All Moved In And Nowhere To Go. (An Argument For....And As Always, Against, The Greatest Songwriter Of The Past 20 Years.)- Blog 1 of 2.

I must apologize for my recent lack of activity. I took a job in Virginia, and was quite focused on moving. I will more than make up for it though. Actually I have to tip a hat to my mates here at RHT, after the Kid Rock blog, and response, I went out and picked up the new album and listened to it while unpacking. I will, and have to admit...solid record. For me, not a KR fan, I'll give it 3.5 out of 5. That's sayin' something, right? But, this is not a blog about Kid Rock. No, gentlemen, it's time for my pesky, bi-monthly infusion of rap blogging.

'high school, the crossover waved away picks - music is the same s**t, gave away hits....'

5.) Ice Cube

4.) Slick Rick

3.) Notorious B.I.G.

2.) Nas

1.) Rakim

That list, my top 5 MCs of all time, has stood firm since 1997. Shawn Corey Carter, you all may know him as Jay-Z, or not know him at all (but, come on....even people who don't listen to rap know who Jay-Z is, which will further speak to my point...), you may notice...is not on that list. A choice that has inspired much, much debate amongst my friends, and hip hop fans. There's no good reason for it...it's just stubborness on my part. Which is why it's been the same since 1997. Anyway, whether or not he's in my top 5, which is flawed as is, Jay-Z's impact on music over the past 14 years cannot be denied. I noticed Vibe Magazine's 15th anny issue was just released, and a majestic photo of Jay graced the cover. All black/white cover, photo of Jay in all white. The only words on the cover stated "This is what it looks like". On my trip down, with Reasonable Doubt blasting all the way through, I explored that "it" and why it could mean that the greatest songwriter of the past two decades is actually a rapper....who doesn't write anything down at all.

"I've inspired a generation of bad writers"

Any casual rap fan has seen the process. The ever famous process in which Shawn Carter turns into Rain Man, and then finally, into Jay-Z. The process is part of "it". It is when he hears the beat, tweaks it how he wants it, and then the It REALLY starts. The process of sitting in a corner in the studio mumbling to himself, shaking, head in his hands, jerking, and mumbling some more. An artist known for his cool losing just that for the sake of art. Then, almost as instantly as it starts, it ends, he snaps up, goes to the recording booth, and fires through an entire song. No chorus. He can add that later. There's no more telling shot than in Fade To Black, the documentary that chronicled the making of his 3rd classic album (The Black Album)...the point where he's in the studio with Timbaland recording 'Brush Your Shoulders Off', and in one continuous shot, he chooses a beat, darts in the booth and lays down the now epic final verse of that song (some of which, sadly got cut off in the final mix), and tossing down the headphones, as if it was too easy, leaving Timbaland in the studio motionless and speechless. (Proving it wasn't just a one time thing, he did the same thing to Rick Rubin later in the doc.) Here's the thing, people can discredit rap all they'd like to, and I can understand why, but not seeing the value in this alone is an error. Even rap fans undercut Jay by using the "what does it matter whether he writes or doesn't write?" argument. It's not just that he doesn't write. Not writing in and of itself may not be that impressive, granted. But he has 3 factors working for him. 1.) The time in which he gets it done: He's by no accounts a studio rat, and he can't be now, with all of his responsiblities elsewhere. I think it's telling that he made his 4th classic album (Last summer's American Gangster) with his least amount of recording time. 2.) Song structure: he's not just blurting out 5 minutes of lyrics. He's forming out where the hook will and won't be, melody with the beat, and everything else that any other songwriter would be doing. Evidenced in his structuring and co-writing songs for various other artists. Beyonce? Ne-Yo? you're welcome for your careers (Although I'd say Beyonce has probably thanked him plenty....). 3.) Quality of lyrics. No one, and I mean NO ONE that listens to rap will deny that Jay is one of the best lyricists of all time. I'll cover content later, but there have been so many "rewind" moments (when a lyric is so on point that you have to rewind the CD to hear it again) that Jay has offered that I lost count. (I remember when I first heard the line "Said she liked my necklace, and started relaxin'/Now that's what the hell I call a chain reaction"...I hit rewind about 3 times before moving on. These are also known as "OOOOHHHH" moments.) Those 3 factors give him credibility beyond his peers in rap alone, but outside of rap?

