Sleep - "Dopesmoker"

 

Danette is on a two week cruise with her mother and friends, so in her absence I have resumed what is now a tradition when she's gone: listening to Sleep's "Dopesmoker" on repeat while doing things around the house. This is an LP I've recommended to many friends and colleagues now, so I guess I should blog about it. 

Sleep is a stoner/doom band from California, and I'm not 100% certain how I first heard of them.  They're in the same circle as Earth and Sunn O))), so perhaps I learned of them from Butch.  Or maybe I just read about them online -- it's all appropriately fuzzy, given the cannabis connection.  

The story of this LP is a little bit complicated.  Recorded in 1996, their record label at the time did not want to release it because, among other things, the "album" is just an hour long single song.  In 1999, an unauthorized edited version of the LP was released as "Jerusalem", with six different tracks, all named "Jerusalem".  In 2003, a version was released as "Dopesmoker" with a single eponymous track, and in 2012 another version was released (the 2012 version on Southern Lord Records is the one I have).  

One of the best things about the doom metal genre is that they don't shy away from their Black Sabbath roots, and this LP is no exception. I mention this only because many bands seek to deny or obfuscate their influences, but doom metal is perhaps the only genre that can agree the canon is dominated by the first six Sabbath LPs. The production is cleaner and heavier at the same time (these production dimensions are often in conflict) than the early 70s Sabbath, but the through line from "Master of Reality" to "Dopesmoker" is obvious. 

So yeah, slow, plodding, detuned guitars are what you get. There are vocals, and they're borderline Cookie Monster, but not distractingly so.  They do obscure the lyrics, which is fortunate because apparently there's a story about the "Weedians" or some such; I've made it a point to not look up the lyrics because I'm sure they'd only disappoint.  Cisneros's voice works well as another instrument, and exactly what he's saying isn't important.

Regardless, it all comes together in a hazy, hypnotic, slowly evolving repetitive swirl that has to be considered a high point of the genre.  Despite, or perhaps because, being a single hour track, it holds up to listening to it on repeat all afternoon.*

Standout tracks: "Dopesmoker" 

Skip 'em tracks: The 2012 release comes with a bonus live version of "Holy Mountain", which is not necessarily bad, but clearly doesn't not fit the original artistic vision of the LP itself. 

Score: 10/10. Again, it's absolutely central to the genre, but before you listen, you've got to buy into the conceit of a single track that's 63 minutes long. 

* "Repeat all afternoon" works best when your spouse is not home.

Low - Live at Austin Community Television (ACTV) Main Studio (1996)

 

Mimi Parker, the drummer for Low, died last month, after a battle with ovarian cancer.  She and her husband Alan Sparhawk were the two main members of the long-running and genre-defining slowcore band Low.  

I first learned of Low from the Joy Division tribute LP "A Means to an End", where their cover of "Transmission" was a standout among a strong LP.  Based on my enjoyment of their track, I got several of their early LPs, although I don't have nearly enough of their lengthy discography.  

Low's sparse, slow sound is perfect for contemplative late night listening.  Mimi's three piece drum kit,  as shown in the image above, is a nice metaphor for their minimalist, yet surprisingly large sound.  This 1996 four song set, which includes "Transmission", is a good example of their sound at the time.  I don't know the exact date of this concert, but setlist.fm puts them in Austin on both 1996-04-18 and 1996-03-15.

Low had a number of different bassists through the years, but Alan and Mimi were the constants.  Even if Alan continues to make music, I'm not sure he can continue as "Low" without Mimi.  

Bonus link: "Transmission" (studio version), original (Joy Division)

PS -- Given Alan a follow on Twitter; he's thoughtful and engaging.

Soundgarden - "Rusty Cage" (the song remains the same)

Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell passed last month, which I have to think will mark the end of Soundgarden, and possibly leaving only Pearl Jam as the lone survivor of the grunge movement of the early 90s.   I first learned of Soundgarden from my friend Drew, who in 90 or 91 lent me a copy of "Louder Than Love".  I don't think I have any Soundgarden CDs in my collection now, but I used to have the "Singles" soundtrack and I guess that counts.

