C’mon, dude.

This is in response to that video of Jeff Tweedy playing the Black Eyed Peas song at The Hideout. And while I wouldn’t say it “bothers” me, per se, I will say it perhaps irks me a little.

At first it’s kinda funny, the way he admits that the song isn’t exactly in his wheelhouse. It seems like maybe he’s going to give a liteweight dancefloor pop-song a shot, and put his own, uhh, particular spin on it. Seems harmless enough. And who knows, it might even sound kinda neat.

But instead, out comes the snark. Making fun of the repetitiveness, and what he perceives as dopey lyrics. Not sure why. And yeah, I get that by m oaning about this I risk coming across as an even bigger square than he is.

Maybe I can sum up my feelings thus-like. Say you’re a popular pastry chef. Do you run out, grab a Twinkie, then jump up on a table in the crowded dining room of your hip new restaurant and start berating Cream Filling?  — “I mean COME ON! I mean what kind of IDIOT would eat this stuff? Isn’t it just soooooo hilarious????”

C’mon, dude. Sometimes a Twinkie just tastes good. It is what it is. And sometimes I can’t be bothered to order, and appreciate, and then nibble at yer painstinkin’ attempts at alt-tuned Bananas Foster.

Last one.

Sorry.

The boys are back, the boys are back

By now we’ve all heard “the boys are back in town” a billion times. I love Thin Lizzy but this is not the song I’d punch-up at the jukebox (I’d go “jailbreak” every time which might run slightly contrary to my point but there it is).

 

This afternoon I was driving with my 12-year-old son when “the boys” came on the radio. I’m sure he has heard this song before but he instinctively reached over and cranked up the volume. This was a great moment.

 

Yes the sun was shining and yes I was with one of my most favorite dudes but this CLASSIC ROCK song fit the picture perfectly. And it sounded awesome.

 

So I guess maybe I have two observations here. The first is that the song sounded so good in large part because I was hearing it through his ears. He has not heard the song a billion times and simply responded to what you have to admit is a really great rock guitar (and bass) part. Plus you can’t go wrong with a refrain as basic, repetitive, and catchy as that song’s.

 

Which brings me to point #2. That song (and “jailbreak” and “jailbreak” and most other CLASSIC ROCK tunes) just plain old sound great on the radio. Not over-produced and crammed with sound but certainly produced and filled with sounds made by guys that knew how to play.

 

Now this is not a “today’s music is crap” post. It is simply a nod to CLASSIC ROCK and a snapshot of a moment that might not look all that spectacular on the surface but which was really special all the same.

 

Besides. If that chick don’t wanna know, forget her.

Cryover States

There’s six different threads ‘n’ posts I could gin up about the Rolling Stones/Martin Scorsese movie* but for now here’s this.

Jack White takes the stage and while he doesn’t quite steal the show he at least holds it hostage. Does he sing in a fakey southern accent? Why yes. Yes he does. Did the Stones do the same circa “Let it Bleed”, “Exile”, etc.? Why yes. Yes they did.

Tomfakery notwithstanding. I’d like to leave the Stones out of the discussion, for the most part. But I wonder if it’s Jack White’s Midwestern-ness that doesn’t let him slide in a southerly direction.

As the name implies the Midwest is in the middle. Easy for folks to adapt or drift in one direction or another. Easier, also, maybe, for your modern vocal groups to pick up and meld different influences. Jack and his Striped Whites are one example; taking the garage, and the blues, and the punk and doing a thing.

The Replacements are another. Could they possibly have been from any other part of the country? I think not. Minneapolis certainly had a specific influence but roughly the same band could have come from Milwaukee, Chicago, etc.

What the hell was my point again? Oh yeah, something about regionalism and its influence on music. Just like the Replacements could not have come from, say, Manhattan I would say that Suicide could not have come from the Twin Cities.

Not saying there is a right/wrong, better/worse but I would offer that being from the Midwest makes it easier (more natural even) to adapt and incorporate. Maybe the Midwest doesn’t produce a band like Suicide but the East Coast doesn’t produce anybody like the Replacements.

Does that make sense? And does it correlate at all to the original point about Jack White’s fake southern accent in the Stones movie?

Maybe what I’m saying is that the accent seems more natural (more forgivable, even) coming from a Jack White. Coming from a guy from the Midwest. There may also be a point about the “Second City” or “Flyover State” nature of a Midwestern identity; that bozos from that region will never do anything truly original and that the best they can do is ape an existing style or two and hope to craft something vaguely interesting.

But that seems kind of harsh. And maybe it’s ‘cause I’m from the Midwest that I feel a need to see the positive. I mean hell, look at Bloodshot Records and/or go to The Hideout on just about any given night. Clearly Chicagoans feel very comfortable with a (fakey) drawl and a twang.

Bloodshot could have come out of Milwaukee but not out of Manhattan. And as much as I like to take potshots at all things Alt Country (and Jack White, and (hell) the Rolling Stones), being open to influence is a good thing.

Also. If you haven’t seen the Stones movie, 2 things: #1 don’t say I didn’t warn you about the JW’s goofy accent; and #2, if you are a Mick Jagger defender be forewarned that his performance on “Sympathy for the Devil” will make your position much more difficult if not impossible.

