The Dailies 10/28/09: Corporations, MAN!

Trailerz

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) – Dir: Guy Hamilton. Principals: Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray

Diamonds Are Forever is a customarily fun, goofy James Bond romp, but unfortunately this installment is probably the poorest that Sean Connery appeared in (save his unofficial remake of Thunderball, Never Say Never Again). The plot isn’t as sharp as the earlier films, there isn’t as much excitement, and certain scenes are downright ludicrous. In one scene, James Bond commandeers a moon rover (top speed: 15 MPH) and manages to outrun a team of assassins outfitted with ATV’s and motorcycles. Bond movies are often ridiculous, but we’re forgiving of that for the most part because James Bond is such a great character and because we come to expect craziness in these films. It takes something truly baffling to stand out in a negative way in a Bond film.

I don’t watch Bond movies for psychologically driven realistic action, but I do like to have at least a tenuous grasp of the plot to put the explosions and car chases in the right context. I had no idea what was going on in terms of the storyline while I was watching Diamonds Are Forever, and I have even less of an idea now. Bond films usually have nonsensical world domination plotlines, and I’m fully on board with that, provided I can follow them. This film tried so hard to create a zany but engaging plot that it outsmarted itself and caused everything to become a big mess.

Of course, Connery is the film’s chief asset, and he’s terrific in the role as usual. His portrayal of James Bond is as easygoing and at home as ever, and the genteel and nonchalant manner he lends to Bond is just as exciting as the explosions and ridiculousness all around him. A Bond movie starring Connery always makes for at least solid entertainment, but in the case of Diamonds Are Forever, we don’t get much more than that. C+. (Diamonds Are Forever was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound).

The Dirty Dozen (1967) – Dir: Robert Aldrich. Principals: Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, John Cassavetes, Robert Ryan.

The Dirty Dozen is a late 60s war/caper film starring iconic tough guy Lee Marvin, and is one of my first forays into this area. Marvin, playing main character Major Reisman, gives the film its legs, and he’s surrounded by recognizable and capable actors (Donald Sutherland, John Cassavetes, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Charles Bronson, and even football legend Jim Brown). In the film, Marvin is tasked with training a group of soldiers, all of whom are either serving long prison sentences or have been sentenced to death. Their mission is to storm a German-controlled chateau in France (the film is set in WWII) and kill all said Germans inside. If the group cooperates and are successful, their sentences will be commuted.

The best scenes of The Dirty Dozen show Marvin interacting with the men, slowly gaining their trust, respect and confidence. They work together to play pranks on Col. Breed, (Ryan), who is trying to figure out what Marvin’s top secret mission is all about. The joy of The Dirty Dozen is watching the men go from sarcastic and sadistic one-dimensional killers to strong characters, each with a distinct personality and mannerisms. The way Marvin is then able to combine these personalities into a tight-knit combat unit is fun to watch unfold.

My issue with The Dirty Dozen is that its end result feels a bit pointless. Maybe I’m unaccustomed to “rah-rah” war films such as this, but at the end, the group blows the shit out of some Germans and a number of them die. There’s no emotional denouement; in fact, watching what had essentially been lighthearted fare for two hours to that point made the film’s ending odd and unsatisfying. C+. (The Dirty Dozen won an Academy Award for Best Sound Effects, and was also nominated for Supporting Actor (Cassavetes), Film Editing and Sound).

Feature Presentation

The Corporation (2003)
Directors: Mark Achbar & Jennifer Abbott
Featuring: Michael Moore, Noam Chomsky, Milton Friedman, Ray Anderson, countless other talking heads

If you want to watch a film that will provide you with a comprehensive source of ammunition against the biggest corporations in the United States and across the world, The Corporation is for you. This documentary cites countless specific examples of corporations engaging in various illegal and immoral practices; animal cruelty, support of despotic and dictatorial regimes, financial fraud, layoffs. You name it, and The Corporation covers it.

The Corporation doesn’t make too many bones about what it is. Its aim is to show a viewer, who may not be aware of what’s going on in the world, what these companies are doing and essentially how they’re going to destroy humanity if we don’t intervene in some way. It fires shots at big companies (and, by extension, the capitalistic system that enables these companies to grow and thrive) and simply lays out the awful things they do. As such, The Corporation is absolutely a well-done and powerful documentary. The things corporations will do for an extra dollar, and their immorally numb mindset while committing willfully heinous acts, are truly frightening. The Corporation definitely had my blood boiling at points.

