Continuing in my month-long journey down memory lane, here are my 10 favorite albums from 2001 (plus a few extras), a year that marked my formal introduction to punk rock.
“Gold,” Ryan Adams
This album didn’t make Ryan Adams a household name, so I guess nothing he writes ever will. He apparently agrees, because in the years since he’s never tried to recapture the pop/rock mastery showcased with such ease on this record. “Gold” is Adams at his most palatable, his most accessible, and it provides a fascinating complement to the more raw emotion, songcraft, and production of the previous year’s amazing “Heartbreaker.” There’s a pleasant polish to “Gold” that’s unique among all his records to date (though 2007’s “Easy Tiger” came closest to recapturing it). I’m not saying this is necessarily Adams at his best, but it’s definitely one facet of his talent that’s been underutilized since. Ironically (or, perhaps, appropriately, given Adams’ prolific career) my …
Favorite Track: is "Gold" b-side “Rosalie Come and Go”
“From Here to Infirmary,” Alkaline Trio
This perfect album was my official introduction to punk, and rarely has it been bettered over the past several years. With only one track breaking the four-minute mark, every song is strong, intense, and catchy as all get-out. AT3 don’t deviate much from their basic hellfiery formula, but each entry is varied enough to keep you interested throughout its 38 minutes. I loved this album right from the start, and it launched me into the genre full force. I spent the decade investigating punk’s past and present (look down this list alone for proof); I didn’t like everything I found, but the trip started right here.
Favorite Track: The heartfelt “You’re Dead”
“Comfort Eagle,” Cake
There was a time when Cake was one of my very favorite bands. That period is long past, but “Comfort Eagle” serves as a good summary of everything I loved about them. I haven’t listened to this CD in years, and just looking at the song titles I start singing the choruses in my head instantly. It’s quirky, groovy, funny, full of memorable hooks and melodies, and will melt your face in spots, especially my …
Favorite Track: “Comfort Eagle”
“So Impossible,” Dashboard Confessional
2001 was a massive year for Dashboard founder/frontman Chris Carrabba. Not only did he break out with his second D/C album, “The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most,” and deliver his only album with previous band Further Seems Forever (see below), he also found time to release this incredible EP. Here’s what I wrote about it last year as part of my piece on fave EPs (it all still holds): A concept album in four songs, this release vividly describes all the nervous and exciting stages of newfound love—from the silent pining of “For You to Notice,” to the this-might-just-work hope of the title track, to the pre-date jitters of “Remember to Breathe,” to the triumphant glee of “Hands Down.” This is my favorite D/C release.
Favorite Track: “So Impossible”
“Love and Theft,” Bob Dylan
This album has the unfortunate circumstance of being released on the day of our country’s most devastating and violent attack, so it will always have a slight melancholy tinge to it. That being said, “Love and Theft” is a joy from start to finish, as Dylan unleashes his swashbuckling self all over the American songbook yet again. I’m no Dylanphile, but from what I understand this marked a resurgence for the troubadour that has led to quite a productive decade. It was my first foray into his work, and I couldn’t have asked for a better place to start.
Favorite Track: “Honest with Me,” which contains one of my favorite riffs of all time
“The Moon Is Down,” Further Seems Forever
Chris Carrabba said goodbye to the more traditional punk form of the early aughts with this incredible album—his one and only full-length as frontman of FSF—before focusing exclusively on Dashboard Confessional. But what a sendoff! Right from the opening track’s guitar explosion, this album never lets up with its angular riffs and soaring choruses. Ballad “Just Until Sundown” proved a Dashboard preview of sorts and Carrabba would later make shifts back toward his stronger FSF sound, but he hasn't rocked this hard since. Too bad, because it suited him well. “The Moon Is Down” is as fine a record as he’s ever produced.
Favorite Track: “The Moon Is Down” (made extra special for referencing “Ender’s Game”)
“10.9.00, Chicago, Illinois,” Pearl Jam
What better way to commemorate the best concert experience of my life than for the band to release an official bootleg of the entire show? There’s not enough time/room here to go into what made this night so amazing, but needless to say I was ecstatic to be able to relive it on a professionally recorded and produced CD. Once again, Pearl Jam proved innovators, trend-setters, and, most important, extremely fan friendly, as their ambitious 72-concert live series from the 2000 tour launched a thousand imitators.
Favorite Track: “Release”
“The Golden Hum,” Remy Zero
I found this band well after they were gone thanks to their inclusion as the main title theme for TV series “Smallville.” So while I came for glorious …
Favorite Track: “Save Me” …
I stayed because this is a fine album, one of several excellent swan songs from this decade. Though they were ripped for being Radiohead-lite, I can’t stand Thom Yorke, so that suits me just fine. A nice companion piece to the previous year’s “Unified Theory.”
“Stay What You Are,” Saves the Day
If “From Here to Infirmary” is Entry 1A in my modern punk education, then “Stay What You Are” is 1B. From the tremulous opener “At Your Funeral” through to the last gasp of “Firefly,” this is hands-down one of the best pop/punk records of the decade. Though Saves the Day would get tagged with the derogatory “emo” label and go completely off the rails running away from that genre, “Stay What You Are” remains a perfect moment in time.
Favorite Track: “At Your Funeral”
“White Blood Cells,” The White Stripes
The White Stripes may have broken into the mainstream with their hit “Fell in Love with a Girl,” but that shambling near-wreck of a song so turned me off, I almost missed out on what has become in the intervening years one of my all-time favorite bands. No, the strength of this record is, as usual, in Jack White’s guitar, which is on full display in just about every song but the lead single, from leadoff firestarter “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” to “I Can’t Wait” to the inescapably catchy “I Think I Smell a Rat.” “Blood Cells” also showcased the Stripes’ quieter, funnier side on cuts like “Hotel Yorba,” “We’re Going to Be Friends,” and “Same Boy You’ve Always Known.” And then there’s the song that balances these sides perfectly, my …
Favorite Track: “I’m Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman”
HONORABLE MENTIONS
"How I Spent My Summer Vacation," The Bouncing Souls
“The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most,” Dashboard Confessional
“Change,” The Dismemberment Plan
“Sing Loud, Sing Proud,” Dropkick Murphys
"The Argument," Fugazi
“Everynight Fire Works,” Hey Mercedes
“The National,” The National
“Live in New York City,” Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
New U2 for Christmas
Far be it for U2 to let the holiday shopping season go by without offering up some new little thing for people to buy (though rarely is this a new album), but this time around it's actually worthwhile.
Their new Christmas song (a cover) is quite extraordinary in its own simple little way. My favorite U2 blogger summed it up just perfectly (as per usual)—you can see the video and read her take on it here. More info about the song and Bono's new save-the-world idea here.
Their new Christmas song (a cover) is quite extraordinary in its own simple little way. My favorite U2 blogger summed it up just perfectly (as per usual)—you can see the video and read her take on it here. More info about the song and Bono's new save-the-world idea here.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Albums of the Aughts: Recapping an Amazing Decade of Music
About a year from now, you’re going to be inundated with best-of lists for the decade, so I figured why not get out ahead of the pack? Over the next month, I’ll be revisiting my 10 favorite albums (maximum) from each year of the new millennium, starting today with 2000 (and, yes, I know technically the millennium started in 2001, but spare me Jerry Seinfeld). On New Year’s Eve (pending I actually complete this thing), I’ll compile the best of the best for the ultimate near-end-of-the-decade list. But first …
IN THE YEAR 2000 …
“Heartbreaker,” Ryan Adams
Could you ask for a better debut album? Cynics would say he’s never been better than this pure alt-country masterpiece (I am not one of them, however, as you will see). The newly solo singer/songwriter moves effortlessly from barroom brawlers to tender love songs, and it all works together perfectly.
Favorite Track: “Come Pick Me Up”
“Relationship of Command,” At the Drive-In
Speaking of heartbreakers, here’s one for the ages. This genre-defying classic marked both the peak and the end for these Texas firebrands, who split just as they were about to break huge. They all went on to form inferior bands (please don’t start with me about The Mars Volta), but at least they went out with guns blazing.
Favorite Track: “One Armed Scissor”
“American III: Solitary Man,” Johnny Cash
The Man in Black opens this album with the utterly appropriate “I Won’t Back Down,” backed by the song’s author, Tom Petty, and it’s off and running from there. No middle slump here in the new-classic stretch of five American Recordings albums from Cash and producer Rick Rubin. Highlights abound, including tremendous renditions of U2’s “One” and Nick Cave’s “The Mercy Seat,” but my …
Favorite Track: is the overpowering “I See a Darkness”
“The Swiss Army Romance,” Dashboard Confessional
Before he went and got all arena-rocky and infatuated with his own mythos, Chris Carrabba’s band consisted of his earnest voice, an acoustic guitar, and a stool. This album was downright revolutionary at the time, released amidst the malaise of Pearl Jam knockoffs and the awful nu-metal and rap/rock crazes (anybody still remember Limp Bizkit?). Carrabba would be credited—for better or worse—with helping launch the emo genre, and he was equally loved and despised. That, I think, is one mark of a great frontman.
Favorite Track: “Ender Will Save Us All”
“Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea,” PJ Harvey
With this record, Polly Jean wanted to see if she could write and record a more accessible rock album, and she succeeded in spades. A stone-cold classic, it marked the culmination of a decade of incendiary work. There isn’t a bad track on the entire thing, and even after eight years I still constantly change my mind on my …
Favorite Track: Today it’s “The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore,” but tomorrow it’ll probably be something different
“Binaural,” Pearl Jam
This release signaled the beginning of a new era for Pearl Jam, as it was the first album with former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron. Cameron’s aggressive style forever changed the tone of the band, and the debate still rages today if it was positive or negative. It also marked probably the peak of my Pearl Jam obsessive fandom; I saw them five times on this tour, in four different states. The Chicago show on 10.9.00 still stands as my favorite concert experience ever.
For me, this is Pearl Jam’s classic that got away when you consider “Sad” (one of the band’s best-ever songs) and “Fatal” were inexplicably left off the tracklist, while demo “Puzzles and Games” was reworked into the inferior (but still good, mind you) “Light Years.” That being said, “Binaural” still offers multiple treasures, such as “Grievance,” “Sleight of Hand,” “Of the Girl,” “Parting Ways,” and …
Favorite Track: “Insignificance”
“Renegades,” Rage Against the Machine
From the album-opening Tom Morello guitar salvo on “Microphone Fiend” to the closing sledgehammer of “Maggie’s Farm,” this is one, long adrenaline rush. Not just my favorite Rage CD, it’s one of my favorite records of all time, it's made all the more impressive because its made up of tracks from artists that influenced the band’s own landmark music. Thus “Renegades” has an underlying foundation of authenticity and accessibility that doesn’t necessarily occur in the band’s own rhetoric-to-excess work.
Favorite Track: “How I Could Just Kill a Man”
“De Stijl,” The White Stripes
Though I was first introduced to the Stripes in 2001 with their breakthrough “White Blood Cells,” this is the album that turned them into one of my all-time favorite bands. Jack White has gone on to write more intricate and well-crafted songs, but there’s something to be said for the raw, primal power of his fiery six-string on tracks like “Death Letter,” “Let’s Build a Home,” “Little Bird,” and “Hello Operator.” And like his heroes from Led Zeppelin, he also engages in a softer, gentler, folkier side on this record to great effect, including my …
Favorite Track: “I’m Bound to Pack It Up”
“All That You Can’t Leave Behind,” U2
Though it doesn’t hold up as U2’s “third masterpiece” (as Rolling Stone hyperventilated at the time), the first seven tracks of this comeback album of sorts are as solidly brilliant as U2 has ever been. Though it compares most favorably with the pop/rock accessibility of 1987’s iconic “The Joshua Tree,” “ATYCLB” wasn’t so much a return to 1980s form as a consolidation of all the music the band had produced to that point, forming a familiar but still new, modern sound that has carried them through the rest of this decade (though we’ll see what the next one sounds like early next year).
Favorite Tracks: “Beautiful Day,” “Walk On (UK Single Version)”
“Unified Theory,” Unified Theory
One of the best flash-in-the-pan bands I’ve come across, Unified Theory was formed out of the ashes of Blind Melon and stuck around just long enough to put out this incredible debut album that doesn’t offer a subpar track. Despite showing amazing promise, the band disbanded shortly thereafter. Great hooks, swirling guitar flourishes, and soaring vocals from charismatic frontman Chris Shinn, who I can’t believe hasn’t hit it big with some other group in the intervening years. I managed to catch them in a small club in Fort Wayne, Indiana, while they toured off this album, and the show still brings back a warm memory all these years later. What a pity.
Favorite Track: “Passive”
HONORABLE MENTIONS
“Almost Famous,” soundtrack
"B.R.M.C.," Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
"Best of Blur," Blur
"White Pony," Deftones
“Swagger,” Flogging Molly
“Veni Vidi Vicious,” The Hives
“MACHINA/The Machines of God,” The Smashing Pumpkins
"MACHINA II: The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music," The Smashing Pumpkins
"Silver and Gold," Neil Young
IN THE YEAR 2000 …
“Heartbreaker,” Ryan Adams
Could you ask for a better debut album? Cynics would say he’s never been better than this pure alt-country masterpiece (I am not one of them, however, as you will see). The newly solo singer/songwriter moves effortlessly from barroom brawlers to tender love songs, and it all works together perfectly.