"I don't know what the fuss Is, my career is illustrious, My rep is impeccable; I'm not to be f****** with"

What I will NOT do this blog is re-trace Jay-Z's career. That much. Everyone's heard it, but it's also an important part of this...It that I keep getting at. Rising from the ashes of B.I.G.'s murder in 1997, just one year into his career, and pulling back the power structure of hip-hop to it's birthplace, Brooklyn. Ok, so by '97, he already had 1 classic album under his belt....'96's Reasonable Doubt is considered, much like The Chronic, one of the best genre-spanning albums ever. But he still had work to do. Most rappers are lucky to get one album considered a classic, but 4? All of them (RD, The Blueprint, The Black Album, American Gangster), are different phases, and one, American Gangster is the finest hip-hop concept album created. Reasonable Doubt is the kid that's fresh off of the streets, struggling at all costs to make rap work, to find a legal hustle. It's going at it with everything you have, and that's why it's one of the best albums ever...when you see what he saw and go through what he went through, there's not much turning back as far as lyrical openness. The Blueprint, he's just playing for the love of the game. It was 2001, he was established, and he had a young Kanye West on the boards, so nothing to worry about as they as a team revolutionized the way rap was heard until about 2006. The Black Album was supposed to be the curtain call, the final album before he bowed out. This album is my classic (The others are critical classics....4.5 or 5 star albums, this one, while great, "only" averaged a 4. Ummm...bummer?), and a street classic, which holds more weight in rap than Rolling Stone's scale. It's a personal classic because of how it was constructed. 11 songs. 10 different producers. Again, rap detractors, have your opinions, and I will respect that...but that is NOT easy. Especially with his recording process, not getting a feel for one beat, or producer. He could have taken the easy way out. Kanye West was fresh off of his Debut album, and coming into genius form. He could have made another Blueprint album (Actually, he did make a Blueprint 2 album with minimal help from West which was a critical failure, but commercial success.), but the mark of a true artist, in any form is the willingness to take risks in order to fail. And this album was a ringing success. Had it been his final, no one would have asked for more. Released last summer, American Gangster, while not better than his debut, was much more critically lauded. Topping album of the year polls, and all of the superficial stuff that probably would have mattered more to the 26 year old Jay-Z than it mattered to a 37 year old Jay-Z. Fresh off of the failure of his comeback album, Kingdom Come (I started referring to it as "the album that I won't name"...it was awful. Everyone hated it. I'm sure even his parents hated that one.), this album was great because he acknowledged his failure, and spent no time licking his wounds. At 37 years old, he showed that setbacks only made him more focused, and he released a near-perfect album. A concept album about where he was, to where he is, it reads almost perfectly like Reasonable Doubt through the eyes of a parent. He went back to unknown producers, a small studio, and put in the work like he was 25 or 26 all over again. 4 classic albums in just about 12 years, not to mention 2 other "very good" albums, and 2-3 "good-solid" records. Who else has had a career like this since 1988?

"From Bricks to Billboards, from grams to Grammys,The O's to opposite, Orphan Annie"

So, there we have it...and I know, this argument is flawed. People will say "well, he doesn't write the music, he has producers"...I'd venture to argue, sure with no backing at all, but I'd argue that Jay-Z could produce. He's had way too many co-production credits to not know how. It's the little things...he, yes, HE sampled Annie's Hard Knock Life for a song....in 1998! people don't appreciate the song Hard Knock Life now, because everyone samples quirky stuff...but in 1998, they thought it was career suicide. "They" underestimated "It". Jay-Z is one artist in music that I will say has nothing left to prove. He's done more for rap than anyone, and continues to. He's toned down his image (from hustler to high-class business man) while still delivering content that is real without being degrading. He dines with Presidents, owns companies, and best of all seems to have that fine line of cockiness and humility down. People thought rap wouldn't age well. Jay is on the "wrong" side of 30, and won't slow down. Maybe, just maybe if American Gangster would have bricked, he'd have stopped. Some people in rap would have liked that. But not for me...this is for those rap fans that look at Lil' Wayne and think "well...he's ok....but what's the fuss about??" Because we know that at any moment, Jay-Z could come for his head, and sweep the 'heir to the throne' rug right from under him. But Wayne will have to wait anyway....'cause he's still got more in the tank, and that's something that his peers, not just in rap, but in all music should keep an eye on.

Heavy Metal 101 - The Sign Of The Horns

OK. So you're having a party and some rough customers drop by. They demand some Metallica be played on your stereo, and if you don't have any one of the dudes has "Master Of Puppets" in his Camaro, so don't worry. Time to lock up the liquor & your woman, because it's gonna get rough. After the guy with the Camaro finishes rewinding the cassette, a ritual begins. Mullets start flying, guttural howls emanate from the living room, and the dudes start punching each other in the chest. But something catches your eye and you begin to smile inside (because you remember this post from Rock Hard Times). Either these guys are retarded, are Texas Longhorn fans, love to surf, are trying to tell the infield there are two outs, or plan on having gay prison sex after they leave. They definitely don't know anything about Heavy Metal because you can tell by the hand signs they keep flashing each other. "Not even close, man," you whisper to yourself. "But how do I get these guys out the door & down the highway?" You set your jaw, squint your eyes, bend your knees & flash the correct, Ronnie James Dio-approved version of the "Mano Cornuta" - the sign of the horns that will drive these evil spirits from your friendly little gathering. They are stunned & amazed all at once. You are definitely a little weird they think - "just chill" they say as they grab Camaro boy's cassette & move on in search of some chicks that put out & maybe score some weed too. Whew...close call.