I don’t think it’s fair, however, for a film to take one side on an issue like this without offering alternatives or ideas on how we can make things better. The viewer is subjected to 2 ½ hours of disheartening footage of companies doing everything from suppressing negative news stories to creating environmental catastrophes. After such a marathon, the film needs to put forth some sort of theory as to how the people can change things and what we can do to protect ourselves. Small victories of civilians over corporations are mentioned towards the end of the film, but these feel shoehorned in and not nearly strong enough to help combat everything that came before. The Corporation is a bit too bleak for its own good.

The film would also be better if it didn’t delve into potshots and childish antics. One of its scenes begins with muted video clips of a child’s birthday, with the narrator talking about how “Happy Birthday” is a copyrighted piece owned by a corporation that charges $10,000 for films to use it. In another scene, the CEO of Goodyear Tire is talking about how layoffs are the hardest part of his job, and underneath him we see a subtitle that “Goodyear laid off 4,000 workers since 2001” or something like that. It comes off as a bush-league approach that works to undermine the film’s own point. It’s truly too bad they take this route, because the commentary of some of the CEO’s interviewed for the film provided some of the most insightful thoughts and ideas presented here.

The Corporation gets the easy part down; corporations are bad, and here’s why. It does a real good job of presenting this argument. But the hard part, and the interesting part, is: what can we really do about it?

C+

John Lacey

The Simpsons Project #8

The Simpsons Project #8 (Season 1, Episode 8)
The Telltale Head
Original airdate: 2/25/90

“The Telltale Head” is one of the most famous early episodes of The Simpsons, dealing with Bart’s response to peer pressure and his desire to be popular and fit in with the cool kids at Springfield Elementary. His struggles with self-confidence and his yearning to be more accepted at school provide the dual consequence of deepening Bart’s character exponentially and giving us one of the most relatable of all Simpsons episodes.

We open with Homer and Bart carrying the severed head of the statue of town founder Jebediah Springfield while being chased by an angry mob through the streets of Springfield. No group of people forms a better angry mob than the denizens of Springfield, who come complete with pitchforks, torches, and threats of death and dismemberment. They eventually corner the two Simpsons, and Bart pleads with them for a little time to tell the story of how they came to be in their predicament. The show begins its long run of self-aware jokes, with Bart pleading that he only needs “twenty three minutes and five seconds” to tell his story.

The episode then flashes back to a recent Sunday morning. The family is off to church, and Homer has some golden moments here; frantically watching a football game he bet $50 on and then listening to it on headphones while in church. The radio broadcast of the game matches perfectly with the mouth and body movements of Reverend Lovejoy, providing a humorous moment where Homer screams for joy out loud because the team he bet on hit a game winning field goal. The first act of “The Telltale Head” helps to establish that Homer’s constant boobery and the perennially bad example he sets for Bart build the foundation for the boy’s misbehavior.

On the drive home from church, Bart notices that the Aztec Theater is playing Space Mutants IV. Marge forbids him to see it, but Bart sneaks out and goes anyway and encounters local bullies Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney (in their first appearances). They’re the “worst” and coolest kids in school, and they invite Bart to sneak into the movie with them. Bart is conflicted because he doesn’t want to steal, but his desire to fit in causes him to join them anyway.

It’s interesting to watch the initial interactions between Bart and the bullies. Feelings between Jimbo’s gang and Bart have vacillated throughout the course of the series between mutual respect to the bullies treating Bart like any other potential victim in the school. These characters have been around so long and have been so fleshed out over 21 seasons that it’s refreshing to see the origins of their relationships and a time when some of these tertiary characters were unknown and still being developed.

The group ends up being caught and kicked out of the theater, and they take to the town square to watch passing clouds. One looks like the statue of Springfield patriarch Jebediah Springfield, only without his head attached. The bullies start talking about how funny it would be if someone did cut the statue’s head off, to which Bart objects. Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney rag on Bart for defending the town’s history and leave him behind, planting the idea in his head to cut the head of the statue to show how cool he is.

Before he acts on his impulse, Bart decides to ask Homer whether it’s really important to be popular, which was probably a bad decision. Homer, of course, says that being popular is the most important thing in the world, pushing Bart further toward vandalizing the statue.

Bart eventually goes through with the act, and everyone in town mourns. The bullies have even changed their tune, now respecting Jebediah and wishing to pummel the perpetrator. Bart’s guilt over the incident causes him to start hearing the disembodied head speaking to him, telling him to fess up and admit his wrongdoing and replace the head.

Homer is cajoled into helping Bart due to his earlier idiotic advice, and the two head downtown to replace it. We rejoin the beginning of the story at this point, and the crowd, swayed by Bart’s honesty, decides not to kill him, and instead basks in the glory of the repaired statue.

