Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks: 55/56 - 2005

55
2005/05/24, Sonic Boom records
introduction
Freeze the saints
No more shoes
Malediction
Mama
It kills
Grace / Mr Jolly

I was going to write a note about the beautiful version of 'Grace / Mr Jolly' on this set – just Stephen on electric guitar and Mike on keyboard piano (maybe Joanna's playing a little bit of bass in the background). It was the only song from this record store appearance by a drum less trio Jicks (I think there's three of them) I had. But just today, checking the internet for some information about this date I stumbled across a download link for the full set.

So this is new to me. I'm just getting to know it, but I'm pretty excited with it.

'Freeze the saints' is a little awkward still (shame, cause the arangement is very good), it's the start of the set. Not up to the afternoon's version. 'Malediction' and 'Mama' are nice versions, both with added guitar melodies. But my two favorites are the unlikely, but really cool 'No more shoes' and 'Mr Jolly'.

Whoever thought a drumless band version of 'No more shoes' could be so entrancing? The raga-style drone aspect comes to the fore, Mike playing this weird sitar like repeating motif (Stephen mentions Sgt Pepper's afterwards, he must be thinking of 'Within you without you'). And Stephen is pushing his distortion solos into the void.

'Mr Jolly' is introduced as the song that didn't make the cut, and you can hear every one in the audience think 'why the hell not' as this affecting rendition is played. In this version it makes me think of it as Stephen's 'To Ramona', and the second verse about parents and their children really hits home.

Great song, nice set which I look forward to get into.

56
2005/??/??, KCRW session
No more shoes
Freeze the saints
Post-paint boy
It kills
Malediction
Loud cloud crowd

There's some acoustic guitar on 'Pig lib' and 'Face the truth', and I guess they used one to play 'Ramp of death' and 'Craw song' at Jicks concerts, but this is the first recorded solo acoustic performance by Stephen since the Italian radio session in 2003. For his other solo appearances he appeared with electric guitar.

Six songs from the latest album, but not one of my favorite sets. He's trying to make more of it than what it is. So 'No more shoes' loses itself in tangles of Fahey-esque raga folk guitar excursions – for once becoming the 'bathroom break song' he announces it's going to be.

'It kills' breaks down during a complicated solo, and he starts again for the 2nd verse – on the whole, he's singing the words with too much bluster, going for weird inflections over meaning. It's weird for him to sing a meaningful song so nakedly, maybe, but that's no reason to play hide-and-seek with the song. It ends with an improvised section – riffing on 'Nervous actors', the discarded song. 'That was pretty loose' he concludes. But not so succesfull.

Such is the fate of the session. He's trying all sorts of stuff to make it interesting, but it backfires. He's just not feeling right there and then.

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks: 53/54 - 2004/2005

53
2004/10/23, Buenos Aires
We Dance
Trigger Cut
Loud Crowd Cloud
Blue Arrangements
Church on White
Here
Carl of the Clod
In the Mouth a Desert
Infinite Spark
Malediction
Post-paint boy
Spit on a Stranger
Father to a Sister of Thought
Elevate Me Later
No More Shoes
Jenny & the Ess Dog
Cut Your Hair (Intro)
Animal Midnight
Range Life

Is this the earliest recording of what's now the standard performance format for solo Malkmus? It's a different type of solo set from 1998 Terror Twilight-preview or 2000's Kim Bedroom show, both made up almost entirely of unreleased and in-progress work, often played over demorecordings playing over the PA. It's different from solo acoustic sessions, where he showcases songs from his new album of the moment. This format is made up out of an even balance of old nuggets (Pavement), audience requests (sometimes fumbled), covers and stuff he's currently in the middle of writing. I know I'm not alone wishing I'll have the chance to one day witness one of these shows. It's an informal setting in which Stephen usually shines (and sometimes stumbles, but charmingly).

Between the recording of 'Face the truth' and its release, he headed out in this solo format to South America, with an electric guitar. The show in Buenos Aires was recorded, and it struck a nice balance between Pavement songs from all eras, some catalogue Jicks and a bunch of new tracks (plus that solo perennial 'Blue arrangements').

Compared to later solo shows, these sound distinctly rehearsed! No songs are rushed, more often slowed down, really accentuating the songs' qualities. 'Trigger cut''s got some nice 'Pig lib' style angular folk guitar embellishments. 'In the mouth' has a moment of crowd participation. The South American audiences are really into it, just like in 2002, by the way, it really stands out.

The solo version of 'Carl the clod' is more realized as the band version from yesterday. He gives it a good performance. But I still think the construction of it – it just doesn't sit right.

Of the 'Face the truth' tracks - some in their earliest live recording - 'Loud cloud crowd' is skeletal, driven by atonal jabs of distortion (reminiscent of the later solo version at 2007's Pitchfork festival), 'Malediction' and 'Post paint boy' (also slowed down) both in beautiful, faithful versions, 'No more shoes', the full jam version, solo format be damned.

54
2005/05/24, KEXP Radio broadcast
Freeze the saints
Malediction
Mama

We kick off 2005, another tour year with some nice concert and radio session surprises, excellent performances, and sadly also John Moen's last year working with the Jicks. Two sessions from the same date no less, this radio broadcast probably recorded in the afternoon and a short set at Sonic Boom records (coming up next).

Both feature the Jicks in rare trio format, no drummer, though Joanna (I think) does some nice tambourine work. It's not the usual set up, and everybody is working real hard to make this special occurence work. There are a lot of little arrangement- and melodic ideas that they never did anywhere else on these songs, so it's an eye opener.

They open with a beautiful piano led (with stunning lead guitar) 'Freeze the saints', Mike complementing the song's melody and mesage perfectly. Stephen sings it with great feeling. A keeper. On 'Malediction' they start off really softly, then Stephen unleashes some truly, not fit for drummer less band, scorching guitar. Thrilling, and it works. So they try out another uptempo number, but 'Mama' really needs a backbeat. Joanna gives it her best on tambourine, but it's a no go. Well, they gave it a shot.

A nice rehearsal for the record store set.

360 records from the year 2000: 260 - 251

260. Ran Blake: Horace is blue: a silver noir

A nice, low-key (just piano, occasional electric guitar and saxophone) tribute record. It drifts in and out of focus. Only one track I would really come back to (‘Only yesterday’ – great solo piano improvisation), but it all drifts by amiably. Not exactly on fire, but not bad, certainly not bad.

At its best: Only yesterday

259. Françoise Hardy: Clair-obscur

Just some French fluff (with Iggy Pop on Everly Brothers covers).

At its best: La saison des pluies

258. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: Dust to gold

I used to have a small selection of Nusrat etc records, but it dawned on me I’d never play ‘em. Maybe I was reading too many Robert Plant interviews or something…
As for this posthumous record of 4 15 minute performances:
Is it really good? Probably
Will I ever be in the mood to enjoy it? Never say never, but it’s doubtful.
Once again, my loss.

257. Whitney Houston: The greatest hits

You haven’t lived until you’ve heard the Hex Hector remix of ‘I will always love you’. It feels like making it out of a car crash alive, and sucking the air into your lungs and thinking ‘No more wasted time, now I know what it means to live’.
Other than that, she has some serviceable ballads. This could have been a nice 10 track compilation, but at 35 songs, including many remixes, what a bore.

At its best: Saving all my love for you, Greatest love of all, One moment in time, I have nothing, I will always love you, Run to you, All at once, Where do broken hearts go, Didn’t we almost have it all, My love is your love

256. Low / Dirty 3: In the fishtank

I could never understand the modern music fan’s fondness for something/anything really slow and dreamy. This team-up between two of the genre’s slow rollers does little for me. But I have to admit, amidst a lot of 2000’s unnecessary records, they’ve got their thing down.

255. Megadeth: Capitol punishment

Listening to this counter-chronological overview you get a glimpse of a well-adjusted adult playing tough devolving into a mean son of a bitch. Of course it happened the other way around, if it happened at all. I wasn’t familiar with Megadeth, and it was at first a relief to hear how hookladen and tuneful this compilation (1985-2000) is. But then again, after a while, that’s exactly what kinda turned me off. There’s strong stuff here, but I wanted more of the complicated guitar arpeggio stuff and less choruses. Still, it rocks. Menacingly.

At its best: Kill the king, Dread and the fugitive mind, Almost honest, Trust, Symphony of destruction, Hangar 18

254. King Crimson: The construkction of light

I tried to get into this, but to no avail. It’s just harsh and unpleasant stuff. I mean, even more so.

253. Pat Metheny: Trio 99>00

Thrum toot tootle-too twang plunk neow neow tootle-too.

At its best: Just like the day, Travels (this one’s really beautiful actually)

252. Anoushka Shankar: Anourag

I’m illiterate when it comes to Indian classical music, so what I say about this record may be completely misguided. But this record is just on the tipping line: there’s nothing wrong with it, in fact I probably couldn’t tell it apart from a Ravi Shankar record in a blind test. I think Ravi chose these pieces, arranged them and plays on the album, so that’s understandable. But it fails to move me. After several spins I’m still on the outside of the music. I don’t know why.