The sign of the horns - properly displayed above by Mr. Dio, has become iconic with fans of heavy metal music over the past 25 years. So much so, that even Dio has become tired with it's improper use & rarely uses it himself these days. "It's all right as long as it's accepted for what it was," Dio told (Kerrang!) magazine. "It was a more serious thing at the time, when I was with (BLACK) SABBATH. That was a band that was very dark, and that's what I wanted it to be. It was symbol of the darkness of that band, and not something to be passed on to BRITNEY SPEARS! An invention is an invention, I guess. It's become so damn polluted now. The people who are doing it don't know what it means and they have no idea that they shouldn't be doing it." Dio goes on to say, "The point is that you can't just flash it. You have to have a face that goes with it. There has to be some emotion behind it. It can't just be the raising of the arm, trying to get your fingers in the right position. And you'll notice that a lot of people are using the thumb now, too. When the thumb comes out it means 'I love you' either in Hawaiian or in sign language - I'm not sure which! So that's proof, once again, that these celebrities don't really have a clue."

Ronnie James Dio actually learned the sign from his grandmother, who is of Mediterranean descent. In those countries the sign is used as a superstitious way to ward off bad luck, albeit in a very vulgar way. In modern America, however, it has made appearances in circles dealing with the occult. Bram Stoker brought the corna to readers' attention in Dracula as a charm for Jonathan Harker. Anton LeVey popularized its use in the 1960's as many became enchanted by his Church Of Satan & its rituals. Who actually "invented" the sign & began using it in popular music performances has been a source of debate however. Ronnie James Dio probably deserves more credit than anyone as he began using it in the early 80's as the new lead singer for Black Sabbath to connect with the audience. Gene $immons, of course, has laid claim to inventing the sign as part of this demon character in the band Ki$$ during the early seventies. Even The Beatles got in on the game. On the cover of the Yellow Submarine album (1969), the cartoon of John Lennon's right hand is making the sign above Paul McCartney's head. For many fans, this was one of the many "Paul is dead" clues.

Anyhow, the sign of the horns is very similar to the "hang loose" Hawaiian hand sign & the sign language sign for "I love you." The difference is that that thumb is loose & to the side on these two hand signs. The sign of the horns has the thumb tucked in tight, covering the middle & ring finger in your palm. To "hex" someone, you simply angle your wrist downward and point your pointer and pinkie finger at someone. You can even make the sign with both hands, pull in your pointer finger on each hand, & bring both hands together to make a mega devil's horn. Sweet, huh? Whichever way you prefer you've got to have a heavy-metal attitude behind it, that is the key. Dude, just don't be like a loser...or a posuer, dude. OK, dude?

So there you have it, you first course in Heavy Metal 101. Enjoy the poll, while I get to work on my two boys. They're still a little green as you can tell...that's their only excuse.

Rock on...

DJ

Not Exactly Rockin' The Vote

The onslaught of campaign lit, radio ads, tv commercials and outright election mania can only mean one thing: it's time to elect a new president. The fall of 2008 only promises to get worse for Joe Q. Pubic as the mindnumbing assault on our political leanings will continue throughout the fall season. While I'm not going to attempt to sway you or slay you with my own personal political truths and ideals, I do find it interesting, surprising and somewhat disgusting when we find some of our favorite musicians entering into the fray of politics. Not that we all shouldn't be involved (Vote Kids!) its just that sometimes, well, enough is enough. And before you break in with the whole "politics is part of rock and roll" Bob Dylan spiel, you might as well save it cause while it may have been cool to be Country Joe & the Fish back in the day, it just seems difficult to apply the same "give a damn" that protested the Viet Nam conflict to hybrid cars, government health care or immigration.

However, musicians will find themselves in the middle of this political debate much as each of us will. Some more than others. Jackson Browne recently sued John McCain for $75,000 for using his song "Running On Empty" on a RNC television ad. This amid reports that both ABBA and John Mellencamp have also asked that McCain quit using their songs. Perhaps Senator McCain should turn to some tunes from his own era - it was the Baroque era right? A nice little diddy by Beethoven, perhaps? Whatever the case, Browne (who donated $2400 to Obama's campaign last year) must have been ticked when he heard his tune open up the McCain ad. Maybe the McCain camp thought it was a James Taylor song?