The early episodes of The Simpsons often do not contain the mind-boggling hilarity of what would come later in the series, but the stories are amazingly strong. “The Telltale Head” continues to strongly establish the characters of Homer, Bart, and Marge, while shedding some light on Homer and Marge as a parental unit and the influence they have on their son. It brings in some other players for the first time while giving lines to other secondary characters like Moe, Barney, Mr. Burns, Smithers and Krusty. Another early winner.

B+

“I can understand why they wouldn’t let in those wild jungle apes, but what about those really smart ones, who live among us, who roller-skate and smoke cigars?” – Homer, upon hearing from Bart that his Sunday school teacher said apes aren’t allowed into Heaven.

Pearl Jam - Backspacer

Pearl Jam
Backspacer
2009 Monkeywrench

Pearl Jam is in a bit of an odd situation because they’ve released pretty much nothing but strong albums for their entire career, but yet people are clamoring for a “comeback” from them; essentially asking them to make another Ten. People have yearned for a “return to form” from Pearl Jam since Vitalogy was released in 1994, and though they have been a bit further out of the public eye than they were in their heyday, they never really got “worse”. Granted, their previous record, Pearl Jam (2006), left a bit to be desired, but Pearl Jam is not a band that completely lost it or fell by the wayside.

It’s into this rather bizarre atmosphere that Pearl Jam released Backspacer. Like Pearl Jam before it, many early press clippings either heralded it as a return to the band’s roots or lambasted it as inferior to their classic albums. People, critics and fans alike, don’t seem content to let this band’s albums stand on their own as they had done through Riot Act (2002). Their memory of the band and its music has collapsed on itself. It’s as if the prevailing attitude is, “OK, this is all well and good, but where’s ‘Even Flow’?” This attitude is allowed to fester not because Pearl Jam didn’t go out of their way to do something they’ve already done, but because the songs on both Backspacer and Pearl Jam aren’t all that good and aren’t convincing the audience that their direction is something to be interested in.

Backspacer starts with two conventional but solid hard rock tunes, “Gonna See My Friend” and “Get Some”. Both move along quickly, feature engaging melodies and strong guitar work, and they play to a great strength of the band; fast-paced, 2-3 minute memorable bursts of energy. These are the kinds of songs that become the band’s concert staples. “The Fixer”, the lead single, follows and is absolutely the best song on the album. The song features a commanding, powerful riff combined with impeccable vocals (and inflection) from singer Eddie Vedder. “The Fixer” leaves an impression in a way only a great Pearl Jam song can, with a kickass melody that stands out and truly makes itself known. “Johnny Guitar” continues the good work by giving us one of the band’s signature melodic breakdowns before turning around back into the opening riff. The best Pearl Jam songs are those where Vedder’s vocals and the guitar work intertwine and feed off each other, which happens here and in “The Fixer”. So far, so good.

“Just Breathe” follows, and serves to ruin much of the momentum the album had. It sounds nice enough, but it’s a little too sappy to immediately follow the previous songs, and it just sounds like they’re trying a bit too hard to make another “Last Kiss”. Pearl Jam has written a lot of very good “sentimental” songs (“Off He Goes”, “Thumbing My Way”) but this one rings a bit hollow.

Most previous Pearl Jam releases often had big-sounding, grandiose rock songs which lent those albums weight and strength. “Against the Waves” provides Backspacer with that much needed quality, and is quickly followed by “Unthought Known” which continues the big sound laid forth on the previous track. These two songs re-establish the album’s momentum and add some much needed importance to the proceedings; after all, this is a new Pearl Jam album, for fuck’s sake!

It’s unfortunate that the album starts off so well only to fizzle down the stretch. “Supersonic” is another 2 ½ minute speed-burst that doesn’t do anything too memorable, and “Speed of Sound” is simply puzzling; it sounds like something Marc Cohn might record. Despite the good songs that came before, Backspacer truly is a disjointed record. Things don’t fit together very well, and though the best songs do manage to rise above some of the filler on the album, the contrast of sounds from track to track is often jarring. It almost sounds like they took their best or favorite eleven songs and jumbled them together without rhyme or reason. The album is closed by “Force of Nature” and “The End”; the first a rather bland, uncomplicated rock song and the latter another soft number that serves as an adequate ending for the album.

Backspacer is a mixed bag. I don’t care that they didn’t remake Ten, but there’s no immediacy here. There are some good songs, sure, but there’s nothing here that demands my attention (save “The Fixer”). Backspacer has no real flow or steady tempo, instead moving from one place to another without cause or justification. I used to think there was a sonic largeness to some of the older songs, an importance. But maybe, all the while, I was just younger and hearing things differently.

C+

John Lacey

Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue

Alice in Chains
Black Gives Way To Blue
2009 Virgin/EMI

Replacing a lead singer and maintaining your integrity is not an easy thing. AC/DC did it after the death of Bon Scott, by continuing on with Brian Johnson and releasing the near-perfect Back in Black. Anthrax did it following the firing of Joey Belladonna, by reinventing their thrash sound with a more mature-yet-raw sound on Sound of White Noise with John Bush at the helm. And those are the only two examples that come to mind. Sure, plenty of bands have replaced singers and kept touring as nostalgia acts (Journey, Boston), while other bands tried to reinvent themselves but failed miserably (Motley Crue circa 1993).

It makes sense, really. People grow very attached to the frontman, and there’s a reason they’re called the frontman; more often than not, they are the face of the band. Alice in Chains arguably had two frontmen as their career progressed – Layne Stayley, on vocals and occasional rudimentary rhythm guitar, and Jerry Cantrell, on guitar and vocals. By the release of their third, self-titled album in 1995, Layne’s role as a vocalist had become almost a 50/50 split with Cantrell, quite different than the dynamic present on the group’s debut Facelift. The band still had a signature sound, and Staley’s ongoing drug problems consistently prevented the band from touring. In 1996 they performed the classic MTV Unplugged set that was Layne’s last national TV performance with the band. While the group never officially split up, they did not release an album until 2001’s live compilation, Live. Layne passed away a year later, in April of 2002.

The three remaining members of Alice in Chains – Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney – performed as Alice in Chains for the first time during a tsunami benefit in 2005, with various guest vocalists. The group’s performance lit a flame under them, and they recruited Cantrell’s solo band/tourmates Comes With the Fall’s vocalist/guitarist William Duvall to begin a slow process of playing shows. These shows eventually led to writing, and eventually recording. Some fans thought that anything released post-Layne would tarnish the group’s legacy, and I have to admit, I was also skeptical of the reunion until I saw the band live on two separate occasions. William Duvall not only proved himself to me as a great performer, but he has a great voice that’s also distinct, and he is a great guitar player to boot.

After two years of working together in the studio, the band has finally released their long-awaited, fourth studio album, Black Gives Way to Blue, and I have to admit, it more than lives up to the Alice in Chains legacy. This album combines the best elements of AiC’s back catalogue – the twisted stomp of “A Looking in View” and “Last of my Kind”, the somber acoustic songs with “When the Sun Rose Again”, “Your Decision” and the title-track, and the moody, melodic “Check My Brain” – but there is a vitality and freshness in the recording that hasn’t been heard by the band since 1993’s Dirt. Alice in Chains was a dark, depressing album, and while Black… has its share of dark moments, there are also underlying messages of hope and resurrection in the lyrics.

How does Duvall hold up on the album? Well, for one thing, the 50/50 vocal dynamic present on Alice in Chains is still evident here, although I don’t know if this was a conscious decision or not. I personally think the band just did this in order to better fit the songs. “Last of my Kind” is the only track where Duvall is singing alone, but he also handles lead sections on “A Looking in View” and the brilliant “Private Hell,” which is reminiscent of the multi-tracked Layne harmonies of “Rotten Apple”. His harmonies are layered throughout the Cantrell-led songs, as well, so his presence is definitely felt, and also brings a new piece to the puzzle. He definitely does not sound like a newcomer or someone in over his head, and this album sounds like a true band, not 3 guys and a hired gun.

The album ends with the beautifully haunting title-track, a bare-bones acoustic number featuring Jerry Cantrell handling the lead vocals, and none other than Elton John playing some great subdued piano work. Cantrell has admitted in interviews that the build-up to recording this track caused him massive migraines and back aches, but once he recorded it, he likened it to finally “puking up a big bunch of grief” over the loss of his great friend and former bandmate, Staley. Let me say, you can really tell when listening to the track, which honestly almost moved me to tears the first time I heard it. The album ends with the line, “Lay down/black gives way to blue/lay down/I remember you,” and it’s as emotionally heavy as the iconic ending to “Would?” which closed out Dirt.

The only song I would probably leave off of this album is the track “Take Her Out,” which is rocking and melodic, but also doesn’t have any real arresting riffs or hooks. Aside from that, this album is pretty much flawless. It’s more than a comeback, and more than a return-to-form (truth is, they never really left their form at all); it’s new life breathed into a band that still has plenty to offer.

A-

Matt Steele

The Dailies 10/4/09: Intrigue and Such!

