Certain Songs

Certain Songs #2464: Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks – “Middle America”

October 14, 2022 by Jim Connelly

Album: Sparkle Hard
Year: 2018

. . .

Pavement was never all that prolific when they were together — five albums, plus a handful of EPs and non-album singles — and so it’s no surprise that Stephen Malkmus basically released an album every couple of years in the early aughts, which slipped to every three years and then, between 2014’s Wig Out at Jagbags and 2018’s Sparkle Hard, four years.

Certain Songs #2463: Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks – “Chartjunk”

October 13, 2022 by Jim Connelly

Album: Wig out at Jagbags
Year: 2014

. . .

When Rhino put out the CD reissues of the first two Television albums in 2008, outside of a couple of remixes and alternate takes of the songs we already knewthere wasn’t really a lot of extra tracks to be had. I guess the Eno demos with Richard Hell were off the the table, so for Marquee Moon, we got “Little Johnny Jewel,” the 7″ which preceded it, and for Adventure, we got the unreleased title track.

And while it might have seemed a very Led Zeppelin move to leave “Adventure” off of Adventure, it also made sense: it was the only song that Television ever recorded in the 1970s that sounded like a 1970s song, as it was basically an uptempo blues shuffle. Sure there was plenty of amazing Tom Verlaine lead guitar, but the rhythms and riffs were otherwise pretty generic, and didn’t really fit with a band that remains outside of space and time.

Certain Songs #2462: Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks – “Stick Figures in Love”

October 12, 2022 by Jim Connelly

Album: Mirror Traffic
Year: 2011

. . .

After 2003’s Pig Lib, Stephen Malkmus recorded to follow-up, 2005’s Face The Truth, mostly by himself, which might have prompted drummer John Moen to leave. This didn’t faze Malkmus at all, and Moen was replaced by the once and future Sleater-Kinney drummer, Janet Weiss. Weiss was onboard for 2008’s Real Emotional Trash and 2011’s Mirror Traffic.

Mirror Traffic also had the news hook of being produced by one Beck Hansen, meaning that at least three 90’s indie legends were onboard. And in fact, it’s definitely one of his best solo albums, with highlights like “Fall Away,” “Asking Price” and todays song, “Stick Figures in Love.”

Certain Songs #2461: Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks – “Us”

October 11, 2022 by Jim Connelly

Album: Pig Lib
Year: 2003

. . .

Despite naming his post-Pavement debut after himself, Stephen Malkmus actually almost instantly fell back into a band situation, dubbing his backing musicians — drummer John Moen, bassist Joanna Bolme (both of whom played on Stephen Malkmus) and keyboardist Mike Clarke (who joined soon afterwards) — “The Jicks,” and until 2018, the Jicks played on his records, even if they weren’t always credited as such.

Certain Songs #2460: Stephen Malkmus – “Jenny and the Ess-Dog”

October 10, 2022 by Jim Connelly

Album: Stephen Malkmus
Year: 2001

. . .

To me, the clearest comp for Stephen Malkmus’ self-titled solo debut was Tom Verlaine’s self-titled solo debut in 1979. After all, both were hotshot guitarists who led bands with a second guitarist with whom they had fantastic musical chemistry.

However, there were also differences: I’m pretty sure that Television had broken up before I’d even heard Marquee Moon in the Autumn of 1978, while I spent the entire 1990s with Pavement, watching them make great record after great record, as well as Terror Twilight.

Certain Songs #2459: Steely Dan – “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”

October 9, 2022 by Jim Connelly

Album: Pretzel Logic
Year: 1974

The first, last and only time I ever purchased a Steely Dan vinyl (or any physical media, really) was when I bought the 7″ single of “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” in the spring of 1974.

Of course, at the time, I had no idea that Steely Dan were on their last legs as an actual group, as the original quintet dissolved after this album, but given the fact that the guitar hooks on “Reelin’ in the Years” and “Show Biz Kids” were played by ringers and that their founding drummer, Jim Hodder, didn’t even play on Pretzel Logic: except for a track where the future guy from Toto played drums, the tragically awesome (or awesomely tragic) Jim Gordon played in it.

Certain Songs #2458: Steely Dan – “Show Biz Kids”

October 8, 2022 by Jim Connelly

Album: Countdown to Ecstasy
Year: 1973

. . .

Because it was a different time, even as “Do it Again” and “Reelin’ in the Years” were ascending the singles charts and Can’t Buy A Thrill the album charts — where it only made it to #17, but cry no tears for the Steely Dan, as it eventually went platinum — Steely Dan were already working on the follow-up, 1973’s Countdown to Ecstasy, which was released a scant eight months after the debut.

Certain Songs #2457: Steely Dan – “Reelin’ in the Years”

October 7, 2022 by Jim Connelly

Album: Can’t Buy a Thrill
Year: 1972

. . .

Whereas Steely Dan had to cut “Do It Again” down to a playable size in order to get it on AM radio, they did no such thing for the follow-up, the utterly incandescent “Reelin’ in the Years,” which is my favorite Steely Dan song bar none. My guess is that I’m not alone in that assertion.

An utterly mean-spirited break-up song, “Reeling in the Years” comes storming out of the gate with a shit-hot guitar solo — which establishes the song’s massive hook — by one Elliott Randall, a lifelong session cat whose wikipedia page lists an insane amount of work in music, TV, film and stage shows. And while Randall was (and is) a long time-friend of Fagen, Becker and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter — who I guess was fine Elliott doing all of the leads — he had no desire to join Steely Dan on full-time basis, which somehow makes all of this even more immortal. (Though he played on other Steely Dan records after Fagen & Becker got rid of everybody else.)

Certain Songs #2456: Steely Dan – “Do It Again”

October 6, 2022 by Jim Connelly

Album: Can’t Buy a Thrill
Year: 1972

. . .

I’m not gonna lie: it’s kinda weird that I’m doing two artists in a row that started out as a band and ended up as a duo. Though, obviously Donald Fagen and Walter Becker figured out how to stay together like after Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan went their separate ways.

I should also point out that outside of their early batch of singles, I have far more respect for Steely Dan than I have love, and so both lovers and haters should know that after 1974, they felt more of a menace than a pleasure, dominating the radio with incredibly high-quality songs that just didn’t do it for me.

Certain Songs #2455: Stealers Wheel – “Star”

October 5, 2022 by Jim Connelly

Album: Ferguslie Park
Year: 1973

. . .

Apparently, Gerry Rafferty — who’d already released a solo album — had quit Stealers Wheel before their 1972 debut album had even come out. But then “Stuck in the Middle With You” became a massive hit, and given how well Rafferty and Joe Egan sang together, Stealers Wheel reformed as essentially a duo for the follow-up, 1973’s Ferguslie Park.

And so, the decision was made to mine Ferguslie Park for the follow-up singles to “Stuck in the Middle With You,” hoping that lightning would strike again. But, of course, it didn’t.