251. Waterboys: Rock in the weary land

Of all the overbearing big music merchants, Mike Scott has something which makes me give him more leeway than most. This record stays on path for the first 15 minutes, with a powerful and sincere big sound and looong tracks. ‘My love is my rock in the weary land’ – how self-important can you get? But somehow he makes it stick – just. After that it’s slim pickings and hollow choruses though. It’s simply not one of his more inspired records

At its best: Let it happen, My love is my rock in the weary land, It’s all gone

Capsule review: Joni Mitchell - Hejira (1976)

A record so deep you can easily fall into it. And I can't think of a reason why not. Great ballads of loneliness and longing on the road. We're all on some road.

Capsule review: Bat for lashes - The haunted man (2012)

Delivers the dramatically personal great record she'd only hinted at before. Puts you through the wringer, sometimes I nearly cry, and I still want to hear it again. Excorcism.

Capsule review: Flamin' groovies - Shake some action (1976)

Transformed from Southern rock'n'roll hardcats to Anglophile classicists, at heart the Groovies remained the same. They know that rock'n'roll forgives many faults for three minutes of ragged perfection. Both are here. You wouldn't want it any other way.

Capsule review: Kenny Burrell - Have yourself a soulful little christmas (1966)

Not just for christmas.

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks: 51/52 - 2004

51
Feb – aug 2004, Shamrock Justice studios (probably)
Wow-ass jeans
('Baby c'mon' b-side)

'Face the truth''s only b-side is in a totally different mood from the record, a spirited romp with inspired lyrics (almost Basement Tapes-esque in their casual absurdity). While I really can't make out what part the Jicks played in recording the album (come to think of it, I'd really like to know more about that), this sounds like a band performance. No matter that the 2005 live version blows this original out of the water in terms of, well, rocking – this original is pretty fucking right-on charming. (Apparently there are a number of early, alternative versions of this floating around, but I've never heard them.)

I don't think it means anything, but in such a wonderfully suggestive way. Just sample those verse lyrics:

my car was all keyed up
by struggling boy-teens
with wow ass jeans
wow ass jeans
what does it mean?
what does it mean?
is it random or direct?
this is what goes down in allentown
when the boys get bored
and the moon turns brown
but take it from me
take it from me
you don't want to see it out

the argo stutter baby, the lights was a-flutter
it's hard to make believe that you could be my latin lover
you came with glucosamine
well, i don't know what that means
i will never be that smart
a pie-sized little piece of my heart
i tossed it to the dogs and they chewed on it hard
they threw it back up
they threw it back up
from the crater of their skulls

And of course:
i take my christmas coffee in ju-lalalalalalalalalaly
Well, who doesn't?

One to file next to 'Johnny One Take'.

(thanks to illeffeqt of the Stephen Malkmus board for transcription of the lyrics)

52
2004/06/28, Berbati's pan, Portland, OR
Carl the clod
Dragonfly pie

A hometown date smack dab in the middle of the 'Face the truth' sessions. I don't know what other songs (new and old) made the setlist, but it certainly suggests the band were in the picture and involved at this time – how much did they play on the album? Just the three songs they practiced? Why not more? I'm really curious to learn more about that.

Despite the muffled sound, and the botched version of this song (they have to stop in the middle when they get lost), this early epic version of 'Carl the Clod' is somewhat legendary.

There are good reasons why – the song is effectively the germ from which the whole album 'Real emotional trash' originated (which is also interesting cause it nuances the argument that the arrival of Janet Weiss was the catalyst for the guitarjam direction. They were well on the way.)
Consider:
- it's the first melody which would end up on the 4th album to appear. The 2nd part of this multipart 'Carl the clod' will become the middle section of 'Real emotional trash' (the song).
- It's the first time we hear the Jicks attempt one of these multipart section jam epics which would form the backbone of the album
- Carl the Clod, the 'guy with 2 left feet' (as Stephen introduces him here) is the first of the character studies which make up the 4th album's lyrical direction (Wicked Wanda, Elmo Delmo, Hopscotch Willie)

But... that doesn't make it good, just interesting. I just don't see how this was going to work. You get the introduction (later the full song as released). Without any sort of development, it bursts into the 2nd part, then some solos with ill-advised stop-starts and back-and-forths between band members, and finally the faster rock&roll finale. 'How did life disintegrate into a blues jam?' he sings, and the music tries to live up to that challenge.

In my opinion, they made the right call concerning what happened with these ideas.

---
So, sometime later, I stumble upon a second track from this show and by God, it's a very early, very sketchy, but nevertheless complete 'Dragonfly pie'! He walked around with that song in his back pocket for four years before it got released on 'Real emotional trash'! He really took his time to let that germ develop. The Jicks sound like they heard the song for the first time at the soundcheck. Stephen is thinking about that Fuzz Factory he really needs to get if he wants this to work. It's not a great version, honestly, but so fascinating. What a find!