Red House Painters – Songs For A Blue Guitar

 

Red House Painters – Songs For A Blue Guitar

By

Jesse E. Mullen

You’ve led a successful slowcore band for several years. You’ve released four critically acclaimed albums for one of England’s premier labels. And then your fifth album is rejected by your staunchest ally.

So was the story of Mark Kozelek in 1996. The Red House Painters singer/songwriter/guitarist had gained acclaim for his ability to distill highly personal narratives into epic-length songs. From the suicide note of “Medicine Bottle” to the highly biographical detail of “Michael,” Kozelek became noted as one of indie’s greatest lyricists.

Rarely since the mid-70s work of Bob Dylan had a songwriter so successfully stripped away all metaphor and left their soul on the page for all to see. But if Kozelek’s work showed a difficulty in his personal life, it was soon to spread over into his professional life.

When Kozelek went into the studio to record the fifth Red House Painters album, he did it without drummer Anthony Koutsos, guitarist Gordon Mack, and bassist Jerry Vessel. Kozelek instead opted to enlist the help of John Hiatt’s backing band. But this wasn’t the only issue.

While 4AD label boss Ivo Watts-Russell was previously infatuated with all of Kozelek’s work, here he wasn’t so sure. He felt that the lengthy guitar solos on two tracks, Kozelek’s “Make Like Paper” and a cover of Paul McCartney’s “Silly Love Songs” were too much to handle.

So, he gave Kozelek an ultimatum; either edit them down or find another label to release the album. Kozelek chose the latter. The album wound up on Island Records subsidiary Supreme Recordings which was run by coming-of-age filmmaker John Hughes.

The unedited album, Songs For A Blue Guitar was eventually released in July of 1996. But how did this music sound? Was Kozelek right to take it elsewhere? Or did Watts-Russell’s industry experience prove Kozelek wrong?

The album opens with one of Kozelek’s most emotionally naked pieces yet in “Have You Forgotten?” A strummed acoustic guitar and Kozelek’s warm voice introduce the track. The lyrics take the listener through childhood into adulthood, with Kozelek empathizing with the coldness of the grown-up world.

At first, it seems that Kozelek is addressing someone he knows. But as the track goes on, listeners begins to feel that he is addressing them himself. The effect is rather poignant and touching, and it’s a great way to start the album.

The semi-title track, “Song For A Blue Guitar” is equally enchanting. This time working with a full band including pedal steel guitar, the tune bears strong resemblance to Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You,” albeit in a slightly higher key.

Kozelek sings of a relationship that has fallen apart, asking “what’s left to see?” He’s joined in harmony by Stephanie Finch of Chuck Prophet’s band. Prophet was in a neighboring San Francisco studio when Kozelek was recording the album, and asked Prophet if he’d mind if he borrowed Finch for a few tracks.

Questionable methods aside, the two blend marvelously in harmony. Finch’s voice also appears on the shoegaze-y cover of The Cars’ “All Mixed Up,” to equally enchanting results. Whereas the original track had a woozy new wave synth, Kozelek straightens the arrangement out into something more adult contemporary.

When the chorus hits, the track fully gains traction. Fuzzed out guitars dominate the soundstage, and Finch’s vocals recall Bilinda Butcher of My Bloody Valentine. Her presence elevates both songs to classic status. But what about the two most controversial tracks?

Both “Make Like Paper” and “Silly Love Songs” are heavily indebted to Neil Young and Crazy Horse. “Make Like Paper” recalls Youngs guitarwork on “Albuquerque” from Tonight’s The Night. Kozelek spins a tale about the end of a relationship set in the Mission District of San Francisco over course of 12 minutes.

It’s easy to see why Watts-Russell would be skeptical about such a track for commercial reasons. But in his case, the truth is far more complicated. Watts-Russell was a champion of artistic purity, but he also liked to maintain a degree of control over his artists.

He made his recording artists relinquish control over their album art so that in-house graphic artists could do the design. This wasn’t to make the works more commercially accessible. Rather, Watts-Russell wanted the albums released on his label to have a uniform look. And he wanted them to have a uniform sound as well.

