It was a tumultuous time and this recorded document crudely captures this unique transitional band, perhaps at its worst, but should be interesting for fans of outsider music, especially that made by teenagers. It has a rare combination of teenage stupidity and art-damaged pretension, to the point where distributors Barfbag Records features several warnings, such as "Explicit Content," a warning about long gaps of silence, and another about the extremely violent threats dispersed throughout the record (though no one complains when Wu Tang does it). There was never a track list and some of these songs may have never had titles at all. Some did and those are recorded and here is the analyisis.
So with that that album begins with "1: You Wanna Die?," the first of four of the threatening tracks performed by Aidan in his heavy metal singer alter-ego. They are all some of the of the most explicit and hilarious manifestations about early-teen angst and this first track is the only one with full musical accompaniment, making it one of the album's most listenable "songs." Batwölf may or may not have played it live. The character is first introduced and luckily the music hides the other members' laughter.
"2: Creep Street" is an instrumental that goes back to the earliest days of Xyster originally composed by myself, Tommy Holden, and Adrian Ricelli. As the Popes, Aidan and I recorded that as well in a professional setting in the Summer of 2002. IT owes a heavy debt to the Fall's "Mansion" and is one of the best places to hear the use of cheap multi pedals.
"3: The Power of Rawk III" is another instrumental based on "What Is Love?" with a blistering lead from Sam that used to be my favorite song on the album. It doesn't really hold up as well, I must admit.
"4: Parallel Lines" is yet another instrumental, also led by Sam's guitar. It gained its title later when lyrics were added and was eventually recorded as such on the ¡Swing Pad! EP, to be shared next time.
Track five is another threat from Aidan, this time directed towards me. The laughs are not a problem and his love of prolonging torture and saying "Shut up, bitch!" is exposed as well as his misunderstanding of the word "arsenal."
Six's drum track is one of the coolest sounds on the whole record and the bass playing on this fuzzed-out reggae track is solid, but otherwise it's a failed experiment, though I have to admit a bold one, mixing such elements together. It's bad teenage heartbreak, but has to be heard to believed, tough I suppose it may not be too different from nu-metal, especially 311... That was not the intention.
Next up is "Flavia," a long comedy jam. It is the only song recorded completely live with guitar, bass, and drums, and even more surprisingly only one of two songs featuring Deutsch on vocals. IT's an absurd love song to a girl who may not have deserved such treatment.
"Lost on Gilligan's Island" I think had the most potential to be a great song. It's lyrics are still kind of funny, in a really cute way, I can't remember exactly what I was going for, but I think it just came to me title first. It's a mess but the idea is there and it has the best home-made feeling to it with my "wait, stop" beginning the song. The drums are more shambolic than I still think is possible, but there is some tune and a lot of playfulness yet if you stripped it of that it's some top-notch noise rock. The actual song section concludes with piano credited to Ben Folds and the following "silence" is actually Aidan talking shit on Nirvana. If you can get through the whole thing you still won't believe it was for real.
The ninth track is maybe the best-realized song, a sludge-metal, on which I think I played everything. It's simple and I think it would be cool to play again. Some find it boring and the timing of each instrument sucks, but there is one moment where the solo is absolutely transcendent.
"Crop Circles," on the other hand, is probably the biggest mess on the album with horrible over-driven bass leading the whole thing and deafening clipping drums. Maybe some potential in there too, but who cares? If you can hear anything resembling music in there you will know for sure that this is Sonic Youth-aping, but hey apparently that's what everyone wants, so you'll probably like it. I, however, hate it and I love outsider music like this. Actually, Aidan's screams are kind of cool, mine too, or Sam's whatever that is...
The unnamed eleventh track is also somewhat well-realized in terms of instruments playing together (though the drums could use some work). It sounds like it was recorded live, and I vaguely remember that being the case. I felt pretty good about this one at the time, and structurally, I still do though the lyrics are god-awful weepy teenage boy garbage, but I was trying! I noticed I had drowned out my vocals, so they cranked up a little high to compensate and all three of us sang on this one and Sam's may be the most pleasant sound on the whole album. Aidan's have a real unusual rhythm that I still think is pretty cool too. I was the only person who had any faith in this song, but it's really a pretty decent grunge rocker, theoretically. With the right pedal it could have even been "Mudhoney-esque"
Twelve is the return of the heavy metal singer and is the best view into the deranged mind of a 12 year old boy with its mix of homophobia and homoeroticism. If you can get over that it's probably the funniest one, especially when he talks about cutting off your penis and feeding it to his dog. Then it takes the left turn with "ever since you signed up for the army" and it's self referential qualities which just grow and grow. What's real and what is just black humor? Either way it's gonna BURRRRRN YOOUUUU!
"13: Smokey Bear Plays With Matches" is another old one. The concept/lyrics came from Jonathan Lee in Mr. Clark's Comm. Arts class in spring 2001 and the music was from Panaphobia members Bo Liu and Doug Chee. All that time makes this probably the strongest song on the album. A loud, heavy, noise-blues tune which is the most apparent result of teenagers imitating Captain Beefheart probably ever recorded. If any track needs to be heard on this album, it's this one.
In conclusion I accept, and grow tired of the heavy metal singer's threats, and he is eaten apart by his insecurities as I turn into him. It's pretty jail. Think about it.
I don't know what machine this was recorded on, but it was a cheap digital 12-track. Production began at the Deutsch's West Orange McMansion and concluded after they relocated to a townhouse in the Cedars, Basking Ridge. The guitars were a Mostrite Ventures II, a Fender Cyclone II, an Epphone Explorer and possibly an Epiphone Casino. Basses were an Ibanez Jazz and Precision hybrid and a Fender P. Drums and amps were a mixed bag and at some point everybody played every instrument, that was important to me.
Ultimately this album is pretty unlistenable, but it did live up to my artistic vision as something of a historical document. I think it stands up to other teenage outsider music like The Shaggs Philosophy of the World or Todd's With Love... From Me To You or the younger crowd of Eyeball Skeleton, but is a lot more fun and with a far, far greater awareness of the whole expanse of rock music. Just look at the artists I reference here, this is not in retrospect. This is a fact, the experimental/noise rock of Can, Sonic Youth, Captain Beefheart, etc was as much an influence as Weezer, Mudhoney, and At The Drive-In as the lo-fi challenges of Sebadoh, Guided by Voices, and Pavement. I put this out here because it needs to be heard and be out in the universe. It's just too funny not to. You have enjoyed worse, I know that for a fact.
YOU WANNA DIE!?
Next time: The Shears.
No comments:
Post a Comment