Trailerz

Doubt (2008) – Dir: John Patrick Shanley. Principals: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis

Shortly after the release of Doubt, friend and one-time blog contributor Mike Keefe said that the film worked so well because it requires something from the audience. I’d agree that this feeling is the key reason why this film is so good. Doubt’s plot revolves around accusations of inappropriate behavior between a priest and a student at a Catholic school in New York. Philip Seymour Hoffman, as the accused Father Flynn, staunchly defends himself against the allegations, but can never quite fully articulate his innocence. Streep, as school principal Sister Aloysius, presents a strong case against him, yet cannot support her position with any hard facts. It’s this battle of wills that drives the film.

Doubt is a very powerful film about conviction and fairness, and, well, doubt, all taking place under the supposed eyes of God, which brings even more weight to the actions of the characters. With its conclusion, the film isn’t trying to have us answer the question of whether Flynn actually committed the offense, rather showing us weakness and humanity in the most unshakable of characters. A-. (Doubt was nominated for five Academy Awards last year, including Actress (Streep), Supporting Actor (Hoffman), Supporting Actress (Adams), Supporting Actress (Davis), and Adapted Screenplay.)

Flight of the Conchords: Season 2 (2009) – Principals: Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie, Rhys Darby, Kristen Schaal, Arj Barker

Part of the reason that it’s taken me so long to write a Dailies column since the last edition is that I took in the entire second season of Flight of the Conchords, which I originally missed when it aired earlier this year on HBO. Friends of mine had told me that this season was far inferior to the first, but I was delighted to find that this isn’t the case. Some of the songs may be a bit less inspired, but there’s not a clunker in this group of ten episodes.

I won’t go into too much detail; if you liked the first season, you’ll like the second. The ninth episode of the bunch, “Wingmen”, features one of the funniest moments I’ve seen on the show. Bret attempts to ask the clerk of a local pet store on a date with the help of Jemaine and their pawn shop owning friend Dave (Barker). Bret enters the store with a walkie-talkie, through which Jemaine and Dave communicate with him right in front of the girl. They have him say a variety of stupid things, and when she notices the walkie-talkie, Jemaine tells Bret to explain (over the walkie-talkie, within hearing distance of the girl) that it’s just an “old iPod”. The zaniness of this scene and these episodes in general make for a strong season and foster hope that there will be at least one more season to follow. A-.

Feature Presentation

The Informant! (2009)
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Principal Actors: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale, Melanie Lynskey

I think a lot of people, including myself, might have been fooled by the ads for The Informant! The film is technically a comedy, because it contains many moments of levity and displays many eccentricities. But at its heart, it really isn’t very funny. Its protagonist, Mark Whitacre (Damon) is a pathological liar who can’t get out of his own way. He, too, has quirks and traits that create chuckles. While wearing a wire to his office, he creates a narration, explaining into his sport coat lapel everything he does and everyone he encounters. He carries himself with a goofy Midwestern charm. His voiceovers during the movie are essentially non-sequiturs, with very little relevance to the action at hand. His tics do lighten up the proceedings along the way, but they also provide us with insight into the character that we only fully comprehend when the film is over and we can look back on everything. The Informant! is an incredibly deliberate film, with each scene adding a new layer on what came before it to paint a picture of a desperate and pathetic man with hardly a sense of who he is or what he’s doing.

Mark Whitacre is a rising star at ADM, a company that processed cereal grains and oilseeds into products used in food, beverages, and other materials worldwide (courtesy Wikipedia). Mark, however, has a problem. There’s a virus in the lysine, a food additive vital to the creation of the company’s products. This virus is setting the company back millions per month, and Mark is charged with fixing the issue. Whitacre gets the idea (unbeknownst to the audience at the time) to concoct an extortion scheme, telling his higher-ups that a Japanese businessman can solve their problems with the virus for ten million dollars. The film soon veers into price-fixing allegations against ADM and everything rapidly spins out of control, with Mark’s continual lying providing for plot points and pushing the storyline to its next stop. Mark is helped in trying to catch his superiors engaging in market price-fixing by two erstwhile FBI agents, strongly played by Scott Bakula and the always hilarious Joel McHale.

The plot isn’t quite as confusing while actually watching the film as I’m making it out to be, which helps our understanding of the film and its characters. We see and follow Mark’s web of lies collapsing on him and his control of the situation loosening. He maintains his “you-betcha” grin and tries to cover himself by lying further, until the film reaches a point of lunacy with everyone (Mark included) trying to unravel everything. There are laughs here, like an exasperated and incredulous Tony Hale (Buster from Arrested Development) acting as Mark’s legal counsel. No one can make heads or tails of this guy and his stories.

