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Author
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Topic: Mini-Review - Everclear's Scenes from an American Movie Pt. I
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Dave Thomer
Guardian of Peace and Justice in the Galaxy
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posted 12-27-2000 08:01 PM
   
Got a couple CDs for Christmas, so I figured I'd post my thoughts here and let the more musically literate members of the audience laugh at me.  I put Songs from an American Movie, Volume 1: Learning How to Smile on my Amazon Wish List based on the fact that "AM Radio" is a darned catchy song, and as Pattie will tell you, listening to it half a dozen times or so hasn't changed my impression of it. Everclear is good at catchy pop-rock songs, and it's really good at catharsis-inducing rock songs -- probably because Art Alexakis pulls absolutely no punches in his lyric writing. (Check out "Father of Mine" or this album's "Wonderful" for proof of that.) Even if the songs aren't strictly autobiographical, there's a real honesty that comes though Alexakis' singing. The biggest surprise for me was the cover of "Brown Eyed Girl" -- I was never a huge fan of the original for some reason, and this version sounds almost like a completely different song. It works, though, as the new arrangement conveys a sense of wistful looking-back even while sounding like a modern Everclear song. It's pretty cool. (Edited to add Amazon link.) [This message has been edited by Dave Thomer (edited 01-30-2001).] |
slgorman
One of the Regulars
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posted 01-01-2001 06:21 PM
I've had this CD for months now. When I first got it unwrapped, I didn't know why radio stations hadn't picked up "AM Radio." Now, I can't escape it. And I still like it.I liked Wonderland better than this disk, the darker and moodier songs on that disk are impressive. |
Dave Thomer
Guardian of Peace and Justice in the Galaxy
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posted 01-02-2001 02:29 AM
quote:
Originally posted by slgorman:
Now, I can't escape it. And I still like it.
I think Pattie agreed with the first part of your statement but not the second, judging by how happy she was to see me lend the disc to my sister. quote:
I liked Wonderland better than this disk, the darker and moodier songs on that disk are impressive.
In what way? |
slgorman
One of the Regulars
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posted 01-10-2001 05:00 PM
Wonderland had such a "screwed up childhood" vibe going for it that I embraced with all of my "me, too" enthusiasm. It holds a pretty special place in my musical memory because of it's raw emotional (lyric-wise) quality. |
Dave Thomer
Guardian of Peace and Justice in the Galaxy
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posted 04-14-2001 05:50 AM
BTW, is anyone else as disturbed as I am by how easily Art Alexakis' face can be digitally superimposed on Barry Williams' body? That was by far the freakiest part of the "AM Radio" video. |
Dave Thomer
Guardian of Peace and Justice in the Galaxy
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posted 05-04-2001 10:01 PM
I know I mentioned this in the original post, but I feel a need to reiterate it -- I've had "Brown Eyed Girl" on my portable MP3 player for about a week now, and the song still amazes me every time I hear it, a) because it's cool and b) because it shows how much creativity goes into arranging and interpreting a given song. In some of my aesthetics classes we've discussed works of music, trying to figure out exactly what the artwork is -- is it the written sheet music? The song the composer hears in his or her head? The performance? The recording of the performance? I'm starting to think -- in fact, I've thought for some time now, but I'm starting to believe even more strongly -- that each time one of these factors changes, a whole new work is created, with its own life and validity and deserving to be judged on its own merits. The only exception might be when a performance, after it's recorded and mixed, is duplicated exactly -- that's more a matter of duplication and distribution than creation. But anyway, I'm starting to ramble.Long story short, you really ought to listen to this song. |
Dave Thomer
Guardian of Peace and Justice in the Galaxy
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posted 09-18-2001 11:50 PM
quote:
Originally posted by slgorman:
Wonderland had such a "screwed up childhood" vibe going for it that I embraced with all of my "me, too" enthusiasm.
This is part of why Pattie is reluctant to let me listen to "Father of Mine" or "Wonderful" unattended. |
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