Jeff Carlson (.com)
Recent Music
My Favorite Things, John Coltrane
Kid A, Radiohead
OK Computer, Radiohead
XO, Elliott Smith
Boy, am I ever on an 80s kick lately, though this recent CD purchase is Kim's fault because she asked me to order it. But I've had a hard time giving it up long enough for her to listen to it. Danny Wilson's signature song, "Mary's Prayer," is honestly one of my Favorite Songs. It has a balanced roundness to it that sets it apart from mere pop. ("Mere pop!" my friend Agen is probably saying as he reads this.) It's catchy, with a wistful tone in singer Gary Clark's voice that recalls numerous half-romances that didn't quite spark in high school.
But "Mary" isn't the whole album, and there are some gems here. "Broken China" downshifts from the boppity optimism of "Lorraine Parade" and makes you pause for its subtle xylophone backing. There's also the instrumental "Spencer-Tracy" (the name the band originally wanted, but couldn't get the rights from actor Tracy's estate), a short piece with aspirations of intensity. Interestingly, one of my favorites on the disk, "A Girl I Used to Know" is a different mix from what I've listened to on tape for years: it's seems to be about half a beat slower, with some added atmosphere that just feels wrong. Am I just so used to the other version that this one sounds bad to my ears? No, it's been over-engineered, for whatever reason.
Meet Danny Wilson has wafted through my internal musical catalog for well over a decade now, and hearing it again on CD establishes it a bit deeper into that well of music that I find myself singing without realizing it.
Self-awareness is a wonderful thing, I'm sure. Long ago I learned that, although I have a good ear and what I like to think of as taste, I'm not one of those people who pick up on music the way animals can sense an earthquake. I've known people like this: Matt Allen, my best friend growing up, had a weird sense of what music was good and cutting edge. Realize, this was in Twin Falls, Idaho, where the most vanilla top-40 music was (and perhaps still is) considered cutting edge. And yet, he'd be far ahead of us every time. When we competed in the Battle of the Bands at Robert Stuart Junior High (a lip-sync competition), were we Great White, or Motley Crüe, or Def Leppard? No! We were Sparks, singing "I Predict" on fake instruments and with silver spray-painted hair. Did we win? Hell no... I think it went to some ninth-graders syncing some long-haired butt-rock band. But at least we were different.
And this relates to Stretch Princess how? Knowing that I'm not necessarily a cutting-edge music kind of person, it took a late-night leap of faith to buy this CD after following some write-up on the Web. I liked what seems to be their biggest song so far, "Sorry", which appeared on the soundtrack of Teaching Mrs. Tingle. Based on that single alone, streamed via QuickTime, I said what the hell and ordered it.
It arrived, I listened, congratulated myself on being daring and experimental, then I forgot about it. "Sorry" was still a good song, but nothing else really stood out. So much for tapping into my hidden music radar. But when I popped the CD out of its case a few nights ago and listened again, I realized that, hey, this is pretty good! All of the songs have the same feel to them, but I've found that I can easily listen to the CD twice before getting tired of it. Like Crowded House (see below), the more I listen to Stretch Princess the more I like it. Lead singer Jo Lloyd has that peculiarly attractive high-pitched voice like the lead singer of the Cranberries, though not as high and a bit more throaty - a better combination. And I have to admit to a weakness for attractive, short-haired women. [31-Jan-2000]
Amazon.com | Stretch Princess Web Site
My wife Kim and I rented this on New Year's Eve (yes, we opted to stay home for the evening; I wasn't worried about Y2K, but it's a fairly long drive to anywhere interesting from our house and I didn't feel like potentially playing chicken with some guy and his martini on the roads). I've never really warmed to techno music, but the soundtrack to Run Lola Run was hyper and textured at the same time. I'll admit that multiple listenings can be a bit repetitive, as the soundtrack is mostly a reworking of a few core themes. But at the same time, it's great music for a deadline! [27-Jan-00]
Amazon.com | IMDB
A friend of mine once referred to Crowded House front man Neil Finn as "human heroin": once you start listening, you're addicted. Although I own most of the albums that these songs originated on, I have to admit that it is handy to have them all on one disc. The tunes range from melodic ("Don't Dream It's Over", the band's top U.S. single) to all-out vigorous ("Locked Out") to downright emotional ("Better Be Home Soon", "Fall at Your Feet"). Crowded House is one band that I can equally listen at attention and play as aural texture, depending on the mood. [27-Jan-00]
Amazon.com | Rolling Stone | Tongue in the Mail |
