Tag Archives: america

#1319: Weezer – Surf Wax America

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I’m doing this thing lately where I’m dating my posts. Don’t worry, from the next one on, you’ll be able to carry on reading without realizing I’m writing these two months in advance of their scheduled dates. But it’s important to note, for this particular track too, that this is written the day after the man, the legend, the genius, Brian Wilson – the brains behind the Beach Boys – passed away at the age of 82. I let out an unrestrained “What?!” when I saw the message panning at the bottom of the TV screen on Sky News. Luckily, it was just me in the house, so I felt free in doing so. I mean, what more can you say? So much great music written by this one man. He’ll live on forever through it. And the influence… I feel like the whole “songs about California” thing we see today was started by Wilson and the Beach Boys. And there would be so many tracks from the past 30 years that would have gone in a totally different direction had it not been for his work.

And that leads me in to the subject of today’s post. Weezer’s ‘Surf Wax America’, the sixth track on the band’s 1994 self-titled debut, better known by you and me as the Blue Album. When I got that album in 2006 and liked it instantaneously that I started reading up around it online, one of the things that was always made clear was how the vocal breakdown in ‘Surf Wax…’ was inspired by the Beach Boys. And in ‘Holiday’ too. “Guess it’s some old band,” 11-year old me probably thought. Wouldn’t be years until I listened to the Beach Boys. All I knew was I had this great album where every song was a straight-up 10 outta 10. The guitars were crunchin’, the melodies and vocal harmonies were memorable, the performances powerful. A very solid alternative rock album if ever there was one. All the better experienced with a good speaker system, like I had with my first listen, thanks to a setup my uncle did to go with the old Windows XP computer.

The track begins the second half of the album, coming as a big pick-me-up after previous track ‘Undone’ ends with an interlude of strange piano swoops and tinkling keys. Drummer Pat Wilson came up with the riff that begins the song, hence his songwriting credit, and on top Rivers Cuomo sings about all the conventional people driving their cars to their office jobs while he prefers to surf. The song’s a great one, all about wanting to be free and breaking away from the rat race of society. Though Cuomo has also said that the whole thing’s meant to be totally sarcastic and not meant to be taken seriously. He doesn’t even surf. What’s up with that? Well, he could have fooled me. The way the whole track’s delivered, the gusto in Cuomo’s vocal, the copious amounts of energy provided in all the instruments… Sounds to me like this couldn’t be done by a band who wasn’t being anything but sincere in the music. All I know is I have a great time listening to it. I don’t know if people have it as a favourite on the album when it’s next to others like ‘Buddy Holly’, ‘Say It Ain’t So’ or ‘Jonas’. But it’s all right with me.

#846: Blur – Miss America

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Like a lot of other songs in this very long series thing, it took a while for me to get into this track. When I first listened through Modern Life Is Rubbish, years ago now, I think I was 18, ‘Miss America’ stood out as the really slow and much longer track in an album where the pace was quite rapid and frantic. I thought it was boring. But a few years later, you can guess where this is going, I listened to the album yet again, and it all made sense. Coming after the heavy, two minute, shoegaze-ish ending of ‘Oily Water’, ‘Miss America’ brings a needed calmness to the proceedings.

A horrible touring experience in the US where the band were broke and the members basically starting hating each other spurred the whole music-for-the-British-people thing that Damon Albarn was all for during the 90s, and I think that ‘Miss America’ is pretty much about missing the UK while he was having the worst time across the pond. He sings about how he doesn’t understand ‘Miss America’ and loves only ‘you’, ‘you’ in this case being the United Kingdom. There are some other lyrics about jellybeans and ‘Jemima ho hos’ that don’t make much sense, but I think those are just in there to fit the music. Could also be a part of the huuuge Syd Barrett influence on this track too.

What I think really drew me in though, is the whole dreamlike atmosphere of the song. These reverb-drenched acoustic guitars take up the frame with these twinkling wind chimes (I think) throughout. There’s a proper haze about it. I’ve been in bed while listening to this and never wanted to get up, I feel so comfortable when this comes on. The track’s very loose, and I think it’s a live take too. There’s a short moment at the beginning where a drunk Graham Coxon yells out ‘Michael’, and Alex James and Albarn share a laugh about it before beginning the track. The only thing that I would point out about it is that Albarn’s vocal is very upfront in the mix… Kinda wish the instruments were louder so the vocals were more subtle. But, hey, the producers know what they’re doing.

#764: Blur – Look Inside America

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Damon Albarn spent a good chunk of the 90s making music specially tailored to the British public. After having a not-so-great tour in the United States and seeing that the music from that country, especially grunge, dominated the UK charts he had a vision to remind people how great, and sometimes bad, it was to be from England with the ultimate aim of being part of the biggest band in their homeland. That vision came true to some degree, but the band found they had taken things too far with their 1995 album The Great Escape. They had also fallen hugely out of favour with the general British audience who had grown to prefer Oasis instead.

