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We're Not Who You Think We Are

Archives for December 1995

Neil Young – Mirror Ball

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(Reprise)

As if we needed any more proof that Neil’s instincts are still better than most artists’ master plans, he plugs Pearl Jam into his hard rocking groove and continues to defy gravity, age and logic. Sure, they could have worked harder on this, but why? As an antidote to his well-wrought Kurt Cobain tribute of a year ago, it proves Pete Townshend’s maxim: rock and roll won’t make your troubles go away, but it will let you get up and dance all over them. Plus, he provided a lyric for Neil Young fans from 8 to 80: “People my age/they don’t do the things I do.”

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Written for the Village Voice 1995 Pazz & Jop Poll

Guided by Voices – Alien Lanes

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(Matador)

As an indication of how weird things are right now, the backlash set in on GBV before their sales broke the 100,000 mark. It was probably the box set, which, in retrospect, was a much better idea on paper, and showed that their inspiration has been relatively recent, to say the least. And when I saw them live, I was impressed how tight they could be while Robert Pollard downed beer after beer. He even remembered all of the words, which, no, still don’t make any sense, even though Alien Lanes is his most consistent set of melodies to date. Lets see what happens when low-fi ‘tude meets real production values next year.

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Written for the 1995 Village Voice Pazz & Jop Poll

Rancid – … And Out Come The Wolves

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(Epic)

I thought that mohawks looked stupid in 1977, in 1995, they’re beyond lame. For years, I’ve been avoiding bands that “looked” punk — my favorite punk bands from Television to X to the Replacements to Nirvana were always derided by the anarchy sheep that made up the hardcore subculture. Beyond that, not only can I play “Spot the Clash Influence” on just about every single song on this record, if I concentrate hard enough, I can tell from which moment on which Clash song they are stealing.

And so what? Unlike the Pistols or Buzzcocks or even the Jam, the Clash weren’t ever copied that much — they were too eclectic, even from the start. I couldn’t even tell you what Rancid’s other records sound like — my guess is closer to by-the-numbers hardcore than this great record, which uses its historical perspective to take ska rhythms for granted instead as a change of pace, and like its forefathers The Clash (you can bet they own both versions) and Give ‘Em Enough Rope (though not London Calling), it’s catchy as hell, and never lets up, not even for a second.

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Written for the 1995 Village Voice Pazz & Jop Poll

Oasis – (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?

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(Epic)

On the surface, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? is just big dumb derivative rock and roll — as a matter of fact, under the surface it’s just big, dumb, derivative rock and roll. That’s why it rules. It has no significance whatsoever — socially, politically, intellectually, or, for that matter, even to the future of rock and roll itself. Not for a second does it pretend to have any value beyond sounding absolutely wonderful: these maniacal Britfucks aren’t beholden to any subculture, any scene, anything beyond their precious ambition. All they want is to be the greatest rock and roll band in the world.

In a rock era dominated by Americans with huge agendas, that sort of ambition could only come from the U.K., where the ascendance of alternative hasn’t turned their world upside down. And while five years ago, I might have laughed at such an ambition, and five years from now, I might wonder what I ever got from Oasis in the first place, right now, to me, they have the only attitude that makes any sense whatsoever. Furthermore, its neither buoyed nor encumbered by the antics of the people who created it — I couldn’t give a fuck if Noel or Liam Gallagher overdose or get murdered or commit suicide or break up the band or just make shitty records from here on out. I just can’t be bothered to care about these people. All I need is what I got right now and that’s this question: “What’s the story morning glory? Well?”

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Written for the 1995 Village Voice Pazz & Jop Poll

Son Volt – Trace

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(Warner Bros.)

Out of the rubble of Uncle Tupelo comes not one, but two great albums. In a way, its kind of like ten years ago, when Hüsker Dü scored two bullseyes with totally different albums that were still completely in their vein. While Son Volt’s Trace feels more moody, more depressed than Wilco’s A.M., Jay Farrar still finds it in him to sing “May the wind take your troubles away,” and rock as hard as ever.

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Written for the 1995 Village Voice Pazz & Jop Poll

Sonic Youth – Washing Machine

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(DGC)

“Hello 2015!” Lee Ranaldo screams, somewhat optimistically, near the end of this record, just before they launch us on a sparkling sailing voyage towards that very year. It’s like, for the first time, they’ve really considered their place in our past and, more importantly, in their future. And they like what they see. And if they keep making records this strong and loose, they just might meet themselves on the other side.

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Written for the 1995 Village Voice Pazz & Jop Poll

Wilco – A.M.

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(Reprise)

Out of the rubble of Uncle Tupelo comes not one, but two great albums, thereby pulling off a trick that not even the Beatles or Hüsker Dü managed — both principal singer/songwriters of a band following a breakup with great records. While Wilco’s A.M. feels more good-timey, more fun than Son Volt’s Trace, Jeff Tweedy still finds it in him to sing “I just can’t find the time/to write my mind/the way I want it to read” and write one of the greatest songs ever about the real-world consequences of drunk driving — “Passenger Side.”

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Written for the Village Voice 1995 Pazz & Jop Poll

Yo La Tengo – Elect-ro-pura

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(Matador)

So Lou Reed and John Cale couldn’t make nice longer than one European tour. So Sterling Morrison died and rendered the question forever moot. So now we’re watching this band slowly and quietly shoulder the Velvets mantle — ALL of it, not just the parts that Luna, The Feelies, the Dream Syndicate, Modern Lovers, even Uncle Lou and Auntie Moe themselves rejected — for the rest of us. This record finds them improving with age and experience, just like the rest of us who were too young to discover the Velvets the first time around, but fell in love with them devotedly, intensely and forever.

Written for the Village Voice 1995 Pazz & Jop Poll