Although Nirvana is probably the first among equals for the Seattle sound, it's hard to convey the impact of Soundgarden in the 90s.  Let's put it like this: when it came time for Johnny Cash's comeback LP, 1996's "Unchained", Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage" was one of the songs Cash covered.  Surely Rick Rubin had a big hand in the song selection, but it's hard to think of a higher honor than having Johnny Cash cover your song.

"Rusty Cage" was the third single from Soundgarden's 1991 LP "Badmotorfinger" and while it's hardly their most popular song, it's the one Johnny Cash chose and so it's the one I choose to mark the death of Chris Cornell.

Soundgarden: "Rusty Cage"
Johnny Cash: "Rusty Cage"

DJ Shadow - "Midnight in a Perfect World" (LP Review)

David Axelrod, another artist who nicely illustrates the difference between influential and popular, died earlier this month.  You probably haven't heard of him, but he is a popular source of samples for hip hop heavyweights such as DJ Shadow, Lauryn Hill, and Dr. Dre.  I have David Axelrod's eponymous 2001 LP, but instead of that I'm focusing on my first introduction to his music: DJ Shadow's "Midnight in a Perfect World". 

"Midnight in a Perfect World" is the lead single and arguably the best song on his seminal 1996 LP "Endtroducing...." In fact, "Midnight in a Perfect World" was almost the name of this blog, which should convey the depth of my feelings about this haunting yet substantive song.  DJ Shadow samples many artists in the song, but the prominent piano sample is from "The Human Abstract", of Axelrod's 1969 William Blake-themed LP "Songs of Experience".

As is typical for Mo' Wax releases, there are several versions of this single.  My version is the 1998 US 5 track CD single with:

1. "Midnight in a Perfect World" (LP Version)
2. "The Number Song" (LP Version)
3. "Red Bus Needs to Leave" (non-LP track)
4. "Midnight in a Perfect World" (Gab Mix)
5. "The Number Song" (Cut Chemist Party Mix)

They're all great tracks, and it's a shame that the Gab Mix (technically a DJ Shadow remix featuring Gift of Gab) for "Midnight in a Perfect World" is relegated to an obscure B-side.  I won't say it's better than the original, but rather it illustrates the best elements of a remix in that it incorporates an alternate but necessary perspective on the original.  That's probably also true for the Cut Chemist mix of "The Number Song" (which is an even more radical transformation), but that track has appeared on so many releases it hardly still qualifies as a B-side.

I'm breaking from my standard LP review format by linking the DJ Shadow songs above, and the David Axelrod song below.  To fully understand "Midnight in a Perfect World", you really need to listen to "The Human Abstract".

David Axelrod - "The Human Abstract" ("Songs of Experience" Full LP)

Final score: 10/10

Blackstreet - "No Diggity" (the song remains the same)

This post is for Danette, who absolutely loves the song "No Diggity" from Blackstreet's 1996 LP "Another Level".  I'm not going to save it for a birthday post for her for obvious reasons: the song is about a guy in love with a prostitute because of her technical proficiency and voracity*. 

I was reminded of this song recently when I heard the 2012 cover by Chet Faker from his EP "Thinking in Textures".  I'm pretty sure I had seen the Ed Sheeran version before, but that doesn't come close to the smooth, downtempo version that Faker turns in.  The Faker version also has some interesting percussion towards the end, with the drums emulating the piano (?) sample from the original. 

Blackstreet - "No Diggity"
Chet Faker - "No Diggity" (live version)
Ed Sheeran - "No Diggity"
and for completeness #1: "Pitch Perfect" - "No Diggity"
completeness #2: Bill Withers - "Grandma's Hands" (which Blackstreet sampled for "No Diggity")

* If you read the lyrics I guess it is just a coarser version of The Police's "Roxanne".  Yet I can't help but think about the Chris Rock routine "I Love Rap Music" -- "He Ain't Talking About Me!" (video).