Favorite Track: “Come Pick Me Up”
“Relationship of Command,” At the Drive-In
Speaking of heartbreakers, here’s one for the ages. This genre-defying classic marked both the peak and the end for these Texas firebrands, who split just as they were about to break huge. They all went on to form inferior bands (please don’t start with me about The Mars Volta), but at least they went out with guns blazing.
Favorite Track: “One Armed Scissor”
“American III: Solitary Man,” Johnny Cash
The Man in Black opens this album with the utterly appropriate “I Won’t Back Down,” backed by the song’s author, Tom Petty, and it’s off and running from there. No middle slump here in the new-classic stretch of five American Recordings albums from Cash and producer Rick Rubin. Highlights abound, including tremendous renditions of U2’s “One” and Nick Cave’s “The Mercy Seat,” but my …
Favorite Track: is the overpowering “I See a Darkness”
“The Swiss Army Romance,” Dashboard Confessional
Before he went and got all arena-rocky and infatuated with his own mythos, Chris Carrabba’s band consisted of his earnest voice, an acoustic guitar, and a stool. This album was downright revolutionary at the time, released amidst the malaise of Pearl Jam knockoffs and the awful nu-metal and rap/rock crazes (anybody still remember Limp Bizkit?). Carrabba would be credited—for better or worse—with helping launch the emo genre, and he was equally loved and despised. That, I think, is one mark of a great frontman.
Favorite Track: “Ender Will Save Us All”
“Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea,” PJ Harvey
With this record, Polly Jean wanted to see if she could write and record a more accessible rock album, and she succeeded in spades. A stone-cold classic, it marked the culmination of a decade of incendiary work. There isn’t a bad track on the entire thing, and even after eight years I still constantly change my mind on my …
Favorite Track: Today it’s “The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore,” but tomorrow it’ll probably be something different
“Binaural,” Pearl Jam
This release signaled the beginning of a new era for Pearl Jam, as it was the first album with former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron. Cameron’s aggressive style forever changed the tone of the band, and the debate still rages today if it was positive or negative. It also marked probably the peak of my Pearl Jam obsessive fandom; I saw them five times on this tour, in four different states. The Chicago show on 10.9.00 still stands as my favorite concert experience ever.
For me, this is Pearl Jam’s classic that got away when you consider “Sad” (one of the band’s best-ever songs) and “Fatal” were inexplicably left off the tracklist, while demo “Puzzles and Games” was reworked into the inferior (but still good, mind you) “Light Years.” That being said, “Binaural” still offers multiple treasures, such as “Grievance,” “Sleight of Hand,” “Of the Girl,” “Parting Ways,” and …
Favorite Track: “Insignificance”
“Renegades,” Rage Against the Machine
From the album-opening Tom Morello guitar salvo on “Microphone Fiend” to the closing sledgehammer of “Maggie’s Farm,” this is one, long adrenaline rush. Not just my favorite Rage CD, it’s one of my favorite records of all time, it's made all the more impressive because its made up of tracks from artists that influenced the band’s own landmark music. Thus “Renegades” has an underlying foundation of authenticity and accessibility that doesn’t necessarily occur in the band’s own rhetoric-to-excess work.
Favorite Track: “How I Could Just Kill a Man”
“De Stijl,” The White Stripes
Though I was first introduced to the Stripes in 2001 with their breakthrough “White Blood Cells,” this is the album that turned them into one of my all-time favorite bands. Jack White has gone on to write more intricate and well-crafted songs, but there’s something to be said for the raw, primal power of his fiery six-string on tracks like “Death Letter,” “Let’s Build a Home,” “Little Bird,” and “Hello Operator.” And like his heroes from Led Zeppelin, he also engages in a softer, gentler, folkier side on this record to great effect, including my …
Favorite Track: “I’m Bound to Pack It Up”
“All That You Can’t Leave Behind,” U2
Though it doesn’t hold up as U2’s “third masterpiece” (as Rolling Stone hyperventilated at the time), the first seven tracks of this comeback album of sorts are as solidly brilliant as U2 has ever been. Though it compares most favorably with the pop/rock accessibility of 1987’s iconic “The Joshua Tree,” “ATYCLB” wasn’t so much a return to 1980s form as a consolidation of all the music the band had produced to that point, forming a familiar but still new, modern sound that has carried them through the rest of this decade (though we’ll see what the next one sounds like early next year).
Favorite Tracks: “Beautiful Day,” “Walk On (UK Single Version)”
“Unified Theory,” Unified Theory
One of the best flash-in-the-pan bands I’ve come across, Unified Theory was formed out of the ashes of Blind Melon and stuck around just long enough to put out this incredible debut album that doesn’t offer a subpar track. Despite showing amazing promise, the band disbanded shortly thereafter. Great hooks, swirling guitar flourishes, and soaring vocals from charismatic frontman Chris Shinn, who I can’t believe hasn’t hit it big with some other group in the intervening years. I managed to catch them in a small club in Fort Wayne, Indiana, while they toured off this album, and the show still brings back a warm memory all these years later. What a pity.
Favorite Track: “Passive”
HONORABLE MENTIONS
“Almost Famous,” soundtrack
"B.R.M.C.," Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
"Best of Blur," Blur
"White Pony," Deftones
“Swagger,” Flogging Molly
“Veni Vidi Vicious,” The Hives
“MACHINA/The Machines of God,” The Smashing Pumpkins
"MACHINA II: The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music," The Smashing Pumpkins
"Silver and Gold," Neil Young
Friday, November 28, 2008
The Songs, the Words, and the Reasons: The Music of 2008
As has become tradition, I offer surefire Black Friday stocking stuffer advice. What follows wasn’t necessarily released in 2008, but these are the artists, albums, and songs that moved me in some way this past year.
BAND OF THE YEAR
The Gaslight Anthem
Yeah, no surprise here. I’ve already written rather extensively about them this year, so I guess there’s nothing much more to say than in 2008 this New Jersey quartet grabbed a hold of my heart and soul, cementing itself as one of my all-time favorite bands. They’ve engendered in me a fervor that I’ve felt for only a few other musicians in my life. May it never end.
Runners Up:
Kings of Leon
The National
The Raconteurs
Eddie Vedder
The Whigs
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
“The ’59 Sound”/“Senor and the Queen,” The Gaslight Anthem
I spent all last week in Orlando for work, and was so busy I didn’t get to listen to music for eight straight days. When my plane took off Sunday morning, I slammed on my headphones and woke the iPod out of its hibernation. Out of all the albums on my little friend, there was only one I wanted to hear: “The ’59 Sound.” This a record that is as rewarding after 25 listens as it is on the first—more so, even. It’s one of the best I’ve ever heard.
And speaking of, a year ago I wrote a piece about my favorite EPs. Well, now “Senor and the Queen” goes straight to the top of the list. It is perfect: Four five-star songs, released just because they were there and the band wanted to put them out. Amazing.
Runners Up:
“Boxer,” The National
“Consolers of the Lonely,” The Raconteurs
“Konk,” Kooks
“Mission Control,” The Whigs
“The Odd Couple,” Gnarls Barkley
SONG OF THE YEAR
“The ’59 Sound,” The Gaslight Anthem
Completing the 2008 TGA trifecta, this song still stops me in my tracks even after hearing it I-don’t-know how many times. It raises the hair on my neck when Fallon yells “GRANDMAMA’S RADIO!!!” and that’s just one little moment among 3 minutes, 10 seconds of perfection. It mourns the dead, reaffirms life, commiserates with the downtrodden, lifts the spirit, and worships the Almighty all at the same time. Not bad for a little rock and roll song.
HERE'S 30 MORE …
“3 Dimes Down,” Drive-By Truckers (from 2008’s “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark”)
One of my disappointments of this year is I didn’t make time to get to know this expansive album better (same could be said for TV on the Radio’s new record). I’ll have to rectify that in 2009, but for the meantime I can wholeheartedly recommend this Uncle Tupelo-style thrashing alt-country jam.
“A Little Better,” Gnarls Barkley (from 2008’s “The Odd Couple”)
Though it didn’t generate the type of buzz and breakout hits like its predecessor, this disc was solid from start to finish and deserved more hype and praise this year than it received. This soulful ballad closes the record, and I don’t know if Cee-Lo’s voice has ever sounded better. One of the group’s best songs.
“Angel of Harlem”/“When Love Comes to Town,” U2 (from 1989’s “Rattle and Hum”)
I never imagined I’d ever get to stand where these two songs were recorded. One of the coolest afternoons of my life. I love my job.
“Another Way to Die,” Jack White and Alicia Keys (from 2008’s “Quantum of Solace” soundtrack)
Jack White had a very good year. Again.
“Arc,” Eddie Vedder (from 2002’s “Riot Act,” as performed live 8.16.08//8.17.08)
Performances of this song were mesmerizing.
“Boots of Chinese Plastic,” The Pretenders (from 2008’s “Break Up the Concrete”)
Chrissie Hynde goes rockabilly. Wonderfulness ensues.
“Both Crosses,” The Hold Steady (from 2008’s “Stay Positive”)
While the group’s known best for their rambunctious rockers, this quiet, moody acoustic affair made the biggest impact on me from their excellent new album, evoking Zeppelin circa “Tangerine” or “The Battle of Evermore.”
“Carcinogen Crush,” AFI (2007)
This one-off was nice, but it really just whet my appetite for more. Here’s hoping in 2009 …
“Fans,” Kings of Leon (from 2007’s “Because of the Times”)
Could’ve picked any of a number of great tracks from these Tennessee hooligans, but the riff/rhythm combo of this one made an indelible impression.
“I Am Mine,” Pearl Jam (from 2002’s “Riot Act”)
I covered the impact this song made on me in my reviews of PJ/Eddie Vedder shows this summer (here, here, and here). I guess there’s no more praise I could give this song than to say it, along with “Arc,” makes “Riot Act” seem not so bad anymore. It’s also cracked my list of all-time favorite Pearl Jam songs.
“I Walk Alone,” Saliva (from 2006’s “WWE: Reckless Intent”)
What on EARTH is a Saliva song doing on here? Well, it’s not the song, really (I don’t even own a copy), but the man associated with it. I took my dad to see WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” this summer and, while the show itself wasn’t that great, being in the building was a ton of fun. Of particular impact was Batista, who uses this song as his entrance music. I had never paid that much attention to the D.C. native, but in his return to “Raw” this summer he’s worked over his character a bit from a brooder to include more condescension and sarcasm, and it fits him quite well. Plus, the guy’s a beast in the ring.
“If You Want Me,” Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (from 2007’s “Once” soundtrack)
“Falling Slowly” may have won the Oscar and everything, but this haunting ballad is both my favorite song and scene from that tremendous movie.
“In the Air Tonight,” Phil Collins (from 1981’s “Face Value”)
Sometimes a song just strikes you exactly right at the exact right time. Such was the case when myself and my four best friends at IAAPA heard this track on the way home from dinner at the beginning of what we knew would be a long, difficult week. A moment of preemptive group catharsis—and rockin' air drumming.
“Love It All,” Kooks (from 2008’s “Konk”)
The lighter, poppier cousins to the Arctic Monkeys delivered another standout record this year, somehow managing to better their excellent and infectious 2006 debut. The hooks are stronger, the songs even better crafted. Could’ve picked any number of tracks to highlight, but this slow burner stood above the rest.
“Man in Black,” The Bouncing Souls (from 2008’s “All Aboard: A Tribute to Johnny Cash”)
My favorite type of cover: A band stays true to the original without simply copying, making the song their own. (This is a rather good cover collection; The Gaslight Anthem’s more straightforward take on “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” is a standout, as is Ben Nichols’ incredible gravelly take on “Delia’s Gone.”)
“Memphis,” PJ Harvey (from 2000’s “Good Fortune” single)
Just came across this excellent b-side this year (if anyone knows where I can find her entire b-side collection online, please let me know!). The fact that this great song is relegated to toss-off status is just further proof that she peaked with “Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea.”
“Paper Planes,” M.I.A. (from 2007’s “Kala”)
Every year it seems there’s a movie trailer that makes perfect use of a particular song. Last year it was “American Gangster” and Jay-Z; this year it was “Pineapple Express” and M.I.A. I had to have this song from the moment it hit the speakers during that hilarious trailer. Ironically, I didn’t even end up seeing the movie, but this album is great.
“Right Hand on My Heart,” The Whigs (from 2008’s “Mission Control”)
This is the album review I’ve been writing in my head all year. I don’t know how it hasn’t actually come to pass, but such is life. There are a half dozen songs on “Mission Control” that could justifiably be on this list, but if I had to play someone just one song to convince them why The Whigs are so good, “Right Hand” would be that song.
“41”/“Say Goodbye,” Dave Matthews Band (from 1996’s “Crash”)
A virtuoso performance by saxophonist Leroi Moore, who died way too young this year.
“Shady Grove,” Mudcrutch (from 2008’s “Mudcrutch”)
From Tom Petty’s long-gestating side project, this song gets the nod because, after moving to a new house, I get on the Metro at Shady Grove every day now.