Barak Obama, on the other hand, has a slew of musician support for his candidacy. Which pretty much follows tradition except for the fact that this time around the contrast between who will get the coolest musician's in their corner is staggering to say the least. Consider the following from Newsweek : "So far Will.i.am, the Decemberists, Arcade Fire, The Gratefull Dead, Macy Gray, and Wilco have serenaded Obama fans. In contrast, McCain claims but a single prominent musical supporter: California pop maestro Burt Bacharach." Even "Dubya" brought in Ted "The Motor City Madman" Nugent!??


At any rate, as the political machine begins to push the red line, we are sure to see more and more of our musician friends entering into the political spectrum. Perhaps it would do all musicians well to take a lesson from the Dixie Chicks, who lost a ton of revenue after speaking out politically, but then also made a killer album and won a Grammy and critical acclaim. Oh well, even I may be mixed up on this whole thing. But one thing is for sure, if you listen to this - even you will understand what I'm sayin'.

So without dividing up the RHT'ers into left aisle and right aisle, I ask you - what is your take on this election and music as we know it? Do you care what they think? Will it influence your vote? Do you just want me to stop posting nude pics of Macy Gray? (now you're clicking that link, aren't you?)


I wonder who Neil Young and Toby Keith will back this time around . . . .??

Vote or Die!

If You Don't Get Away From That Jukebox, I Will Lose My Mind.

Jukebox rules. We've got to establish some, otherwise just anything can happen in a bar. Look, I don't drink, so I'm here for a good time without being drunk. If I'm driving you home wasted, I should have first choice of song. I don't care that you're wasted and you want to hear "your song!"....seeing as that song is Run-Around by Blues Traveler, and I've heard it 4 times already tonight, I think you'll survive. I mean, I like John Popper and co. as much as the next guy who's afraid that Popper will shoot them and everything they love, but man, come on. We can compromise. I'm not into bringing music snobbery into this bar scene, and I'm sure you're trying to pick up chicks, so how we can meet halfway on some Pat Benetar, right? Love is nothing if not a battlefield. You want to see girls dancing on the bar? I'd prefer the dance floor. Call me insane, but it just seems more practical. If coyote ugly had never come out, you wouldn't even care. So, no, I'm not down to put on every song Flo Rida has ever made. Kanye West is always a good choice. Danceable, but also intricate enough for a guy like me to want to listen to. Plus, it's loud enough to where the girl who's talking to me will have to get close to me and scream in my face, and there's nothing I want more than that. But lets get one thing straight right away...if someone ELSE brings music snobbery into the bar, I'll one up them until we close this baby down. You want to put on some Jonny Lang? I respect that, and I appreciate your effort. I'm sure there's nothing more on this Saturday night that these people in their early to mid twenties want to hear more than slowhand blues playing. But, since you wanna be 'that guy', I'll play that game....yep, you got it, I'm playing The Band, and now everyone's pissed off, and I'm pretty sure that the chick who got in here with the fake i.d. is leaving. And everyone was so fond of her. And who's the genius that picked out Joy Division? Look, we all know how fun misery can be, but playing the most depressing band of all time? in a bar? Yeah, I've got some Cure albums I'm dying to play, so that this drunk dude next to me can start crying on my shoulder. Look, it's simple, you've got to go: band that has a song that everyone knows, but they don't know the name of the band. That's what you start with. That's right, I'm coming out swinging with I Need You Tonight, because none of these girls in here know that INXS sings this, Especially not the one wearing the INXS shirt, and I'm going to look smarter than I am. Plus, you know how Mike Hutchence died, don't you? yeah....that's kinda hot. Ummm, depending on how you look at it. King Of Wishful Thinking is also a good choice for this spot. Hey, we've all watched Pretty Woman. And Go West pretty much is the greatest thing to happen to blue eyed soul since Rick Astley. Another rule. Hey bro...keep the song under 8 minutes. Despite the fact that you guys scream for it everytime someone goes near the jukebox, trust me...No one wants to hear Freebird, no matter how many times you and your frat brothers keep putting up lighters in this bar. Yeah, it's all fun and games until you bros set off the sprinkler system. This night is not going well, and who in hell's sake picked like 4 O.A.R. songs? Sweet Jesus, O.A.R. sucks, and these songs are like 45 minutes each. How long do you plan on being here bro? 'cause it's like 12:30, and last call is at like 3, and I'm sure that by that time, O.A.R. will just be breaking into the reggae interlude to the first song you picked. Aren't those guys from Maryland? Oh well, we've all got a little Bob Marley in us I guess, but I didn't know that you could add an extra 25 minutes to Redemption Song. Oh, yeah....we're in a campus bar though, so that explains why everyone is drooling over this garbage. Yeah drunk dude next to me, I DO know that the guys from O.A.R. went to OSU. Oh, yeah? you were at some kick ass party that they played at like 4 years ago? did they suck this bad then, or did they work at it? How long was that party? 5 days? these lame asses wouldn't know the end of a song if the tape stopped. I was down for some Black Keys, or maybe Blind Melon, but now there's not a snowball's chance that I'm gonna hear my songs. I'm not into wasting money on music. I was going to close out with an anthem too. Not Freebird, but maybe a little Journey, a little Tom Petty. Something we could all close the night out with by drunkenly singing along to. That's never going to happen now, because it's like 2:45 and we're just at the end of the second O.A.R. song. Oh, it's not the end? damn. So, I'm outta here. I've got to wash the tears off of me that Joy Division dude left on my shirt, plus the girls that were dancing on the bar ruined my shoes. Good night, and good luck. I'll be back to claim the Jukebox as my domain next weekend, now that we have the rules straight.