Perfume Tree - "A Lifetime Away" (LP Review)

Perfume Tree might be the best defunct band you've never heard of. Formed by three Vancouver-area radio DJs and active during most of the 1990s, Perfume Tree compiled a significant discography that went criminally unnoticed, by both the radio and the critics as well. The former is not surprising, but I'm not sure how the critics so completely missed out on this band either (e.g., allmusic.com reviews only one LP from their discography, and completely whiffs on that review, giving it 3/5 stars).

Their third full-length LP, 1995's "A Lifetime Away" is probably the strongest LP in their canon. Whereas their first first two LPs were focused on a more organic sound, and their fourth and final LP as Perfume Tree was decidedly more focused on electronica. And while there are no bad releases from Perfume Tree, "A Lifetime Away" finds the perfect balance in their shifting musical influences.

Trying to describe their sound is difficult and frustrating, in part because their sound transcends music. By that I mean the sound is so mesmerizing and so unlike anything else, I actually forget that I'm listening to music. Off the top of my head, only The Orb's "Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld" also has that effect on me. Labels like dub, trip hop and downtempo come close, but fail to really capture the sound. The allmusic review quotes another review comparing them to Bjork, but that is simply wrong; I don't dislike Bjork, but she only wishes she could make music this beautiful. I'd suggest that Perfume Tree is somewhere between Portishead, My Bloody Valentine, and Cocteau Twins.

The strength of the band (and the source of the Cocteau Twins comparison) is Jane Tilley's ethereal vocals. Pete Lutwyche is responsible for the beats, which are great, but never really overpower the more atmospheric aspects of the songs (and thus separating Perfume Tree from most of the trip hop artists on a label like Mo' Wax, for example). Bruce Turpin (samples & mix) rounds out the band.

The LP has a wide variety of sounds: "Virgin" & "See Me Smile" have a driving, organic beat, "Contact" has the distorted guitar that suggests the MBV influence, "Never Pass This Way Again" is nearly ambient, and "The Nightmirror" & "Crystal Tips" have a soundtrack quality to them. But my favorite song on this LP is the closing track "Late Light", with a strong beat and focus on Jane's vocals.

"A Lifetime Away" was originally released on the tiny label of Zulu Records in 1995, but was then re-released in 1996 on the only slightly larger (and ironically named) World Domination Recordings, making them label mates with Seattle's Sky Cries Mary, who are similar in aesthetic if not quite sound. Since it was released on World Domination it is not too hard to find, but the earlier releases on Zulu are difficult to find: if you see a copy of one, pick it up. (I actually had to email the band ca. 1998 for their help to replace lost CDs, but that's a story for another time...)

Perfume Tree eventually morphed into Veloce, who released one LP and then the various members seemed to drop out of the music business. There is a Perfume Tree myspace page, as well as a historical page hosted at Minimum Records (a label the band members started), but little information otherwise. ectoguide.org also has a nice, simple summary page for the band.

In a perfect world, Perfume Tree would have received the recognition they deserved. I'll eventually make my way through the rest of their catalog, but "A Lifetime Away" is their strongest release and a good place to start.

Standout songs: "Virgin", "So Far Away" "See Me Smile", "Contact", "Never Pass This Way Again", "The Nightmirror", "August", "Crystal Tips", "Late Light".

Skip 'em songs: none.

Final score: 10/10.

Weezer - "Pinkerton" (LP Review)

I'm a big fan of Weezer. Unfortunately, it is written somewhere that Weezer fans have to think Pinkerton is Weezer's greatest LP of all time, no discussion necessary. Problem is, I don't think this is their best LP. It might only be their third or fourth best LP. Those kinds of heretical statements will get you excommunicated from the Weezer fan club pretty quickly.

Released in 1996, Pinkerton is their second LP and represents a decided break from their first LP ("the blue album") with a heavier, darker sound. Pinkerton has none of the highly polished power pop songs (and Spike Jonez -directed "novelty" videos like "Undone - the Sweater Song" and "Buddy Holly") that made their first LP such a popular and critical success. Where their first LP had the clean precision of Ric Ocasek as producer, Pinkerton is self-produced and, perhaps, more self-indulgent.