“Slow Show,” The National (from 2007’s “Boxer”)
Wow, I could put at least a dozen National songs on this list after finally giving in this year and realizing how incredible this band is. “Boxer” is now on my all-time favorite albums list, but that’s not to overlook how amazing their other records are. “Slow Show” was the song I came away humming to myself after seeing the band in May, so it gets top billing here. But it’s real tough to not mention songs like “Fake Empire,” “Start a War,” “Mistaken for Strangers,” “Daughters of the Soho Riots,” “Secret Meeting,” "Lucky You," "About Today" … the list could (and does) go on and on. I don't think they've written a song yet I don't like.
“Sometime Around Midnight,” Airborne Toxic Event (from 2008’s “Airborne Toxic Event”)
It had me at the violin solo.
“Strange Times,” The Black Keys (from 2008’s “Attack and Release”)
Though the album didn’t quite live up to my expectations, this lead single is one of the Keys’ best tracks.
“The Battle of Evermore,” Led Zeppelin (from 1971’s “Led Zeppelin IV,” as performed live by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, 6.13.08)
Stunning. Just heart-stoppingly beautiful. Let the old Zep geezers find a new lead singer for their last-chance cash drive; Plant’s making absolutely the right decision.
“The Golden Floor,” Snow Patrol (from 2008’s “A Hundred Million Suns”)
Though Snow Patrol’s new album is chock full of the big anthems they do so well, this quiet, mellow track is a standout from the band’s solid fifth album. I love the stripped-down vibe and handclap rhythm. A nice cousin to The Hold Steady’s “Four Crosses.”
“There Is a Thunder (Out in the Distance),” This Charming Man (from 2008’s “Every Little Secret …” EP [re-release])
And to think, this is the band Brian Fallon threw away to form The Gaslight Anthem …
“These Stones Will Shout,” The Raconteurs (from 2008’s “Consolers of the Lonely")
The Raconteurs’ evocation of Zeppelin’s “Over the Hills and Far Away” always gets my blood pumping. Here’s another album that could’ve had multiple entries on this list (“Carolina Drama,” “Top Yourself,” “Consoler of the Lonely”—this album was deep).
BAND OF THE YEAR
The Gaslight Anthem
Yeah, no surprise here. I’ve already written rather extensively about them this year, so I guess there’s nothing much more to say than in 2008 this New Jersey quartet grabbed a hold of my heart and soul, cementing itself as one of my all-time favorite bands. They’ve engendered in me a fervor that I’ve felt for only a few other musicians in my life. May it never end.
Runners Up:
Kings of Leon
The National
The Raconteurs
Eddie Vedder
The Whigs
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
“The ’59 Sound”/“Senor and the Queen,” The Gaslight Anthem
I spent all last week in Orlando for work, and was so busy I didn’t get to listen to music for eight straight days. When my plane took off Sunday morning, I slammed on my headphones and woke the iPod out of its hibernation. Out of all the albums on my little friend, there was only one I wanted to hear: “The ’59 Sound.” This a record that is as rewarding after 25 listens as it is on the first—more so, even. It’s one of the best I’ve ever heard.
And speaking of, a year ago I wrote a piece about my favorite EPs. Well, now “Senor and the Queen” goes straight to the top of the list. It is perfect: Four five-star songs, released just because they were there and the band wanted to put them out. Amazing.
Runners Up:
“Boxer,” The National
“Consolers of the Lonely,” The Raconteurs
“Konk,” Kooks
“Mission Control,” The Whigs
“The Odd Couple,” Gnarls Barkley
SONG OF THE YEAR
“The ’59 Sound,” The Gaslight Anthem
Completing the 2008 TGA trifecta, this song still stops me in my tracks even after hearing it I-don’t-know how many times. It raises the hair on my neck when Fallon yells “GRANDMAMA’S RADIO!!!” and that’s just one little moment among 3 minutes, 10 seconds of perfection. It mourns the dead, reaffirms life, commiserates with the downtrodden, lifts the spirit, and worships the Almighty all at the same time. Not bad for a little rock and roll song.
HERE'S 30 MORE …
“3 Dimes Down,” Drive-By Truckers (from 2008’s “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark”)
One of my disappointments of this year is I didn’t make time to get to know this expansive album better (same could be said for TV on the Radio’s new record). I’ll have to rectify that in 2009, but for the meantime I can wholeheartedly recommend this Uncle Tupelo-style thrashing alt-country jam.
“A Little Better,” Gnarls Barkley (from 2008’s “The Odd Couple”)
Though it didn’t generate the type of buzz and breakout hits like its predecessor, this disc was solid from start to finish and deserved more hype and praise this year than it received. This soulful ballad closes the record, and I don’t know if Cee-Lo’s voice has ever sounded better. One of the group’s best songs.
“Angel of Harlem”/“When Love Comes to Town,” U2 (from 1989’s “Rattle and Hum”)
I never imagined I’d ever get to stand where these two songs were recorded. One of the coolest afternoons of my life. I love my job.
“Another Way to Die,” Jack White and Alicia Keys (from 2008’s “Quantum of Solace” soundtrack)
Jack White had a very good year. Again.
“Arc,” Eddie Vedder (from 2002’s “Riot Act,” as performed live 8.16.08//8.17.08)
Performances of this song were mesmerizing.
“Boots of Chinese Plastic,” The Pretenders (from 2008’s “Break Up the Concrete”)
Chrissie Hynde goes rockabilly. Wonderfulness ensues.
“Both Crosses,” The Hold Steady (from 2008’s “Stay Positive”)
While the group’s known best for their rambunctious rockers, this quiet, moody acoustic affair made the biggest impact on me from their excellent new album, evoking Zeppelin circa “Tangerine” or “The Battle of Evermore.”
“Carcinogen Crush,” AFI (2007)
This one-off was nice, but it really just whet my appetite for more. Here’s hoping in 2009 …
“Fans,” Kings of Leon (from 2007’s “Because of the Times”)
Could’ve picked any of a number of great tracks from these Tennessee hooligans, but the riff/rhythm combo of this one made an indelible impression.
“I Am Mine,” Pearl Jam (from 2002’s “Riot Act”)
I covered the impact this song made on me in my reviews of PJ/Eddie Vedder shows this summer (here, here, and here). I guess there’s no more praise I could give this song than to say it, along with “Arc,” makes “Riot Act” seem not so bad anymore. It’s also cracked my list of all-time favorite Pearl Jam songs.
“I Walk Alone,” Saliva (from 2006’s “WWE: Reckless Intent”)
What on EARTH is a Saliva song doing on here? Well, it’s not the song, really (I don’t even own a copy), but the man associated with it. I took my dad to see WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” this summer and, while the show itself wasn’t that great, being in the building was a ton of fun. Of particular impact was Batista, who uses this song as his entrance music. I had never paid that much attention to the D.C. native, but in his return to “Raw” this summer he’s worked over his character a bit from a brooder to include more condescension and sarcasm, and it fits him quite well. Plus, the guy’s a beast in the ring.
“If You Want Me,” Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (from 2007’s “Once” soundtrack)
“Falling Slowly” may have won the Oscar and everything, but this haunting ballad is both my favorite song and scene from that tremendous movie.
“In the Air Tonight,” Phil Collins (from 1981’s “Face Value”)
Sometimes a song just strikes you exactly right at the exact right time. Such was the case when myself and my four best friends at IAAPA heard this track on the way home from dinner at the beginning of what we knew would be a long, difficult week. A moment of preemptive group catharsis—and rockin' air drumming.
“Love It All,” Kooks (from 2008’s “Konk”)
The lighter, poppier cousins to the Arctic Monkeys delivered another standout record this year, somehow managing to better their excellent and infectious 2006 debut. The hooks are stronger, the songs even better crafted. Could’ve picked any number of tracks to highlight, but this slow burner stood above the rest.
“Man in Black,” The Bouncing Souls (from 2008’s “All Aboard: A Tribute to Johnny Cash”)
My favorite type of cover: A band stays true to the original without simply copying, making the song their own. (This is a rather good cover collection; The Gaslight Anthem’s more straightforward take on “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” is a standout, as is Ben Nichols’ incredible gravelly take on “Delia’s Gone.”)
“Memphis,” PJ Harvey (from 2000’s “Good Fortune” single)
Just came across this excellent b-side this year (if anyone knows where I can find her entire b-side collection online, please let me know!). The fact that this great song is relegated to toss-off status is just further proof that she peaked with “Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea.”
“Paper Planes,” M.I.A. (from 2007’s “Kala”)
Every year it seems there’s a movie trailer that makes perfect use of a particular song. Last year it was “American Gangster” and Jay-Z; this year it was “Pineapple Express” and M.I.A. I had to have this song from the moment it hit the speakers during that hilarious trailer. Ironically, I didn’t even end up seeing the movie, but this album is great.
“Right Hand on My Heart,” The Whigs (from 2008’s “Mission Control”)
This is the album review I’ve been writing in my head all year. I don’t know how it hasn’t actually come to pass, but such is life. There are a half dozen songs on “Mission Control” that could justifiably be on this list, but if I had to play someone just one song to convince them why The Whigs are so good, “Right Hand” would be that song.
“41”/“Say Goodbye,” Dave Matthews Band (from 1996’s “Crash”)
A virtuoso performance by saxophonist Leroi Moore, who died way too young this year.
“Shady Grove,” Mudcrutch (from 2008’s “Mudcrutch”)
From Tom Petty’s long-gestating side project, this song gets the nod because, after moving to a new house, I get on the Metro at Shady Grove every day now.
“Slow Show,” The National (from 2007’s “Boxer”)
Wow, I could put at least a dozen National songs on this list after finally giving in this year and realizing how incredible this band is. “Boxer” is now on my all-time favorite albums list, but that’s not to overlook how amazing their other records are. “Slow Show” was the song I came away humming to myself after seeing the band in May, so it gets top billing here. But it’s real tough to not mention songs like “Fake Empire,” “Start a War,” “Mistaken for Strangers,” “Daughters of the Soho Riots,” “Secret Meeting,” "Lucky You," "About Today" … the list could (and does) go on and on. I don't think they've written a song yet I don't like.
“Sometime Around Midnight,” Airborne Toxic Event (from 2008’s “Airborne Toxic Event”)
It had me at the violin solo.
“Strange Times,” The Black Keys (from 2008’s “Attack and Release”)
Though the album didn’t quite live up to my expectations, this lead single is one of the Keys’ best tracks.
“The Battle of Evermore,” Led Zeppelin (from 1971’s “Led Zeppelin IV,” as performed live by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, 6.13.08)
Stunning. Just heart-stoppingly beautiful. Let the old Zep geezers find a new lead singer for their last-chance cash drive; Plant’s making absolutely the right decision.
“The Golden Floor,” Snow Patrol (from 2008’s “A Hundred Million Suns”)
Though Snow Patrol’s new album is chock full of the big anthems they do so well, this quiet, mellow track is a standout from the band’s solid fifth album. I love the stripped-down vibe and handclap rhythm. A nice cousin to The Hold Steady’s “Four Crosses.”
“There Is a Thunder (Out in the Distance),” This Charming Man (from 2008’s “Every Little Secret …” EP [re-release])
And to think, this is the band Brian Fallon threw away to form The Gaslight Anthem …
“These Stones Will Shout,” The Raconteurs (from 2008’s “Consolers of the Lonely")
The Raconteurs’ evocation of Zeppelin’s “Over the Hills and Far Away” always gets my blood pumping. Here’s another album that could’ve had multiple entries on this list (“Carolina Drama,” “Top Yourself,” “Consoler of the Lonely”—this album was deep).
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
'Dance All Night': Kings of Leon in D.C., 11.10.08
If it's possible to use the term "groovy" without dredging up the doofus hippie connotations, then that's exactly how I'd describe Monday night's Kings of Leon concert at Constitution Hall in D.C. These boys from Tennessee certainly know how to lock into a groove and keep the intensity up for a show.
It was nearly five months since I'd last seen the quartet, when they opened for Pearl Jam in Virginia Beach. I'd never heard a KOL song prior to that night, but they won me over and I've been digging into their catalog ever since.
They played basically every song I could have hoped for Monday night over the course of an excellent 1 hour 40 minute set. Though I wasn't taking notes, as best I can figure post-show they took seven songs each from their three most recent albums, opening with back-to-back whammies "Closer" and "Crawl" from this year's release, "Only By the Night." Other standouts included "Fans" (my personal fave KOL track), the sprawling "Knocked Up," and show-closer "Black Thumbnail." I also particularly liked a strong five-song stretch amidst the main set that started with the chust-thumping "Four Kicks" then moved on into "The Bucket," "McFearless," "Use Somebody," and "On Call." It was impressed upon me how much I like the way their songs always keep moving, adding layers upon layers without losing the core riff where they started; if nothing else, the Kings of Leon are rarely boring.
One of the most surprising aspects of the night when compared to my first KOL experience was how powerful the band's stage presence is when they unleash their full headlining power, which has so enraptured the UK but failed to catch on Stateside. They gave off a much more confident vibe topping the bill, and their rather expansive light show was just right—always complementary of the music, never overwhelming it. Playing to a raucous capacity crowd, the only slightly off moment came near the end of the main set with the ballad "Cold Desert"; as the final track on the new album it works OK, but at five minutes plus, it dragged in concert. The Kings redeemed themselves right away, though, closing the set with "Slow Night, So Long," a surefire favorite. Overall, they moved effortlessly from one crowd-pleaser to another, keeping the energy level at a high level all night. It wasn't the best show I've ever seen or anything, but it sure was fun.
