Books (yawn)

I've always hated reading books. It's sort of the same way I feel about movies. If something is going to keep my attention for that long it had better be fucking great or at least be so silly that I have to continue. When I do read something it's usually non-fiction. Novels are the worst. Too many authors tend to be just a little too descriptive for my taste. I cant read a whole page that describes a fucking field with a stream running through it. That just seems like unnecessary filler for a book. A book has to be straight to the point for me. Shit just has to be happening for me to maintain interest.

I have tried in the past to read one of a particular author's book and if it's good I'll read another work by them. I think that only two authors have inspired me to do that. Charles Bukowski and Judy Blume. I'll bet neither of them would have been caught dead reading the other's work.

Beck-Guero-7/10

Beck's career has always been hit or miss with me. One album would cause envy while the next caused narcolepsy. Mellow Gold was mediocre. Odelay was fantastic. Mutations, I've never heard although I'm told that I must. Midnight Vultures seemed like a great album at first but I became burned out on it very quickly and have no urge to listen to it again. Sea Change was made to keep people from waking out of their coma. Then came Guero. With Beck's constantly changing styles, this album seemed like a revisit to each of his earlier works. That turned out to be a good thing.

Guero has convinced me that Beck is a solid songwriter with a vivid imagination and originality. Something tells me, though, that with this album Beck has hit his peak. I guess that may remain to be seen.

I just though of a genre name for this album-"Retro Hip-Hop Folk"

Highlights-Missing, Go it Alone, Girl
Low Points-Hell Yes, Broken Drum

Marcy Playground-(Self Titled)-7/10

Sometimes us cool people have way too much pride to give a chance to an album that produced one of the most overplayed songs ever. Of course I'm speaking of "Sex and Candy" by Marcy Playground. At one point I felt that if I had heard that song one more time I was going to stick hot fishing hooks into my eyeballs. I never even bothered listening to the rest of the album until 8 years later because I feared that the other songs might be just as annoying as "Sex and Candy". Much to my surprise, they were not.

When listening to this album (is it OK to call them albums still) you might think 'this is what Nirvana would have sounded like if they drank wine laced with downers'. But Marcy Playground tends to pull it off in an original way-if that makes any sense. Singer/guitarist John Wozniak writes simple and beautiful songs. It's his drowsy and slightly breathy singing style that gets me. Ordinarily that sort of singing wouldn't be very appealing to me. For this, it works.

I guess I'm changing as I get older. For the past 15 years or so, I wouldn't have given any band that had an album in the Top 40 a chance. Of course this album did come out in 1997 and when I think about it-there hasn't been anything else in the Top 40 since then that is worth listening to. Oh well, I guess I am still a snob.

Highlights-Saint Joe On The School Bus, Gone Crazy, Sherry Fraser
Low Points-Sex And Candy, Dog And His Master

I have to start reviewing albums that suck. That'd be more fun.

Ween- Shinola (Vol.1) -7/10

Shinola, to me, is an album that was intended to keep the fans, including me, somewhat happy until a new album is released. Putting out an album of unreleased material is somewhat strange in my opinion because I'm always thinking to myself, "It had to be 'unreleased material' for a reason". The album has a few skippers in it, including "Tastes Good On Th' Bun", "Big Fat Fuck" and "Israel". They're not necessarily bad songs but they have that novelty quality to them as many of their songs do; especially in the earlier albums.

There are some good songs on this album but nothing that blew me away. From the Beatles/Grateful Dead sound of "I Fell In Love Today" to the song that seems like they found in Prince's throwaways "Monique The Freak", the album is average. I would have given it a six out of ten if the band's name didn't happen to be "Ween". How's that for bias?

Highlights-I Fell In Love Today, How High Can You Fly
Low Points-Israel, Monique The Freak (I know Emily will disagree with this one)

By the way, just check out Paula Abdul on American Idol sometime and look at her eyes. I don't know if I recall seeing anyone look as high as she does.

Husker Du-Zen Arcade-8/10

When I first heard Husker Du in the early nineties I was annoyed at inconsistencies on their albums. "Candle Apple Grey" and "Flip Your Wig" had a couple well written emotional songs but it was mostly filled with material that came off a little too bubble-gummy for me. The album "New Day Rising" had the same feeling with the usual sappy pop tunes. The exception being one of the greatest songs ever, "Celebrated Summer".

Then I remembered hearing another Husker Du album that blew me away. It was "Zen Arcade". Hearing it again today for the first time in 10 years made me wonder why I had forgotten about it. Although it is considered to be hardcore punk, which can automatically be a turn-off to some people, Zen Arcade is different. The album also contains some soft ballads and a few tamer rock songs. You can really hear the originality and the future influence that this album has. Bob Mould could be one of the most underrated guitarists ever. There is so much emotion in his guitar and in his voice. It makes me clinch my teeth when I listen to him on this album. Has there, in history, ever been an angrier gay guy?

Even with a couple of drummer/singer Grant Hart's chinsy songwriting contributions to the album it remains a classic. It gets an eight out of ten just for it's influence alone.

Highlights-Chartered Trips, I'll Never Forget You, Beyond The Threshold
Low Points-Pink Turns To Blue, Turn On The News, What's Going On

Some Days I'm Not On, Forever I Am

Could I live the rest of my life as an introverted basement-dwelling songwriter? Well sure I could. Is this a realistic way to live? Of course not.

As I get older I have mixed feelings about writing songs and why I keep doing it. One part of me wishes that I would have stuck with the bands that I was in when I was younger and strived to "make it". But another part of me says "Oh well. I'm just going to keep writing songs because it's something that needs to be done." Whether the songs are good or bad to other people's ears hardly matters to me. To me it's like pissing or shitting-it has to come out. I can't control it. I don't even have the urge to perform for people anymore. I just simply enjoy creating music.

On a slightly different topic: Is it wrong, at the age of 29, to envy someone so much to the point that you wish you were them. Or is that considered a type mental disorder? Reading what I just wrote-It almost sounds like a lack of self respect. I guess envy is something almost everyone has felt at one time or another. Hell, they made a word for it.