maandag 21 september 2015

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks: 13/14 - 2001

13
2001/??/??, Middle east, Cambridge, MA
1% of 1
Dynamic calories
Fly

Undated, but the really early version of 'Dynamic calories' points to a timeframe before july 2001 when that song would be played in a more refined version (in Sydney).
These songs are flotsam I saved from a particular mass dump of Malkmus fragments on the Jicks message board (for which thanks!). The only tracks I've heard from this show (it sounds like Stephen's getting ready for 'Poet and the witch' after 'Fly' – I'd've liked to hear that).

I keep these more out of interest for the early development of songs than anything else. The playing is fine, but the sound is muffled and unpleasant. Those are the hazards of live taping.

So what 's interesting?
'1% of 1' is in full exploratory bloom. There is some really cool jamming on a 7 minute plus version. More free and further along than the february Malmo version. But... the lose their way near the end, starting up again after the breakdown. The last two minutes are unfortunate and sort of undo the pleasure of what came before.
'Dynamic calories' misses the 'rendezvous' chorus part, and is a fast and short punk track in its earliest incarnation, sort of like a tougher 'Troubbble'. It got better though.
The most interesting thing about this version of 'Fly' is the accompanying talk- 'that's gonna be on our next album'. The Jicks were developing faster than Stephen could deliver suitable material at this point. It's clear the band interplay would be the focus of the next album and in the coming year a lot of candidates for inclusion would pass through, some of which got lost in the shuffle. The quest for the lost 2nd disc of the 'Pig lib' double starts here.

14
2001, KCRW, Ground Zero
Vague space
Trojan curfew


Just a lovely solo acoustic radio session. There must be more songs, but I've yet to locate them. Like 'Troubbble', 'Vague space' is not one of my favorite Malkmus songs, but this may be THE version for me. Like some laid-back 3rd album / 'Loaded' – era Lou Reed, playing beautiful C&W / R&B-influenced guitar fills, overcoming his natural distancing stance by virtue of his affection for the songs.
'Trojan curfew' is in the same vein as the Kim's Bedroom-version from a year earlier, except far more accomplished. The song is in its definitive form now, for one. Again, beautiful acoustic guitar playing – one of his strengths which all too seldom features on the studio albums. But there are a lot of radio sessions and solo shows coming up to illustrate the point. Should he wish, a folk-style solo troubadour album is within his grasp. (Say, with Van Dyke Parks-arrangements, maybe). Or one of those Songbook affairs like classy '70s singer-songwriters do. It could be on Nonesuch.
Just excellent.

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