One of the reasons I went in the first place was for the strong three-band bill. Unfortunately, due to personal scheduling issues I missed all but a couple songs of The Whigs' half-hour opening set (no D.C. show should EVER start at 7 p.m.—it's next to impossible to get to the venue on time!). What I heard was great, which made it all the more disappointing that I missed everything from the band that produced one of my favorite albums of the year. Hopefully they'll come back soon and hit a place like the Black Cat.
In the middle was We Are Scientists, who have to be one of the best geek-rock bands since Weezer. Their breezy 40-minute show was also great fun, and they did well to hold the crowd's attention in a room that's probably too big for them. Their new record from this year is another that's well worth your time.
It was nearly five months since I'd last seen the quartet, when they opened for Pearl Jam in Virginia Beach. I'd never heard a KOL song prior to that night, but they won me over and I've been digging into their catalog ever since.
They played basically every song I could have hoped for Monday night over the course of an excellent 1 hour 40 minute set. Though I wasn't taking notes, as best I can figure post-show they took seven songs each from their three most recent albums, opening with back-to-back whammies "Closer" and "Crawl" from this year's release, "Only By the Night." Other standouts included "Fans" (my personal fave KOL track), the sprawling "Knocked Up," and show-closer "Black Thumbnail." I also particularly liked a strong five-song stretch amidst the main set that started with the chust-thumping "Four Kicks" then moved on into "The Bucket," "McFearless," "Use Somebody," and "On Call." It was impressed upon me how much I like the way their songs always keep moving, adding layers upon layers without losing the core riff where they started; if nothing else, the Kings of Leon are rarely boring.
One of the most surprising aspects of the night when compared to my first KOL experience was how powerful the band's stage presence is when they unleash their full headlining power, which has so enraptured the UK but failed to catch on Stateside. They gave off a much more confident vibe topping the bill, and their rather expansive light show was just right—always complementary of the music, never overwhelming it. Playing to a raucous capacity crowd, the only slightly off moment came near the end of the main set with the ballad "Cold Desert"; as the final track on the new album it works OK, but at five minutes plus, it dragged in concert. The Kings redeemed themselves right away, though, closing the set with "Slow Night, So Long," a surefire favorite. Overall, they moved effortlessly from one crowd-pleaser to another, keeping the energy level at a high level all night. It wasn't the best show I've ever seen or anything, but it sure was fun.
One of the reasons I went in the first place was for the strong three-band bill. Unfortunately, due to personal scheduling issues I missed all but a couple songs of The Whigs' half-hour opening set (no D.C. show should EVER start at 7 p.m.—it's next to impossible to get to the venue on time!). What I heard was great, which made it all the more disappointing that I missed everything from the band that produced one of my favorite albums of the year. Hopefully they'll come back soon and hit a place like the Black Cat.
In the middle was We Are Scientists, who have to be one of the best geek-rock bands since Weezer. Their breezy 40-minute show was also great fun, and they did well to hold the crowd's attention in a room that's probably too big for them. Their new record from this year is another that's well worth your time.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
‘The ’59 Sound’: Fulfilling Great Expectations
One way to define a truly great album is its ability to evolve for the listener over time. There will be those tracks that jump out immediately on first playback, but upon repeated listens other songs will move into the limelight with nearly equal force and passion. The best of the best never stop providing these momentum swings, continuing to challenge the audience in perpetuity until picking a “favorite” track is nearly impossible.
Such is becoming the case with The Gaslight Anthem’s “The ’59 Sound.”
I’ve been living with this outstanding, seminal record for more than two months now, and its 12 tracks continue to reveal new treasures seemingly every new turn through. There certainly isn’t a weak song on the entire thing, so I felt it warranted a track-by-track breakdown. Here I’ll rate each entry on a five-star scale, iTunes style:
“Great Expectations”
This clarion call to arms sets the mood and tone immediately with its scratched-record intro. From there it’s … blastoff—a perfect way to begin this record.
5 STARS
“The ’59 Sound”
This is now one of my favorite songs of all time. The first verse and chorus are especially poignant and spectacular, with frontman Brian Fallon contemplating life after death through the prism of music. It’s mournful and uplifting at the same time; yes, one of his friends has died unexpectedly, but despite the pain Fallon longs and hopes for the heaven promised by the Everlasting, where we will cast off “the chains I’ve been hearing now for most of my life.” That’s a lot to engage in three minutes, all the while delivering one powerhouse of a track. The band’s best song, and that’s saying something.
5 STARS
“Old White Lincoln”
A bouncy, throwaway rocker (though with somewhat melancholy lyrics) in the tradition of Springsteen’s 1980 album “The River.”
4 STARS
“High Lonesome”
It’s count-the-references time, with lines honoring the Counting Crows and Springsteen. Another uptempo stomper that maintains the album’s breakneck, breathtaking pace. My favorite part comes about two and a half minutes in, where the quote from “I’m on Fire” leads to a pounding drum break into the final chorus.
4.5 STARS
“Film Noir”
Here’s the albums first (of several) major departures, dipping into a bluesy riff to open before building to a blowout climax at the end of each verse. It’s unlike any other track in the band’s catalog.
5 STARS
“Miles Davis and the Cool”
Drummer Benny Horowitz is definitely the unheralded MVP of this album, and this is the track where he really shines. This song is all about his drum cadence, driving on into yet another thrilling peak in the final chorus. Played live, this song—in which Fallon mixes Springsteenian themes from “Born to Run,” “Thunder Road,” and “Rosalita”—explodes off the stage.
4.5 STARS
“The Patient Ferris Wheel”
If I had to pick my least favorite track on “The ’59 Sound,” this is it—guest vocals from The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ Dicky Barrett notwithstanding. The “maybe I should call me an ambulance” refrain is repeated a few too many times, and the guitar part is rather indistinguishable from the album’s other high-energy tracks. Still, that’s being extremely hypersensitive. Performed in concert, this is another winner, especially when the crowd picks up Barrett’s part.
3.5 STARS
“Casanova, Baby!”
An absolute joy of a swinging song, this contains one of my favorite lines of the entire album: “We could run all night/And dance upon the architecture.”
5 STARS
“Even Cowgirls Get the Blues”
As the title states, this is The Gaslight Anthem’s most straightforward blues song of their short career. It offers a singular main riff that does Led Zeppelin proud. Or maybe it's the best ’80s power ballad you’ve ever heard—only, you know, cool.
5 STARS
“Meet Me By the River’s Edge”
Of all The Gaslight Anthem’s songs to this point, this is the one I could most envision the E Street Band playing, and not because it name-checks three Springsteen tracks. It’s an epic in the best possible way, and contains another of my favorite lines: “You were Audrey Hepburn in pearls.” It’s pure catharsis.
5 STARS
“Here’s Looking At You, Kid”
Playful, yet still pointed. This is basically a Fallon solo acoustic effort, with just the right amount of complementary instrumentation floating in the background. I love the subject matter, as Fallon manages to stay humble even as he works out some lovelife issues and exacts a bit of retribution on all those girls who ignored him before he became the frontman of a successful band. It’s quietly devastating in the mode of “I’m on Fire,” yet somehow playful, too.
4 STARS
“The Backseat”
To cap off the monumental achievement that is “The ’59 Sound,” the band returns to its punk roots with this finale, which evokes The Bouncing Souls’ “For All the Unheard.” Fallon saves one of his best vocal performances for last, staying almost entirely in his upper register. In the final minute, it takes all the emotion built up throughout the record and pours it all out, sending the listener away drained, but with a smile and buoyed heart.
5 STARS
I know there’s hardly any criticism to be found in my second review of this album, but there’s just none to be had from me. I’ve been listening to "The '59 Sound" almost constantly for the better part of three months now, and I just can’t find anything really wrong with it; on the contrary, it has continued to get better and better and better. It gets my heart pumping just as hard now as it did the first time I heard it—maybe even more, actually, as I've come to know and love each entry. Its ebbs and flows are perfectly paced, and the band stretched its sound just enough and in just the right ways. Fallon has said the goal was to reinterpret soul music through punk rock, and they succeeded. I can't explain how, exactly, but there's such honesty and heart and passion and authenticity written all over and through this record. I don't know how anyone couldn't enjoy it.
Seeing the band live last month sealed the deal: “The ’59 Sound” is an A-plus record. It’s one of the best I’ve ever heard.
(Oh, and just as a, you know, afterthought: The Gaslight Anthem released a four-song EP earlier this year, "Senor and the Queen," and, yep, those are ALL 5-star songs, too. The fact that those were just warm-ups to this album is downright mindblowing.)
Such is becoming the case with The Gaslight Anthem’s “The ’59 Sound.”
I’ve been living with this outstanding, seminal record for more than two months now, and its 12 tracks continue to reveal new treasures seemingly every new turn through. There certainly isn’t a weak song on the entire thing, so I felt it warranted a track-by-track breakdown. Here I’ll rate each entry on a five-star scale, iTunes style:
“Great Expectations”
This clarion call to arms sets the mood and tone immediately with its scratched-record intro. From there it’s … blastoff—a perfect way to begin this record.
5 STARS
“The ’59 Sound”
This is now one of my favorite songs of all time. The first verse and chorus are especially poignant and spectacular, with frontman Brian Fallon contemplating life after death through the prism of music. It’s mournful and uplifting at the same time; yes, one of his friends has died unexpectedly, but despite the pain Fallon longs and hopes for the heaven promised by the Everlasting, where we will cast off “the chains I’ve been hearing now for most of my life.” That’s a lot to engage in three minutes, all the while delivering one powerhouse of a track. The band’s best song, and that’s saying something.
5 STARS
“Old White Lincoln”
A bouncy, throwaway rocker (though with somewhat melancholy lyrics) in the tradition of Springsteen’s 1980 album “The River.”
4 STARS
“High Lonesome”
It’s count-the-references time, with lines honoring the Counting Crows and Springsteen. Another uptempo stomper that maintains the album’s breakneck, breathtaking pace. My favorite part comes about two and a half minutes in, where the quote from “I’m on Fire” leads to a pounding drum break into the final chorus.
4.5 STARS
“Film Noir”
Here’s the albums first (of several) major departures, dipping into a bluesy riff to open before building to a blowout climax at the end of each verse. It’s unlike any other track in the band’s catalog.
5 STARS
“Miles Davis and the Cool”
Drummer Benny Horowitz is definitely the unheralded MVP of this album, and this is the track where he really shines. This song is all about his drum cadence, driving on into yet another thrilling peak in the final chorus. Played live, this song—in which Fallon mixes Springsteenian themes from “Born to Run,” “Thunder Road,” and “Rosalita”—explodes off the stage.
4.5 STARS
“The Patient Ferris Wheel”
If I had to pick my least favorite track on “The ’59 Sound,” this is it—guest vocals from The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ Dicky Barrett notwithstanding. The “maybe I should call me an ambulance” refrain is repeated a few too many times, and the guitar part is rather indistinguishable from the album’s other high-energy tracks. Still, that’s being extremely hypersensitive. Performed in concert, this is another winner, especially when the crowd picks up Barrett’s part.
3.5 STARS
“Casanova, Baby!”
An absolute joy of a swinging song, this contains one of my favorite lines of the entire album: “We could run all night/And dance upon the architecture.”
5 STARS
“Even Cowgirls Get the Blues”
As the title states, this is The Gaslight Anthem’s most straightforward blues song of their short career. It offers a singular main riff that does Led Zeppelin proud. Or maybe it's the best ’80s power ballad you’ve ever heard—only, you know, cool.
5 STARS
“Meet Me By the River’s Edge”
Of all The Gaslight Anthem’s songs to this point, this is the one I could most envision the E Street Band playing, and not because it name-checks three Springsteen tracks. It’s an epic in the best possible way, and contains another of my favorite lines: “You were Audrey Hepburn in pearls.” It’s pure catharsis.
5 STARS
“Here’s Looking At You, Kid”
Playful, yet still pointed. This is basically a Fallon solo acoustic effort, with just the right amount of complementary instrumentation floating in the background. I love the subject matter, as Fallon manages to stay humble even as he works out some lovelife issues and exacts a bit of retribution on all those girls who ignored him before he became the frontman of a successful band. It’s quietly devastating in the mode of “I’m on Fire,” yet somehow playful, too.
4 STARS
“The Backseat”
To cap off the monumental achievement that is “The ’59 Sound,” the band returns to its punk roots with this finale, which evokes The Bouncing Souls’ “For All the Unheard.” Fallon saves one of his best vocal performances for last, staying almost entirely in his upper register. In the final minute, it takes all the emotion built up throughout the record and pours it all out, sending the listener away drained, but with a smile and buoyed heart.
5 STARS
***
I know there’s hardly any criticism to be found in my second review of this album, but there’s just none to be had from me. I’ve been listening to "The '59 Sound" almost constantly for the better part of three months now, and I just can’t find anything really wrong with it; on the contrary, it has continued to get better and better and better. It gets my heart pumping just as hard now as it did the first time I heard it—maybe even more, actually, as I've come to know and love each entry. Its ebbs and flows are perfectly paced, and the band stretched its sound just enough and in just the right ways. Fallon has said the goal was to reinterpret soul music through punk rock, and they succeeded. I can't explain how, exactly, but there's such honesty and heart and passion and authenticity written all over and through this record. I don't know how anyone couldn't enjoy it.
Seeing the band live last month sealed the deal: “The ’59 Sound” is an A-plus record. It’s one of the best I’ve ever heard.
(Oh, and just as a, you know, afterthought: The Gaslight Anthem released a four-song EP earlier this year, "Senor and the Queen," and, yep, those are ALL 5-star songs, too. The fact that those were just warm-ups to this album is downright mindblowing.)
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Kings of Leon, ‘Only By the Night’
I’m a fan of the Kings of Leon’s progression as a band over the past several albums, going from down-and-dirty semi-garage rockers to down-and-dirty spacey rockers. Their latest release, “Only By the Night” continues that evolution; it definitely sounds more like the last record, 2007’s “Because of the Times” (my KOL favorite) than 2004’s “Aha Shake Heartbreak.”
“Only By the Night’s” first half is particularly compelling in its variety, moving from arena-ready opener “Closer” to the one-two punch of grab-you-by-the-throat “Crawl” (one of the band’s best-ever tracks) and sinewy lead single “Sex on Fire.” “Use Somebody” is another winner, a chiming mid-tempo anthem that sounds like KOL’s take on U2’s “Beautiful Day.” “Manhattan” is catchy as all get-out with its off-kilter bass/percussion rhythm, and “Revelry” is probably as pleasant a ballad as the band can write.
It’s the second half of “Only By the Night” where things start to slip. None of the remaining five tracks are bad, necessarily, but they don’t do much to stand out from the pack, either. They’re the kind of songs that wouldn’t get skipped if they shuffled up on my iPod, but wouldn’t do much to keep me awake on a long car ride—all a bit slow and dirge-like. “Be Somebody” is probably the best of the bunch, especially when it breaks down into something reminiscent of Soundgarden’s “Jesus Christ Pose.”
Overall, the album still holds together well, and marks a continued transition for the four bandmembers (three brothers and a cousin) as they begin to leave their raucous and reckless 20s behind and figure out how to settle into their 30s and still write music they like. I’m looking forward to seeing where they go from here.
Grade: B
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Second-Handers
"Look at them. The man who cheats and lies, but preserves a respectable front. He knows himself to be dishonest, but others think he's honest and he derives his self-respect from that, second-hand. The man who takes credit for an achievement which is not his own. He knows himself to be mediocre, but he's great in the eyes of others. The frustrated wretch who professes love for the inferior and clings to those less endowed, in order to establish his own superiority by comparion. The man whose sole aim is to make money. Now I don't see anything evil in a desire to make money. But money is only a means to some end. If a man wants it for a personal purpose—to invest in his industry, to create, to study, to travel, to enjoy luxury—he's completely moral. But the men who place money first go much beyond that. Personal luxury is a limited endeavor. What they want is ostentation: to show, to stun, to entertain, to impress others. They're second-handers. Look at our so-called cultural endeavors. A lecturer who spouts some borrowed rehash of nothing at all that means nothing at all to him—and the people who listen and don't give a damn, but sit there in order to tell their friends that they have attended a lecture by a famous name. All second-handers. …
"In the realm of greatest importance—the realm of values, of judgment, of spirit, of thought—they place others above self, in the exact manner which altruism demands. … It's so easy to run to others. It's so hard to stand on one's own record. You can fake virtue for an audience. You can't fake it in your own eyes. …
"[Second-handers] have no concern for facts, ideas, work. They're concerned only with people. They don't ask: 'Is this true?' They ask: 'Is this what others think is true?' Not to judge, but to repeat. Not to do, but to give the impression of doing. Not creation, but show. Not ability, but friendship. Not merit, but pull. What would happen to the world without those who do, think, work, produce? …
"Second-handers have no sense of reality. Their reality is not within them, but somewhere in that space which divides one human body from another. Not an entity, but a relation—anchored to nothing. … Opinion without a rational process. Motion without brakes or motor. Power without responsibility. … He's not open to reason. You can't speak to him—he can't hear. …
"Notice how they'll accept anything except a man who stands alone. They recognize him at once. By instinct. There's a special, insidious kind of hatred for him. They forgive criminals. They admire dictators. Crime and violence are a tie. A form of mutual dependence. They need ties. They've got to force their miserable little personalities on every single person they meet. The independent man kills them—because they don't exist within him and that's the only form of existence they know. Notice the malignant kind of resentment against any idea that propounds independence. Notice the malice toward an independent man."
"In the realm of greatest importance—the realm of values, of judgment, of spirit, of thought—they place others above self, in the exact manner which altruism demands. … It's so easy to run to others. It's so hard to stand on one's own record. You can fake virtue for an audience. You can't fake it in your own eyes. …
"[Second-handers] have no concern for facts, ideas, work. They're concerned only with people. They don't ask: 'Is this true?' They ask: 'Is this what others think is true?' Not to judge, but to repeat. Not to do, but to give the impression of doing. Not creation, but show. Not ability, but friendship. Not merit, but pull. What would happen to the world without those who do, think, work, produce? …
"Second-handers have no sense of reality. Their reality is not within them, but somewhere in that space which divides one human body from another. Not an entity, but a relation—anchored to nothing. … Opinion without a rational process. Motion without brakes or motor. Power without responsibility. … He's not open to reason. You can't speak to him—he can't hear. …
"Notice how they'll accept anything except a man who stands alone. They recognize him at once. By instinct. There's a special, insidious kind of hatred for him. They forgive criminals. They admire dictators. Crime and violence are a tie. A form of mutual dependence. They need ties. They've got to force their miserable little personalities on every single person they meet. The independent man kills them—because they don't exist within him and that's the only form of existence they know. Notice the malignant kind of resentment against any idea that propounds independence. Notice the malice toward an independent man."
Sunday, October 19, 2008
‘Dance Upon the Architecture’: The Gaslight Anthem, Live in Virginia Beach, 10.18.08
In the current issue of Alternative Press, The Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon says the music he writes is intended to help lift people’s spirits in these turbulent times and remind them life is something to still be enjoyed.
Those aren’t empty words.
Saturday night Fallon and his bandmates put on an incredible live show at The Jewish Mother restaurant in Virginia Beach, the most fun I’ve had at a concert since Fallon’s musical hero, Bruce Springsteen, brought his Seeger Sessions Band to the D.C. area two years ago.
Gaslight have been the opening band of a four-act punk tour this fall headlined by Rise Against, so they used this off night in the schedule to, as Fallon put it, “get a workout” as headliners again. The Jewish Mother, a longstanding Va. Beach establishment, is the smallest place I’ve ever seen a concert—there couldn’t have been more than 150 people crammed into the tiny room (if that), and the place could barely contain the band. Seeing such an accomplished group in such a small place was a rare treat. I can’t wait to hear these guys again through a soundsystem that actually works.
One of the things that struck me the most about Saturday’s show was how much fun the bandmembers seemed to be having. Fallon, of course, was into it—he’s a terrific lead. But we were standing just off the corner of the stage next to bassist Alex Levine, and he was grinning widely the entire night; once I glanced back at drummer Benny Horowitz (who at one point flung a splintered drumstick that hit my wife—a well-earned souvenir), and he was singing along for all he was worth … and he didn’t even have a mic!
And the music … wow. The new songs are incredible, and this show cemented a notion I’d already basically acknowledged: “The ’59 Sound” is even better than the band’s 2007 debut, “Sink or Swim”—and the three tracks they didn’t play off the new album are a trio of my favorites (wherefor art thou, "Meet Me By the River's Edge"?). I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that all of the 18 songs played Saturday night were excellent; there was simply no letup the entire way as they powered through a 75-minute set. Forced to pick a favorite section, I’d definitely point to the three-fer of “We Came to Dance”/“Miles Davis and the Cool”/“The ’59 Sound.” “Dance” is my favorite track from “Sink or Swim,” and it kills live; the final minute of “Miles Davis” simply exploded off the stage; and, my goodness, “The ’59 Sound” is just … amazing—it got the strongest reaction from the crowd last night and was one of the most powerful moments of the show.
Other favorite moments include:
• Throwing a snippet of The National’s “Start a War” into the middle of “Old White Lincoln”
• “The Patient Ferris Wheel”—This might be my least favorite track on the new album (it's kinda like asking to pick your least favorite child …), but it is insanely good played in front of an audience
• Fallon’s intro to “Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts” was honest and unassuming (a description that could be applied to the entire night—what a refreshing change to see a band set up their gear in 10 minutes and just play); he said he spends more time than any normal person should visiting New Jersey haunts cited in Springsteen songs and trying to recreate for himself what The Boss saw in those places—this song was written for the Asbury Lanes bowling alley
• “The Backseat” is a brilliant set closer, the final minute building to a perfect climax for both the record and the concert.
And then there’s “Senor and the Queen.” At just two minutes long, this song comes and goes so quickly it’s easy to miss what a finely written lyric it offers; Fallon’s vocals were very clear during this one last night, and the second stanza stood out as particularly brilliant:
And in every sad, sad country song
Is there a little bitty piece of ’em still hanging on?
You tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine, my dear
Then we’ll bury these old ghosts here
No better summary could there be of what The Gaslight Anthem are all about, both on record and in concert. Saturday night was just pure, authentic, unadulterated … joy.
The Gaslight Anthem
The Jewish Mother
Virginia Beach, Virginia
10.18.08
Running Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
MAIN SET
Great Expectations
Wooderson
Casanova, Baby!
Old White Lincoln/Start a War (snippet)
We Came to Dance
Miles Davis and the Cool
The ’59 Sound
High Lonesome
Angry Johnny and the Radio/What Becomes of the Broken Hearted (snippet)
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
Drive
Senor and the Queen
I Coulda Been a Contender
The Backseat
ENCORE
The Patient Ferris Wheel
Here’s Looking at You, Kid
1930
Say I Won’t (Recognize)
***On a final note: Fallon hung around outside the venue for a little while after the show, chatting with friends and fans. The guy could not have been nicer or more down to earth; talking to him, you’d never know he’s fronting one of the hottest bands in the country right now. We talked for five minutes or so and he was just, you know, a regular guy. Again, refreshing.
Those aren’t empty words.
Saturday night Fallon and his bandmates put on an incredible live show at The Jewish Mother restaurant in Virginia Beach, the most fun I’ve had at a concert since Fallon’s musical hero, Bruce Springsteen, brought his Seeger Sessions Band to the D.C. area two years ago.
Gaslight have been the opening band of a four-act punk tour this fall headlined by Rise Against, so they used this off night in the schedule to, as Fallon put it, “get a workout” as headliners again. The Jewish Mother, a longstanding Va. Beach establishment, is the smallest place I’ve ever seen a concert—there couldn’t have been more than 150 people crammed into the tiny room (if that), and the place could barely contain the band. Seeing such an accomplished group in such a small place was a rare treat. I can’t wait to hear these guys again through a soundsystem that actually works.
One of the things that struck me the most about Saturday’s show was how much fun the bandmembers seemed to be having. Fallon, of course, was into it—he’s a terrific lead. But we were standing just off the corner of the stage next to bassist Alex Levine, and he was grinning widely the entire night; once I glanced back at drummer Benny Horowitz (who at one point flung a splintered drumstick that hit my wife—a well-earned souvenir), and he was singing along for all he was worth … and he didn’t even have a mic!
And the music … wow. The new songs are incredible, and this show cemented a notion I’d already basically acknowledged: “The ’59 Sound” is even better than the band’s 2007 debut, “Sink or Swim”—and the three tracks they didn’t play off the new album are a trio of my favorites (wherefor art thou, "Meet Me By the River's Edge"?). I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that all of the 18 songs played Saturday night were excellent; there was simply no letup the entire way as they powered through a 75-minute set. Forced to pick a favorite section, I’d definitely point to the three-fer of “We Came to Dance”/“Miles Davis and the Cool”/“The ’59 Sound.” “Dance” is my favorite track from “Sink or Swim,” and it kills live; the final minute of “Miles Davis” simply exploded off the stage; and, my goodness, “The ’59 Sound” is just … amazing—it got the strongest reaction from the crowd last night and was one of the most powerful moments of the show.
Other favorite moments include:
• Throwing a snippet of The National’s “Start a War” into the middle of “Old White Lincoln”
• “The Patient Ferris Wheel”—This might be my least favorite track on the new album (it's kinda like asking to pick your least favorite child …), but it is insanely good played in front of an audience
• Fallon’s intro to “Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts” was honest and unassuming (a description that could be applied to the entire night—what a refreshing change to see a band set up their gear in 10 minutes and just play); he said he spends more time than any normal person should visiting New Jersey haunts cited in Springsteen songs and trying to recreate for himself what The Boss saw in those places—this song was written for the Asbury Lanes bowling alley
• “The Backseat” is a brilliant set closer, the final minute building to a perfect climax for both the record and the concert.
And then there’s “Senor and the Queen.” At just two minutes long, this song comes and goes so quickly it’s easy to miss what a finely written lyric it offers; Fallon’s vocals were very clear during this one last night, and the second stanza stood out as particularly brilliant:
And in every sad, sad country song
Is there a little bitty piece of ’em still hanging on?
You tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine, my dear
Then we’ll bury these old ghosts here
No better summary could there be of what The Gaslight Anthem are all about, both on record and in concert. Saturday night was just pure, authentic, unadulterated … joy.
The Gaslight Anthem
The Jewish Mother
Virginia Beach, Virginia
10.18.08
Running Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
MAIN SET
Great Expectations
Wooderson
Casanova, Baby!
