Golden Smog
Weird Tales
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Golden Smog
Weird Tales
Rykodisc, 1998
RiYL: Wilco, Travelling Wilburys, Jayhawks, Bob Dylan |
While I imagine most fans of alt-country are familiar with the genre's answer to the Traveling Wilburys, a few new additions to the band warrant a quick review. The core of the band remains the same: Gary Louris, Marc Perlman (both of the Jayhawks), Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum), Kraig Johnson (Run, Westy, Run), and Jeff Tweedy (Wilco). However, new sticksman Jody Stephens (Big Star) replaces Noah Levy (Honeydogs) on this album, while violinist Jessy Green (Geraldine Fibbers) completes the picture.
Make no mistake about it -- Weird Tales does not match up with the band's first full-length, Down By The Old Mainstream. On Mainstream, the Smog seemed loose and relaxed, and the songs grew from that atmosphere. The new album feels tight and overproduced, almost like the band didn't have as much fun making it. Missing are the nonsense songs that made Mainstream stand out, like "Pecan Pie," "He's A Dick," and "Radio King." The new album has a much darker, serious tone.
That said, Weird Tales is a good, solid album. It opens promisingly enough, with Dan Murphy's "To Call My Own" (His best song since Soul Asylum's "Cartoon," proving again that Murph can write songs just as well as his S.A. cohort, Dave Pirner). It is the only real "rocking" song on the album, but the slower songs are just as promising. Kraig Johnson's bittersweet "Making Waves," Jeff Tweedy's beautifully simple "Please Tell My Brother," and Gary Louris's haunting "White Shell Road" are standout tracks.
But as mentioned before, the darkness of the album takes away some of the enjoyment of listening to a bunch of friends sitting around and jamming at home, which is what Golden Smog is (or at least what it originally intended to be). A few of the songs sound like they were left of the new Wilco album, or the new Soul Asylum album. And Gary Louris wrote songs that could fit on Jayhawks albums. ("Until You Came Along" would sit quite nicely on Hollywood Town Hall, while "Jane" would seem right at home on Tomorrow The Green Grass).
So really, there is nothing new here, but that's not a bad thing. These guys don't claim to be breaking any new ground. Weird Tales is a wonderful complement to the Smog's past work and the many accomplishments of its members.
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.