Two well-known facts about this LP should give you pause: 1) Pinkerton is the remnants of an unreleased concept LP "Songs from the Black Hole", which is described as a "space-themed rock opera" and whose legend inevitably invites comparisons to "Smile", The Beach Boys' mythic unreleased LP, and 2) Pinkerton is roughly inspired by Puccini's Madame Butterfly, but instead of being a Lieutenant in the US Navy, the character of Pinkerton is college-age rock star (in other words, Rivers Cuomo). That's an awful lot of "concept" for a college rock band ca. mid-90s.

But I'll forgive the Madame Butterfly inspiration (if you catch me on a good day I might admit to liking it), but what ultimately limits this LP is that the song writing is not up to their usual standards. Songs like "Tired of Sex", "Getchoo" and "Falling for You" are nearly brilliant, but are missing that undefinable something that typifies their earlier -- and later -- songs. Don't get me wrong, they're good songs, but they come across as incomplete demos and not fully polished. It is almost as if in their desire to make "heavier" songs, they've left something out. I can't exactly say what is missing, but it's missing.

Having said that, this LP does contain two of their best songs ever: "Good Life" and "Pink Triangle". The latter is a song of our main character's unrequited love for a woman who turns out to be lesbian and features two of the cleverest lyrics you'll ever hear: "We were good as married in my mind / But married in my mind's no good" and "Everyone's a little queer / Can't she be a little straight".

When you listen to the other songs on the LP in light of "Good Life" and "Pink Triangle", you can't help but feel a little disappointed and wonder how good this LP would truly have been if they had all been at that level.

Stand out tracks: "Good Life", "Pink Triangle", "Tired of Sex", "No Other One", "Why Bother"

Skip 'em tracks: "El Scorcho" (a fan favorite, but I can't get into it), "Butterfly" (not a bad song and it resolves the concept, but I often turn the LP off at this point).

Final score: 8/10 -- narrowly avoiding a 7/10 on the strength of "GL" & "PT".

Dr. Octagon / Handsome Boy Modeling School / Dan the Automator - "Bear Witness I, II, III" (forgotten song)

Is it really a "forgotten song" if very few people heard it to begin with? In this segment, I step away from obscure videos I recall from the early days of MTV to bring to your attention what is really three songs that are apparently by three different artists, span seven years yet share a single title: "Bear Witness", parts I, II and III.

"Bear Witness" is on the 1996 release "Dr. Octagonecologyst" by Dr. Octagon (aka Kool Keith). "Holy Calamity (Bear Witness II)" is from the 1999 release "So... How's Your Girl?" by Handsome Boy Modeling School. "Bear Witness III" is (as far as I can determine) a 2002 12" only release by Dan the Automator.

The common thread is Dan the Automator. He's the producer on the Dr. Octagon LP and he's 1/2 of HBMS (on the left in the photo above; the other 1/2 is De La Soul affiliate Prince Paul). The Dr. Octagon LP is critically acclaimed. I don't have a copy, but in the few samples I've found online it appears to be an extended joke that I don't find very funny. Perhaps if I listened to it start to finish, but I doubt it. The HBMS LP is also critically acclaimed; it's on my list to get but I just haven't done it yet.

Since I have none of the associated LPs, I "discovered" this song because "Bear Witness II" is featured on DJ Shadow's "Live! In Tune and On Time" LP. Dan the Automator and DJ Shadow are frequent collaborators; in fact DJ Shadow guests on "Bear Witness II" (see also: "Bombay the Hard Way: Guns, Cars, and Sitars").

Ok, so that was a confusing and possibly unnecessary explanation of the pedigree of this song cycle. They represent some of the best in largely instrumental hip hop: big beats, hooks, great samples, fun vocal fills ("create rap music cuz I never dug disco"), etc. I guess they're old enough to qualify as "forgotten", so give them a listen whether it is for the 1st time or not.

Links: All three songs nicely edited into a single track: YouTube.
Bear Witness I: YouTube.
Bear Witness II: YouTube.
Bear Wtiness III: YouTube.