Jaybee Finds Sarcasm Just Where You’d Expect It: Blonde On Blonde

Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde

Okay, I already had it on vinyl, but the $2.99 price got me. Hey, I can’t complain. The blues numbers still rock hard. And although his growing contempt for his audience is evidenced in his exaggerated singing and annoying harmonica playing, the songwriting is almost as good as on Highway 61. Probably the first rock-era double album, and like most to follow, it could have been an incredible single. But, as I’m now told, size does matter, so despite these flaws, still one of the all time best. A

"Absolutely Sweet Marie"

Jaybee Finds Love (Handles): Japandroid's Celebration Rock

Voice of Narrator: When last we left off, Jaybee was looking for love in all the wrong mp3 files. Will he ever find what he is looking for?

Without giving too much away, it just goes to show you have to keep at it. No matter how tough it seems, sitting there at your computer, with your pizza and beer. You just have to download yourself yet another mp3 file! It beats getting up off your ass. Hey honey, could ya pass me a another slice with pepperoni?

You: Oh my god, Jaybee! How long was your struggle?

Oh yeah. About five minutes actually. The very next record I tried, as a matter of fact. Sorry. I forgot to mention it. It slipped my mind like that beer slipped from my olive oil soaked fingers.

Japandroids: Celebration Rock:

Well named. Literally explosive, beginning and ending with the sound of fireworks. In between there are only eight songs, but each one is filled with loud guitars and frantic drumming. But no bass that I can see or hear.

.  

And two chords. The same two chords, it seems, for every song. And yet they get away with it, and more. There is s joy here that I’d not heard in any of the prior records from this year.

And there’s really not much more to say about it, because they bring the passion. A

"Adrenaline Nightshift"

2013 So Far:

1. Japandroids

2. Tame Impala

3. Sugar

4. Iron & Wine

5. Phil Ochs

Why Can’t I Just LOVE Something Anymore: Sugar’s Copper Blue

Why Can’t I Just LOVE Something Anymore:  Sugar’s Copper Blue

For my fourth record this year (thank you amazon.com!) I needed something strong and bracing to get the initial Pleasures of the Harbor taste out of my mouth. (Up to that point, Iron and Wine had barely left a taste at all. But it’s okay now. We’ve worked it all out, and will remain friends!)

Sugar, Copper Blue

And Bob Mould’s post-Husker-Du/post-mellow-solo-records-new(at the time) rock-n-roll-band Sugar’s Copper Blue will definitely cleanse your palette. Mould pulls it all together here, as if to prove to everyone that Husker Du was HIM and not Grant Hart. And that after some mellowish solo records, he can still rock.  

And although it’s as consistent as any Husker record, I still prefer Sugar’s second: the shorter, sweeter File Under Easy Listening. But you do get the Bob Mould wall of sound guitar, a dash of keyboards, and, gasp, hooks.

So when compared to the very baroque Pleasures of the Harbor, you’d think it would be no contest.

Clearly a lot of craft went into this record. But so far I’m not hearing the passion.

Part of the problem is that my initial reaction to such an onslaught is, well, apathy.  As George Harrison would say, it’s all too much. But then came that little drum flourish about 3 minutes into “The Slim” that tells me that they mean it, man. So I’ve definitely moved into Like territory. But not love. Not yet.  

I guess being exposed to the Beatles early in life warps your expectations.  They’re the ones who got away.

It’s not you, Bob. It’s me. A-

Voice of the Narrator: Will Jaybee ever love (music) again? Stay tuned!

"If I Can’t Change Your Mind"

So Far:

1. Tame Impala

2. Sugar

3. Iron & Wine

4. Phil Ochs

Why Can't I Just Hate Anything Anymore?: Phil Och's "Pleasures of the Harbor"

Another dark night of the soul for Jaybee, my friends. Today's crisis: Why can't I just hate anything anymore? It seems if I give anything enough time, I can come to enjoy - or at least tolerate - it. The joyful catharsis of despising something now appears lost to me.

It's not like I don't try. When it comes to people, my disdain can barely be contained. Music? No such luck.

Here's the latest instance of my irrational Breaking Good:

Phil Ochs’ Pleasures of the Harbor,

Unlike Dylan, who had electrified Newport in 1965, Phil Ochs would stick to the protest-singer-with-just-a-guitar style for a couple of years more. But by 1967 everybody was experimenting. So it was time for a change. And the longer you wait, the more humungus change you better make. So Phil gets himself an orchestra.

