"Sitting on an angry chair..."

Continuing A-Z, I'm currently on album #2 of the two Alice in Chains records I have on my iTunes collection. More on that in just a moment.

What has gone on since I lasted visited you with thoughts on Al Green? Well, more Al Green, as soothing and positive as ever. By the way, songs really don't sound that different when stuck between other songs. I shouldn't make that bold of a blanket statement, actually. In this case, they didn't. Some songs sound perfect within their original context, but though still good, kind of silly when placed haphazardly within a "Greatest Hits" setting. Take the song "Like A Rolling Stone" for example. Perfect opener to Dylan's epic, "Highway 61 Revisited". Within the "Greatest Hits" format, oh sure it sounds good, but it LIVES on side one of "Highway 61 Revisited". It belongs there. It speaks most powerfully from that original post. Yet I digress. The Al Green listening portion was rather enjoyable.

Albert Hammond, Jr. got on my nerves a little bit. Especially with the ridiculous seven minute instrumental, "Spooky Couch". I do like a few of his songs. "Cartoon Music for Superheroes" is a good song. His stuff is mostly forgettable to me, though.

Why don't I have more Alejandro Escovedo? I saw him live a couple years ago and it was amazing. Yet for some reason, I only have three of his songs in my collection. Most certainly, one of the best three song sequences I've listened to so far during this project.

Two albums worth of Ali Farka Toure, the king of the desert blues singers, one with the amazing Ry Cooder, were definitely interesting, and at times incredible. Yet I think I need to be in a certain mindset to listen to "World Music". Don't get me wrong, I appreciate his music, but two albums in a row of not understanding a single world is rough.

Speaking of rough, that brings me to Alice in Chains. I was wondering how I'd react to listening to this band again. Back in the mid '90s, "Dirt" was in constant rotation on my cheap little boombox CD player that I had for years. However, at the time, I was an angsty teenager, who soaked up all the screams, distorted guitars, adn anger that grunge had to offer. As a man in his early 30s, I'm slightly removed from all of that. I could venture a guess that the last time I listened to "Dirt" from start to finish was probably somewhere around '96 or '97.

What I really worried about was it being painful to get through, and thereby offending my younger self who probably swore that this was the be all end all of music and only old, out-of-touch losers wouldn't get it. Was I now one of those old out-of-touch losers? Partly yes, partly no.

I still appreciated it on a certain level. The songs brought back a lot of memories, but certainly didn't have the same raw, emotional power that they did when I first heard them. I mostly felt sad listening to Layne Staley's dark lyrics, knowing how it would all end up for him. It came as no surprise to anyone that he died a lonely drug addict's death early in 2002. The only surprise, maybe, is that he made it that long.

I will say this about Alice in Chains, though. They were the perfect representative for the heavier elements of grunge. Staley's jagged, rough and pained voice, were the perfect foil to Jerry Cantrell's metal sensibilities. They never had the pop thing going that Nirvana or Pearl Jam had, and they always seemed a tad heavier and darker than Soundgarden. Yet at times, they displayed elements of all three.

Honestly, I think of all the bands I mentioned, Alice in Chains music seems the most dated. I used to love the song "Rooster", but now kind of feel like, "What the hell's he talking about?" Man, I am getting old! I don't listen to music this heavy anymore, so getting through this, though fun in a nostalgia sort of way, has been a little difficult. This is not to say I haven't enjoyed hearing some of it again, it's just that for better or worse, we all seem to grow out of certain stages. I can officially say, right here in April of 2010, my grunge phase is over. Many apologies (or should I say All Apologies) to the sixteen year old version of myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs6RefV1td4

iTunes A-Z: In the beginning...

So I'm about 40 songs into my overly, pointlessly ambitious project. I suppose I could be doing something more productive with my time...maybe I should be investigating ways to save the environment, or researching cures for cancer, or looking for ways to make money in a time of economic ruin. But instead, I've chosen music, and I guess it's a decision I've been making, for better or worse, for many years now, so why stop now?

Observations? I like A. A. Bondy's songs, but he gets way too chill at times.

A. C. Newman is really great. I knew I had songs by The New Pornographers front man, but I didn't realize I liked them that much. It's definitely what you'd call, stereotypical "indie rock", but it's fun, melodic, in the same vein as the N.P's themselves.

I've already gone through three Daytrotter sessions (A.A. Bondy, Aesop Rock, and Aimee Mann) and have a great deal to come. With Daytrotter, it gives one a chance to hear an artist at a bare-bones, basic, hopefully honest, level. Some sessions are good, some are pretty disappointing, some are just there and nothing more. So far, the Aesop Rock session, of the three, tops the list. Great DJ feature with "DJ Big Wiz Jam".

Adam Sandler's "Werewolves of London" is good. I mean, really good. I knew this already, but upon listening to it during this A-Z project, this fact has been re-affirmed. He does Warren Zevon's memory proud.

Weird neo-hippie, dance around a fire with paint on your face award goes to the two songs I have by Akron/Family: "Ed is a Portal" and "There's So Many Colors". I think I may have gotten high just listening to the songs. I suddenly smell patchoulli too. Why do I have an urge to play hacky sack? I kinda like the songs too, actually. Shhh...don't tell anyone.

The unexpected connection that I made was with an Aimee Mann song called "31 Today" that expresses the sentiment of "I thought I'd have my shit together by now, but I really don't". Maybe not the type of sentiment you really strive to connect with, but hey, that's life. It certainly made me pause and listen to the song, especially since 31 was two years ago for me and strangely, I can still relate. Thanks for bringin' me down Aimee!!!

Ahhhh, but I'm to classic artist #1, of MANY...Al Green. And suddenly that worry and anxiety is melting right away. The good Reverend just soothes you right into a happier, more soulful place. That said, though, I am presented with dilemma #1--repetition. I have Al Green's Greatest hits, and his album I'm Still In Love With You. There's going to be repeats. Do I listen to the same song twice? On the one hand, I say, no. This asinine project is long enough already! Why put myself through needlessness!? On the other hand, though, I wonder how a song sounds in relation to the context it lies in. Does the song, "Love and Happiness" sound different when bookended by "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" and "Lets Stay Together" as opposed to "I'm Glad You're Mine" and "What A Wonderful Thing Love Is"? I mean, probably not, but what if it does and I skip the experience? Man! I'm going to have to listen to repeats and report back!!!

So that's the state of things here in the early A's. I'm about to hit "Love and Happiness" for the first time, so I better pay attention!