This has been driving me crazy for quite some time... Katy Perry songs are featured regularly at the Y (about the only place where Danette and I hear pop music). Although it makes me a little ashamed, I have to admit Perry writes some strong hooks, with her 2010 single "Teenage Dream" probably being my "favorite". But the thing that always struck me was part of the song reminded me of what I thought was a 70s song; specifically how she sang the following lines, first occurring at 2:27--2:43 and repeated again at 3:23--3:40:
I'ma get your heart racing in my skin-tight jeans Be your teenage dream tonight Let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans Be your teenage dream tonight
Last night at the Y I think I figured it out: I believe I'm thinking of "Seven Year Ache", the country/pop cross-over single from the 1981 LP of the same name by Roseanne Cash. Yeah, so 1981 isn't quite "70s", but it is close enough. I'm not claiming a copy or ripoff, just similarity: listen to the phrasing and structure of lines like (0:32--0:48):
Girls in the bars thinking who is this guy But they don't think nothing when they're telling you lies You look so careless when they're shooting that bull Don't you know heartaches are heroes when their pockets are full
as well as the chorus:
Tell me your trying to cure a seven year ache See what else your old heart can take The boys say when is he gonna give us some room The girls say, God, I hope he comes back soon
and then compare to the Perry lines. Danette confirmed that they were similar and said it was a good pull, but she may have just said that so I would shut up about it. Anyway, I think I've uncovered the similarity that's been a pebble in my shoe every time we'd hear this song while working out. And while it has been probably 10 minutes since you've heard a Katy Perry song, when was the last time you heard a Roseanne Cash song?
Where would Negativland's career be without "U2", the 1991 two song EP that took aim at Casey Kasem and the band U2? On one hand, the resulting legal firestorm from Island Records (U2's label) and SST (Negativland's label) nearly ruined the band financially. On the other hand, the accompanying attention greatly increased the profile of the band, as well as giving them a nearly limitless source of future material. Perhaps the wreckage was the inevitable conclusion for the band that invented the term "culture jamming".
Island Records claimed that the cover art was intended to confuse buyers, who would think it is a release from U2 entitled "Negativland". Negativland countered that the band U2 doesn't have exclusive rights to the letter U and the numeral 2. Island was also unhappy with the extensive sampling of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". Negativland countered that this was covered under fair use. The fight is documented in an LP and magazine from Negativland, but here's the short version: Island has a lot of $, and Negativland and SST don't. Island wins.
The EP was withdrawn from SST's catalog (surviving copies can bring big $) and hastily replaced with the EP "Guns", whose cover art continues the commentary on the situation. The two songs themselves are freely available on the band's web site, and in 2001 the band re-released the songs (along with live versions and other situational commentary) on the LP "These Guys Are From England and Who Gives a Shit" (the quote is from Casey Kasem's abusive and profane rant about the "death dedications", the band U2, and Kasem's confusion about Ireland vs. England; the shock value is much higher for those familiar with Kasem, American Top 40, and their squeaky clean image). As far as I know this LP (released on Seeland Records, Negativland's own label) generated no controversy; I guess Island and SST no longer thought it worth their while. You owe it to yourself to get TGAFEAWGAS, but in the mean time you can find the two original mp3s directly from the band. Lost in the story about these songs is the fact that the songs themselves are quite entertaining.
Standout songs: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (1991 A Capella Mix)" (negativland.com, YouTube); "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (Special Edit Radio Mix)" (negativland.com, YouTube).
Skip 'em songs: none.
Final score: 9/10. Snuggles.
Bonus Link: A YouTube playlist of Mark Hosler at the 47th Ann Arbor Film Festival, talking about Negativland. I'm going to eventually review some of their full-length LPs...
Twice was interesting, but upon hearing the third "version" of this song convinced me there was something afoot: three completely different songs, sharing only the memorable chorus and nothing else.
"99 Problems" was made famous in 2004 by Jay-Z as a single of his LP "The Black Album" but it was originally a (different) song by Ice-T. Ice-T never released it as a single, but instead was a B-side from the "That's How I'm Livin'" single (from his 1993 LP "Home Invasion"). Guesting on the Ice-T version is Brother Marquis from 2 Live Crew, and the song is typical of both their styles at that time: juvenile sex rhymes. The "bitches and hos" misogyny is so over the top, I tell myself it is like the cartoon violence in Kill Bill -- you shouldn't be offended because it isn't meant to be taken seriously. Regardless, the song gave us a memorable chorus with a great hook.
Jay-Z must have agreed since he lifted the chorus for his 2004 single. He replaced the sex stories with autobiographical stories about police, music critics, the street, etc. Rick Rubin is the producer of this song, and while Jay-Z obviously raps, Rick's influence turns this into what has to be one of the heaviest metal songs ever (see also: Rick Rubin and Johnny Cash in "God's Gonna Cut You Down"). As Jay-Z says at the end "You're crazy for this one, Rick".
