The Last C is Silent (Miles Reviews Volume 5)
(editor's note - Miles started this draft on the 9th, but didn't finish until last night - because of the time/date feature of Blogger, it put the post before the posts of yesterday and I was concerned it would be lost - edited by Pat)
Inexplicable. That's how I feel about why it's taken me so long to review C-Songs. I have to confess that as a whole C-Songs just doesn't excite me. What's inexplicable to me is that I like many of the songs. I also enjoyed T-Clog's enthusiasm. Songs to me are about experiences. When I listen to Ben Folds Five's Unauthorized Boigraphy of Reinhold Messer the memory of a painful end to a relationship is so poingnant it feels as though I'm in the middle of it again. Good memories or bad, I love that music evokes these emotions. I smile when I hear Steve Miller's Come On and Dance because I can smell the mess hall at
So I don't know what's up. I like the songs but something I can't put a finger on has stalled my review. But guilt and generous amicable prodding has produced the following:
‘Cause Cheap Is How I Feel – Cowboy Junkies
My only other experience with the Junkies is also the Sweet Jane cover. I'm surprised I didn't go after more of thier stuff since I dig that song so much. This pick from T-clog sits nicely with me as it's so evocative of a scene. I love the lyrics. There's substance to them. You don't get the sense that lines are inserted merely because they rhyme and help the song flow but rather because the artist has carefully found all the pieces of an intricate puzzle and placed them just so to create a wonderful scene.
Carnival - Natalie Merchant
Nine thousand, nine hundred and nintey nine maniacs agree - Natalie Merchant is great! No music reminds me of my first couple years of college like hers. Spin Docs came close but the disasters that were thier last couple releases helped seal their fate. Anyway, I own or have owned nearly all of Natalie Merchant's music and Carnival ranks at the top. As has been stated her voice and lyrics are fantastic and yet I don't often find myself dialing them up on my iPod's scroll wheel. I do however savor the times when I run across the Maniacs on the radio (or shuffle for that matter).
Cherry Cherry - Neil Diamond
Is this the song used at the beginning of Saving Silverman? I can't hear this song without envisioning Jack Black, Steve Zahn and Jason Biggs aping the ridiculous Neil Diamond and his sequened outfits. Neil is funny. Does everyone dig him or am I biased by his inexpeicable association with Fenway - we are the only stadium the busts out an "impromptu" organ accompanied version of Sweet Caroline aren't we? Why? Seriously, why? Anyway, great choice in Cherry Cherry (or rather, thank you for not choosing Song Sung Blue, September Morn, or Hello Again - though damn you for not choosing Kentucky Woman). Of course I knew the song but it felt like a lost classic and that's great.
Cover Me - Bruce Springsteen
I'm not much a Bruce Springsteen fan. I see the appeal but outside of Streets Of Philly and
Crash - Dave Matthews Band
DMB always felt like a one liner band to me. I stole a bunch of their music from a friends mp3 collection but eventually realized I hadn't listened to any of it so I deleted and have felt no regrets.
Come Together - The Beatles
Not my favorite Beatles song. I don't get any of it and it makes me feel like an outsider. As if the Beatles had become all hip and cool and they were snickering at you for not getting what they were saying.
City - Natalie Imbrugela
This song is new to me and after numerous listenings I still can't get into it. The sound feels overproduced or something. I feel like the song should have had less sound and lass refinement.
Celia - Simon and Garfunkel
I never really dug this S&G tune. I like the lyrics though. The actual misery of trying to be with the desireable party girl. As I've noted before I'm not a musical academic so pardon this explanation - I hate the treatment of the vocals and the steady drum beat just pummels me into nausea. I'm gonna look for a cover of this that takes a different approach...
Call Me - Blondie
Great song. Like Cherry Cherry it feels like a lost classic. I'm not an 80's fan but I do like this song. Blondie seemed to have intergrity at a pretty weird time musically - the end of disco and (classic) rock. Plenty of forgetable stuff came out in the early 80's but Blondie's music is welcome on my iPod!
City Of
Every U2 song I've liked has been reluctantly so. In high school all the cool kids liked U2. I definitely wasn't a cool kid so I grew a healthy contempt for U2 and thier fans over the years. I can't help but feel like Bono is a pretentious ass (Seth Green agrees with incidentally - http://starvinchildren.ytmnd.com/). Regardless I think this song is alright. I like the woo-ooh woo-ooh chorus and whatever word describes the way the lyrics are delivered (tempo maybe?) - I like that too.
posted by Pat at 8:36 AM
7 Comments:
The boots were poised for a kickin', only to be denied at the last possible moment.
Interesting comment on Come Together. Definitely has the feel of an inside joke that I'm not part of.
I think that's how just about any band you're not into that your peers are into comes across to you.
For me: Talking Heads, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Grateful Dead among the many bands with inside jokes I'm not a part of.
Thanks for getting this out. I really appreciate your honesty. Glad you like it, but I am a little confused by the "Can't get into it" comment. Is it like seeing an old high school friend that you really have nothing in common with anymore type of thing? Do you feel like that it is good to catch up with the guy, but on the same hand glad when you both go your separate ways? Anyway, Miles your approval rating has just shot way up.
Interesting how Come Together is lost on the East Coast.
Ah the Spin Doctors...making an appearance. The band with only three good songs. That's it. Only three. The rest will make you vomit. A bar band with two hits. I had to mention this, because I've recently just spent some time listening to a collection of Spin Doctor songs. Unfortunately.
You may be off just a bit.
We east coasters just aren't full fledged members of the Beatles cult.
Spin Doctors: their first album was pretty good all the way through, with a couple exceptions.
Their second album had maybe one good song.
I gave up after that.
Good songs:
Jimmy Olsen's Blues
Little Miss Can't Be Wrong
Two Princes
How Could You Want Him
You Let Your Heart Go Too Fast
I would add "What Time Is It," and "Refrigerator Car" to Pat's list. Overal PFoK is pretty solid all the way through.
Those comments are so two months ago.
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