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!