Tag Archives: the

#1002: Fall Out Boy – Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued

Leave a reply

Another album opener, ‘Our Lawyer…’ is the first track on Fall Out Boy’s From Under the Cork Tree. It’s an album that many a fan of the band’s hold dear to their hearts. Has the well-loved classics like ‘Dance, Dance’, ‘A Little Less Sixteen Candles…’ and of course, ‘Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down’. Can’t say I hold the same regard. If there is a best Fall Out Boy, it’s clearly Folie à Deux. Cork Tree for me sounds a bit dated in comparison. A lot of the sentiments on there I just can’t vibe with anymore compared to when I was, let’s say, 13. But it sets off with a great start and a whole lot of self-deprecation and sarcasm, which I’m always all in for – especially when it’s done right.

“Brothers and sisters put this record down / Take my advice ’cause we are bad news” are the opening lines to this track, and for the rest of the track Patrick Stump sings bassist Pete Wentz’s lyrics which further go onto to tell the listeners the myriad ways in which the band will let them down and the superficial things that they’re good for – like celebrity status and fashion sense – that don’t really amount to anything properly meaningful. The track is set to a swinging tempo, but there’s an aggression and heaviness to the way the guitars are played that enables automatic headbanging among the instinctive swaying motion that you have to do with those types of tempos. Patrick Stump sounds like a kid, and he pretty much was – would have been 20 during the making of the album – but for a guy who supposedly wasn’t too confident about his singing, I’d say he does the job well. He’d only become better as the years went on, full embracing his inner soul-singer on Folie à Deux.

The song’s title is one of truth. Its original title was ‘My Name Is David Ruffin And These Are The Temptations’, but the band’s lawyers intervened and made them change the name. Either way, it’s another title of the band’s during that time that were very long, were usually never mentioned in the lyrics at all, and were probably named as such just to get some reaction from the listener. Funnily enough, I think one of the band’s shortest song title is on the same album too, with ‘XO’. That’ll be the next one from the record I do a post on. As I said earlier, not so much a fan of it now. But there’ll be more Fall Out Boy in between, for sure.

#990: Simon & Garfunkel – The Only Living Boy in New York

Leave a reply

Upon going through Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge over Troubled Water album in about 2012/13, there were two clear highlights, at least to me, that stuck out on that first listen. Those were ‘Keep the Customer Satisfied’ and today’s song ‘The Only Living Boy in New York’. Sure, the title track is right there. But it’s never been one that I’ve wilfully gone out of my way to listen to. Probably ever. The rest of the album tracks all have their moments. But it’s always been those two for me. And since I’ve written the post about ‘Customer’, well, I better start going on about this one.

‘…Living Boy…’ was written by Paul Simon during a time when singing partner Art Garfunkel took an acting role and had to travel to Mexico for a lengthy period in order to shoot his scenes. Simon, overcome with these feelings of loneliness, transferred all of this emotion the best way he could into song. He wishes his partner the best of luck and wishes him well; he addresses him as ‘Tom’, which is what Garfunkel would go under when the pair performed as ‘Tom and Jerry’ in their early years. He gets some delight from the mundane things like checking out the weather report for the latest news. Still, the separation doesn’t stop Simon from feeling like the only person existing in the big city of New York. There’s a subtle hint of conflict too, as it seems Simon knows that this acting bit is something that Art is really into. He pleas to him that if he wants to follow through with it, then he should just tell him instead of making excuses. It’s a bit of a turbulent affair, and it would all end when the act broke up and went their separate ways some time after the album’s release.

However the lyrics are interpreted, it doesn’t get in the way of how comforting a listen this track always is. Simon takes the lead vocal here, double-tracked and maybe singing really close to the microphone. I don’t know what it is, maybe he’s using a certain type of mic, maybe it’s an effect, but whatever is used gives his vocal a real close and intimate feel. Like he’s singing you to sleep or something. It’s a gentle delivery with a fine melody with a backdrop of acoustic guitars and a skipping bassline. The whole track delivers for the most part, but then comes that glorious moment when those glorious harmonies from the two singers enter the frame, brought in effect by performing those vocals in an echo chamber and multi-tracking it around eight times. They’re heavenly moments, like lights at the end of the tunnel. It’s at these parts where I guess Garfunkel appears in front of Simon after everything’s happened, telling him to not worry because “Here I am.” Maybe that’s looking too deep. All in all, like a few other songs on Trouble Water, ‘…Living Boy…’ is another personal look into what made those two guys tick.

#978: Mac DeMarco – On the Square

1 Reply

That’s right. Another dose of Mac DeMarco for you. I’m sure I wrote down my feelings about Here Comes the Cowboy on the ‘Nobody’ post a while back. From my recollection, I think they were along the lines of “I think time has been better to it,” because when it first came out the reaction from fans and critics weren’t on the most positive of sides. Even I have to admit that, coming off the usual reverb-laden production of DeMarco’s material, …Cowboy was very, very dry in comparison upon that first listen. Bare-boned to say the least. Which I think left people thinking, “Is that it?” Also, there are a couple tracks on there that maybe could have been left on the cutting room floor. Even so, its major difference is something that adds a lot of charm to it, in my opinion. And there are still some fine tracks on there that could be held up against some of DeMarco’s best.