[ Originally published at Ye Olde Luckye &e Beste, mid 2010 http://luckyandbest.com/blog/ ]

*Including this one, from a couple years back: http://luckyandbest.com/blog/2009/02/10/on-sympathy-for-the-devil/

On The Replacements, and their albums

First off you have to understand that I am one of the bigger Replacements (can’t quite bring myself to call them “the ‘mats”) fans you’ll find. I went through a pretty serious Let-it-Be-era-Tommy-Stinson fashion thing in late high school / early college that one could argue still manifests itself today, and my own attempts at songwriting are not without their Westerbergian influences.

But it’s funny, looking back on their career, they never really put out a GREAT album. Every album had some great tunes, some of course more than others. But there is really no ONE album that holds itself together, start to finish. (If you really want to get into it w/ nutball Replacements fans try this argument: “14 Songs” is actually The Replacements’ best album ….)

Just so we’re clear, I’m not saying they made lousy records. “Let it Be” certainly gets a ton of “IT CHANGED MY LIFE!!!!” type press, which I guess I can understand. And heck, I am even of the opinion that “All Shook Down” is quite good. But still, if I am in a Replacements-listenin’ mood there is no single long-player that scratches the itch.

Just for kicks let’s go record-by-record, shall we?

“Sorry Ma ….” – very listenable if you’re in the right mood. Holds together reasonably well, if for no other reason than the songs are short and for the most part sound pretty similar. Not, shall we say, “developed” enough to be great though.

“Hootenanny” – A really diverse and interesting bunch of tunes, but too many toss-offs and inconsistent production keep it from “complete album” greatness.

“Stink” – pretty fun to listen to. But too short and too, uh, hardcore.

“Let it Be” – THE CLASSIC!!! THE LIFE-CHANGER!!! Ok, it is quite good. And has moments of unbelievableness (“Answering Machine”). But I’m thinking the Kiss cover alone stops this one in its tracks. Snarky remarks aside though, this may be their closest to a “complete album”, and is an interesting snapshot of an interesting band at an interesting time in their interesting career. Interesting.

“Tim” – The production kills it. There are some career high points and also some filler. But in the end it sounds like it was recorded from across the street. Or as the kids might say, it does not “rock”.

“Pleased to Meet Me” – Another good argument starter is the production on this one. I personally think they done flung the door too far the other way after “Tim”. Again, some great tunes and some filler. “Shooting Dirty Pool” ruins the party for me, but this one also has some real pleasant medium rock gems like “Valentine”.

“Don’t Tell a Soul” – Again w/ the bad production. This time over the top “pro” sounding. I can defend a lot of things Replacements but this album is a tough sell. I still dig the hit single (“I’ll be You”), and a scattering of others, but this album just don’t move me.

“All Shook Down” – Well, see, I really like this record. I always have. And what’s worse I have always copped an insufferable “history will show …” attitude about it. I think it comes close to feeling like a proper LP, I really do. “One Wink at a Time” is a great great song, certainly a couple others on here. Not sure whether it’s the “it was really Westerberg’s solo album” thing or the watery tunes or both that keeps this one from “great album” status though.

In conclusion (which is weird to type as I am sure that no one has made it this far in) let me reiterate that I am a big fan of this band. I guess what surprises me though, is that despite all of the WESTERBERG IS A GENIUS stuff, I feel like it is the IDEA of the Replacements that people like. Arguably this is the same as the “spirit” of the band, which still gets written about a lot. And yeah ok, I’ll buy that. Maybe I just feel like I wish that this band that I love would have put out a single long-player that perfectly summed them up, and that I could spin any time I was in a ‘placements mood.

Hmmm, think I’ll go put on “14 Songs” ….

[ This is yet another from the fine folks at Lucky&Best. God bless ’em. Early 2010. http://luckyandbest.com/blog/ ]

On MySpace and rock music and the selling of records

I have a friend who is in a local Chicago rock group (and yes, this really is about a friend, not about me). They are quite good; great songs, great harmonies, great playing. They are unsigned but playing the better Chicago clubs regularly.

My question is this: does it make sense, in this day and age, to release a record (on CD)? Or is the toothpaste so far out of the tube that everyone expects music or free?

My feeling is that it’s the latter. No one goes to see bands anymore (even small unknown local ones) without having heard their tunes. This is both good and bad; good because it can get you psyched to see ‘em (or help you avoid blowing your hard-earned cash on a stinker), bad because some of the mystery/anticipation has been removed.

It seems to me that the smarter and seemingly more common route nowadays is to let folks listen to and/or own your tunes for nothing. “MP3s are the new gig flyer” as someone once said (hint: it was me).

The band in question has a MySpace page and then gives out CDs at shows. Seems about right. I think what’s neat is when bands really use MySpace to their advantage. Don’t just post 4 songs and leave ‘em there. Pick your 2 strongest and then rotate in some goofy demo stuff, outtakes, etc.

[ Taken from Lucky&Best, such as it is. Originally published in early 2009. http://luckyandbest.com/blog/ ]

On “Sympathy for the Devil”

Specifically, said song in “Shine a Light”, the Scorsese concert film. Specifically-specifically, Mick Jagger.

Ok I get that the Rolling Stones are a STADIUM ACT, and that you have to put on a show, play to the cheap seats, etc. But if there is ONE SONG you don’t monkey with*, it’s a song called SYMPATHY FOR THE  (stinkin’) DEVIL.

Mick pretty much ruined that one singlehandedly. The arrangement was a little sunny to begin with but then he starts in with his ham-talkin’ Branson, MO delivery and it just made me want to nail him shut in a small box.

*On the other hand “Monkey Man” would be an ideal song for them to monkey with. HA.

[ This post originally appeared on the Lucky & Best Internet Concern. February, 2009.  http://luckyandbest.com/blog ]