I Just Can't Quit You: The Goodnight Loving Redeems Itself

Boy, Brokeback Mountain really slipped down the memory hole like a greased pig, eh?

I was prepared to hate this. The Goodnight Loving is the kind of band name that makes me contemplate violence. It's nonsensical, fey, and dull at the same time. And their description hardly improves the impression:

the Milwaukee quartet takes on a musical time warp to beachy ‘60s garage pop, with twangy guitar riffs, psychedelic organs and vocal harmonies.

In other words, they sound like the Beach Boys. Which is good, as its been several minutes since I reflected on how the Beach Boys are easily the least interesting Important Band from the 60's.

And true to form, most of their mix-tape selections are irretrievably middlebrow. Linda Ronstadt belongs nowhere outside of my mom's dusting record collection. Thin Lizzy is Rush for meatheads. Thomas Function has a name that causes the phrase "bowel movement" to appear in my head, and surprise, surprise, the song is called "Filthy Flowers." As the kids say, FAIL.

And yet. When he sais that people who don't like Born In The U.S.A. are terrorists, I'm with him. When he shouts out Link Wray's "Hidden Charms," I salute. And their songs?

Their songs are pretty damn good, actually.

Talking Back to Punk Rock #7

"Look pal, you can want a suburban home all you want. Unless I see a 20% down payment and a credit history, you won't get lent the price of a Reese's Big Cup.

Though if you run to the store and get me a few of those, I might be willing to negotiate that percentage a few points."

-The Descendents, "Suburban Home"

Guess Who's Still Alive, Part IV: The Revenge

The following artists have Top 25 discs on Amazon as I write:

• Eminem (Stealing the Blues is Business, and Business is Good)
• Iron Maiden (Dude! Most Triumphant!)
• Brian Wilson (Apparently, we aren't quite full up on crazy yet)
• John Mellencamp (I once thought that Cougars don't like him, either. I was apparently wrong)
• Sheryl Crow (Is it just me, or does she look more like Butt-Head every album?)
• Los Lobos (Back from the 80's and hungry, hungry like the wolf!)
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (The Rolling Stones of New Wave ride again)
• Gov't Mule (The Rolling Stones of Jam bands ride again)
• The Black Crowes (The Rolling Stones of their tepid imaginations ride again)
• The Kidz Bop Kids (Because all that keeps a Katy Perry song like "California Gurls" from being age-appropriate is an infinitesimal shift in vocal pitch)

Rating My CD's: Come on Down to My Rescue

17. Echo & the Bunnymen -- Songs to Learn and Sing

In my library/office, where I compose these deconstructions, I have a small paperback edition of Verse by John Updike, published in 1965, which I paid a pittance for in my favorite secondhand books & music store a few years ago. Every now and again, I flip through it idly, seeking knowledge and understanding, and finding only cleverness. For John Updike was a clever poet who poetry says clever things. A brief example, from A Cheerful Alphabet of Pleasant Objects:

Apple

Since Time began, such alphabets begin
With Apple, source of Knowledge and of Sin
My child, take heart: the fruit that undid Man
Brought out as well the best in Paul Cezanne

You see what I mean. The poem doesn't so much enhance my understanding as flatter it, with the wink that of course I know who Paul Cezanne is, and if I can't quite place his art, I remember him as an Important Artist that Educated People know about, so I assume that he painted apples. Damned witty, Wilde!

Out of Office AutoReply

The Echo review is coming, I swearsies. but for the nonce, I am on vacation. I am soaking up rays and replenishing my system. Next week I'll be back.