Dan's "Beginning" Comments

Not necessarily the album I would have expected from Mixdorf. Among the songs there were none I did not previously know, and I was thinking he had drifted off to more ecclectic realms. Nevertheless, I have known that his pulse has long been more firmly on popular alternative than mine, as well as the straight-ahead rock vein. And it shows in this first, fine offering.
- Go: I'm assuming this is the album after Yellow Ledbetter (sp?). Nice, fun, & relentless. Couple very heavy-metalish guitar solos in there! Not your style, I would've thought...
- Army of Me: Next to "anything by U2," you may remember this album as being a party staple for some of the earliest Johnson Street get togethers. I love the album, and this is a great song. During choruses (are they choruses-"and if you complain once more..." I love the distorted little guitar be-de-de-de-dehs in the background). And I think I hear the power-ups. What's not to like about that? You could also say there is an ongoing synthesizer sound of when you meet the turtle at the end of every level.
- American Idiot: Sounds like they still have (or can have) a similar sound & energy to the "Dookie" album. While I appreciate the sentiment of the song, and think it's a fine song overall, I don't find the melody particularly inventive or groundbreaking.
- Seven Nation Army: So compelling a bassline, that it feels like I've known it since long before the song came out. Do you remember my old Time Did Yank Us song, "Pizza Man?" Not unlike that, oddly. I love the line, "If I catch you coming back my way I'm gonna serve it to you, and I know that's not what you want to hear but that's what I'll do."
- London Calling: Never been a Clash fan. They've always been such amazing critical darlings, & that probably didn't win them any points with me. But I'm really not a fan of his voice. The song is OK.
- Zoo Station: What can I say? Not only the kickoff song to one of the most convergent albums in terms of our musical tastes from all times, but also a Time Did Yank Us acoustic concert staple. Rest assured, I would sing it better these days. Not the best song from the album, but definitely a good one for setting the stage.
- Black Dog: Not just dorm yahoos, but classic rock stations with unbelievably short playlists. It really is tough to separate yourself from your association with how overplayed this song has been in the past 30 years. But it is a great one.
- Smells Like Teen Spirit: Great, landmark song-and the beneficiary of perfect timing. Not much to say that hasn't been said. It's tough for me to hear this song without thinking of Weird Al's version, which would thrill Kurt Kobain to no end.
- Tom Sawyer: I do think they are a silly, silly band, and anytime I start to get into one of their songs, I start picturing them taking their lyrics & theatrics seriously, ala Spinal Tap, and I once again cannot take them very seriously.
- Stop: Great song; unfortunately, one of few on this markedly worse follow-up to Nothing's Shocking. Jane's Addiction was way, way ahead of their time and way, way underrated, lyrically musically, and technically-wise.