Jan 192009
Handle with care
Some of you may think the likes of E. Pluribus Gergely and I are joking when we warn you of the hazards of taking something like those late-60s Beach Boys albums too seriously. If you need to pick up $1 copies of those albums to complete your collection, out of healthy curiosity, or to mine what good ideas the Brian-less Boys might have had up their sleeve, more power to you! But beware: the take-away musical lesson may be an insular take on “Afternoon Delight” in Bearded Beach Boys drag. Witness (WARNING: The following video clip may be hazardous to your health):
Jimbo,
I can’t speak for you, but it’s no joking matter as far as I’m concerned. One’s taste filter definitely falters after massive acceptance of crap. Take my brother for example. As a high schooler, he had very limited funds and opted to spend his cash on G.C. Murphy budget bin winnners. Don’t know if you folks recall this, but there were actually 3 budget bin options. 2 LPs for $5.00, 1 for $1.99, and/or 1 for $.99. It actually seemed like someone went through the warehouse cutouts and priced by talent. Hence, Badfinger LPs were always 2 for 5; Spirit losers were always $1.99, and Paul McCartney’s “Family Way” soundtrack could always be had for a buck. My brother had his integrity and would never go less than 2 for 5. He bought just about every LP in those boxes, Wishbone Ash, Atomic Rooster, Captain Beyond, The Groundhogs, i.e. mediocre shit of a Sunflower like caliber. After a while, his decision to buy cheap affected his taste mechanism. He honestly believed that Klaatu were just as good as the Beatles. To this day, he still defends that nonsense.
The whole thing is very Guyana Tragedy. My brother most probably believed he was partaking in a very enjoyable learning process only to find out he was slowly but steadlily becoming mildly retarded.
E. Pluribus
It’s no joking matter for me either, my friend. As soon as I saw this band on SNL I thought of you and your “you are what you eat” philosophy. We do need some fiber in our musical diet, though.
Yes indeed.
Just a reminder -at some point you and I have to lay down some Impenetrables backing tracks.
One more thing. My mom bought me the latest copy of Mojo. Same old shit. Paul Weller has once again been chosen as the mag’s man of the year or something in that line. Maybe it’s just me, but I simply cannot understand how a man whose finest accomplishment is “Setting Sons” is seen by an entire nation as their poet laureate of sorts.
Your thoughts?
E. Pluribus
The Impenetrables backing tracks are on my To Do list! Maybe I’ll get some time to work out the chords tonight.
I’m most thankful, today, that someone agrees with me that Setting Sons is Weller’s finest achievement. Have you gone through life, Plurbs, with a dearth of friends confirming that fact? It saddens me how infrequently people see that.
Whatever’s going on with the UK’s appreciation for Weller as Man of the Century is beyond me. How much of a role does his hair play in this? His chiseled features and fine tailoring? Perhaps he represents something about the lost Empire that we in the US don’t get. Is he fulfilling a national void that the death of David Niven left?
Out of touch people who think the “acid folk movement” is new and exciting + There’s always that Jam Band market we can tap into + A&R guy desperately seeking to capitalize on My Morning Jacket’s popularity = Fleet Foxes.
I actually like the fleet foxes a little. are you guys gonna run me out of here now? They’re derivative, and don’t deserve the enormous amounts of praise they get, but they’re enjoyable, and are capable of coming up with good, strong, melodies, something that can’t be said for many indie bands these days.
Let’s remember our *standards*, people. It doesn’t take too much time thinking of bands that made/make really good music to realize these guys are awful. Sure, by today’s indie standards, these guys aren’t bad — but that means NOTHING.
Sheesh — people get excited about a grade-B Shins these days?
Hissing Fauna, how could we run a fan of Fleet Foxes outta here? We don’t roll that way. We want you here, and we want you to lead the way in standing up for this band. The blows you might receive will only make you – and the rest of us – stronger. It’s all in good fun, despite the seriousness of the hazmat warnings we’ve tried to give folks regarding those Beach Boys albums.
I like the Fleet Foxes too. Not that I gonna make adjustments to my “look” to reflect my appreciation or anything but it a perfectly enjoyable record for someone who isn’t interested in hearing something otherthan the “perfection” of The Band record for the 6000th time.
For me, the Fleet Foxes are very unbalanced: their vocal chops are way ahead of their songwriting ability.
I’ll give them credit, though, for displaying some very “uncool” influences. Interesting how they’re pushing people’s buttons on RTH.
Well, Dr. John, speaking for myself, any time I’ve taken part in the rock culture wars since my teen years I never once imagined I was fighting to bring the works of England Dan and John Ford Coley back to light.
I’ve always had a soft spot for 70s mellow pop, so I guess I feel more attracted to than repulsed by the Fleet Foxes.
Okay, well while I see the comparisons between the Fleet Foxes and late 60’s early 70’s era Beach Boys, both in look and in sound, i think the Fleet Foxes were more directly inspired by older, folk songs than they were by Sunflower. This just seems evident to me in the chord changes and guitar playing, especially in songs like Tiger Mountain Peasant Song or Sun it Rises. The Beach Boys, at least in Brian Wilson’s songs, used way more complex chord structures.
The melodies too, especially on Your Protector, are very folky/pentatonic, more so than the Beach Boys stuff. I’m not really sure what point i’m trying to make, but i think the dislike of the Fleet Foxes may have to do less with insubstantialness of basing a career on bearded beach boys, and more on basing it on “You Are My Sunshine.”
I’ll pass on Fleet Foxes. They sing too pretty for boys. John Blutarsky would know what to do with Fleet Foxes.