(Pretty sure that’s Brian Stevens on bass.)
After Gerry’s Cavedogs All-Star Jam the other day I got to remembering how much I liked that Joyrides for Shut-ins album.
I knew they had gone big label after that (Enigma) and supposedly that album, Soul Martini, was big-labeled to death. Produced by Michael Beinhorn it is reportedly overly-slick. (According to a certain AMG guy named Stewart Mason.) Can anyone refute Mr. Mason on this account?
This was all I knew the last time I looked into the Cavedogs. Turns out that all three ‘Dogs did stuff afterwards. Guitarist Todd Spahr went on to form the Gravy. Looks like they had two albums released, both available on eMusic.
MORE INFO AND GOODIES UNDER THE FOLD.
Here’s a track from the first album, Deadman’s Pop:
The drummer, Mark Rivers, went on to form Poundcake and looks like they only released one disc, Aloha Via Satellite (eMusic too). Here’s the title track.
Bass player, Brain Stevens, released a solo album called Prettier Than You (yes, eMusic too). In sampling, this is the one that caught my ear and this is who did the Blind Date™ track. I downloaded and was surprised at how great it was. Granted my expectations were low but it just sounded way better than I could’ve hoped for so I started digging.
Easier to cut and paste from AMG here: (Again from this gent, Stewart Mason)
Following The Cavedogs split
Stevens immediately started working with a fellow Bostonian, Aimee Mann, playing on her first solo album, 1993’s Whatever, and joining her backing band for its tour. When the tour was over, Stevens signed with the fledgling Boston indie Q Division Records … and began work on his first solo album. Prettier Than You was released in early 1996, featuring guest appearances by fellow Mann alums Dave Gregory (who had not yet quit XTC) and Jon Brion, as well as local singer/songwriter Merrie Amsterburg.
Wow, Dave Gregory, Aimee Mann, Jon Brion… This was starting to make sense. (Though I can’t confirm that he actually played on any Aimee Mann album as, according to AMG, he isn’t credited.)
Some more Prettier Than You album credits:
Peter Linton – Guitar (from early Aimee Mann)
Mit Sutton – Drums (ditto)
Jonathan Wyner – Mastering (what is “mastering”? Looks like he mastered a whole mess of Bowie stuff or Bowie digital releases or something. More importantly he “Mastered” Snakefinger! and that in and of itself makes him cool.)
AND it was engineered by Andy Partridge and the album art features photography by “Friend of The Hall” Martin Newell.
So Mr. Mod’s notions were pretty spot on. But they are even closer yet. The guitar that Gregory used on the song I posted, Disillusioned Days is the EXACT guitar that he played on The Dukes of Stratosphear tracks.
Click here to read Dave’s tale of how he came to own this guitar.
Here’s another one I like featuring Dave Gregory.
Thanks for joining me on a trip down Cavedogs lane.
This Stewart Mason fella sounds kinda douchey.
Very cool stuff. There was a true convergence of Prock forces at work here. I must say I’m extremely proud of my insight from yesterday’s post!
Man, watching that Aimee Mann clip just got me pissed off. You know what about? The fact that not enough friends agree with me that I’m With Stupid was one of the top 3 albums of the ’90s, the fact that there are those Aimee Mann fans who think other albums by her are better, the fact that few will join me in saying that she deserves a spanking for some of those pity party albums that would follow. Oh, I’m sure some would agree on the spanking part, but not the reason it’s deserved. Aimee, please make one more album I can love.
I definitely could have done with more songs of the Sugarcoated variety from Mann.
Of the songs posted above, I’m enjoying the one from Gravy most. I want to like the Stevens ones more, but I think it’s the vocals I’m getting hung up on, and now I probably need to examine where I stand on Wimpy Vocals. I thought I was OK with them, but now I’m not sure.
Some Pince Nez-ish tidbits for you:
Partidge engineered the Gregory bits on “Prettier Than You” – not the whole thing. The tracks that Gregory played on were done in England and sent over to be added to the recordings in Boston…I have this CD and it is terrific from start to finish.
Drummer Mark Rivers lives in LA and writes music for TV/Movies:
http://imdb.com/name/nm0729556/
I saw The Gravy play the Balcony club in Philly once. They were awesome live. Todd is also now living in LA too.
Full disclosure: The Cavedogs did a whole tour with us (and Mojo Nixon too). We (the Dead Milkmen) were all on Enigma at the time. Those fellows are all great guys and it was fun to watch them play every night.
Brian’s voice is adequate at best and on some tracks falls short of that. In fact one of the best tracks on the album features his voice at its worst. But I’ll forgive as the tunes are so strong.
I’m With Stupid is brilliant beginning to end. Flawless and amazing. I got that Bachelor #2 as it is hailed as her best and it just doesn’t quite cut it. The tunes aren’t as memorable.
I’ve considered getting Whatever. Can anyone vouch for that in comparison to Stupid?
Aside from the awesome song, performance and Aimee’s eyes, the thing I noticed in this video was the band’s Look. I like it when a band dresses up for a performance. Somewhere along the line it got cool to dress up like you’re not dressing up which is of course just as contrived as dressing up.
Even the guitarist with his toque, looks like what Hanna-Barbera might posit as a pop guitarist.
Hey mrclean. How did you know that about Gregory/Partridge participation? I searched all over for info and could only find scant details on AMG. I’m guessing that there’s more info on the liner notes?
While searching around I found quite a few references to the Milkmen/Cavedogs tour which was often referred to as “the best show I’d ever seen.” Must’ve been a blast.
I’ll check the CD liner notes but I got the CD through our mutual tour manager and I think he provided some details. My recollection is that Dave recorded his parts at Andy’s home studio.
Yeah – the “look” of that Aimee video and band is pretty bad. I don’t think thats Brian on bass actually…I love Brian’s voice and he can do the best Lennon around (gotta work Beatles into ALL RTH threads…).
I’m an older Aimee songs fan too and find her newer stuff a bit plodding and tedious. Its like she has only one tempo to write songs to.
I can wholeheartedly vouch for “Whatever.” I think it’s as good as “…Stupid.” Uses basically the same cast of characters, Brion co-wrote and produced the thing. It’s great! Her later stuff is downright boring and whiney. Michael Penn’s latest album is unlistenable; maybe they should never have gotten hitched.
Come to think of it, are there any artists whose music got *better* after they got married? And not necessarily to each other? John and Paul’s went down the shitter (comparatively speaking), Ray’s music was at its peak as his marriage was dissolving… hmm…
Lennon’s music got pretty outstanding after he got married – especially after his FIRST marriage. I think a lot of pre-fame marrianges fly under the radar of our inevitable fanboy stages of grief.
As for Whatever, I’ve tried it and found it lacking. I really like …Stupid but find Whatever little more than a warm-up act. I’ll have to revisit it sometime. I do like those 2 songs from that movie I’ve never seen – you know which ones I mean. She is stuck on the same tempo and same point of view, though, like perhaps no artist since Mark Knopfler. What’s up with that?
I like Whatever, though not as much as Stupid (or Bachelor No. 2 for that matter).
Whatever is definitely culturally significant as Mann and Jon Brion’s first opportunity to really strut their respective stuff. I’m only being semi-facetious. I think they were one of the great artist-producer match-ups, and they came up with a sound that’s certainly been overused subsequently, but it was unique and there’s definitely a distinct aesthetic at play. My favorite songs on the album are probably “Fifty Years After the Fair” and “I’ve Had It.”
I’m with Oats. Whatever is not as good as I’m With Stupid, though there are some shining moments on it (“Could’ve Been Anyone” being a great radio hit that never was), along with that then-novel production style.