Mike Johnson – What Would You Do

 

Mike Johnson – What Would You Do

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

You’ve toured and recorded with Dinosaur Jr. You’ve made records with Mark Lanegan and developed a knack for writing and arranging. Heck, J. Mascis even lets you play lead guitar on several songs. But what happens when you want to strike out on your own?

That was the big question surrounding Mike Johnson in the mid-1990s. After fronting a grungy Pacific Northwest punk band called Snakepit in the latter half of the 80s, he was asked by J. Mascis to replace Lou Barlow on bass in Dinosaur Jr. – no easy task, considering Barlow’s heavy/melodic, inimitable style.

However, Johnson quickly developed his own style. Primarily a guitarist before joining Dinosaur, Johnson began playing figures on the bass which resembled lead guitar parts, albeit in a much lower frequency. Better still, the notoriously controlling Mascis let Johnson play a handful of guitar solos on the 1990s Dinosaur Jr. albums.

Johnson’s skills as a musician led to him being tapped by Mark Lanegan to help the singer kickstart a solo career. The Screaming Trees frontman was looking for a stylistic change from the art damaged grunge of his former group and believed Johnson to be the man to do it.

Together, the two artists developed a style which combined the crooning blues of Leadbelly with the poetry of Leonard Cohen and the glacial pace of the burgeoning “slowcore” sound. The albums they made together led to even more acclaim for Johnson, but he still had one creative itch left to be scratched. His own solo career.

Johnson’s next move took him even furth down the path of Leonard Cohen and slowcore. His first three solo albums gained a warm reception and a cult following in the indie rock world, but none of the attention the Lanegan albums received – or even like-minded contemporaries such as Red House Painters, Low, and American Music Club.

On his fourth album, What Would You Do, Johnson sought to tip the scales in his favor. Opener “Arise” has a warm, sultry sound reminiscent of Luna at their most alt. country. In the chorus, the song reaches its climax. Trumpets flutter and Johnson’s smoky voice fills the air, repeating the title.

“Names” is a chilly mope of a tune that doesn’t get dragged under its depression, thanks to Johnson’s genuine delivery. Musically, it’s a three-chord, minor key waltz, with Johnson repeating a lyrical phrase along with a descending third. Its late-night vibe calls to mind American Music Club at their most mellow.

On “Things…” Johnson opens with some fiery guitar work, jamming in an unconventional rhythm against the drums and bass, before settling into a two-chord minor key groove. Johnson and second guitarist Bret Netson – of Built to Spill fame – share a vocal which can only be described as sounding like it was beamed up from the ninth circle of Hell.

The record’s only cover is a version of “Deliver Me from My Enemies,” a song originally recorded by Yabby You and written by Vivian Jackson. While it was originally a somewhat hopeful reggae tune, Johnson completely reworks it into his own style, adding a stinging sadness and a slow, ringing resonance from his telecaster.

Speaking of gorgeous guitar tones, the instrumental track “The Introduction” – which actually comes towards the end of the album – features Johnson playing ambient, clean notes on his guitar, which resemble Slowdive’s work during the Pygmalion era of the band.

Some albums save the best for last. What Would You Do is one of those albums, closing with the haunting, yet strangely uplifting “Over.” And it does so with a twist. While “Things…” evoked the sound of the ninth circle of Hell, Johnson references Purgatory here.

Rather than penning his own lyrics, he reads several verses from Canto XVII of Dante’s Purgatorio. This brave act would collapse in a pile of hubris if it weren’t for the gorgeous instrumental backing. Johnson plays a heavily flanged and delayed part on his telecaster, a figure which finishes with a stinging arpeggio.

It all ends with the part when Dante’s guide informs him that he must discover the true nature of love for himself – the only logical conclusion to the album. Much like a cliffhanger ending to a film, Johnson leaves the end of the album open to interpretation.

While Mike Johnson is best known for his collaborations with other artists, it is his own solo work where we get closest to understanding the true nature of the man himself. On What Would You Do, he reached the pinnacle of artistic achievement while trapsing through the dark woods of his mind.

Up Records/2002