Classic Album Review: Violent Femmes - 1982

The year is 1982. Musically, there ain't a whole hell of a lot going on. Laura Branigan scores with "Gloria." Hall & Oates are munching the charts with "Maneater." Duran Duran solidifies Brit-Pop's hold on the charts with the release of Rio. Michael Jackson prepares for the release of Thriller, which will dominate airwaves for the next 2 years. Bruce Springsteen release Nebraska, but no one notices because John "Cougar" Mellencamp released American Fool. However, there is a rumbling. A group from Athens, GA named R.E.M. release an EP titled Chronic Town. Sonic Youth likewise releases their first EP, Sonic Youth. A punk band from NYC named Bad Brains release their eponymous debut - later to change their name & style to Beastie Boys. The Meat Puppets release their debut. And, little did anyone know at the time, but the day before Michael Jackson released the biggest album of all-time, a young band from Milwaukee, WI would release one of the most influential albums ever: Violent Femmes by The Violent Femmes.

Discovered nearly a year before recording their debut album by Chrissie Hynde & James Honeyman-Scott of The Pretenders outside one of their own concerts; Gordon Gano, Brian Ritchie, & Victor DeLorenzo would soon put together one of the ultimate collections of songs that thousands of college students would soon call their own personal soundtrack. The Femmes music was indescribable at the time. In a day of synthesizers & electronic music, the use of acoustic instruments (guitar, bass & snare drum) could only mean coffee-house folk. Stripped of instrumentation though, Gordon Gano's dead-pan vocals & risque lyrics would seem to have a tinge of punk in them since that movement was nary a decade old at the time. "What to do with such a strange band?" the American public would ponder. Certainly not buy their album...at least not right away as evidenced by it not going platinum until 10 years after its release. However, there was just "something" about this quirky music a lot of kids kept coming back to, time & time again...

Basically, after a retrospective of the Violent Femmes on again/off again career, Violent Femmes is their greatest hits compilation. "Blister In The Sun" - OK, who has never had this song stuck in head for days at a time? Maybe you, Big Hands...you know you're the one. "Kiss Off" - who wants to be happy, anyhow? A lot of kids probably re-taught themselves to count while inebriated listening to this song. "I'll take one, one, one 'cause you left me and two, two, two for my family and three, three, three for my heartache and four, four, four for my headache and five, five, five for my loneliness and six, six, six for my sorrow and seven, seven, seven n-n-n tomorrow and eight, eight, eight: I FORGOT WHAT EIGHT WAS FOR!!" Kick ass..

Next was "Please Do Not Go." Will this magical sing-a-long ever end? Not so fast my friend, because the ultimate pick-up line-in-a-song is up next in "Add It Up." "Why can't I get just one kiss?" "Why can't I get just one screw?" "Why can't I get just one f**k? guess it's got something to do with luck" I guess. Never worked for me...maybe just a little creepy for a guy like me, but to see a cute girl at a keg party mouthing those lyrics over the stereo just sends chills up your spine. "Words to memorize, words hypnotize, words make my mouth exercise, words all fail the magic prize. Nothing left to say when I'm in your...." HELL-O!" Ahhh, memories. Anyhow, back to the track list! We've still got "Prove My Love," "Gone Daddy Gone" & "Ugly" to discuss, but you guys listen while I go back to "Add It Up" again and to that kegger, circa 1991 Ypsilanti, MI and try to figure out what ultimately went wrong there. Surely had nothing to do with the alcohol...