Old White Lincoln/Start a War (snippet)
We Came to Dance
Miles Davis and the Cool
The ’59 Sound
High Lonesome
Angry Johnny and the Radio/What Becomes of the Broken Hearted (snippet)
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
Drive
Senor and the Queen
I Coulda Been a Contender
The Backseat
ENCORE
The Patient Ferris Wheel
Here’s Looking at You, Kid
1930
Say I Won’t (Recognize)
***On a final note: Fallon hung around outside the venue for a little while after the show, chatting with friends and fans. The guy could not have been nicer or more down to earth; talking to him, you’d never know he’s fronting one of the hottest bands in the country right now. We talked for five minutes or so and he was just, you know, a regular guy. Again, refreshing.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
'Attack and Release,' The Black Keys
I was all ready for producer extraordinaire Danger Mouse to take The Black Keys' hardcore blues sound into the stratosphere with this new album. That didn’t happen, which makes “Attack and Release” a bit disappointing at the outset.
It seems Mouse was content to, for the most part, let the Keys do what they do and add a few little touches around the edges. They work more often than not, like fiery lead single "Strange Times," the ruminating “Psychotic Girl,” or blues-with-flute rocker "Same Old Thing." Elsewhere, not as much, like the dreadful two-fer of “Lies” and “Remember When (Side A)" that turns the middle of this record into a black hole.
My instant negative impression may actually be a result of poor sequencing. With hopes so high, starting the CD off with one of its weaker tracks—country ballad "All You Ever Wanted," which doesn't really get interesting until the final 30 seconds—was not a good choice. It sets a poor tone right away. Perhaps it would have been better to open with the album's second track, "I Got Mine," which is the most traditional, straightforward Keys track here—give the listener a baseline, a touchstone of the familiar for the more experimental stuff to come.
In the end, "Attack and Release" suffers under the weight of its expectations. It's certainly a fine album, but Mouse played it a little too safe; I don't finish listening to this record with a "wow" on my lips the way I do, for example, with 2004's incredible "Rubber Factory." Rather than adding little flourishes here and there (though I really like the chiming tone in "Oceans & Streams," for instance), I'd have rather seen him go all the way and really shake things up. Instead, the album feels disjointed, a little constrained, and lacks the energy and suppleness of the group's previous recordings.
Still, put three people of these considerable talents in a room together and it'd be nearly impossible not to come up with something really good, which they have (despite my, rereading now, rather negative review). I guess I'll just always be wondering what might have been.
Grade: B+
Thursday, October 09, 2008
The Airborne Toxic Event
The Airborne Toxic Event? Really? That's your name? The Airborne Toxic Event? Come on …
Ordinarily this is the type of screaming-indie band moniker that would send me in the other direction, but this California band caught my attention (and the attention of many others) last month when they took a freakin' scalpel to the ridiculously harsh review of their debut self-titled record by Pitchfork. Anybody who will stand up against those insufferable snobs with such class and craft has to be doing something right, I figured.
Ironically, "The Airborne Toxic Event" couldn't be a bigger misnomer when it comes to the band's music; it's anything but toxic—downright gorgeous in spots, actually. The Pitchfork reviewer was right in citing the band's obvious influences. The CD's opening notes do sound quite reminiscent of the intro strains of Arcade Fire's "Funeral," and about half of "Toxic Event" follows in that vein. But let's be clear: It's not like following in Arcade Fire's footsteps is the easiest feat in music. As the band says in its rebuttal, there are much worse bands to be compared to. The best song along these lines—and the best song on the album—is the swirling "Sometime Around Midnight," with its mournful violin intro and soaring climax.
When they're not working in Fiery territory, The Airborne Toxic Event offer up a lo-fi, uptempo, rather thrashy sound that mixes Franz Ferdinand and the Strokes with a dash of The Clash around the edges. The top song in this category is sinewy rocker "Gasoline," but there are several here worth your time ("Happiness Is Overrated," "Missy").
Two such distinct styles make for a rather disjointed experience as a whole, but each are good in their own respects, and they're not merely aping other bands' sounds, either; "Gasoline" and "Midnight" are two of the more memorable songs I've heard this year. There seems to be an intelligence and sense of endeavor at the core of this band, and that's enough for me.
Screw Pitchfork.
Grade: B+
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
HR
Before you can do things for people, you must be the kind of man who can get things done. But to get things done, you must love the doing, not the secondary consequences. The work, not the people. Your own action, not any possible object of your charity. I’ll be glad if people who need it find a better manner of living in a house I designed. But that’s not the motive of my work. Nor my reason. Nor my reward. …
I think it’s a worthy undertaking—to provide a decent apartment for a man who earns fifteen dollars a week. But not at the expense of other men. Not if it raises the taxes, raises all the other rents and makes the man who earns forty live in a rat hole. That’s what’s happening … Nobody can afford a modern apartment—except the very rich and the paupers. Have you seen the converted brownstones in which the average self-supporting couple has to live? Have you seen their closet kitchens and their plumbing? They’re forced to live like that—because they’re not incompetent enough. They make forty dollars a week and wouldn’t be allowed into a housing project. But they’re the ones who provide the money for the damn project. They pay the taxes. And the taxes raise their own rent. And they have to move from a converted brownstone into an unconverted one and from that into a railroad flat. I’d have no desire to penalize a man because he’s worth only fifteen dollars a week. But I’ll be damned if I can see why a man worth forty must be penalized—and penalized in favor of the one who’s less competent. Sure, there are a lot of theories on the subject and volumes of discussion. But just look at the results. …
I don’t believe in government housing. I don’t want to hear anything about its noble purposes. I don’t think they’re noble. But that, too, doesn’t matter. That’s not my first concern. Not who lives in the house nor who orders it built. Only the house itself. If it has to be built, it might as well be built right.
I think it’s a worthy undertaking—to provide a decent apartment for a man who earns fifteen dollars a week. But not at the expense of other men. Not if it raises the taxes, raises all the other rents and makes the man who earns forty live in a rat hole. That’s what’s happening … Nobody can afford a modern apartment—except the very rich and the paupers. Have you seen the converted brownstones in which the average self-supporting couple has to live? Have you seen their closet kitchens and their plumbing? They’re forced to live like that—because they’re not incompetent enough. They make forty dollars a week and wouldn’t be allowed into a housing project. But they’re the ones who provide the money for the damn project. They pay the taxes. And the taxes raise their own rent. And they have to move from a converted brownstone into an unconverted one and from that into a railroad flat. I’d have no desire to penalize a man because he’s worth only fifteen dollars a week. But I’ll be damned if I can see why a man worth forty must be penalized—and penalized in favor of the one who’s less competent. Sure, there are a lot of theories on the subject and volumes of discussion. But just look at the results. …
I don’t believe in government housing. I don’t want to hear anything about its noble purposes. I don’t think they’re noble. But that, too, doesn’t matter. That’s not my first concern. Not who lives in the house nor who orders it built. Only the house itself. If it has to be built, it might as well be built right.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
The Springsteen Effect: The Gaslight Anthem and The Hold Steady
Last month Bruce Springsteen put the wraps on an outstanding summer tour with the E Street Band, and if rumors are true, perhaps his last with that group. If so, he couldn’t have gone out with any more style. Want proof? Just check out a couple of the outstanding setlists from August alone.
I don’t believe he’s done writing, recording, and touring with the E Streeters, but there is something to be said for going out on top. He certainly would be doing that, closing out, I would argue, the most exciting decade of his career since the 1970s.
Consider: 2000 saw the conclusion of the E Street Band Reunion Tour, complete with a 10-night stand at Madison Square Garden. In 2002 he was back in the studio with the band for the first time since the mid-’80s and released what is still, for me, the definitive post-Sept. 11 rock and roll work, “The Rising.” After a worldwide tour, he went back out on the road in 2004 for the ill-fated (and ill-conceived) Vote For Change tour, then surprised most everyone just a few months later in 2005 with the solo effort “Devils & Dust” (a mixed bag, yes, but the good stuff on that record is really, really good). Springsteen then embarked on his first full-fledged solo tour in years, which saw him pulling out rarities night after night after night.
In 2006 conventional wisdom said it was time for another E Street record—but wait! What’s that? A horn section? A banjo? Yes, “We Shall Overcome,” Springsteen’s rockabilly take on Pete Seeger folk songs was a gigantic curveball, and led to some of the most inspired, exciting music he’s ever created. And the tour—wow.
So that brings us to last year’s “Magic,” which while standing as Springsteen’s most overtly political record yet also marks a more cohesive return to E Street form than “The Rising.” When I’m able to ignore the lyrics, there’s no denying the album rocks.
Just as Bruce has reemerged this decade, so has his influence on younger artists. It seems you can’t read a rock record review these days without seeing at least some reference to Springsteen—and deservedly so. I’ve done it in my own reviews for the likes of Pearl Jam, The Killers, and Ben Kweller, to name a few off the top of my head.
Some of the comparisons are stretched thinner than others, but there’s no denying The Springsteen Effect on two excellent releases this summer: The Gaslight Anthem’s “The ’59 Sound,” and The Hold Steady’s “Stay Positive.” I’ll examine the latter first.
The Hold Steady have been one of the most blogged-about bands for the past several years, especially after their 2006 CD “Boys and Girls in America” was one of the best reviewed releases of the year, hailed by some as basically an instant classic. Springsteen’s name was dropped repeatedly, based on the band’s wide-open rocking style and intricate storytelling lyrics from frontman Craig Finn. Hype like that will typically keep me wary of anything, of course, but I ignored The Hold Steady more for the CD’s title than anything else; I couldn’t help but think the use of “America” was somehow an indictment of the Bush administration, this country sucks, yada yada yada, and I had basically had my fill of that line of thinking by that point.
So fast-forward to 2008, where the New York-via-Minnesota band’s fourth album, “Stay Positive,” received a good, but not quite glowing, reception. With the bang and the clamor calming down a bit, I figured this a better time to get acquainted. And, surprisingly, I was not disappointed.
“Stay Positive” is as solid a rock record as you’re likely to hear this year. It’s full of loud guitars, straightahead pounding drums (a la Max Weinberg), yet changes pace often. I certainly see where the Springsteen comparisons arise, especially with the piano high up in the mix like it’s 1975. Finn’s gravelly voice is probably a love-it-or-hate-it situation for most people; it reminds me a little of Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies frontman Mike Farris, and Finn often delivers his lines in a staccato rhythm that would fit in with the Dropkick Murphys (on the rollicking title track, especially).
Lyrically, though, I would compare Finn’s wordy style more to Dylan than Springsteen (confirmed, I guess, by the band’s contribution to last year’s “I’m Not There” soundtrack of Dylan covers). Like Dylan, listening to The Hold Steady for me is more an academic endeavor than a spiritual experience. I recognize the quality, but it just doesn’t make it past my head to my heart. If forced to compare Finn to Springsteen, I would go right to The Boss’ debut, “Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.,” where Springsteen was basically doing his own Dylan interpretation, too. The difference is, Springsteen quickly broke out of that mold and figured out how to tell intricate stories with memorable characters, but give his songs enough room to breathe so the music reaches right through the speakers and grabs your heart and soul in an iron fist. The Hold Steady haven’t mastered this yet, as far as I can tell.
That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with being favorably compared to Dylan. There are some real gems on this record, particularly the haunting “Both Crosses,” which evokes acoustic Led Zeppelin—think a darker version of “Bron-Yr-Aur,” with lyrics. And speaking of Led Zep, “Joke About Jamaica” is another keeper from “Stay Positive”; not only does the title reference Zeppelin’s “D’yer Ma’ker,” but Finn drops other titles from the catalog throughout the excellent track (which has a bass/piano line that reminds me strongly of another track I just can’t place—it’s been driving me crazy).
If spiritual revival in the Springsteen tradition is what you’re after—and who isn’t?—then I give you … The Gaslight Anthem’s “The ’59 Sound.” Now this is a record that captures the essence of The Boss' best work.
It’s been quite a year for this New Jersey pop/punk band. They blasted onto the scene last summer with “Sink or Swim,” one of the best, most accomplished debut albums I’ve ever heard. Then earlier this year they dashed off a four-song EP, “Senor and the Queen,” that is better than most bands’ full-lengths; that release, said frontman Brian Fallon, was meant as a transition from the more straightforward punk of “Sink or Swim” to the new album, which embraces a wider range of styles and tempos.
One thing I like about Fallon and his band is they wear their influences right on their sleeves; they don’t try to hide anything, and instead of sounding like a ripoff, their music comes off as the genuine homage it’s intended to be. On “Sink or Swim,” Fallon wrote a song directly to Joe Strummer, and this time around he spreads his repertoire to include legends like Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, Tom Petty, and Elvis Presley.
But no one artist is better represented here than Springsteen. If “Sink or Swim” was the Anthem’s “Born to Run,” with its dancing girls and late-night power drives of hope and promise played to a soundtrack on the radio, then “The ’59 Sound” is the band’s natural progression to “Darkness on the Edge of Town.” The new album, like Springsteen’s under-appreciated classic, is more rooted in the realities of death, lost and unrequited love, and the struggle to remain hopeful despite difficult times.
Nowhere is this more apparent than the stirring and splendid title track, where Fallon asks simply: “Well I wonder which song they’re gonna play when we go.” The chorus perfectly captures the album’s bittersweet tone, as the singer wonders whether we all get one last chance to hear our favorite song “when we float out into the ether, into the Everlasting Arms.”
