dinsdag 13 oktober 2015

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks: 101/102 - 2011

101
2011/??/??, Dara Greenwald benefit
Love will keep us together



Another undated solo performance - Captain & Tennille cover this time. Stephen's mining the '70s section of someone's record collection.

He treats the song cruelly, fluffing chords, interjecting spastic bursts of distortion (someone in the audience cracks up after the first 'solo'). And still makes me wish I'd grown up in the '70s, still makes me wish love would indeed keep us together (will it ever?), still pulls out a (to me) breathtaking falsetto note late in the song that melts away all possible defenses.

It's what he does.

102
2011/08/24, Morning becomes eclectic
Asking price
Stick figures in love
Share the red
Forever 28
All over gently
Senator
Gorgeous Georgie
Brain gallop


Jake Morris' first appearance! In july Stephen was talking about the record's scratchy sound, 'like 'Slanted and enchanted''. I think he was refering to his new band rather than his old band's last recordings. On their first session (is there an earlier recording with Jake in the band?) they sure sound scratchy. There's an amateuristic, kinda scrappy feel, more garage rock than Led Zeppelin. Jake is a totally different drummer than Janet. She was metronomic, on the beat, pounding, a taskmaster. Jake is enthusiastic, part of the band, rumbling, accentuates the melody over the bass. More Tommy Ardolino than John Bonham.

It's unfortunate but also kind of fitting that the first session of the Jicks Mk 3 struggles with technical hiccups. Drop-outs, unbalanced mixes – or is it just the recording I downloaded? The roll call of technician's assistants the host feels he has to recite over 'Brain gallop' feels more like 'name and shame' than getting credit. Took a lot of people to fuck this one up.

Fortunately the sound clears up for the second half of the session, just in time for a groovy, nugget-like 'All over gently', a subtly expanding 'Senator' and a rousing take on 'Gorgeous Georgie'. 'Brain gallop' sounds good too but with all the talking to be done the host cuts it short.

Lots of promise.

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