Anyhow...what we have here folks is a rarity. An album by a band that has gone from cult following, to moderate success, to iconic in the minds of a generation & passing to the next. Stop & think about it - Violent Femmes will be 26 years old this fall, and it sounds like it just came out yesterday!! Not too shabby, I'd say. It will go on for another 26 years as well, because of kids like my 9-year old son who has stolen my copy & has been playing it non-stop all summer (except for "Add It Up" of course - he's a good kid). Hell, this album will still be playing while the cockroaches are eating Twinkies when the world as we know it comes to an end. "Just last night I was reminded of, just how bad it had gotten, just how sick I had become..." I'm out.

"What do I have to do? (tell me now) What do I have to do? (Tell me now) To prove my love to you..." Somebody pump the keg!!!

Mark Oliver Everett: A Man Called E

To get your attention, let’s begin with my favorite E story. A few years ago he was asked to provide a quote for the dust jacket to Kurt Cobain's posthumously published diaries. He complied, providing this quote: "Please don't do this to me after I kill myself." Needless to say, the blurb wasn't used. Still, it helps provide a glimpse into the mind of a man called E.

But let’s go back to the beginning, at least for me. I guess it started with the voice. Soulful, sad, carrying with it a kind of a plaintive desperation if you will. A friend of mine ('twas Goose) had given me a mix tape that had “Susan’s House” on it back in 1996 and I was instantly intrigued. So began my introduction and fascination with E and his group, the Eels.

For those in the know, the Eels are essentially one man, the aforementioned E, whose given name is Mark Oliver Everett. E plays piano, guitar, drums, and virtually every other instrument you can think of. He’s known critically for his innovative combination of instruments and musical styles. He’s had his share of traumatic life events to say the least. He found his father dead in his bed when he was 19. His sister, who he was very close to, committed suicide in 1996, and his mother lost a long battle to cancer in 1998. He also lost several close friends during this time. Enough you say? Not quite. His cousin, Jennifer Lewis née Gore, was a flight attendant on the plane that struck the Pentagon during the September 11, 2001 attacks. So, E is the last surviving member of his family. The tragedies in his life have contributed to his musical style that includes mortality's toll, mental illness, and loneliness. And as I said, the mournful, hoarse voice lends itself perfectly to his lyrics and musical tone. Not to fear though, his catalog includes upbeat and uplifting songs as well, a lot focusing on survival. As he sings on E’s Tune:

Life's just an ugly mess,
The angry souls in such distress,
But there’s a time when moments can be sweet,
And it feels like someone’s smiling down on me.
Sometimes it feels like I'm all alone,
(Most of the time actually I am alone)
That's all right, don't give up now I'm almost there.

Never fear though, as Everett can rock with the best of them. If proof is needed, check out Souljacker Part 1, Rags to Rags, or Saturday Morning. If you’re worried that E’s stuff lacks an edge, give a listen to It's a Motherfucker, not to be confused with Fucker. The former is an angst-filled homage to his dead mother (I’m not kidding), the latter a whimsical look at an ex-girlfriend (wait for the surprise ending).

Interesting tidbit - E’s dad was Hugh Everett III. He was a mathematician and quantum theorist, notable for formulating the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics in 1957. You know, parallel universes and whatnot. Suffice it to say he was kind of intelligent. E, on the other hand, flunked freshman Math. He channeled his talents in another direction.

E’s early work included two solo albums, A Man Called E (1992) and Broken Toy Shop (1993). Both were finely crafted pop gems unleashed in the middle of the grunge uprising, thus they went basically unnoticed. They were also recorded before E’s loss of his mom and sister so they are certainly lighter in mood.

After those two early albums E formed the Eels. He chose the name Eels because he wanted his “E” work to sit beside his “Eels” work in the CD bin at the record stores. Only later did he realize groups like The Eagles would separate the two. Oops. The Eels discography includes ‘Beautiful Freak” (great cover) (1996), “Electro-Shock Blues” (1998), “Daisies of the Galaxy” (2000), "Souljacker" (2002), “Shootenanny!” (2003), and “Blinking Lights and Other Revelations” (2005). Some notes on each, for your perusal:

• “Beautiful Freak” - Includes the singles "Novacaine for the Soul", "Susan's House" and "Your Lucky Day in Hell". The album is influenced by several musical styles, including grunge and hip-hop. A smooth and flawless studio recording.


• “Electro-Shock Blues” - This album deals with a lot of happy subjects including suicide, death, and cancer. It’s a very dark album. I mean, with songs like “Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor”, “Going to Your Funeral”, and “The Medication is Wearing Off”, how could it not be? Still, incredible stuff, with some unbelievable black humor. An album straight from E’s broken heart.


• “Daisies of the Galaxy” - If you’re going to buy one Eels album, this would be the one to get in my opinion. As E stated, “if Electro-Shock Blues was the phone call in the middle of the night that the world doesn't want to answer, then Daisies of the Galaxy is the hotel wake-up call that says your lovely breakfast is ready.” Great album that includes the hidden track “Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues”. You know, “Goddamn right it’s a beautiful day.” That one. Another cool tidbit. The piano E used on this album was the same one Neil Young used on “After the Gold Rush.” Sweet.