The other dominant theme of the album finds Fallon dealing with the universal problem of actually achieving rock-and-roll success. It’s right there on the title track, where he laments missing his friend’s passing because he was “playing a show down the road.” Throughout the record he wonders if it’s possible to “go home” again, now that he’s seen the bright lights and big cities of America. He seems to reconcile this dilemma by the end of the record in the spectacular “Meet Me By the River’s Edge,” a song rife with Springsteen references that concludes: “No retreat, no regrets.”
So while Fallon’s lyrics are even better this time around, it’s the band’s songwriting that’s really grown since their debut. Working with a producer for the first time, Gaslight Anthem shot for a retro sound on this record. Rather than the wall-of-sound guitar chunk of “Sink or Swim,” the leads are pulled way back in the mix this time to make more room for the rhythm section and Fallon’s vocals (again, much like ’70s-era Springsteen). Fallon’s voice is drenched in reverb for the entire album, which is off-putting at first but eventually adds to the overall throwback feel of the recording—like something you'd hear on Grandmama's radio.
This intention is reinforced right away, as the galloping “Great Expectations” opens the album with a skipping, popping LP before blasting off into one of the Anthem’s best, well, anthems. Though the band's pop/punk origins are certainly well represented throughout, they move beyond the genre, as well, exploring riff-heavy blues on two standout tracks, “Film Noir” and “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.” They even drift into a little country with the playfully acidic “Here’s Looking at You, Kid,” in which Fallon metes out a little vengeance on the girls who wouldn’t give him the time of day—before he became a rock star, of course.
When it’s all said and played, “The ’59 Sound” is certainly one of the best CDs I’ve heard this year. It accomplishes what I thought nearly impossible—holding its own against “Sink or Swim.” The band wisely doesn’t try to copy that record, but takes what worked and implements it in something that sounds fresh, new, and different. As a result, “The ’59 Sound” may not be as immediately catchy as “Sink or Swim,” but I’ve listened to this album at least a dozen times since it came out last month and I can’t find a mediocre track—it definitely rewards multiple listens, as any great album should. It also proves that, in just one year’s time, The Gaslight Anthem have clearly and boldly established themselves as one of the best rock bands in America—worthy bearers of the Springsteen flame.
Grades:
The Gaslight Anthem, “The ’59 Sound,” A
The Hold Steady, “Stay Positive,” A-
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Robert Ludlum
Having read about a third of the late Robert Ludlum's novels, I have a pretty good handle on how he operates. From what I can tell, the legendary suspense/thriller author has two kinds of main (male, always male) characters: The military/covert intelligence type, and the Average Joe who's being manipulated by the military/covert intelligence types.
1974's "The Cry of the Halidon," which I just finished, is one of the latter. It is not my preferred Ludlum style. In fact, "Halidon" is without question the worst Ludlum novel I've read; it took dogged determination to get through this rather messy, unfocused work. In the preface, Ludlum makes the rather candid admission that his wife basically had to drag him out of Jamaica, where the novel is set, so he would stop "researching" and get to some actual work. The book reads like it. Convoluted, lacking in intensity (a rarity in Ludlum novels, be they great or mediocre), and, as a result, difficult to follow. Leading man Alexander McAuliff has to be one of Ludlum's shallowest main characters, what with glancing hints at a murdered wife and time spent in the jungles of Vietnam. I won't bore with any more details of why this novel isn't worth your time.
No, I much prefer Ludlum's very non-Average Joe leads, such as Jason Bourne. It's through these characters Ludlum really expands his imagination; these characters routinely accomplish feats that make me wonder how the author even came up with/knew about the tactics of covert warfare, much less execute them in such engaging fashion. Names like Bourne, Beowulf Agate, and The Man from Lisbon, are etched permanently into my brain. If you've never read any Ludlum, "The Bourne Identity" is obviously a good place to start (the film adaptation has very little resemblance—oddly, both still come off well). But my particular favorite Ludlum novel is 1979's "The Matarese Circle," which includes some of the most compelling action storytelling I've ever read. To think Ludlum wrote this novel and "The Bourne Identity" in back-to-back years is a stunning achievement. The man was a machine.
So, if the excellent "Bourne" film trilogy got you thinking about reading Ludlum, trust those instincts. Just be sure to read the back of the book first—if it says anything other than "special agent" or "undercover operative," I'd keep looking.
1974's "The Cry of the Halidon," which I just finished, is one of the latter. It is not my preferred Ludlum style. In fact, "Halidon" is without question the worst Ludlum novel I've read; it took dogged determination to get through this rather messy, unfocused work. In the preface, Ludlum makes the rather candid admission that his wife basically had to drag him out of Jamaica, where the novel is set, so he would stop "researching" and get to some actual work. The book reads like it. Convoluted, lacking in intensity (a rarity in Ludlum novels, be they great or mediocre), and, as a result, difficult to follow. Leading man Alexander McAuliff has to be one of Ludlum's shallowest main characters, what with glancing hints at a murdered wife and time spent in the jungles of Vietnam. I won't bore with any more details of why this novel isn't worth your time.
No, I much prefer Ludlum's very non-Average Joe leads, such as Jason Bourne. It's through these characters Ludlum really expands his imagination; these characters routinely accomplish feats that make me wonder how the author even came up with/knew about the tactics of covert warfare, much less execute them in such engaging fashion. Names like Bourne, Beowulf Agate, and The Man from Lisbon, are etched permanently into my brain. If you've never read any Ludlum, "The Bourne Identity" is obviously a good place to start (the film adaptation has very little resemblance—oddly, both still come off well). But my particular favorite Ludlum novel is 1979's "The Matarese Circle," which includes some of the most compelling action storytelling I've ever read. To think Ludlum wrote this novel and "The Bourne Identity" in back-to-back years is a stunning achievement. The man was a machine.
So, if the excellent "Bourne" film trilogy got you thinking about reading Ludlum, trust those instincts. Just be sure to read the back of the book first—if it says anything other than "special agent" or "undercover operative," I'd keep looking.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
The Reason I’ll Be Back: Eddie Vedder, Live at the Warner Theatre in D.C., 8.16.08//8.17.08
Eddie Vedder spent two nights in my town this weekend—and, to think, I was only going to see him once.
I was one of the few lucky ones last month who managed to score a fan club ticket to the first of two immediate sellout performances at D.C.’s intimate Warner Theatre (about 1,800 seats, the smallest venue on this brief East Coast tour); there couldn’t have been more than a few hundred available, and they were gone, literally, in seconds. Having paid attention to the somewhat static setlists from his West Coast swing in April, I figured one night would be enough.
That is, of course, until I pulled a fourth-row seat for Night 2 on Saturday afternoon (thanks Red Mosquito!). With that ticket waiting right there on my screen, I couldn’t turn it down.
Definitely the right decision.
As he’s gotten more comfortable with this whole solo gig thing, the setlists have started to open up quite a bit. During Sunday night’s performance, Ed mentioned he’s worked up about 60 songs in total for this “experiment” as he calls it (hence the lab coats); during his twofer in D.C., he played 38 of them, and if I were to have missed either show, I’d be kicking myself today.
And wow, even with 16 repeats from Night 1 to Night 2, the two shows were quite different in feel and tone. Saturday night, Ed was very loose, gabbing it up heavily between songs (thus you get a nearly three-hour show). There was quite a bit of political banter, as expected (he told one heckler the second night: “If you didn’t think you were gonna get a heavy does of this, what the f**k were you thinking?”). Both nights Ed introduced Paul McCartney’s “Blackbird” by commenting on its roots as a civil rights anthem, and how he’s adapted it to his vision of Obama as president (Ed’s supporting Obama—shocker). “Masters of War” was its usual stellar self (Ed absolutely nails this song), made even more potent by the venue’s close proximity to the White House (which Ed mentioned). Sunday night featured Ed’s lame rendition of folk protest song “Here’s to the State,” and both nights’ sets included his own (poor) anti-war anthem, “No More” (Saturday’s performance did feature a touching intro about the song’s inspiration, injured Iraq war veteran Tomas Young, whom Ed said has taken an unfortunate turn for the worse in recent weeks).
My favorite politically oriented speech came Saturday (I forget the song), when he mentioned how ridiculous the whole political realm has gotten in this country, where it’s like we’re all rooting for our favorite sports team. He went on to say you should never say “I’ll never vote for a Democrat, or I’ll never vote for a Republican” (even though he DOES say that in “Even Flow,” but whatever …). He referenced the departed Johnny Ramone, a dear friend of Ed’s and a staunch Republican; Ed said the conversations they had were important, and beneficial to them both. I always bring up Johnny whenever someone asks me how I, a conservative, can be a Pearl Jam fan, so it was nice to finally hear that from Ed himself.
But there was plenty other great stuff in there, besides politics. I don’t take notes when I go to shows, but at a given Pearl Jam concert I can typically remember most of the unique highlights; I had no chance after these two shows back to back, though. A favorite moment from Saturday included his explanation of the whole “experiment” mentality of this tour. He said he saw a photo of a Beatles recording session and the producers were standing at the board wearing what looked like lab coats, which inspired him to adopt them for him and his crew. He also provided a lengthy discussion of his involvement with “Into the Wild” and, specifically, his posthumous love for the man that film was based on, Chris McCandless. It was a touching preface to the mid-concert suite of “ITW” material.
I love how he’s put the batch of songs off the soundtrack together to basically tell McCandless’ story; on Saturday, he even mumbled, “And his story starts like this …” leading into “Setting Forth.” When I wrote about this album last year, I was disappointed several of these songs weren’t fleshed out more and simply edited down to fit the movie. He doesn’t alter them in the live setting, either, but they do take on extra power because you can see, hear, and feel how important they are to him. Quite remarkable.
The “ITW” run was definitely a highlight of both nights: He attacks “Far Behind” with all the vigor captured on the album, while “Guaranteed” and especially “Rise” are beautiful, the latter featuring brilliant work by Ed on the mandolin (the only song he knows on the f***king thing, he told us Saturday).
***
Let me take a moment here to address “Guaranteed,” in particular. As the final song of both the album and the film, it serves as Ed’s summary of McCandless’ life. The fourth of six verses goes like this:
Everyone I come across, in cages they bought
They think of me and my wandering, but I’m never what they thought
I’ve got my indignation, but I’m pure in all my thoughts
I’m alive
Performing this song live, Ed really hits that “I’m alive,” and I realized he could have written “Guaranteed”—and especially this verse—about himself, too. One of my favorite Pearl Jam moments of all time was Ed’s discussion of “Alive” during 2006’s “VH1 Storytellers,” where he said a song he’d originally written about pain and betrayal has been transformed into one of hope by the band’s audience. This verse could be his way of putting that feeling into song—making “Guaranteed” a companion piece, or an answer to, “Alive,” 17 years later. Chris McCandless was trying to escape what he felt was an oppressive, predetermined life, while for decades now Ed's been trying to escape a painful childhood that could have so easily predetermined his path—and probably would have, had it not been for music. Consider some other scattered lines from “Guaranteed”:
“All my destinations will accept the one that’s me/So I can breathe” (“breath” is a recurring theme in Ed’s writing)
“Circles they grow and they swallow people whole”
“Holding me like gravity are places that pull”
“Late at night I hear the trees, they’re singing with the dead” (“Release,” anyone?)
Matter of fact, the entire “Into the Wild” album could be read as Ed subtext. How about this verse from “Rise”:
Gonna rise up
Burning black holes in dark memories
Gonna rise up
Turning mistakes into gold
Or this stanza from “No Ceiling”:
I been wounded
I been healed
Now for landing I been
Landing I been cleared
And, finally, the last line of the entire record, from “Guaranteed”: “I knew all the rules, but the rules did not know me/Guaranteed”. Like “I’m alive,” he really hits that last word, as if it’s a proclamation.
***
Anyway, back to the shows … So, so many great moments of music. Just about all of the choices Ed’s made for these solo gigs have been spot on, fitting his voice perfectly. While his guitar playing has obviously greatly improved over the years, his vocal performance over the course of these two nights was amazing. I’m having trouble keeping my list of favorites to only 10:
• “I Am Mine” was a surefire standout, and has this summer—upon hearing it live for the first time—become an all-time PJ fave. On record, it’s a little too simple an arrangement for the full band, and leaves me feeling like they didn’t have enough to do. This is mostly solved in the live setting due to the energy they always bring to every performance, but “I Am Mine” is most at home with just Ed and a guitar, including some furiously fast strumming on his part.
• “Forever Young” is a tremendous cover choice from deep in the Dylan catalog. Ed’s version is slower, more serious, and, yes, superior to the original, from Dylan’s 1974 “Planet Waves.”
• “Far Behind”/“Rise”/“Millworker” was my favorite run of songs from Night 1. I still can’t get over how good “Rise” sounds on that mandolin, and “Millworker” rivals “Forever Young” as my favorite cover from the experience, for basically the same reasons.
• I was desperately hoping for “Throw Your Arms Around Me,” one of my all-time fave Vedder covers. The two-man version with Liam Finn is excellent.
• My love for “Hard Sun” is well documented at this point, so it comes as no surprise this show-closer was phenomenal. Ed uses a reel-to-reel deck on stage to play the main backing track, then adds Finn on drums and straps on his own electric guitar for the accent parts. It’s perfect. Exhilarating doesn’t even come close. Spiritual is more accurate.
