Golden Smog
Down By The Old Mainstream
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Golden Smog
Down By The Old Mainstream
Rykodisc, 1996
RiYL: Wilco, Travelling Wilburies, Jayhawks, Uncle Tupelo |
For the uninitiated, Golden Smog is a smorgasbord of some of the most underappreciated songwriters modern rock and roll has to offer. Band members include Gary Louris and Marc Perlman of the Jayhawks, Dan Murphy of Soul Asylum, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Kraig Johnson of Run, Westy, Run and Noah Levy of the Honeydogs. Perhaps the band's membership causes many critics to lump the Smog into the typical "alt-country" genre, but with Mainstream, the band proffers a number of songs that can either rip your heart out or make you burst with laughter.
Kicking off with the piano/harmonica driven "V," the Smog wastes no time in hooking listeners in. The song may not have much creativity in the lyrics ("When she smiled everything else died / V let off a good vibe"), nor does it particularly stand out musically. But something about its simplicity makes it work. And that's pretty much the key to the whole album: simplicity.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the LP's two highlights: Tweedy's "Pecan Pie" and Johnson's "He's A Dick." Both capture the best of the Smog -- incredibly catchy rhythms surrounded by silly, even pointless, lyrics. In "Pecan Pie," Tweedy croons a heartfelt number with a double entendre: "Sometimes I get so hungry / I think about pie all day / Just a little whipped cream / and honey I'm on my way."
With "He's A Dick," Johnson establishes himself as the everyman of the group, singing a seemingly pointless song about some guy whose friend keeps stealing his records and drugs. "All I want to know / is why is he such a prick / Please help me understand / what makes guys like that kick / Oh... he's a such a dick" -- certainly everyone in this world can relate to that.
But the most shining Smog moment comes in the album's closer, "Radio King." A duet between Louris and Tweedy, the song has everything that is wonderful about the Smog: cascading acoustic guitar riffs and simple lyrics. And with a tasteful violin thrown in for good measure, the song easily ranks with some of the most beautiful every written by either guy.
Mainstream is a credible and surprisingly consistent album. It grants the casual listener a chance to find out that Gary Louris's incredibly effortless soprano vocals can be complemented beautifully by Jeff Tweedy's raspy voice. Also, it proves again that Dan Murphy can write as good, if not better, songs than his regular partner-in-crime Dave Pirner.
Which is basically the Smog's reason for existence. Not so much to prove that Dave Pirner can't write his way out of a paper bag, but to prove that some guy in the background can.
RODEO ROB | An expert on all things "alt," Rob spends his days covering the energy industry and his nights covering the DC-area bars. Raise yer glass especially high to this man, for he has contributed to this site constantly since its creation four years ago.