And after an initial shock most of his fans would come around. Not so, a couple of years later, when he got a rock and roll band.

So, what's worse a switch orchestrations or Buddy Holly medleys?

My first listen would indicate the former. Here's my immediate reaction upon first listen:

... this may turn out to be the worst album I’ve gotten in a while. Phil goes with full orchestrations - tinkly piano and swooning strings crammed into every little nook and cranny - this time out. They suit melodic songs like “Flower Lady” but are atrocious on otherwise masterpieces like “The Crucifixion”, the acoustic version of which, on 'Chords of Fame' is far superior. Instead of cloaking his frail voice - which sounds fine with more sparse arrangements - the strings actually highlight it. It remains to be seen which way the unfamiliar songs fall from here, but it’s looking anything but pretty. Horrific, actually.

I immediately downloaded another album to get the bad taste out of my mouth.

And yet, here I am a couple of weeks later:

Not so bad. "Small Circle of Friends" is great, of course. Several songs are too long, but only "Crucifixion" is outright bad. There are nice melodies, which get me through side one. The title song, was far better live. But it’s growing on me. 

Now this might just be yet another illustration of how my first listen to any album is no indication of where it will eventually end up. Or it proves I can get used to anything.

Final Verdict on the Record: Good, but a better first stop to check out Phil Ochs is the missing in action Chords of Fame.  B+

Final Verdict on Me: Given enough time most of my records ratings will move to the fine-but-not-brilliant (or the pleasant-and-thus-no fun) A- to B+ territory. Which leads me to suspect I'm headed for a future in Hooray for Everything. C

I apologize. I will try to do worse next time.

"Outside of a Small Circle of Friends"

Jaybee Goes Right Back to Bed

Iron & Wine, The Creek Drank the Cradle

Want a good “quiet” album? Then there’s Iron & Wine’s first record, which may be a little too quiet.

Good morning music, especially if you have no intention of actually getting up. And if 2013 turns into a major crapfest, I’ll put this on when I decide to sleep in.

These guys caught my attention when I saw the the movie “In Good Company”, where they contributed to the excellent soundtrack, and nearly lost it again when I put this record on. Those songs from the soundtrack came from their second record, so, just to be contrary - to myself in this case - I decided to get their first one.

I keep saying “they” when it seems to be just one guy - Sean Beam on guitar and vocals. I’m sure there are others, because I hear some some very occasional accompaniment. I guess the band is having trouble getting out of bed, too.

BUT I’LL NEVER KNOW BECAUSE THE DOWNSIDE OF GOING ALL MP3 IS THAT YOU NO LONGER GET TO SEE THE LINER NOTES. (I’m sure I’m totally wrong about this, so please educate me, but let me bitch about it a little more first.)

Anyway, back to this album. It’s not laid back exactly. It’s just damned quiet. Mr. Beam plays and sings so softly, I sometimes think he’s going for Leonard Cohen quiet intensity. But the words aren’t audible enough to really catch my attention (or hearing for that matter).

I keep thinking there is a great electric album hidden here.  I wish that were a compliment. It’s not that songs are bad. It’s just that sometimes a strong delivery is better than understatement.

The advantage of such understatement is that you can put it on whenever you want, and it’ unlikely that you’ll annoy someone. So the weird thing is that, although I don’t love the record I’ve actually played it way more than anything else this year. So it has its place. B+

"Lion's Mane"

The year so far:

1. Tame Impala

2. Iron & Wine

Jaybee Gets Out of Bed in 2013

All right, all right.  A new year is like a Saturday for me. I probably drank and ate too much the night before, so it takes a while to for me to get out of bed, take a shower and - what else? - listen to music. Forget about how long it takes me to say anything about it.

So it's time for me to kick off 2013, before the best-of-the-year lists start.

And why not start with a record that placed very high in the 2012 Pazz and Jop poll? Especially with amazon.com selling it for only $5?

Tame Impala, Lonerism (2012)

And Lonerism doesn’t disappoint. It doesn’t exactly inspire rapture, either. That might be due to the its all over the place (lo fi production, airy vocals, some synth, and guitars that bounce between 60s and 70s at a moment’s notice) nature. How strong a statement can such an album make, when you picture everyone in the band sitting around smoking a joint? Well, that’s not fair. It must have taken some effort to reference to Dr. Who and Pink Floyd in the same song. I’m still skeptical that all of these very pleasurable individual moments will coalesce into a great album. By about the tenth listen, though, it all came together, highlighted by the sublime “Keep on Lying." And while I don’t hum it on my way to work, it does make the day seem better when I get home. A-

My 2012: The Second Annual Jaybee-bies

And what a mediocre year it’s been!  - Jaybee
No, that’s not really true.  I wrote that in November, just before everything came together.