There’s a scene towards the conclusion of the film where Bakula’s FBI agent, who has befriended Mark, confronts him on his lying and tells him that the ride is over. This scene shows Whitacre realizing his actions have been foolish and delusional, and recognizing himself for what he is. The film suffers for it, however, because it’s hitting us over the head with what we’ve been able to deduce all along. We’ve been following Mark’s actions and witnessing his inevitable decline; we really didn’t need to be told this, and we’re not even sure Mark himself learns anything, so it doesn’t work on that level either.

The Informant! definitely drags at points, but it’s a very strong character study with some decent laughs that generally makes the audience think and decode everything for themselves. Overall, it’s an interesting and enjoyable experience.

B

John Lacey

The Random Ten #13

Matt and I will again be sharing writing duties on this edition of the Random Ten. Let’s get right to it.

John #1) The Jayhawks – “Won’t Be Coming Home” – Music From The North Country: The Jayhawks Anthology (2009, song originally recorded in 1991)

Alt-country is supposed to be exactly what it sounds like; classic country music and alternative rock mixed into a hybrid, connecting and contrasting the best parts of each. One of the fascinating things about alt-country is that its players are often young, mixing the exuberance of youth and feedback-heavy alternative rock with the thoughtfulness and life lessons of country. The best alt-country bands are those whose musicians sound aged beyond their years; as a twenty-something listener, I identify with their position. They have one foot in adulthood and one in youth.

The Jayhawks have the genre’s youthful, intimate heart down cold. “Won’t Be Coming Home” moves at a quick but deliberate pace, with singer Mark Olson providing the rickety, yearning vocals that fit perfectly with the melody. This is textbook alt-country from one of the genre’s criminally underrated bands.

Matt #1) Green Day - “Pulling Teeth” - Dookie (1994)

“Pulling Teeth” was one of my favorite, oft-overlooked songs from Dookie back when I was in 5th grade. The song is a mid-paced rocker that owes more to Buddy Holly or Social Distortion than, say, the Sex Pistols, but it was very indicative of the more pop-oriented direction Green Day would take on later albums like Nimrod and Warning. Lyrically, it’s a love song to an abusive girlfriend. If you like Green Day, or if you bought CDs in 1994, you’ve probably heard this song.

John #2) Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – “Good” – Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit (2009)

Jason Isbell is a former guitarist and principal songwriter of the Drive-By Truckers, whom he left in 2007 to pursue a solo career. “Good” is culled from his second album, and has a much different sound and vibe from the work he did in Drive-By Truckers. “Good” is much more in line with alternative rock than DBT’s mix of hard rocking and deep south earnestness.

I’m not sure it works, however. Isbell’s songs on the Truckers albums were often standouts, but he sounds like he’s hemming himself into a style of music that he’s a bit unaccustomed to. Unfortunately, “Good” moseys around without doing anything memorable. It’s just sort of a blank alt-rock track.

Matt #2) Probot - “Access Babylon” - Probot (2004)

Probot was essentially a Dave Grohl solo album featuring guest musicians from the underground (and not so underground) metal world, such as Lemmy from Motorhead, King Diamond from Mercyful Fate, Wino from The Obsessed/Spirit Caravan/The Hidden Hand, Lee Dorrian from Cathedral/ex-Napalm Death, and many others. “Access Babylon” is more of a hardcore punk track, and features Corrosion of Conformity bassist Mike Dean on vocals (who only sang on COC’s Four Songs with Mike Singing EP, fittingly enough). I’ve never heard much of COC’s earlier, more punk-inspired material, but I can imagine it sounded a lot like this song, which is a harmless, fun track.

John #3) Miles Davis – “Easy Minor” – The Complete In A Silent Way Sessions (2001, originally recorded 1968-1969)

I’m the first to admit I don’t know much about jazz. This was given to me by a coworker and fan of the genre a few years back. I’m certainly appreciative of the atmosphere Davis creates and the ease with which he seems to do it, but I’m not sure I could ever really get into this kind of music. I respect musicians who can create something all their own, which Davis has certainly done here. I guess I just need songs to take me someplace; “Easy Minor” is filled with fascinating sounds, but they don’t lead anywhere and nothing gets paid off. Cool but unsatisfying.

Matt #3) Judas Priest - “Love Bites” - Defenders Of The Faith (1984)

Not to be confused with the Def Leppard track of the same name, “Love Bites” is a mid-paced stomper from what might be my favorite Priest studio album, Defenders of the Faith. Opening with a synth-bass riff that leads into some start-stop riffing and Halford’s unmistakable voice, “Love Bites” really picks up when the whole band gets into things for the second verse. The lyrics are cheesy, and are most certainly about Rob Halford’s sexual exploits, but musically this track is a winner. Halford’s screams at the 3:37 mark are top-notch, even if the production is undeniably 1980s-sounding. Still, good song from a great album.