So, when Kozelek unleashed the feedback-laiden monstrosity of “Make Like Paper” upon him, it’s easy to see why Watts-Russell was appalled. That isn’t to say that it isn’t an excellent track – it certainly is. It’s arguably one of Kozelek’s strongest compositions up to that point. But it’s also antithetical to the ethereal sound of 4AD.

Even more controversial is the cover of “Silly Love Songs.” Never considered one of McCartney’s strongest compositions, Kozelek radically retools it in the style of Neil Young’s “Cortez The Killer.” With a shredding, ear-piercing guitar solo intro, Kozelek’s voice doesn’t enter for several minutes. Again, while an excellent sounding track, it didn’t fit the mold that Watts-Russell was looking for. His loss.

But perhaps “Revelation Big Sur” is the strongest song of all. It also seems to be one of Kozelek’s most personal yet. Alone on an acoustic guitar, Kozelek pens a letter to an ex-lover. He says she’s “the reason that [he’s] down” but also “the promise that [he’s] found.”

He also says that she’s “the meanest” but also “a genius who’s [his].” It is this kind of duality that is the mark of a great songwriter. And Kozelek successfully nails the confusion around a relationship that has ceased to serve either party.

While a lost record deal has destroyed the best of bands, it has also served as an opportunity for a fresh start for others. The lengthy gestation period for Songs For A Blue Guitar may have been painful for Red House Painters, but it also allowed Mark Kozelek to deliver his magnum opus.

Supreme Recordings/1996

The American Analog Set - The Fun of Watching Fireworks

 

The American Analog Set – The Fun of Watching Fireworks

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

Usually, records will either be what I like to call daytime records or nighttime records. Daytime records are lively, whereas nighttime records are introspective and contemplative. Daytime records move the body, while nighttime records move the mind.

American Analog Set were the ultimate nighttime band. The Austin-based indie rock band fused Andrew Kenny’s laidback vocals and lullaby guitar playing with Lisa Roschmann’s dreamy keyboards. Their sound was influenced by Galaxie 500 and Mojave 3 – also nighttime bands – but they were in a league of their own in terms of where they took it.

The Analog Set released their debut album The Fun of Watching Fireworks in the summer of 1996. It was critically acclaimed on the independent circuit and built the band a cult following in Austin. But one has to ask – how well does a niche record from 25 years ago hold up?

The album opens with a crawl on the dreamy “Diana Slowburner II.” A keyboard which sounds like it’s been beamed in from outer space opens the track. Kenny’s guitar enters, sounding like something out of a dream sequence in a movie. But it isn’t just atmosphere over substance – the atmosphere is the substance.

“On My Way” has a bit of a western feel, but with Roschmann’s keyboards droning on top. It also has the feeling of “Kaleidoscope World” by The Chills. The rhythm of the drums resembles the German space rock of the 70s. It’s easy to picture Can doing something like this, as part of their international music experiments series.

Perhaps “Gone To Earth” is the most important track on the album. The track is the most atmospheric on the album, while also feeling the widest in scope. It was later re-recorded without Roschmann for 2001’s Know by Heart. But the starker production of that album strips away some of the mystique.

Some albums crash out of the gate with attitude and bombast. Others slowly creep into your brain and subconscious. The Fun of Watching Fireworks is firmly in the latter category. As the ultimate nighttime band, American Analog Set prove that there is still value in their slow, cerebral music 25 years later.

Emperor Jones/1996

 

 

 

R.E.M. – New Adventures In Hi-Fi

 

R.E.M. – New Adventures In Hi-Fi

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

You’ve formed a band and grown it beyond what anyone could’ve imagined. At the peak of your popularity, you cease touring and become a studio project. But desire to tour soon returns and you’re back on the road. What could go wrong? As it turns out, everything.

So was the situation for R.E.M. in 1995. The Athens, GA quartet had gone from cult college rockers to international superstars thanks to singles such as “Losing My Religion” and “Everybody Hurts.” The band had just resumed touring for their 1994 album Monster after a five-year hiatus from the road.

However, it was not an easy time. Health issues plagued the band throughout the tour. Bassist Mike Mills had additional complications from a bout of appendicitis the previous year. Singer Michael Stipe suffered from a hernia. But most serious was what happened to Bill Berry.

The drummer collapsed onstage one night and was swiftly diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. Berry would make a full recovery, but the event put a damper on the proceedings, and informed writing sessions the next album.

New Adventures In Hi-Fi is different from previous R.E.M. records in multiple ways. But perhaps the most noteworthy is the way it was recorded. Rather than using a traditional studio as the band – and virtually all bands – had previously done, they utilized a new mobile recording unit which they brought on tour with them in 1995.

R.E.M. got the idea from Radiohead, who opened for them that year. The Oxford band had recorded “My Iron Lung” live in front of an audience for their album The Bends. But R.E.M. took it a step further, recording the bulk of the album live, either in front of the audience or at soundchecks on their Monster tour.

There was also a familiar face aiding them along. On this album, R.E.M. were joined by sideman Scott McCaughey. The Young Fresh Fellows singer and bassist played a supporting role on the Monster tour as rhythm guitarist and keyboardist. And now he was recording as a member of the highly influential band.

But questions still remained – could R.E.M. continue their hot streak? And would the recordings still sound as good as those made in a traditional studio? When New Adventures In Hi-Fi was finally released in September of 1996, fans were finally able to take stock of the material.

The album opens on a slow, eerie note with “How The West Was Won and Where It Got Us.” Subtle drums from Bill Berry and a melodica introduce the track. Stipe sings in his lowest, gravelliest register. It has the effect of sounding like waking up in the morning after a long night out.

The song is oddly comforting despite the odd placement on the album. The lyrics seem to describe western imperialism and the damage it has done to our planet, as well as its population. Stipe had always been politically active, but his lyrics were always cryptic. He never explicitly referenced events that would date the albums, and that is to everyone’s benefit.

“Wake Up Bomb” recalls the glam rock sound of Monster. Lyrically, the song is firmly tongue-in-cheek. Stipe takes pleasure in praising his sense of fashion. He seems to be poking fun at the attitudes of the time with regards to image.

The guitars and organ in the chorus help elevate what could have been a middling idea to a strong rocker. “Wake Up Bomb” succeeds because of it’s live sound as well as its excellent production.

“New Test Leper” recalls the sounds of MTV’s Unplugged program. The acoustic guitars are out in full force, and – barring a heavily reverberated lead in the chorus – is as close to folk as R.E.M. got. Stipe’s love of irony shows in the lyrics, denouncing Christianity while using biblical references.

“Bittersweet Me” is – somewhat ironically – a track where R.E.M. borrow a bit back from Miracle Legion. The jangle of the guitar in the verses with a bit more bite in the choruses recalls the work of Ray Neal on “Country Boy.”

The lyrics show Stipe trying to break from the mundane in life, saying that he doesn’t know what “[he’s] hungry for.” This is a song where the “live” sound is especially beneficial. As it is a relatively stripped back recording, it sounds organic and fresh – and likely will for a long time to come.

Switching instruments had become a favorite pastime for R.E.M., dating back to 1988’s Green. On “Be Mine,” Mike Mills plays guitar while Peter Buck plays bass. It’s quite sweet musically, lacking drums, and allowing the subtleties of the guitars to breathe.

It feels like a bedroom recording, recalling the dreamy atmospheric quality of “Let Me In” from Monster in 1994. A fairly stripped back track, the lyrics describe love in unconventional terms. Stipe sings that he wants to be his partner’s “Easter bunny” and his “Christmas tree.”

But perhaps the most unconventional song is “Leave.” A seven-minute track complete with hip-hop beats, turntable scratches, and Buck’s distinctive e-bow it is swirling and hypnotic. Lyrically, Stipe is cryptic as ever, describing breakdowns in communication in a way which only he can.

The listener is never sure if he’s talking to a lover or making a statement on the stresses of modern life. Either way, the track proves that R.E.M. can be experimental, hypnotic, and catchy at the same time.

New Adventures In Hi-Fi broke ground by stretching the definition of “studio album” to its limit. No longer would bands be limited to recording in tight rooms in front of a mixing board. However, this would just be a footnote if the music wasn’t as excellent as it is.

The world at large may not have understood what R.E.M. was trying to accomplish here, but it has stood the test of time. As a final hurrah to the classic lineup, New Adventures In Hi-Fi is most satisfactory.

Warner Bros./1996