• “Souljacker” - Definitely a heavier feel and more rock-orientated sound on this one. The opening song, “Souljacker, Part 1” is apparently about a serial killer, as E sings, “22 miles of hard road, 33 years of tough luck, 44 skulls buried in the ground, Crawling down through the muck, Oh yeah.” To lighten things up, the song also includes lyrics about incest and a kid planning to kill people at his school. Cool. Check out “Dog-Faced Boy” as well.
  
• “Shootenanny” - E stated that there needed to be a word to describe the act of when a guy goes on a shooting rampage. His suggestion was to say the guy went on a shootenanny. What can I say, the man’s brain is in a different place. Again, the album is a little rougher, possibly because it was recorded in only 10-days. A personal favorite? None other than “Rock Hard Times” of course. So now you know.


• “Blinking Lights and Other Revelations” - The Eels first double album, it contained 33 tracks and featured contributions from Tom Waits, Peter Buck of R.E.M. and ex-Lovin’ Spoonful leader John Sebastian. A highlight is Wait’s crying like a baby on the song “Going Fetal.” Trust me, you gotta hear it to truly appreciate it. The Alternative Press said of the album, “A devastatingly beautiful collection of songs, and in some circles, it could be the best album released this year.” And how about this from Entertainment Weekly, “Everett finally delivers the absolute stone masterpiece fans have always known lurked inside his dour heart.” I know, I know, it’s Entertainment Weekly. But still . . .

The Eels released a few other albums, including the live “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” and “Eels With Strings” as well as an E offshoot album “I Am the Messiah” that he recorded under the name MC Honky. That one was an experience in experimentation that needs to be heard to comprehend because I can‘t begin to describe it. Give a listen to “Like a Duck” for a crazy-ass sampling. There’s also a just released compilation CD called “Essential Eels - Meet the Eels” that I would pass on if I were you. Instead let me make a 2-CD mix for ya (SuperV’s is still in my car as we speak).

You can click here to see the band’s official website and here to see their MySpace page. Also, there was BBC documentary about E and his father (E is huge in England) called “Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives” that you can see a snippet of on YouTube.

Well, there you go. A little background on my favorite band of the 90’s and 00’s. I hope you learned a little and might just give The Eels a listen and a chance.

*Another Random Encounter: I was in Cleveland to catch The Eels at The Odeon, and I was cruising down the street in a cab that afternoon. Suddenly, a buddy of mine said, “Hey, is that him?” “Who?”, I wittily asked. “E”, he said. Well, it sure enough was. He was walking down the sidewalk, hoodie over his head, head down, all by his lonesome. I ordered the cab to stop, jumped out, and ran up to him, scaring the living hell out of him in the process (I can be just a little scary of you don‘t know my sparkling and engaging personality). After he realized I wasn’t a madman, we had a short and pleasant conversation. Again, a nice moment for me.

True story.

The Sole Purpose Of My Music Collection Is, And Always Will Be, To Impress Chicks.

"See, there's the bands that you say you like to sound smart, and there's the bands you say you like to get laid. And then there's the bands you really listen to." - Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz

