Get a job!
I have a friend—a friend of the Hall, actually—and he’s got a problem.
About 10 years ago, after getting laid off, he spent a month or so writing and recording a series of demos for an unfinished album—called simply Job—about his work experience. Now, 10 years later, he’s rediscovered this lost album, and wants to share it with anybody who might care. The unfortunate thing is, it’s a pretty frank examination of just how soul-crushing it can be to, you know, work for a living—which means if he ever wants to get hired again, he can’t attach his name to the thing, which means there’s no real point to finishing it. It’s an interesting existential dilemma, really: is there a point to releasing music unless it’s under your own name? Don’t we do all this creative stuff for essentially ego-driven reasons? And so forth. Anyhow, his need for anonymity is important, because, as it happens, he’s in between jobs again.
I told him: not to worry—the weirdos at Rock Town Hall will understand your need to remain nameless, but will also furnish you with the feedback you’re looking for. He said that would be great, and sent me the tracks to post here. I’ll get one up every few days, so as not to overwhelm.
Oh, and one other thing: this guy (we’ll call him “BD”) tells me that there are a number of tracks on the album that were written in collaboration with a few Town Hallers. He instructed me not to “out” them unless they specifically give the okay—because, again, some of the material on Job is pretty career-hostile.
Make sense? You guys okay with this? If so, here’s the first track, with BD’s impromptu liner notes, explaining what we’re listening to here:
Track number one is called “Energize Me,” and—I dunno, I think it’s pretty self-explanatory. It sets the stage for the rest of the operetta, insofar as it’s spiteful and depressing. Note that I ripped off—sorry, paid tribute to—the almighty riff that starts off Nixon’s Head’s “They Can’t Touch Us.” God, that is such a great song. Please note that this track, like all the others you’ll be hearing, is a demo. So it’s got some rough production edges. Anyhow, “enjoy”—and thanks for listening.
Well that is a hella nice tune. Hooky, smart, I didn’t find the lyrics to be a put-off, especially since there is a time-honored subset of rock songs about jobs, bosses and the things we do to survive in the midst of mundane everyday tedium. And it sounds very polished for a “demo.” It’s good!
I like this – nice and crunchy power pop. As for the lyrics, people have been bitching about their jobs since “Summertime Blues”.
This sounds great. Catchy and not at all demo-y. Two thumbs up.
I’m intrigued by the back story. I get the desire for anonymity. I almost always create a fake name or fake band name in order to keep my work life and my fun life separate to a degree. But I don’t hear anything in the lyrics that is overtly directed at a specific employer so even if he were outed, what harm would come of it?
Pretty deft melody-over-chord thing goin’ on here. I like it!
I want to hear more!
I think my favorite kind of album will always be the “burst” that results in a thick clutch of tunes focused on various facets of a single topic / idea / problem, but I’m embarrassed to say that I can’t think of any others off the top of my head…
What are some other ones?
I like this track, too. As to the backstory: maybe the rest of the album is more problematic, or maybe — taken as a whole — the album would make an HR weenie pause before pushing the “hire” button. This may be more a matter of protecting “hireability” than preventing a former employer from retracting severance payments or whatever. I suppose a lot of it depends on whether this dude was an executive type or not. I would pause before hiring a Director or VP of something-or-other if somebody played me a track he had proudly authored that said things like “I want to tell you badly, how much I hate you madly.” And the outro messages surely suggest this guy would have little true enthusiasm for any corporate gig. Post more, please!
This song is very good. Not unlike the melody saturated tunes of Fountains of Wayne who successfully explore mundane jobs and the trivial pursuits of life in their lyrics.
After listening to the song a few times, I can’t seem to make out who the narrator is talking to on the phone. At first I thought it was a parent. Does it matter? Will we find out more in the following songs??
It’s hard to think of this type of album that’s not a concept album.
Setting Sons by The Jam strings together a series of coming into adulthood songs.
Material Issue SHOULD have made an album entirely of songs with a girl’s name in the title.
Valerie loves you for suggesting that.
I finally am able to listen to it: my traveling iPad wouldn’t connect me to the link.
My first thought was the vocals sound like Mitch Easter.
Very enjoyable!