John #4) Common – “Thelonius” – Like Water For Chocolate (2000)

“Thelonius” is one of the best songs from one of my favorite albums ever. I urge any readers out there whose knowledge of Common extends only to Gap ads and his appearance in Smokin’ Aces to listen to this album. The song itself takes a mellow, subdued tone, with sharp but freely delivered lyrics accompanied intermittently by a piano piece that raises and lowers to accommodate certain rhymes. There’s really not much to say about it; it’s a really strong, no-frills rap song.

Matt #4) Testament - “Chasing Fear” - Low (1994)

Testament followed up two sub-par albums (Souls of Black was a lifeless, almost carbon copy of its predecessor, Practice What You Preach; The Ritual, on the other hand, tried to capitalize on the success of Metallica by going the cleaner, more commercial route, and yielded few good songs) with a new lineup and new vigor in 1994 when they released Low. A criminally underrated record, Low saw Testament reclaim their thrash metal roots, but also show that they could hang with the then-up-and-comers Machine Head, Fear Factory and the like. “Chasing Fear” opens with some typical Testament thrash riffing, before displaying some funk (!) influences about 0:26 in. Chuck Billy also displayed a more guttural, visceral vocal style at times on Low, which added to his already diverse repertoire. Testament went a little too far into death metal territory on 1997’s Demonic, which alienated some longtime fans, but on Low they had a great mix of styles working for them, and “Chasing Fear” displays almost all of them.

John #5) The Roots – “Water” – Live From Bonnaroo (2003, this is not an official release; “Water” originally appeared on Phrenology [2002])

This recording of the Roots’ live set from the Bonnaroo festival in 2003 was downloaded from the old Providence College network in my freshman year of college, before the school shut down our ability to take any album from anyone’s computer at the school. I only listened to this once before because the sound quality is quite atrocious. The band’s manic energy comes through on the recording, but it sounds like it was recorded underwater, tapering my enjoyment of the track. It’s not their fault; this recording is simply a mess. Good on Phrenology, not so good here.

Matt #5) Iron Maiden - “Run to the Hills” - Live After Death (1985)

This was Maiden at the height of their popularity in the US in the 80’s, performing a sold-out show at the Long Beach Arena, and this is one of their more popular tunes of the time. The band sounds absolutely on fire, although Bruce Dickinson’s voice was already showing signs of wear and tear, which is to be expected when one actually looks at the tour itineraries from this era. Either way, this is still a great performance, from one of the better metal live albums of all time.

John #6) Chris Robinson – “Silver Car” – New Earth Mud (2002)

“Silver Car” is by far the best song from Chris Robinson’s first solo record, New Earth Mud, and probably his best solo song ever. Like the album, the song is not terribly complicated, and lacks the ferociousness and cockiness of the Crowes’ hard-rocking work. In fact, the whole album really has an unmistakable sheen of “the lead singer of the Black Crowes trying to make a solo album”, rather than a forging of his own sound.

“Silver Car” comes closest to making an impression, due to its very simple and understated elegance. This mood is helped in no small part by strong piano work and a toned-down Robinson. A very nice and thoughtful song, albeit saddled with a meaningless “A Day In The Life”-type crazy ending which nearly ruins all the good that came before it.

Matt #6) Katatonia - “Nowhere” - Brave Murder Day (1996)

Brave Murder Day was the turning point for Katatonia, where they stepped out of the doom/death genre and into a more gothic metal with death metal overtones (before dropping the death metal overtones on follow-up Discouraged Ones entirely). The album featured Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt doing the harsh, screaming vocals, while Jonas Renske, who also played bass and drums on the album, took over the lead melodic vocals, a role he still occupies today as the band’s frontman. The melancholy music on “Nowhere” wouldn’t have been out of place on later albums like Tonight’s Decision or Discouraged Ones, but Akerfeldt’s vocals give it a harsher, more extreme vibe. Earlier Katatonia relied on the riffs and arrangements to invoke depression and angst, whereas the vocals would take that role on later releases. Great lead guitar melodies throughout, “Nowhere” is a great song from an incredible album.

John #7) Phish – “Mike’s Song” – Live: Camden, NJ 7/31/03 (not an official release)

Well, you knew it had to happen sooner or later. I actually have a Random Ten cutoff of twenty minutes. Anything over that length of time is being skipped. Luckily for us, this version of “Mike’s” only clocks in at nine.

I feel like I’ve heard and seen this song so many times that there is a “Mike’s Song” archetype to which each version of the song needs to live up to. This edition bounces along like it’s supposed to and the harmonies are there. A tight jam is included (obviously) that keeps the tune chugging along through its conclusion and melding into the next track. A very solid version, followed in the show, as is customary, by “I Am Hydrogen” and “Weekapaug Groove”.

Matt #7) Metallica - “Sad But True” - Metallica (1991)

What do I really need to say about this? If you haven’t heard this song before, you probably didn’t listen to hard rock radio at all in the 1990s. It’s one of 5 hit singles from Metallica’s self-titled breakthrough, aka The Black Album. Lars Ulrich joked that this would be the “’Kashmir’ of the 90s” when the band was recording it, and he wasn’t far off, as both songs still receive a tremendous amount of airplay to this date. Featuring one of Metallica’s heaviest riffs, “Sad But True” was catchy enough for rock radio fans, but heavy enough to not completely turn off Metallica’s fan base (that wouldn’t happen until 1996’s Load). Also features some great, bluesy soloing from Kirk Hammett, and some great vocal overdubbing in the bridge section, something Metallica hadn’t really experimented with at all until the inclusion of producer Bob Rock on this album. Still a live staple to this date, the song honestly sounds best in the studio, where they keep the tempo slow, emphasizing the heaviness of the riffs. That, and James Hetfield hasn’t really matched the intensity of his vocals on this album ever since.

John #8) Widespread Panic – “Jack” – Live: Boston, MA 9/22/06 (not an official release; “Jack” originally appeared on Ain’t Life Grand [1994])

Hey, more jamming, although this time with a band that I know much less about! Widespread Panic actually has always reminded me of a country-infused moe., if that makes any sense. The songwriting isn’t very impressive, but it works, and their songs lend themselves to being played live, much like moe.’s output. John Bell has a great voice for this kind of material, and the musicianship is certainly here. “Jack” also contains a really cool piece in the middle, which gets a bit darker and then opens up into a lighter guitar part and then back into the original riff. Nice, if forgettable, stuff.

Matt #8) DMX - “I Miss You” - The Great Depression (2001)

I only own one DMX album, and for some reason it’s one of his lesser known releases that spawned only moderate hits like “Who We Be” and “We Right Here”. I think I had burned copies of the first 2 albums at one point in time, but I thought I’d actually buy the 3rd one. Big mistake. “I Miss You” is a terrible, God-inspired song that I couldn’t even make it all the way through. This album didn’t immediately strike me as awful, but I can’t get through a lot of the songs, this being one of them. Not recommended.

John #9) Ben Folds – “Side Of The Road” – Songs For Goldfish (2005)

“Side Of The Road”, originally a Lucinda Williams song, is expertly and beautifully done by Folds on his 2005 odds and ends collection, Songs For Goldfish. I’ve never heard the original, but from the sound of this the song fits right into Folds’ wheelhouse of undying sentimentality and his unheralded ability to create somber moods in addition to the fun and goofy ones he’s known for. The song, about a woman who leaves her lover to see what else the world has to offer, probably hit close to home for Folds (he’s been divorced several times). This might explain how clear he sounds on the recording and how powerful it is. A lot of people chalk Folds up to being a little too cutesy and zany for his own good, but songs like this show how talented he really is.

Matt #9) In Flames - “Jotun” - The Tokyo Showdown (2001)

One of my favorite In Flames songs of all time, this live performance is energetic, maybe a little too fast, but solid nonetheless. The production on this live album has always baffled me, as the drums are clear, yet they sound almost distant or too clicky. I can’t quite pinpoint what doesn’t work about the sound on this live album, but something never sat with me as quite right. It could be the guitar tone, too, which sounds not nearly as thick and full as their studio releases. If you want a better performance of this song, check out their live DVD In Live We Trust, which, despite the stupid name, contains a club performance (as well as some arena shows in Europe) in which the band performs the entire Soundtrack to Your Escape album (boo!), but then follows it up with an entire set of classics including “Jotun” (awesome!). I’m sure the clips are on YouTube *cough*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYM2ngWz0JE*cough, so you’ll hear and see what I mean.

John #10) Andrew Bird – “The Supine” – Armchair Apocrypha (2007)

“The Supine” is a minute-long stringed instrument piece that serves as an interlude in his 2007 album, Armchair Apocrypha. It’s very beautiful and quite moving for a song of one minute in length, but it’s too short to make too much of an impression on its own.

Matt #10) Green Day - “Scattered” - Nimrod (1997)

I honestly don’t remember this song at all. I’ve probably only listened to this entire album two or three times, and those were back in 1998. This song features harmonized vocals throughout, and is an example of the more melodic, pop-rock approach the band first flirted with on “Pulling Teeth,” although the pace is a little more upbeat on this track. Surprisingly not a bad song, although I don’t recall liking a great deal of the rest of the album.

Matt Steele/John Lacey