out with our narrator slowly fading into the wilderness. The music has turned to night, but when Vedder sings “I am Falling” and his downy voice actually goes up in pitch, somehow we actually believe it will all be OK.
Instrumental “Tuolumne” provides the Ms. Pacman “They Meet” intermission we somehow need. It’s a little one-minute strum reminiscent of “Dust in the Wind.”
After intermission is where the snippets turn into songs on Into the Wild. The story has changed, something has happened, he’s strong again – or at peace anyway. “Hard Sun” must be the song when the credits role. We go from poetry to music here. Vedder cheats a bit using a mother earth metaphor to have nature become a female companion probably so he can get a song on the record that has a shot for radio play. “In the big hard world” even sounds like a march, makes me wonder if it’s cattle. Or people in line to board the airplane. Interesting to note while “Hard Sun” is called out on the album sticker on the cover, it’s one of only two songs on the album that Vedder did not write himself.
Vedder didn’t write “Society” either, but it’s a lyrical masterpiece of the riddle of life. It’s a last call song, a checking out song as our protagonist . . .Hell, lets call him our hero at this point says “I think I need to find a bigger place.” He asks Society to please not think less of him it’s just that the math simply didn’t work out. Irish folkie Jerry Hannan wrote “Society” and also provides background vocal and guitar here.
“The Wolf” is another spirit horse style instrumental transition taking us to chapter three where we finish with a bit of filler in “End of the Road” which is a better headline (“For me it begins at the end of the road”) than it is a song. “End of the Road” is one of the only spots where Vedder seems a bit fatigued, but perhaps this song is used as more of an instrumental score in the film –I’ve yet to see it.
“Guaranteed” is a bad ass finish with Vedder adding a little strut and certainty to his message. With lyrics like these:
“half their lives they’ll say goodnight to wives they’ll never know”
“everyone I come across in cages that they bought”
“I knew all the rules but the rules did not know me”
“Guaranteed” is the punctuation point as if to say I told you so, and the finish to an album that’s a wonderful series of little points that all adds up to one big story.
Into the Wild is a tough disc to recommend. It’s not something you’ll want in your car everyday. Vedder fans will like tracks like “Society,” a great modern American folk song. They’ll also like songs like “Hard Sun” and “Guaranteed.” But the real magic is in the writing. I’ll need to read Krakauer’s book to confirm how much are Eddie’s words here vs. his. But if half of the prose belongs to Vedder he’s done an amazing job here of being true to the story that I know of it while adding a new dimension through the music. Not to mention he made me think. So for the few of us that like to sit with the liner notes and dissect music –you will love Into the Wild, but this record won’t appeal to the Pearl Jam Ten masses.
I’ll post the full “Society” lyrics later in the week for those of you still curious after 2,700 words.
Pint of Foo in Boston
I had an amazing music experience today. An amazing marketing experience as well. I found myself in Boston on business and had a chance to sneak away to Newbury comics. Shamefully I must admit, while in college in Boston I did more of my music shopping at the big box Tower Records (then Virgin . . .now Best Buy) right up the street – I have since grown to appreciate the indie flare of Newbury Comics. It’s the sort of place that barely exists anymore, a true drive-downtown-in-the rain-just-to-check-out-the-late-night-record-shop. They’ve got comics, the McFarlane dolls, the pins for your jean jacket, and of course loads and loads of music.
I picked up the Foo Fighters new disc Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace and the sales clerk asked me if I wanted my free pint glass to go with it. I didn’t think he was serious, but I said sure. So he starts wrapping up a nice heavy pint glass with the Foo Fighters logo on one side and the Newbury logo on the other. Then he asks me if I also want the free 7” vinyl of the first single off the album “The Pretender.” Of course I did.
Confused I asked the guy if the pint glass and 7” promo was only a Newbury Comics thing. . .
“Yes,” he said.
“Why, does Dave Grohl love you guys or something?” I asked.
To which he replied simply, “No, he loves you.”
That ladies and gentleman is the best music buying experience I’ve had while banging on the blog for ya, perhaps my best ever. If ever in Boston be sure to check out Newbury Comics.
I picked up the Foo Fighters new disc Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace and the sales clerk asked me if I wanted my free pint glass to go with it. I didn’t think he was serious, but I said sure. So he starts wrapping up a nice heavy pint glass with the Foo Fighters logo on one side and the Newbury logo on the other. Then he asks me if I also want the free 7” vinyl of the first single off the album “The Pretender.” Of course I did.
Confused I asked the guy if the pint glass and 7” promo was only a Newbury Comics thing. . .
“Yes,” he said.
“Why, does Dave Grohl love you guys or something?” I asked.
To which he replied simply, “No, he loves you.”
That ladies and gentleman is the best music buying experience I’ve had while banging on the blog for ya, perhaps my best ever. If ever in Boston be sure to check out Newbury Comics.
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