‘On the Square’ was released as the final single leading up to the album’s release, arriving three days before Cowboy unveiling. I haven’t watched the music video maybe since the single’s release. I know it’s right up there, but that’s more for you. I remember it being a trip. There’s a few ugly pig masks in there. And I believe it was considered to be an overall metaphor of being a creature to be gawked at onstage, which was something of a running theme throughout the promotional aspect of Cowboy. Similarly to yesterday’s track, ‘Square’ is mainly synth-led. Though instead of the full, smooth buzzing chords that ‘Level’ provided, ‘Square’ sort of plods along, comfortable in its own pace, but not as strident nor comforting. Really, it’s much more downcast and minor-key. The track apparently contains many references to Freemasonry, which I definitely wouldn’t be able to provide any insight to, but overall is another song of self-reflection on the album, wondering if there’s something more out of a situation you’ve somewhat been assigned to.

Hopefully whatever DeMarco comes out with next is a much more happier affair. These past couple of years have been tough for everyone. But with his own record label and, in effect, his own rules, he probably doesn’t feel much pressure. Sure there’s something in the works, though. I think I had a sentiment along these lines in the ‘Nobody’ post too. Think I’m running out of ideas sometimes. Anyway, the song is up there. Add it to your playlists.

#977: Mac DeMarco – On the Level

Leave a reply

Mmm-mmm. Just want to wrap myself in a blanket and let my mattress swallow me whole when listening to this one. ‘On the Level’, another one of Mac DeMarco’s, was released as the third single from the then-upcoming release of his album This Old Dog in 2017. While the anticipation was building towards the records release date, I was studying for my final exams in university. I’m sure I did hear ‘Level’ when it was unveiled on YouTube, but I think I listened through my iPhone speakers and so didn’t really get the whole picture. But with some good headphones on, those warm ethereal synths that open the track and are a constant throughout are a cleansing sonic experience.

Because I’m usually so zoned in on the sound and Mac DeMarco’s lilting, heavily-reverbed vocal, I’ve gotta admit the lyrical content within the song is something that’s gone one ear and out the other over these years. From the titular phrase, I’ve always assumed the track to be about feeling content, on a certain wave, like there’s nothing much to do but just let life be and let time pass without feeling too guilty about it. But after looking up the lyrics for the purpose of writing this, I’ve found my interpretation to have been just a bit off. Though I still kind of like the way I’ve taken it. Really, it’s another instance of existential reflection on the album, with DeMarco somewhat coming to terms about getting old and coming to something of an understanding with his estranged father.

Coming near the end of the album, ‘Level’ provides that last moment of bliss before things become quite spacey in the following track and downright sad in the closer. DeMarco described it as a “kind of a sister song to ‘Chamber of Reflection’” from Salad Days. It’s hard to disagree. Both synth-heavy and led by very memorable synth melodies with a distinct lack of guitar in the frame. Whenever DeMarco does this type of track, it usually ends with impressive results.

#955: Maxïmo Park – Now I’m All Over the Shop

Leave a reply

I don’t have a deep connection to this one as I do to the others on A Certain Trigger, I gotta say. The other tracks I’ve talked about that are also from that album I came to know through seeing their music videos multiple on the television. ‘Now I’m All Over the Shop’ I had to come to grips with straight from audio, and it was maybe that second or third listen of it that it got that hold on me that songs can usually do for a lotta people. It comes near the end of the record, and when you come to that point in any album you start to think that the energy might give out a little or the song’s might start to decline in quality. But it isn’t this case, with this track proving the point. It’s a short, sharp burst of energy.

To be ‘all over the shop’ is a British way of saying ‘confused’, ‘disorganised, or ‘in a state of disarray’ if you want to get fancy with it. Lyricist and singer Paul Smith, or at least the narrator within this track, is left in this state it seems after the end of a relationship where nothing seemed to be going right anyway. He tried to be polite and tolerate the other person’s ways through gritted teeth, but ultimately realises that this way of dealing with things isn’t fooling anyone, especially not himself. In fact, judging by the lyrics throughout, he’s quite disgusted with the whole situation.

What really gets the gears going is the instrumentation throughout. It begins with this really tinny-sounding guitar line, then joined in by Smith on vocals and these strange out of key runs on a piano. It’s deceiving at first, but then the pre-chorus starts with a proper explosion of guitars and cymbals. From then on it’s an energetic and bustling composition. Instruments drop out and in again alongside emphatic strikes on the drums, scales climb and descend, drum rolls occur all over this thing. It’s one of those tracks to pogo to and not do much dancing to. Mainly thrashing around and flailing your arms in random directions. Again, it may not be considered to be one of the noteworthy tracks on here. I’ve got no evidence to support that statement. That’s just me assuming. But it’s a favourite of mine, so really that’s all that matters.