Their self-titled album that followed in 1997 was remarkably different, inspired by indie rock bands like Pavement and Sebadoh that guitarist Graham Coxon had been listening to. The music Blur was making in these sessions was a lot more aggresive and Albarn’s lyrics were more earnest and sincere. Noting the gratifying effect that this new American influence was having on the band, Albarn wrote ‘Look Inside America’ which is essentially an apology to the country and a song about learning not to care so much about things. In the track, Albarn sings about the better experiences he has while being in America. A good show was had the previous night, the band got an ad on the rock station KROQ, and he got a happier ending to Woody Allen’s Annie Hall by rewinding the videotape. He seems to have found pleasures in the smallest details and his lyrics, mixed with the uplifting music, result in what is probably the most optimistic track on the whole album.

Ironically, the song sounds the most similar to the material they were making on their Britpop trilogy. Only this time, the strings during the verses play more as a backdrop to Albarn’s vocal and Coxon’s guitar. The groove during the guitar solos nearing the end remind me to ‘Mr Robinson’s Quango’. I think it’s all in done in a tongue-in-cheek way though. Just a personal highlight for me is Alex James’ bass throughout the track, that’s very melodic in itself.

My iPod #33: Simon & Garfunkel – America

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Ah Paul Simon and Arthur ‘Art’ Garfunkel. What can I say about them?

Not much really. I’m not a massive fan.

It was in late 2011, that I listened to a full song by them. I knew ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, but I had always thought that was a hymn or something. I never knew it was an actual song.

A documentary on the BBC was shown once in October, a brief snippet of it is can be viewed here. This song played on it when the duo started talking about the conception of their ‘Songs of America’ documentary and the controversy that surrounded it and everything.

Hearing it then, I thought I had heard that song somewhere else before. In an advert, or a film, or another various medium.

It doesn’t matter though. I listened to the song, liked it and put it on my iPod.

‘Bookends‘ is the album that the song is on. ‘Save the Life of My Child’ is my favourite song on it, but you could say that ‘America’ is the centerpiece of the first ‘side’ of the album.

Of course there are no sides on a CD but the first half of the album has a concept of life starting from birth to death which is pretty cool. It’s always nice to have a concept album once in a while. Even though it’s only the first six songs.

Like I said, Simon & Garfunkel isn’t really my kind of thing. ‘Bookends’ and ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’ are both great albums though.

Until next time.

Jamie.

My iPod #32: Razorlight – America

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In the late spring of 2006, I was eleven years old and in the final weeks of my last year at primary school.

A highlight of that period of time was the trip to the Isle of Wight where I, most of my ‘bestest’ friends (and a few kids from year 5) stayed for a week in ‘Friends’ Hotel and basically spent the last trip I would have in primary school not giving a shit about anything. It was all about having good times with my friends, and making the most of the time we had left.

However, a week away from the house meant a week away from the Internet or MTV2. The World Cup was being held at the same time, and we watched England vs Trinidad and Tobago on ITV, that was pretty cool. But that did not get rid of the fact that I was missing out on my music.

Friday 16th June – I come back home, switch the TV to my favourite music channel, and see Razorlight’s new video for their ‘new single’ In the Morning. That got repeated almost every day during that time. It’s not a bad song though, so I never got annoyed. I liked Razorlight anyway – Up All Night is good stuff.

‘In the Morning’ was their second highest charting single in the UK, getting to #3. ‘Somewhere Else’ had peaked higher at #2 a year before. And then they released this song.

‘America’ got straight to number one – in it’s first week of release too! I didn’t think it was that captivating of a song that it could ever get to that position. It was there for only one week though, then The Black Parade marched into town.

The funny thing is that the song was actually written by the band’s drummer Andy Burrows. Johnny Borrell still got recognition in the song’s credits though, you’ve gotta keep stacking up those pound sterlings.

I like America. The song isn’t too bad either.

Seriously though some fans don’t like Razorlight’s self-titled album, they found that the band were raising their butts towards the radio and waiting for a pounding. (Sorry for the imagery.)

For me, this is Razorlight’s last album where they actually made good songs. Those that I could listen to. ‘Razorlight’ and ‘Up All Night’ are the ones you want to listen to.

And then, in 2008. They released the video for their new song ‘Wire to Wire’, and I could never take them seriously as a band again.

They haven’t released an album since.

Razorlight aren’t even Razorlight anymore. Johnny Borrell is the only original member left.

Until next time.

Jamie.