• I was actually in the building when “Parting Ways” made its live debut back in 2000. I’ve grown to appreciate the “Binaural” finale even more since, and Vedder’s electric version with Finn is, well, electric.
• Winning the award for Surprise of the Weekend was the totally unexpected “All Along the Watchtower,” made doubly cool when Ed told Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty to put down his video camera (Canty was part of the crew filming the show for, hopefully, an eventual DVD release) and get behind the drum kit for this roof-raiser. Two “Watchtowers” in two months—and both shockers!
• “Driftin’” feels like a throwaway Christmas single jaunt, which, yeah, it is. Except for the fact that when Ed plays it, he throws every ounce of effort into it and just nails the thing. I love this song.
• And, finally, the no-question-about-it highlight of both nights: “Arc,” which closes the first encore. Here Ed records a series of wordless vocal strains and loops one over top of the others so they fit together perfectly and fill the theater with about a dozen different variations on his voice. Sunday night I was sitting only a few feet from the speakers, and when he added a bass hum to the mix, it rattled my chest. He then moved back to the main mic and adds an insurgent howl part similar to what you hear on “The Wolf” from “Into the Wild,” which gave me goosebumps. Finally, he finishes the recordings and walks the front of the stage, shaking hands with everyone (I missed him by a few feet, but oh well, I’ve had my moment for a PJ lifetime), while the symphony of Eds continues to play. It’s the most inspired moment of an inspirational evening.
But as is always the case with Eddie Vedder, you have to take the good with the bad. His freewheelin’ vibe invited a barrage of loud, ludicrous comments from a handful of drunk or otherwise obnoxious cretins in the crowd. In a venue this small, even the people at the back of the balcony could easily be heard down at stage level. Take that intimacy and mix in a good bit of alcohol, and you have a recipe that’s anywhere from annoying to nearly disastrous. Saturday was especially bad, as people just WOULD. NOT. SHUT. UP. Yelling out the most ridiculous things, too: “Vedder for president!” some harpie right behind me screeched; when Ed played “Sometimes,” some former frat boy over my other shoulder hollered “No Code!”—uh, yeah, we all know the album that song’s from. The cries of “I love you, Eddie” were ubiquitous. (If you want more examples, go here.)
For his part, I thought Ed could’ve handled the situation better, maybe taking a cue from Springsteen’s solo tour a few years back and laying down the ground rules early. A stern “shut up” to the most annoying hecklers probably would have helped, too, but it’s just not his style to come down hard on people who come to see him—he was one of us, too, and, really, still is. Instead—especially Saturday—he tried subtlety; unfortunately, drunk people do not take hints, and it did detract from Ed’s performance somewhat. Early on, he seemed to get pissed and flustered, flubbing several songs before locking into a groove midway through the set.
Sunday was better, as he seemed to come out of the blocks more focused and closer to the take-no-prisoners mode I've seen at previous PJ gigs. It helped changing up the show to open with “Sometimes,” thus getting the “Why isn’t he playing Pearl Jam?” crowd off his back right away. Ed addressed that particular moronic subset Sunday night, too, quipping “we were just here, what, six weeks ago?” Oh, and in case you were wondering, “Sometimes” was tremendous—much more forceful and angry than its original recording, complete with Ed using a “stomp box” for a rhythm section (basically a wooden box with a mic inside). I’ll give the crowds credit for one thing: During the actual songs everyone was deadly silent, except for the appropriate places for cheers. On Sunday Ed cut down on the between-song chatter significantly, reducing the amount of downtime for those unruly “fans” to make their mark. What really got them quiet, though, was Ed’s metaphor that the shouts sounded, to him, like a mangy dog trying to hump his leg.
In the end, what impressed me most about the two-night stand in D.C. was what I’ve always liked about Eddie Vedder for all this time: Despite his fame, fortune, and success, he still seems like a regular guy. He’s never wanted to be or acted like a rock star, and he certainly wasn’t even close to pretending to be one this weekend. He was just a guy with a batch of guitars (and his beloved uke—another great story about how much he adores that “happy little instrument”), and some songs he loves. One of my favorite little moments of the weekend came when he strapped on his electric guitar for "Parting Ways" and the spotlight reflected out into the crowd, catching his eye. "Oh, I can do that," he said, and like a kid with a new toy proceeded to bounce the light around the venue—even spotlighting the guy who apparently requested the song earlier in the day (nice choice!).
When I first fell in love with Pearl Jam, it wasn’t Ed’s lyrics or even Mike McCready’s guitar heroics that drew me in. It was the feeling their music evoked in me. It tweaked all the right buttons in my teenage self. Over the years, Pearl Jam’s music still does that—I can pogo with the best of ’em when so moved—but what’s kept me with the band all this time is their passion. Despite our difference of political beliefs, our musical ethics are right in line, and that’s the most important thing.
Regarding Ed specifically, I’ve never thought he was an exceedingly gifted lyricist (though, to be fair, poetry was never my strong suit). His most meaningful songs for me come when he’s writing from the heart; for the past decade or so, though, his material’s been predominantly from his head, leading to an overly wordy, workmanlike effort (contrast “Life Wasted” with “Marker in the Sand” from the most recent album, for instance).
Eddie Vedder’s ability to emote and connect, however, both on record and onstage, is unparalleled. He's a man who truly does live in the moment. The words may come out rough around the edges—or downright wrong—sometimes, but the intent for honest expression, interaction, and experience is always there. It’s obvious from the humble way he carries himself, how respectful he is for his fans, his peers, and his musical elders and heroes (hence, he’s the best cover artist of this—or maybe any—generation). I feel like I saw a real human being laying himself out there this weekend, warts and all, not a self-aggrandizing performer—when he called himself “a professional,” it was with tongue firmly in cheek.
This is why after the unexpected and overwhelming success of “Ten” and “Vs.” in the early ’90s, he led the band in pulling back, keeping a shred of normalcy and reality about them. This is why he esteems others’ talents and music well above his own. This is why his band’s shows continue to exceed expectations. And this is why he continues to draw thousands of fans like me, selling out arenas big and small worldwide.
So I guess the best way to wrap this whole amazing experience up is with the man’s own words. Again from “No Ceiling”:
I leave here believing more than I had
And there’s a reason I’ll be
A reason I’ll be back
Eddie Vedder
Warner Theatre
Washington, D.C.
8.16.08
Main Set:
Walking the Cow (Daniel Johnston cover)
Trouble (Cat Stevens cover)
Sometimes
I Am Mine
Dead Man
Man of the Hour
Masters of War
[new song—“Unknown Thought”?]
Setting Forth
Guaranteed
No Ceiling
Far Behind
Rise
Millworker (James Taylor cover)
Soon Forget
Goodbye
Broken Hearted [this was on the widely-circulated fan setlist, but I don’t remember it being played]
Driftin’
You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away
Lukin
Porch
First Encore:
Blackbird (Beatles cover)
Wishlist
Small Town
Society (w/Liam Finn)
Parting Ways (w/Liam Finn)
No More
Arc
Second Encore:
Hard Sun (w/Liam Finn)
Running Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
8.17.08
Main Set:
Sometimes
Trouble (Cat Stevens cover)
Girl from the North Country (Bob Dylan cover)
Around the Bend
I Am Mine
I’m Open
Man of the Hour
Setting Forth
No Ceiling
Guaranteed
Far Behind
Rise
You’re True
Driftin’
If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out (Cat Stevens cover)
Forever Young (Bob Dylan cover)
Porch
First Encore:
Here’s to the State (John Ochs cover—sorta)
Blackbird (Beatles cover)
Society (w/Liam Finn)
Throw Your Arms Around Me (w/Liam Finn)
No More
Arc
Second Encore:
All Along the Watchtower (w/Brendan Canty of Fugazi on drums)
Hard Sun (w/Liam Finn)
Running Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
***One final note: As I mentioned earlier, the D.C. shows were being taped, and Ed made mention of a future “document” of this tour. If this does come to pass, I will most likely be visible at least some of the time, based on my position Sunday night. I make no claims to any kind of cool-looking decorum during that show. I’m sure I looked like a complete crazy man at times. Wouldn’t have it any other way.***
Sunday, August 03, 2008
'Spook Country,' William Gibson
"Obscurity is much praised by elitists, but I disdain it. The audience starts out knowing nothing about your story. It's your job, as a storyteller, to let them in on it. … What takes talent is clarity." —Orson Scott Card
Well, William Gibson don't do clarity, and that's the primary reason why I'm one of the only people I know who loves his novels. He is, almost exclusively, purposefully and doggedly obtuse. He drops you into his novels like you should already know what's going on, which, of course, you never do. I take long gaps between Gibson reads, because my mind has to be sharp and in tip-top shape to keep up with them.
All that being said, his latest novel, 2007's "Spook Country," stinks. The second novel he's written in the present (as opposed to his uncannily imagined future), this work is marred by too much intention. It's easy to imagine a situation where Gibson heard the news reports about "illegal wiretapping" and decided to write a novel about it. Or, in the least, that's the idea that set him off into "Spook Country," which deals tangentially in government conspiracies, no-bid contracts, and the like. For the first time, a Gibson novel reads along the lines of a DNC talking points memo. In a book that is so disjointed, murky, and impenetrable (even for Gibson), these obviously political references stick out like a black-helicopter strobe light in the middle of a pitch-dark night. (Speaking of "dark knights" (OK, sorta), the brilliant Christopher Nolan film does a much better job engaging this issue of surveillance than Gibson's book does).
The most egregious fault of "Spook Country," though, comes back to Gibson's actual writing. The story centers around three central characters, and Gibson devotes a chapter to each back-to-back-to-back almost exclusively until the book reaches its conclusion and the individual plotlines begin to merge. The chapters are quite brief, many less than two pages, so you never really get to know the characters at all or feel anything for them, which has always been a strong point for Gibson. One of the three (I won't tell you which one), serves almost no purpose whatsoever, and having read through the entire novel I still cannot figure out why he receives so much ink.
It's less than 30 minutes until the first Redskins' preseason game begins, and I feel I'm not being very clear, and certainly not very poignant, in my criticism, so I should just end here. "Spook Country" simply tries too hard, even for Gibson. In identifying so clearly the target of his paranoia, Gibson in turn forfeited his ability to pinpoint cultural phenomena, a skill he has been so freakishly accurate with in the past. It's the first book of his I haven't enjoyed at any level, no matter how difficult he always is to read.
Grade: C-
Well, William Gibson don't do clarity, and that's the primary reason why I'm one of the only people I know who loves his novels. He is, almost exclusively, purposefully and doggedly obtuse. He drops you into his novels like you should already know what's going on, which, of course, you never do. I take long gaps between Gibson reads, because my mind has to be sharp and in tip-top shape to keep up with them.
All that being said, his latest novel, 2007's "Spook Country," stinks. The second novel he's written in the present (as opposed to his uncannily imagined future), this work is marred by too much intention. It's easy to imagine a situation where Gibson heard the news reports about "illegal wiretapping" and decided to write a novel about it. Or, in the least, that's the idea that set him off into "Spook Country," which deals tangentially in government conspiracies, no-bid contracts, and the like. For the first time, a Gibson novel reads along the lines of a DNC talking points memo. In a book that is so disjointed, murky, and impenetrable (even for Gibson), these obviously political references stick out like a black-helicopter strobe light in the middle of a pitch-dark night. (Speaking of "dark knights" (OK, sorta), the brilliant Christopher Nolan film does a much better job engaging this issue of surveillance than Gibson's book does).
The most egregious fault of "Spook Country," though, comes back to Gibson's actual writing. The story centers around three central characters, and Gibson devotes a chapter to each back-to-back-to-back almost exclusively until the book reaches its conclusion and the individual plotlines begin to merge. The chapters are quite brief, many less than two pages, so you never really get to know the characters at all or feel anything for them, which has always been a strong point for Gibson. One of the three (I won't tell you which one), serves almost no purpose whatsoever, and having read through the entire novel I still cannot figure out why he receives so much ink.
It's less than 30 minutes until the first Redskins' preseason game begins, and I feel I'm not being very clear, and certainly not very poignant, in my criticism, so I should just end here. "Spook Country" simply tries too hard, even for Gibson. In identifying so clearly the target of his paranoia, Gibson in turn forfeited his ability to pinpoint cultural phenomena, a skill he has been so freakishly accurate with in the past. It's the first book of his I haven't enjoyed at any level, no matter how difficult he always is to read.
Grade: C-
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Class: Defined
Is it any wonder I love Art Monk?
I didn't think I could be a bigger fan of this man before this day, but his humble, classy, heartfelt, sincere, and downright bold Hall of Fame induction speech reminded me why I looked up to him as a kid, why his was the only jersey I ever wanted (which I wore today and will continue to wear every Sunday all season), why I cheered for him and rooted for his success, and why he was one of the first pop culture figures of my youth who, through his example, showed me being a Christian was OK.
Ever since he retired I had planned on going to the induction ceremony, but the details just didn't work out. I sure wish I could have been a part of that four-minute ovation, though. It was emotional just watching it on TV. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy—and, unfortunately, it rarely does. His speech made me wish I was friends with Art Monk the man, not the football player. It was simply tremendous, and like so many Redskins fans, for the last—and, perhaps, greatest—time, I am proud to call myself one of his admirers.
The long wait was definitely worth it.
Oh, and Darrell, you were great, too.
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