Jan
05
2007

Heavy Meadow

(Add / View Comments) (0)Friday, January 5, 2007 - 09:39:34 pm
(Posted Under: Music Music, Tempe Music Scene Tempe Music Scene)
Back in November, I started, but never finished comments on Dead Hot's Heavy Meadow release. Rather than edit it, I've opted to keep it intact, as record of my initial thought, and wade into round two.

Nixon Saves - Nothing has changed since my initial comments.

Exit Math - On the first night, I skipped around a lot, not going to Exit Math a lot, and when I did, didn't have any immediate thoughts on it. A little under 2 months, and god knows how many listens, I now do! Exit Math is one of the favorites on the album now. Which, y'know, "favorites" is so tough with this album, definitely one of the top four played / go to songs. Absolute brilliance from Babb. All the lyrics are absolutely excellent. Any song with "Gravity is a jerk" is nothing less than brilliance.

Mexican Jones - No real further comment since November.

It's A Shame - No real further comment since November.

World - No real further comment since November.

Elly Bussa (Touch The Sky) - No real further comments, other than I have noticed that this song has become a lot less disjointed on more and more listens. I had expected it to cause a lot of deaths, like with subliminal messages, however the more you listen, the less it's like that.

Curve - Definitely one of the top 4 / go to songs. The first night I heard it I was captivated by the music interlude. That remains, and further have just gotten more and more into the song. I added Love Songs to my server the other week, and it was awesome listening to the older, longer and acoustic version of Curve. It never really grabbed me back in 2000, but listening to it now is kick ass. And even moreso when Brent arrives at the second verse (aka the start of the album version). Love it, love it, love it.

Tangled - Tangled directly following Curve should carry a warning that it may induce loss of senses. Rock n' roll! Nothing has overly changed from my initial assessment of Tangled - give me the desert, open road, windows down and Tangled blasting at 11. Well, I guess I have picked up more of the lyrics, and researched who Darby Crashes (who I was confusing for Darcy Cash - long story [wink] ) and Opetus Rex is. [smile] Where the sidewalk ends, the road just dances!

I remember conversations years ago how Brent avoided providing lyrics because he preferred people to have their own interpretations on songs. To this end, I originally thought the chorus was "Too many bones in yard". It's actually "Too many bugs in the yarn." I have nothing on Brent Babb, he is the master of word craft, but I must say, and while I sing the right lyrics now, I do prefer mine in this instance.

Radio - Radio is awesome, maybe not as much of a go to song as some others, but... "Like the TV making you numb / Baby, I'm dumb", just awesome.

Pacifist Fight Song - My type of fight song. [smile] I've definitely found it relatable to some recent situations. Like I said initially, awesome track.

Houston Is Dead - Again, awesome. I generally think of it much in the same vein as Radio as Houston Is Dead in that I skip to it less frequently, however I like it more than Radio. Totally one of those songs that you don't skip to, but when it comes on, you wonder why not.

Clover - again, less likely to skip to it, but you wonder why the hell not. Houston Is Dead and Clover are quite similar in that way actually. "Amen. Oh well. I'll see you in hell" really speaks to me (despite that almost getting my ask kicked for it! [wink] ).

Furthermore, kinda like Elly Bussa, I've noted the repeat effect in Clover becomes a lot less disjointed the more you listen to the record.

Speedway - A great closer, and this song definitely feels like most throw back to Dead Hot Workshop of several different periods over the last 16 years.

Furthermore, I got my actual copy of the CD from Katie for Christmas, and was suprised to notice the hammer and nails theme of the cover. Until then, looking at online covers, I'd just taken for granted that the birds and meadow were - real, as opposed to the artistic representation that it actually is. The actual cover is sooo Dead Hot Workshop.

The other note would be on Kylie Babb. I morned the lost of Steve Larson for years, and years. Long through and after the Chris Whitley era. I didn't have any problem with Chris at all, but it wasn't Steve (and years later I realize most of the post Larson solos are actually Brent). When Kylie showed up on the seen, circa 2000 I think, it was obvious to me that he was right for the band, and was actually a great replacement for Steve. Not that this wasn't true anyway, but Heavy Meadow totally solidifies Kylie as a Dead Hot Workshoper. Definitely no doubt there was no better choice.
Now Playing: Dead Hot Workshop - Exit Math

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