Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks: 23/24 - 2001/2002

23
2001?
Too high

An undated, unnamed song/performance – I'm inserting it here.

The big question is: original or cover?
To my knowledge the song was recorded one more time, at Graceland on the 1st of june 2002, in the middle of the 'Pig lib' recording sessions. From that recording I'd assumed it was a cover, but I couldn't identify the original artist/title.

This other (earlier) version has a 'making it up as we go along' vibe, and it does sound like they're roadtesting a possible new song of their own.
Which would be nice! I mean, it's not a lost classic, and with its easygoing groove it's in line with other discarded material ('Grab it and gone', 'Memory pull' – both songs we'll encounter soon enough, and both more distinctive songs than this one), but it's no disgrace at all. There are a couple of nice hooks and moments. (Shame there's a portion of the song missing in the middle, there's a cut after the first chorus).

In this earlier incarnation it shows more potential than in the medium inspired version from june 2002. The verses are identical in both versions, though the june version has extra instrumental passages (intro, link between chorus and verse and so on).

Jo and Billy gonna build a building
All higher than the one in Malaysia (?)
But the cash got thin and they couldn't begin to start oh no
Now they got to get back home

Now there were parents in your wigwam
What the fuck was I supposed to do?
It's been a long long week of not much sleep and fun, oh yeah
Now I gotta get back home

It's virtually impossible to dislike a song that has wigwams.
Can anyone shed light on this mystery song?

24
2002 (released)
Death and the Maiden

Malkmus' (without the Jicks) contribution to 2002's tribute compilation 'Under the influence. 21 years of Flying Nun', an elegant elder-statesman version of the Verlaines' 1983 cornerstone track. I don't have the details when it was recorded (maybe in the summer of 2001 when the Jicks were touring down under?).

I'm no expert on Flying Nun, so I've only just now listened to the original track, which is ok, I guess. That early '80s chordy and wordy strain of post-punk/indie is not where I live (oh, and I can't stand Echo & the Bunnymen and the Fall either. Stephen and I seem to only have American influences in common [and Can]).

The mid-section faux-jazz is a bit of a cop out, but at least it's better than the fairground attraction-backing music of the original.

Sorry to be so luke-warm. I like what Stephen does with the track, he gives it a sheen of songcraft I wouldn't have suspected from the original. It's very listenable. But I never grab for it.