Album: Last Splash
Year: 1993
Sure, “Cannonball” is the one that (deservedly) gets all of the love, but “Divine Hammer” has always been my favorite song on Last Splash, and one of my favorite fucksongs ever.
When Kim and Kelley Deal sing (in unison):
I’m just looking for one divine hammer
I’d bang it all day
The carpenter goes bang
Bang bang
I’m just looking for one divine hammer
It’s clearly not home repair to which they’re referring.
It’s also got one of my favorite guitar breaks ever, Kelly’s looking-down-at-the-frets solo, which is so perfect in how it contrasts with the freneticism of the rest of the song – which consists mostly of shimmering rhythm guitar and the usual Jim MacPherson drumroll momentum – that they toss it in twice!
But like another famous siblings band “same solo twice in the same song” – Eddie Van Halen’s solo in “Running With The Devil” – Kelley Deal’s solo is indicative of a much larger musical philosophy.
With Van Halen, it was to show off Eddie’s ground-breaking technique, signifying how technique and chops became increasingly important to metal fans in the late 70s and early 80s. It was very important at that time to sort out who the best and fastest guitar player was, and in lieu of starting Van Halen off with “Eruption” (which I’m guessing tempted everyone), throwing in that utterly startling solo twice against the relative lumberingness of the rest of “Running With the Devil” was the next best choice.
The point being: you’re never gonna be as good as Eddie Van Halen, so why even try?
With Kelley Deal, it was the exact opposite. The point they were trying to make was that indie wasn’t about chops, it was about inclusion. Anyone can do it, just so long as they had the balls to try! So who cared if she flubbed the solo live, that wasn’t the point.
The point being: it isn’t about musicianship, it’s about musical expression. Anyone can do it! In fact, you should start your own band right now!
For the record, a couple of years ago when I saw The Breeders in Nashville play Last Splash in its entirety, Kelley nailed the solo both times.
“Divine Hammer” performed live on Conan, 1993
“Divine Hammer” official video (different version than the album)
My Certain Songs Spotify Playlist: