The Random Ten #14

I’m flying solo on this edition of the Random Ten, which will hopefully help to get my mind off the atrocity that befell the Patriots last night in Indianapolis. Let’s go!

1) Silkworm – “Moving” – Italian Platinum (2002)

Silkworm definitely comes from the Pavement school of indie-rock, with this track featuring sparse instrumentation, quirky guitar work, and Steven Malkmus-esque lyrics from their lead singer. “Moving” moseys along in its minimalistic way, and like a lot of Pavement songs, it has a way of sounding larger, frillier, and more important than it really is. It’s interesting, but it’s quite drab and doesn’t do a whole lot.

2) Ben Folds – “Rockin’ the Suburbs” – Songs For Goldfish (2005)

This is the second Random Ten in a row where a song from this album has been featured; what are the odds! Anyway, this is a live performance of the title track of his 2001 solo album. Folds sounds boisterous and focused here, and the audience is audibly jazzed up for this and makes things more fun. The bubbly, cheerful misery and melancholy of the song comes across very well in this version, with crisp piano from Folds and solid musicianship from his band.

Folds’ smarminess and sarcasm can be a double-edged sword; it can push a song over the top to where it needs to go or he can come off looking really cheesy and lame. This version, thankfully, gives us the former, with Folds sounding sharp and getting his point across. The version ends with a flourish of Folds repeatedly screaming “fuck you” over a pseudo-metal riff. He could have done without that.

3) Widespread Panic – “Meeting Of The Waters” – Ball (2003)

Hey, these guys again, for the second week in a row! Widespread Panic is a talented, good band, but too much of what they do is so simple and straightforward. Take “Meeting Of The Waters”, the ninth track from their 2003 album (and first album without founding member and guitarist Michael Houser, who died in 2002). There’s not much complexity in this song, and usually when any song of theirs is memorable, it’s because they strike gold with a particularly memorable riff or melody.

When their songs don’t have one of those two things, they float by, not bad enough to dislike but not good enough to really care about. I’m not the biggest fan of theirs, so I’m not completely familiar with their catalogue, but it seems like they have a lot of songs that fit this mold. A nice jam in the last minute of this track, however, does liven things up a bit.

4) Pearl Jam – “Alone” – Live At The Gorge 05/06 (2007)

This version of “Alone” is culled from disc two of Pearl Jam’s massive seven-disc live collection from 2007. This is one of my favorite b-sides from their 2003 rarities compilation, Lost Dogs. Lead singer Eddie Vedder does a nice job handling the vocal peaks and valleys that this song requires of him and a solid guitar part about halfway through provides a quintessential grunge riff. A short but solid performance.

5) The Beatles – “If I Needed Someone” – Rubber Soul (1965)

“If I Needed Someone” is a fantastic song, featuring strong harmonies and great bass and guitar work. The different vocals of the Beatles combine to form one voice, and the way that voice moves along in a different tone from word to word in the song’s verses is fantastic. It’s quick, so there’s not a whole lot to say about it, except that you should listen to Rubber Soul.

6) Stevie Wonder – “Visions” – Innervisions (1973)

I’m ashamed to admit this, but I’ve never put this album on before. “Visions” features Wonder’s trademark voice, which conveys a youthful wisdom that is unique and solely his. The song creates an eerie atmosphere, with a dark jazzy tone that moves things along. It sounds like a lounge act, evoking images of a smoke-filled martini bar. That’s not meant to denigrate it; I actually quite like this sound, but it’s a bit too sparse, and I was hoping it would eventually take me someplace else before its conclusion.

7) The Jayhawks – “Darling Today” – Music From The North Country: The Jayhawks Anthology (2009, song originally recorded in 1994 [and according to Wikipedia, was on the Blown Away soundtrack])

The Jayhawks are another band that was featured on the last Random Ten, and “Darling Today” gives us the second winner in a row from the alt-country outfit. Solid harmonies, a tickling piano piece, and a classic alt-country breakdown the leads back into another verse give the song punch in its three-minute runtime. It’s quick, fun, and nostalgic: alt-country’s M.O.

8) Grateful Dead – “Hey Pocky Way” – So Many Roads (1999)

This version of “Hey Pocky Way” was originally recorded in Greensboro, NC in 1989 and is found on their five-disc 1999 box set, So Many Roads. “Hey Pocky Way” is a classic bouncy rock and roll tune; no frills minus the occasional synthesizer. I love the Dead’s jamming, but sometimes it’s nice when they don’t fuck around and they play a six-minute asskicker like this. A pleasure to listen to from a then-rejuvenated band.

9) Oasis – “The Girl In The Dirty Shirt” – Be Here Now (1997)

I’m actually just coming around to Oasis right now; they don’t do anything too crazy, but they generally put big-sounding riff heavy rock to tape, which I can always get behind. This song is really no different from the standard Oasis song. The world isn’t being lit aflame here, but there are some strong riffs and a nice chorus that serves as an adequate payoff. I don’t know if this needs to be six minutes long, but it’s a perfectly acceptable rock song, if a bit boring.

10) Dave Matthews Band – “Stay (Wasting Time)” – Listener Supported (1999)

I used to really like Dave Matthews Band. I once counted Before These Crowded Streets as one of my favorite albums. I listened to them all the time. And now, well, this is the first time in years I’ve had them on.

Of course, “Stay” is a good song, especially this live performance from 1999’s Listener Supported. Most of their songs are good. But their fanbase, or my perception of their fanbase, ruins everything for me. All I can see when I hear Dave Matthews Band are teenage guys going to the “Dave show” to get hammered and teenage girls singing along to “Grey Street”. I realize that’s not the band’s fault, they obviously don’t control who listens to them. I just have trouble identifying myself in any way with “music fans” whom I feel know nothing about music.

But you know what? After re-reading the assholery of what I just wrote, and listening to this version of “Stay”, maybe I’ll give them another chance.

John Lacey