That’s what I get for getting sucked into that very common, but very bad, habit of reviewing something - like a year - way too soon.

And, it has the paradoxical effect of stretching things out into the new year. My unofficial resolution to get this done much sooner than last time has fallen in the crapper. It’s almost February for God’s sake. I’ve already gotten new music. Time to get my ass in gear and put 2012 to bed.

How did I do on those other resolutions anyway?


2012 Resolutions:

1. Getting More Current Music: On this, I totally sucked, managing to get only one measly 2012 album (Fiona Apple) and that one only on December 31. Nutboy is laughing his ass off right now. On the one hand, it was due to there being so many possible candidates, none of whom I trusted enough to follow through on. There were dozens of records that somebody was enthusiastic about. I just couldn’t distinguish the momentary enthusiasms from the keepers. Every time a promising record appeared, there was old Christgau
snickering at it, or not liking it quite enough. I had to wait for the year end polls to enlighten me.  While I waited for it all to get sorted out, I got distracted by records that just happened to come out, oh, forty years ago.

My middle name is After the Fact. C

But the other thing was that most of the highest rated records fell into the soul and hip hop (Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Killer Mike, etc) genres - ones that I’m not too good with. Or not as good as I should be. So rather than waste a lot of time trying to make myself a better, more rounded person, I’m opting for happiness.

I feel bad that I’m shying away from these genres. I guess it’s selfish, and short sighted, but when I look ahead I’m not seeing all that much time. I can’t afford to experiment like I did when I was in my twenties, assuming what I didn’t like today, I might like years from now.  I don’t know how many of those I have. This wasn’t even a resolution but I’m giving myself a C on it anyway.

2. More Downloads, Fewer CDs: I did pretty good. By my rough count I ended up with 19 CDs and 16 MP3s. So it’s evening out. Still too many CDs, though.  B+

3. More Current Books: Well, I started off pretty good and read a handful of books from this century (Zazen (very powerful), The Hunger Games (brilliant) and Ready Player One (great fun) but then trailed off, and by the end of the year, I hadn’t read all that many from last century, either. C+


So the 2013 Resolutions are:

1. No CDs: Mrs. Jaybee is REALLY doubtful about it.  As long as I can stay away from downtown, where J&R and Other Music are located, I’ve got a shot.

2. At least 3 albums released in 2013: Nutboy’s probably managed more than 3 already.

3. Get Less Music: I did get more MP3s, but I didn’t get fewer CDs. I got way too much music, and need to focus. (I have to, before I toss out a family member.)  But Amazon is doing their yearly 50 million albums for $5, and I’ve already gotten three. None from this year, by the way.

4. More music books!  I had great fun doing this in 2012, and realized I’d been remiss for many years. I don’t know why. Probably some combination of the books not being available at my library and me being too cheap to buy them. I also have a fear of reading about music at the expense of listening to it, as well as a dread of the potential Deadening of Joy Via Theory Effect, which happens to me when the writer is thinking it, but JUST NOT FEELIN' IT.


So How Good a Year Was It?

Things were so good that I’m not going to just mention one or two Best Albums of the Year with a handful of runners up.  I’m actually going to supply a top 10 list, which goes something like this:
1. Ogden’s Nut Flake by the Small Faces (1968)  
2. Sea Change by Beck (2002)
3. On by Imperial Teen (2002)
4. The Wild Hunt by the Tallest Man on Earth (2010)
5. The Mysterious Production of Eggs by Andrew Bird (2005)
6. Give Up by Postal Service  (2003)
7. Music for Airports by Brian Eno (1978)
8. So Beautiful or So What by Paul Simon (2011)
9. Whitechocolatespaceegg by Liz Phair (1998)
10. Spinning Around the Sun by Jimmie Dale Gilmore (1993)


Biggest Disappointment:
Wild Flag - Just not feelin it.

Strangest:
Jens Lekman - Expecting pop, got a big lump of cheesey weirdness, which I didn’t think was possible.

Biggest Stretch (for me):
Wu Tang Clan - Strong music, stronger subject matter.

Artist of the Year:
The Small Faces - For blowing away my assumption that they were just another 60s band.


Onward:

So that’s it. I’m finally done with a very rewarding year and hoping I can keep it going without wasting a lot of time and money on misfires.

Well, are you going to help me out with that or what?