Ok, so Jay-Z reworking an Ice-T song isn't that much of a stretch... But this summer, Danette's sister, Julie, played a bluegrass version of "99 Problems" by Hugo. Julie was unaware of the prior versions and that is what convinced me that the song (or at least the chorus) was on its way to becoming a traditional song (or at least a musical version of "The Aristocrats"). I don't know that much about Hugo, but there is a connection since he is signed to Jay-Z's label Roc Nation.
What will be the next installment in the series? Where do you go from rap, to rap/metal, to bluegrass?
Trick Daddy: "99 Problems" (From his 2001 LP "Thugs Are Us"; this version is basically part 2 of the Ice-T version. Not really a cover, but neither is it a new version like the others listed above.)
Jay-Z and Phish: "99 Problems" (Not all combinations work well...)
The 1995 EP "Juvenilia" was basically an extended single for the song "Jealousy" from Liz Phair's excellent 1994 sophomore LP "Whip-Smart". In addition to "Jealousy", there are two new songs and five "old" songs from her fabled Girlysound demo tapes (nearly impossible to get in 1995). Liz mined those demo tapes for a majority of the material on her first three LPs, but the LP versions were always re-recorded with full-production, band members, etc. To the best of my knowledge, "Juvenilia" was the first time she released songs straight from Girlysound.
As such, their sound is pretty bare: just Liz strumming a guitar and a few multi-tracked vocals. No bass, no drums, just Liz with her attitude & guitar. Honestly, that's really all you need.
Do you need this EP? Well, how big a fan are you? "Jealousy" is a great song, but this is the same version that is on "Whip-Smart". Of the new tracks, she does a decent cover of "Turning Japanese" (originally by the one-hit wonders, The Vapors) but I never really cared that much for the original. The other new track, "Animal Girl", is not really bad, but isn't memorable either (foreshadowing for later material).
Of the Girlysound tracks, "California", "South Dakota", "Batmobile", "Dead Shark", and "Easy", only "Dead Shark" is close to being weak. The first two tracks are excellent, and I wonder why were never re-recorded for inclusion on later LPs. "California" was re-released on the 2nd half of 2010's "Funstyle", but I believe "Juvenilia" is the only in-print option to get the other four Girlysound tracks.
Final score: 7/10. This one is hard to score. If you're a big fan, you already have this. If you're not a big fan, then her demo tapes aren't the place to start. I settled on a "7" since any serious collector should have this.
Quietly working its way up my iTunes playlist is the 2008 self-titled LP "Zomes". Zomes isn't actually a band, but an alias for Asa Osbourne, the guitarist for the punk-band Lungfish. I'm not familiar with Osbourne, Lungfish, or some of the other various related projects, so I'm reviewing this LP without the context of Osbourne's prior work (two good reviews of the LP by someone familiar his oeuvre can be found at "dusted" and "hardcore for nerds").
This LP is a mesmerizing, minimalist, fuzzy, drone record that features a lot heavily processed guitar. Knowing what I now know about Osbourne, it makes sense to me that this is basically electronic music as envisioned and executed in a decidedly organic, DIY-punk aesthetic. If Kevin Shields, Brian Eno, and Phillip Glass listened to a bunch of Ramones and Iggy Pop LPs and then went on a weekend recording bender, it would sound like this. Butch turned me on to this LP, I love it, and I turned Herbert on to it. If you've been reading this blog regularly, you'll know that's a good indication of the breadth of interests to which this LP appeals.
Stand out songs: Although it has 16 tracks (owing to its punk roots, none stick around that long), this is not the kind of LP for which you have favorite tracks. Listen to the whole thing at grooveshark. Some representative songs include: "Crowning Orbs", "Clear Shapes", "Colored Matter".
Skip 'em songs: none.
Final score: 9/10. Deceptively simple, you'll be surprised how often you replay this.
I've been putting this one off for almost two years now... Here's the short version: The Cribs' fourth LP, 2009's "Ignore the Ignorant", is a good LP, but the addition of Johnny Marr in 2008 ultimately hurt them more than it helped.
It is ok to speak of this now, since in April The Cribs announced that Johnny Marr had left the band amicably. While I respect Marr & The Smiths, and The Cribs have a history of working with a number of alt-rock veterans (e.g., Lee Renaldo on "Be Safe", Jon Slade on "Advice From a Roving Artist"), I'm first and foremost a Cribs fan. And although I liked the idea of an extended collaboration with Johnny, it just didn't work as well as it might have. I'm glad they tried it; the Jarman brothers are cool with it, Johnny is cool with it, so I can be cool with it too.
The primary problem with this LP is the song writing is not as crisp as it was on their previous releases. Perhaps that reflects the presence of Johnny Marr upsetting the song writing dynamic of the Jarman brothers: either his input didn't always mesh with them, or maybe they changed their style to accommodate him (Marr is about finesse, while The Cribs, let's be honest, are at their best just bashing it out). Or maybe it is just The Cribs are no longer "sixteen and really bored" (I lifted that association from someone, but I've forgotten where) and they're not going to have that earnest urgency of their youth. Whatever the reason, it seems like there are fewer Cribs trademarks: sing-along choruses, hooks and memorable riffs, and vocal trade-offs between twins Gary and Ryan.
The secondary but still critical problem with this LP is its production. Producer Nick Launay should be shot. Yes, Alex Krapanos's entry in the "loudness war" from the previous LP is gone, but in its place Launay appeared to have recorded the band from a building next door to where they were playing, with the music piped through a muddy tube. He's managed to find the no man's land between the (overly) bright loudness of the prior LP and the endearing lo-fi sound of their first two. Please work with Edywn Collins again.
Because of the addition of Marr and his influence on the song writing, I'm going to break with my typical review structure and instead go song-by-song (all songs are listed as co-written by all four band members):
We Were Aborted: Wow, what a strong start. Although not officially released as a single, the band made this song a free download prior to the release of the LP. Lyrically and musically, this song rawks as hard as any of their earlier material (i.e., it sounds pre-Marr).
Cheat on Me: This was their first single from the LP and it is a great song. I hear a small Marr influence in the guitar riffs, but it works great and if the entire LP sounded like this I'd have no complaints. We Share The Same Skies: Their 2nd (and last) single sounds like a long-lost demo from The Smiths. If Morrisey ever did a cover of this song, you'd swear it would belong on "Louder Than Bombs". It is actually a good song, but it doesn't sound like The Cribs at all.
City of Bugs: WTF?! Where did this Sonic Youth sound-alike come from? It is also a pretty good song, even though it doesn't "sound like" The Cribs until the break about 3 minutes in.
Hari Kari: An almost classic Cribs song. All the pieces are there, but they just don't come together. Last Year's Snow: Similar to "We Share The Same Skies"; Gary belts this one out, but it would be easy to imagine Morrisey singing. Emasculate Me: Like "Hari Kari" above; it sounds like someone else (Marr?) trying to write a song that sounds like The Cribs. Skip.
Ignore the Ignorant: The title track is strong, sounds like The Cribs, and is a primary exhibit for what a bad job Launay did. Save Your Secrets: Another song that appears to have all the elements, but they never come together. It treads dangerously close to piano ballad territory. Skip.
Victim of Mass Production: On any of their other LPs, this would be considered a weak song. The influence of The Replacements can be heard here ("we're not supposed to be here anyway!").
Stick To Yr Guns: A pretty good song, similar to pre-Marr songs like "Shoot The Poets" and "Haunted". This is the song that "Save Your Secrets" (above) wanted to be but failed.
All of the above adds up to a good, solid LP that should be in your collection. And if you've never heard of The Cribs, you'll probably even like this more -- at least until you discover how excellent their prior work is. Yes, I realize going on about how much better their earlier LPs are is so cliche that it deserves its own song (cf. "Our Bovine Public"). On the other hand, NME & Pitchfork rate this LP highly because their trying to make up for completely whiffing on their earlier LPs.
Hopefully their future work will return to their lo-fi roots and we'll just think of "Ignore the Ignorant" as a curious collaboration that lasted 2+ years and produced over one LP's worth of material.
* In August 2010, the 4-piece Cribs released a one-sided 7" single, "Housewife". It's not a bad song, but it is so different I'm not entirely sure what to make of it.
2020-08-29 update / bonus link: I found the documentary "Secrets Saved", covering the recording of the LP. It was included as part of the "Roses Edition" box set. It's interesting to see what went into the recording of the LP, as well as the interaction with Johnny Marr. But it's hard to hear them praising Nick Launay when I consider him the villain of this story.
While reminiscing with friends about Norfolk's Boathouse being torn down, I was poking around YouTube and uncovered a song which I had completely forgotten about: "Picture Me With You" by Norfolk's own States.
Released in 1981, I recall hearing this pretty frequently on the radio in middle school but I don't think I realized at the time that they were a local band (was this song ever played outside of Hampton Roads?). This was their second and final LP; I have no idea what happened to them after that.
Squarely in the late 70s / early 80s new wave mode (check out the shirts in the video!), this song still sounds pretty good.
"Picture Me With You" -- live version (@ Rogues in Va Beach), studio version.
This has been driving me crazy for quite some time... Katy Perry songs are featured regularly at the Y (about the only place where Danette and I hear pop music). Although it makes me a little ashamed, I have to admit Perry writes some strong hooks, with her 2010 single "Teenage Dream" probably being my "favorite". But the thing that always struck me was part of the song reminded me of what I thought was a 70s song; specifically how she sang the following lines, first occurring at 2:27--2:43 and repeated again at 3:23--3:40:
