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

Eulogy For A Friend

The following was printed in the September 18, 2009 edition of the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune.

HAVERHILL — Stephen R. Landry Jr., 26, of Haverhill, passed away unexpectedly at his home.

Stephen was born in Lawrence on April 20, 1983 to Allyson (Engels) Senee of Haverhill and Stephen R. Landry Sr. of Bradford.

Stephen was the cherished grandson of Cecelia Landry of North Andover, Garrett Engels of Malden and Alice Engels of Seabrook, N.H. He was predeceased by his grandfather, Reginald Landry.

It is with tremendous sadness that I write today’s blog entry. Steve Landry, one of my great childhood friends, recently passed away. I’d like to take this opportunity to share some of my thoughts and memories of Steve.

Steve enrolled at Thomson Elementary School in North Andover sometime in third or fourth grade, and though I don’t remember the impetus behind us becoming friends, we hit it off fairly quickly after his arrival. Steve lived on Beverly St., two streets away from my home on Middlesex. The families of Thomson students lived in pretty close quarters, and Steve quickly became a fixture in the neighborhood and in my group of friends at the time. Steve and I remained close through middle school and freshman year at North Andover High School, after which he moved to New Hampshire. I saw him sparingly from that point.

Steve had a rather legendary temper. More often than not, he was pleasant to be around. But certain things would happen that would set him off and he’d go into a rage. To be fair, his temper and mood swings could be somewhat frightening, but he would never direct them at me or our other friends. Steve acted as a sort of protector; he had the gumption to say what was on his mind and he never backed down from anyone. If he perceived that he or any of us were being slighted, he had no problem getting in the offender’s face. It didn’t matter if it was a peer or a teacher. Sometimes this would get us into a bit of trouble, but Steve felt it was his duty as a friend to help us if we ever had any issues. We admired and respected him for that.

As a child, I (and probably most kids back then) had self-esteem issues. At Thomson, I was young enough to put those thoughts out of my mind by playing a video game or riding my bike or something. When I arrived at North Andover Middle School, however, those issues became magnified. I started becoming worried about girls. I worried about coming off as “cool”. It was a confusing and often troubling time. Steve wasn’t just protective muscle. He became a confidante, and we would talk about these childhood problems. He gave me an outlet to vent about my situation, and I provided the same for him. I felt like we worked through our problems together, and without that, my experience in middle school undoubtedly would have been much worse.

Of course, Steve was also hysterical. He loved mischief and he loved a good laugh. I mentioned previously that he’d say anything to anyone. In seventh grade, we had a science teacher named Ms. McMillen. None of my classmates much cared for her at the time, and we’d often interrupt her classes with idiotic questions guised as serious inquiries. Two of my other classmates and dear friends, Matt Steele and Jeremy Cote, still talk about a time that he interrupted Ms. McMillen, mid-sentence, to ask, “I know astronauts can go up. But can they go down?” It was such a stupid question, asked with a perfect tone of sincerity. We all had a good laugh. Another time, Ms. McMillen had had enough of Steve’s antics for one day, and kicked him out of the class. Steve protested and asked specifically why he was being kicked out. When Ms. McMillen said they would discuss it later, Steve asked with incredulousness, “Forget that. Why don’t we get it out in the open now?” Of course, in a group of thirteen year olds, all looking to ruin the class, this comment inspired complete lunacy; one of those sublime moments where the teacher completely loses control of the class.

In eighth grade, we had an English teacher named Ms. Erickson. We were reading detective novels and Ms. Erickson, doubling as the drama teacher at the middle school, had arranged “crime scenes” in the back of her classroom based on the books we were reading. Steve, Jeremy, and another friend of ours, Chris Weller, would break all of the crime scene props daily. Each day, Ms. Erickson would set everything up again, and each day everything would be broken and smashed. Eventually, she turned to gluing everything down as a way to prevent this. It didn’t work. I remember nearly peeing myself laughing as Steve yanked chess pieces off of a chessboard they were glued to and stomped them on the floor. Sure, it was immature, reckless destruction, but we were fourteen, and that kind of stuff was hilarious to us then.

I think what I’ll remember the most about Steve is simply being a kid with him. When I think of what childhood was like growing up near the Lawrence border of North Andover, Steve is one of the first people that pops into my mind. He and our other friends played baseball at Carl Thomas together, we went to each other’s birthday parties, we watched Saturday morning wrestling, and we bought candy at Frannie’s and Joe’s. It sounds really corny, but he really will live on in those memories forever.

Though I hadn’t seen Steve for many years, the idea that I won’t see him again is one that fills me with sadness. For those that knew him well and counted him as a friend, he was one of the best. So long, pal. Death comes for us all; but it shouldn’t ever come this soon.

John Lacey

Phish - Joy

Phish
Joy (2009)
JEMP Records

Phish’s new studio album, Joy, shares many similarities with their previous album before this one, Undermind. I had written in my Forgotten Records column on the Undermind album back in May that the album was quite peculiar because its release was completely overshadowed by Phish’s farewell tour in the summer of 2004. At the time, Undermind marked the first instance I noticed where a new studio album by a band was not only considered an afterthought, but an outright nuisance. No one wanted to hear those songs played on Phish’s final tour because there was only so much time with the band left (and the songs weren’t very good, either). So Undermind was quickly forgotten about until I dragged it out of mothballs a few months ago.

But in Joy we have an album that follows the exact same trajectory as Undermind. Released in conjunction with Phish’s comeback tour of summer 2009, Joy marks another slate of songs that no one wanted to hear live and that no one, including hardcore Phish fans, cares much about. With the release of Joy, Phish albums have officially become companion pieces to the tours, and not, as is customary, the other way around. I guess that’s not automatically a bad thing, if the music is good enough to stand out, but it’s generally not good for an album’s sales and legacy for it to be forgotten about as quickly as it arrives. Additionally, Joy is a boring and awful name for an album.

But what of the music? Things start out pretty well, actually. “Backwards Down the Number Line” is a nice little galloping pop song that mixes a solid chorus with a well-done jam piece towards its conclusion. If Phish actually cared about selling this record, they would have opened with this every night, because it works as a heralding of the return of the band and would have gotten crowds excited about one of their new songs right off the bat.

Unfortunately, “Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan” brings about an extended malaise from which the album does not recover. What follows are a multitude of saccharine, blasé pop songs with bad lyrics and none of Phish’s childish but endearing charm. The lyrics on “Joy” are especially painful (“when we were young we thought life was a game / but then somebody leaves you and you’re never the same”); like something I would have excitedly scribbled in a notebook when I was fifteen. Trey’s lyrics were fine when he was singing about “the foggy cavern’s musty grime” or being “stranded for a moment on the ocean of Osiris”, even though they were nonsense, because they were imaginative, they worked, and because they were lyrics all his own. Joy is filled with forced lines, painfully obvious references and tired metaphors.

Additionally, if Phish wanted to make a pop record, they would have been better off just going for it and dropping all pretense of jamming. I realize that’s their MO, but they can always add the jams in later live. On “Backwards Down the Number Line”, the jam works at the end because the song is good and because they successfully built up to it; the jam served as a payoff. But in “Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan”, the song isn’t very good, and the jam at the end feels undeserved, almost like a cop out.

Joy moves through a series of tracks that are more inspired than what’s on Undermind, but truthfully not much better. “Sugar Shack” is a reggae-infused Mike-sung track (yikes) whose ultra-bright verses sound like an amalgamation of Phish and any number of pop divas currently blighting the musical landscape. “Ocelot” was a fun song live that doesn’t do a whole lot on the record, but at least it’s not actively bad. “Light” has an awesome intro that I wish they would have stuck with instead of delving back into more of the same crap we’ve been hearing for 35 minutes. Joy is just so neutered; nothing stands out.

Until “Time Turns Elastic”. The thirteen minute album centerpiece is not the greatest song either, but it at least breaks the spell of bad songs and does some interesting and often pleasant sounding things. Even though it’s thirteen minutes, it never loses steam, unlike some of the streamlined pop songs on the first half of the record. This is definitely Joy’s best song.

Joy is simply bad. If Phish continues to write songs like this, they’re honestly better off becoming a nostalgia act and forgoing new studio albums. I can only recommend the album’s first track and “Time Turns Elastic”, and even those are mild recommendations. See them live; avoid this.

D+

John Lacey

The Boston Sports List #2: Most Hated Teams continued

5) Los Angeles Lakers

I considered putting the Montreal Canadiens in this spot, but the Lakers aren’t even in the same conference as the Celtics so I had to go with them. The Lakers are probably the fiercest historical rivals of the Celtics. The two teams have played each other eleven times in the NBA Finals, with the Celtics winning nine of the eleven meetings. The dichotomy between the two teams is so evident even Spike Lee referenced it in Do the Right Thing. In the 80s, the Celtics were the blue-collar, hard working white team. The “Showtime” Lakers were the flashy and flamboyant black team. Each year, the NBA season became a lesson in race relations.

Of course, the rivalry between the Celtics and Lakers dates back to the days of Russell and Chamberlain, with Russell’s Celtics teams always beating the Lakers. Chamberlain may have been the more prolific scorer and possibly the better player, but Russell was the better winner, and he proved it year in and year out, often at the expense of Los Angeles.

Perhaps the greatest memory of the rivalry for Celtics fans was the 1969 NBA Finals. Boston had just snuck into the playoffs as the final team into the Eastern Conference, and 1969 was Russell’s final year in the NBA. The Lakers were heavily favored, but the Celtics managed to bring the series to seven games. In the deciding game, played in Los Angeles, balloons waited in the rafters to be showered upon celebrating fans. Unfortunately for them, the Celtics won the game and the championship and the balloons never came down.

The Lakers are an interesting rival because they’re not even in the same conference as the Celtics and because regular season games between the two teams really aren’t a big deal around here. The sheer number of times the teams have met in the NBA finals and the fantastic battles that have occurred between them make this a great rivalry.

4) Montreal Canadiens

I’ll admit I don’t know as much about hockey as the other major sports, but I do know that the Canadiens hail from a dirty French city and their dirty fans flood Boston nearly every year for playoff games. I also know that the Canadiens have routinely beaten the bag out of the Bruins in nearly every important game the two teams have played since the dawn of time.

Because I really don’t know a lot about the rivalry and the players involved, I’ll leave you with something my father told me many years ago. The Bruins and Canadiens played each other in the semifinals of the 1979 Stanley Cup playoffs, and the series went to seven games. In the final game, in the game’s final minutes, the Bruins were penalized for having too many men on the ice. The Canadiens scored near the end of regulation to tie the game, and went on to win the game in overtime. My father was none too happy. In a daze, he went to take a shower, and not looking, slipped on a bar of soap. Needless to say, he spent the night in the hospital. So the Canadiens nearly killed my father. Fuck them.

3) Pittsburgh Steelers

I’ve been privy to some fantastic moments as a Boston sports fan. The ALCS comeback against the Yankees. The three Super Bowls. The 2008 NBA championship. To me, my favorite moments were the 2002 and 2005 AFC Championship games. There is no greater feeling I’ve ever had as a sports fan than the Patriots waltzing into Pittsburgh and beating the bag out of the Steelers in those games. I hate their fans, I hate most of their players, and I used to hate their coach. They’d actually be higher on the list if it weren’t for the two even more odious teams in front of them.

Steeler fans carry themselves with this absurd sense of self-entitlement and accomplishment, even though they have the highest body fat index of any fan base of the NFL (it makes sense that their stadium is named after a brand of ketchup). Their signature is waving a bunch of yellow towels around for three hours every game. These people make me sick. Watching Brady torch them in 2005 was one of the more gratifying games I’ve seen, just behind game seven of the aforementioned ALCS, especially since the Steelers had snapped the Patriots’ 21 game winning streak.

To top it off, Hines Ward is an ever-smiling crybaby who takes cheap shots at opposing players and somehow always seems to make huge plays. Their former coach, Bill Cowher, is another dim-witted buffoon who never would have won a title was it not for Seattle’s atrocious clock management in Super Bowl XL. And Ben Roethlisberger, affectionately known to every jock-sniffing play-by-play man as just “Ben”…well, I just don’t like him. Here’s hoping the Pats get another shot to send these fat dopes hope unhappy.

#2) New York Yankees

Protocol dictates the Yankees have to be here somewhere towards the top. And though I did used to seethe with rage when I’d see Johnny College in a Posada jersey or watch highlights of dickhead Paul O’Neill running his mouth during yet another Yankee win, my feelings have largely cooled towards them. Certainly, the Red Sox winning the 2004 championship, defeating the Yankees in stunning fashion along the way, contributed greatly to this. I think it was Bill Simmons who wrote, “The Red Sox and the Yankees are just two baseball superpowers who will always be in each other’s way”.

And he (or whoever said it) is right. The Sox aren’t the plucky underdog anymore. They’ve conquered the demon and added another championship and another ALCS appearance to their recent resume. They’re expected to be in the World Series every year. One could argue that the Red Sox are the class and envy of Major League Baseball, not just because of their storied history and recent success, but because of the way they are able to build their team. Not only can they sign just about any free agent they want, but they also have a tremendous farm system and a very strong coaching staff and front office. These aren’t the Red Sox who lost the heartbreakers in agonizing fashion; they’re not even the underachievers of earlier in this decade who hated playing with each other (the “25 players, 25 cabs” Red Sox of 2000-2002). This team is different, and will forever be different. Because of that, we’ve been spoiled. And because of that, I can’t hate the Yankees as much as I used to. They used to be the toast of the league. Now the Sox are.

Obviously, I don’t care much for the Yankees. I wish that old bastard Steinbrenner would expire already and that his loudmouth idiot son would follow him. A-Rod’s “what did I do” routine after slapping the ball from Arroyo’s glove in 2004 made me forever hate him. My friend and I equate Mark Teixeira’s perennially puzzled-looking face to that of a meathead college lacrosse player (no offense if any of you are reading). I don’t understand how Mariano Rivera has one pitch and no one can figure out how to hit it. I think it’s hilarious that they tore down one of the most hallowed arenas in the world for nearly an exact duplicate, and the tickets closest to the field cost so much money that no one will sit in them. Also, the Yankees have taken more time off of my life than any other franchise in any other sport, so I don’t like that, either.

But the Red Sox season would not be as fun without the Yankees. We wouldn’t have yearly tight pennant races, we wouldn’t have half the drama in the season that we get when the two teams square off, and we simply wouldn’t be Red Sox fans without the Yankees around. The Yankees’ mere existence provides me with too much excitement to hate them more than any other team. I’m afraid that honor goes to…

#1) New York Jets

Remember earlier, when I wrote that I respected Derek Jeter because I expected him to come through in big situations, and I didn’t respect A-Rod because I know he’ll fail? I respect the Yankees because of their history and because I know they’re a formidable opponent and that the Sox are in for a dogfight when they play each other. I don’t respect the Jets because they’re a gaggle of crybabies who never come through. That and their fans are sub-human.

They won a Super Bowl sixty years ago and still expect people to care. Since that time, Joe Namath, the hero of that Super Bowl, embarrassed himself forever on live TV. They haven’t won a meaningful game in ages. They swiped head coach Bill Parcells away from the Patriots on the eve of Super Bowl XXXI, providing a completely unnecessary distraction right before the (then) biggest game in Pats history. He then took a flight back to New England by himself, cleared out his office, and joined the Jets right after. Shithead.

Their big attraction is “Fireman Ed”, a bald moron who sits atop a fat moron and leads a “J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets” chant that the delusional Long Island/Jersey Jets fans lap up. Jets fans are brilliant because they’ll constantly tell you about how much Brady sucks or how the Jets are going to win the division with whatever retard they have at quarterback/head coach. They have no evidence to back anything up and then act aghast when the team inevitably goes 6-10. They turned on Chad Pennington before he even turned bad, though he was probably the best quarterback they’ve had in ages. Amazingly, the Jets dumped him for Brett Favre and Pennington ended up winning comeback player of the year for Miami last season (and leading the team to an AFC East title).

The most egregious sin the Jets created was unleashing Spygate on the world. What was a fairly trivial matter eventually exploded into a media circus that threatened to overshadow the Patriots’ undefeated season and caused another needless distraction right before the Super Bowl against the Giants. I can ignore the idiocy of Jets fans and the endless string of bad decisions and poor play that has plagued the franchise for years. But I can’t ignore the fact that the Jets attempted to tarnish the legacy of my favorite football team, and the great accomplishments I’ve seen them achieve. For that, they get the top spot.

John Lacey