My Alphabetical iPod Diary (Day 3)
“Acadamy Award” by The Dismemberment Plan (from The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified)
The Plan’s most accomplished early spaz rock song and my third favorite song on …Is Terrified. I used to belt out this song in my car everyday on my way to my job at the lumber mill. That motor-mouthed breakdown (“And the Acadamy Award for ridiculous…overacting goes to YOU! So get on up their and GIVEUSASPEECH!”). Travis Morrison at as batty best. For most people, the Plan’s first two albums (! and this one) are what you pick up once you’ve fully embraced Emergency & I and Change. If this was your first exposure to the Plan I wouldn’t be surprised if you dismissed them outright, but if you had grown more accustomed to their last two albums and then heard this, it might make a little bit more sense and, as in my case, actually become preferred listening.
Oh, and speaking of Acadamy Awards, No Country For Old Men absolutely needs to win. It just ruled so hard.
“Academy Fight Song” by Mission Of Burma (from Signals, Calls, And Marches)
An early single that was added to a reissue of 1981’s awesome x a gazillion Signals, Calls, And Marches. I know this was one of Burma’s big two along with “That’s When I Reach For My Revolver,” and that R.E.M. covered a few times in the eighties. I love the big guitar and snare, musical four-count that kicks the song off and the use of acoustic guitar is a nice, albeit not particularly punk, addition. The bass, in my opinion, is slightly tinny in the production, but the use of tape loops and feedback and Clint Conley’s scorching vocal performance simply rule. Play this song to a Burma newbie and they wouldn’t be able to tell you when it was recorded. I like to think that that’s the real reason they broke up for twenty or so years. They were just waiting for the rest of us to catch up. Once we did, they kicked it back into high gear and have shot past us once again. This song, capturing the band still in relative chrysalis still out-rocks and out-smarts modern indie and punk.
“Acadian Driftwood” by The Band (from Northern Lights – Southern Cross)
I will be writing much more on this song in the near future, so I won’t expound too lenghthily. However, I will say this: Even though the Band had released their most beloved albums several years prior, “Acadian Driftwood,” in all its accordion heavy, multi-voiced, bilingual glory, is the Band’s true masterpiece. I just sit back and let this song carry me to a better place. Hell, I’ll even stream it below so you can enjoy it for yourselves.
February 13th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I love the chorus of “Acadian Driftwood”. “It Makes No Difference” is still my favorite song by The Band although I do enjoy the two big radio hits (”The Weight” and “Cripple Creek”). I like your alphabetic approach to the last couple of posts, it’s bringing up a lot of random music I haven’t heard on a long long time.
In my stack of LP’s I inherited Into the Big Pink, Moondog Matinee and of course The Band from my dad. I am still a big fan of Robbie Robetson especially on the composition work he has done for the last few Scorcese films (Departed, Gangs of New York) and Showdown at Big Sky is a kick ass song. That whole album is great. I love music with native influence and Robertson was a master songwriter. Broken Arrow is a classic and may be my favorite of his entire career.
I am sure you have seen it but if not you need to grab Scorcese’s The Last Waltz. It’s an incredible concert and a great experience for those of us who love the music but weren’t alive to see the impact of the players. Ronnie Hawkins especially blows my mind on this feature. I don’t know if you would be a fan but Ron Woods work in this concert made me check out The Faces. I don’t know how much you care for Rod Stewart but they have some great songs. “Stay With Me” is a really strong and the guitar in “Shake, Shudder” is amazing.
It’s not a great album as most of the covers are basically worse versions of the old material with no new inspiration but Endless Highway has some good songs on it. The Roches cover “Acadian Driftwood” which is pretty sweet even though they are not Canadian. They have cool voices and possibly spawned Tegan and Sara. My Morning Jacket does “It Makes No Difference” which is great and is the best song on the album by far. Jacob Dylan does a lot for “Whispering Pines” Death Cab really nails “Rocking Chair”. Actually it is a pretty good album.
Going back to the Roches, if you ever hear the song “Nurd” I think it has to be the greatest shitty song I have heard. Take a listen and you will understand.
February 14th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Last Waltz - check (I wrote a little essay on here about 6 or 7 months ago that references it frequently, scroll down and check it out).
The Faces - check (Lara got me into them a bit - “Ooh La La, and all that - Rod’s not my favorite, but he’s got a great rock voice and Every Picture Tells A Story is solid).
The Roches - check (These ladies have become one of my favorite groups, they’re really dynamite. I’m actually planning on doing a write-up on one of their albums in the near future. You scooped me. Nurds is ok, but the album before and after are amazing. I’m not crazy about the comparison to Mary Kate and Ashley DiFranco, though. That’s not my bag at all).
In regards to “It Makes No Difference,” it’s an incredible song, no doubt, one of the Band’s very best, but with the exception of the big chorus, it’s more of a Rick Danko solo track. I like the Band best when everyone’s chipping in and I think “Acadian Driftwood,” which has verses from all three of the main singers, better exemplifies that.
It’s funny you mention Moondog Matinee, that was the first Band album I ever bought (I kind of got into the Band pretty blindly), and it’s most certainly one of their lesser works (a great covers album, but a covers album nonetheless). Still, to start with a band’s worst (or at least minor) albums and still enjoy it is a hopeful prospect.