Oh, so I see you've stumbled upon my vast collection of music? yes, I know it's hard to miss, but I wouldn't call it strategically placed exactly....what? then why is it all spread out on the only couch in my apartment? I don't know, why are you NOT spread out on the only couch in my apartment? Don't leave, I'm only joking. Why not take a look through it though....it'll only take a few minutes, and I mean, you're sure to be impressed. You'll notice that it's all killer, no filler. That's right, I DID quote Jerry Lee Lewis, and you'll find plenty of the Killer in that collection, but none of the mainstream crap though, only early Sun recordings. Yeah, I've got High School Confidential, and that's about it. After that, Jerry Lee pretty much sold out. Oh, you're not familiar with that title? well, not many people are. See, while you think that I'm using my robust collection of music to feel better about myself, I actually just have impeccable taste, and I also just so happen to like mainstream anything. And if an artist I like IS mainstream, then I like their non-mainstream albums. That's just how I roll, and...oh, I notice you're wearing a Dylan shirt. Yeah, Dylan's OK I guess. Highway 61? what? Blonde on what? don't offend me. The only Dylan album I will ever, and I mean EVER own is the great collection of music that is Knocked Out Loaded. What do you mean 'everyone hated that one'? it's because they are amateur music appreciaters! and how dare you say the 80's were a joke for Bob Dylan! Personally, I love the 11 minute version of Brownsville Girl....you don't, eh? well you must have an untrained ear. Umm, no. No Springsteen either. Sorry, but I don't do overblown arena rock, nope, not in my collection. What I DO have is the complete solo works of Little Steven. Look, there's one thing that I've learned in my time, sweetheart, and it's that as far as Jersey albums go, Men Without Women > Born To Run. I can't even stomach Springsteen, I can only listen to the first song on his first album. And after that, he's a sellout. Same goes for Pink Floyd, The Who, and Lennon. Oh please, I'm not a snob. Look, I'm not saying that all popular music is bad. I'm just saying that if anything has ever been on the radio in the history of radio, then I probably don't own it. Plus, I mean, it doesn't matter, because lately I've been listening to NOTHING but Radiohead. But not that OK Computer crap....I actually only like The Manic Hedgehog EP. Yeah, good, pure Radiohead. Before the English press attached their lips to Thom Yorke's ass and have refused to let up for the past 10 years. Pretentious? Pretentious my ass, you just can't tolerate my supreme taste in music. Wait, don't look at that book of CD's under the couch! Oh, well...I can explain. Bush? Yeah, I guess that Bush CD is mine. But, it has Glycerine on it! you think that song is a joke? yeah, well, it defined my youth, so you're saying my youth is a joke. Don't judge me...I don't like Bush, but sometimes I like to listen to Sixteen Stone and just pretend that it's a really, really bad Nirvana album. I'm sure Gavin Rossdale would want it that way anyway. Hmmm? what's that? Nelly? oh that Nelly album isn't mine. It's my little brother's! Oh, I did tell you that I was the youngest of 4? I know, I meant my little brother as in the charity big brothers big sisters way....he loves him some Nellyville...boy, is it Hot In Herrre or is it just me? Oh, you can't judge me for having Panic At The Disco...they're cool now! you didn't get the memo? Ryan Ross went all Sgt. Pepper's, and they're the new critical darlings of our time. Yes, I realize that that is Panic's first album, and I don't own the new one. You found my Springsteen. Look, now you listen and listen good. I LOVE the Boss. I've got his best works! Ok, so that really isn't his best work, and it's actually The Ghost of Tom Joad...but I DO have Born To Run, I swear....I just lost it somewhere...Hey, when did you become the music credibility police, anyway? You mean you don't like this stuff? you're lying to yourself. Ok, maybe we got off on the wrong foot. You just relax, beautiful, and I'll put on this Clay Aiken vinyl that I've been hiding from you. Wait, why are you laughing? and leaving? Ok, ok....Clay Aiken is a bad move, how about Kelly Clarkson? Don't leave! Just tell me which American Idol you love best! I have them all!!

Wait, is that your phone ringing? oh, my. Please do leave....and take your Cher ringtone with you. Er....avoid looking at the Cher poster hanging on my bathroom door on the way out though. Can I call you again?

(Wentz's quote does serve quite appropriate, as he and his cohorts have become the ULTIMATE closet band. I don't know any of my friends who openly admit to liking Fall Out Boy...other than their now-classic debut...but all of them listen to FOB non-stop behind closed doors. I saw the Fall Outs in Chicago in 2002..."before they were popular", in a small club with about 14 other people, and I was blown away. The person I saw them with shook her head as we walked out and stated 'you know, those kids are going to be incredibly huge one day, and everyone's going to hate them. And here we are.)

Country is Rock n' Roll

As most of you do not know, I am currently interning this summer at The Ohio State Fair for Ohio Farm Bureau with many of my friends. The fair is a summer classic for all to enjoy. When most people think of the fair they think rednecks, smelly cows, pigs, sheep and such and junk food...but when I think of the fair I think about rock n' roll. You see, last evening around 4:00 I decided to buy a ticket to see country music artists Miranda Lambert (gorgeous by the way) and Dierks Bentley. For any country haters these two are tearing up the country music charts with new singles every week. I am a big fan of country and especially Dierks so I wasn't particularly interested in Lambert until I saw her show. She is a total knockout in tight blue jeans and tank top. Anyways, for a girl she can rock and everyone from kids to teenaged girls to adults love her.

Dierks is considered to be a mellow, sappy country singer but he can also put on a heck of a show that can remind you of a Mick Jagger performance (from what I've seen or heard of) at times. Dierks played everything from slow country, bluegrass to pure rock and roll. The encore featured himself and Lambert performing Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues. The title link provides a clip and a different version of the encore. I just thought I would share my experience and encourage the readers to experience a country concert sometime because if you hate country you're just not listening closely enough.

P.S. - The "Hick State Fair" is also showcasing rock legends such as Peter Frampton, Ted Nugent as well as Charlie Daniels Band, Blake Shelton and Melissa Etheridge.