Thinking About How Music Used To Sound

The other day, I had the intro to “Back In Black” by AC/DC ringing in my head. When I heard it for the first time on vinyl through my parents' stereo system, the moment where Angus Young's killer riff kicks in felt like being kicked across the room. While I was daydreaming about all of this, I remembered a recent post by Bob Lefsetz titled “Sound Quality” where he states:

…..if you’re listening to hard rock or acoustic music on earbuds, anything but Top Forty dreck, you’re gonna be predisposed to think it sucks. Because you’ve got to feel the music. And almost nobody has enough power to generate that kind of oomph, only distortion.

One of the points he makes is that today's music is being produced to be played on computer speakers and tiny earbud headphones. To me, most of what passes for popular music these days sounds scrunched down and flat to me. I guess this is what happens when music is made on computers to be played on computers. While I've expressed my appreciation of what the digital age has done to facilitate the creation of music, much of the output is missing the warmth that used to come off a record. I refuse to listen to any digital version of The Rolling Stones' “Get Yer Ya Ya's Out” even though the digital versions I own are easier to get to than my record. To me, latter-day Springsteen music is an entirely different animal than his classic records because the new sounds lacks the dynamic of “The River” where the songs feel like they were all done live with the guys standing around a big room. In fact, one thing that is sorely lacking from today's music is the sound of “the room”. Any decent producer can tell you that the room used in a recording is another instrument in the band. The reason that John Bonham's drum beat in “When The Levee Breaks” stands out over 40 years later is that the drums were placed at the bottom of a stairwell and mic'ed from above. In the documentary “The Promise: The Making Of Darkness On The Edge Of Town”, there is a great scene that shows Bruce obsessively searching for the perfect drum sound. He has Max Weinberg pounding a snare over and over and shouts out “Stick!” every time Max's drumstick makes a sound that detracts from what he wants. I wonder if that level of obsessive detail over acoustics is happening today. (I'm not saying it isn't- I'm just wondering).

Though many are losing hope that today's music has forever lost the warmth that comes with live recording, my faith was restored somewhat when a friend's Spotify feed informed me that he had just listened to “Go To Hell” from Raphael Saadiq 2011 album “Stone Rollin'”. The 70s soul groove on this record is reminiscent of old Stevie Wonder. When you listen to it, you can picture a big room full of musicians reading off of charts and recording together like you see in so many movies about music as it was made in the good old days. “Stone Rollin'” is one of a small handful of records released last year that has restored my faith that there are musicians out there that are able to make music that feels intimate instead of electronic. (Another example that jumps out at me is “Helplessness Blues” by Fleet Foxes.) If you keep the faith, true believers, you can still get knocked off your socks if you're willing to hang in there.

"Let's Go Eat The Factory": The Return Of Guided By Voices

At first, it may sound like a little bit of an over-reaction to discuss the current “comeback” of Guided By Voices. Sure, the band's last incarnation hung up their boots on New Years' Eve in 2004, but GBV leader Bob Pollard has hardly stopped producing music, having released dozens of albums since that point. What makes the new album “Let's Go Eat The Factory” noteworthy is that it represents the return of the so-called “classic lineup” that recorded “Bee Thousand”, “Alien Lanes”, and “Under The Bushes, Under The Stars”, a trifecta that represents what many believe to be the best era of the band.  A one-off reunion show in Las Vegas to commemorate the 21st anniversary of Matador Records turned into a reunion tour which has now spawned an album.  With 24 songs clocking in at a total of 41 minutes, “Let's Go Eat The Factory” adheres to the short and snappy “let's get it done” workman's ethic that defines this band. This album marks the return of the less polished, scrappier vibe that was missing from the last few GBV records as the band worked with people like Rik Ocasek and chased a slicker sound. As with a lot of Guided By Voices records (and the myriad of Pollard side projects), you'll find songs you absolutely adore and songs that you may not listen to repeatedly.

The lead track, “Laundry And Lasers”, kicks things off with buzzing guitars that slowly build to the gritty Townshendesque swagger that GBV has always pulled off undeniably well. The rougher edges of the band shine through the blunt punk guitar attack of “God Loves Us.” There are also a few twists and turns along the way including the strings-tinged melancholy of “Hang Mr. Kite” and the sparse vibrato flutter of “My Europa”. The strings return in the acoustic-driven “Chocolate Boy”. If you're looking for the Ass-Kicking Moment Of The GBV Album, you'll find it in “The Unsinkable Fats Domino” where you're reminded of this band's ability to create driving hooks that make a song clocking in at 1:55 seem like an epic rock song.

With “Let's Go Eat The Factory”, it's crystal clear that there's a difference between Guided By Voices and a Robert Pollard side project as well as between the so-called classic lineup vs. the other incarnations of this band. That's not to take away from the other musicians who have served well with Robert Pollard as the last few Guided By Voices albums had their stellar moments. But when you put on “Let's Go Eat The Factory”, you will remember why you initially became a fanatic follower of GBV.

"Let's Go Eat The Factory" is available now digitally and on 1/17/11 in physical format.

Video of "The Unsinkable Fats Domino" courtesy of The Audio Perv.

Jason Conquers America

I've been digging the new Fantagraphics release “Jason Conquers America” which commemorates ten years of the venerable publisher's relationship with the Norewegian artist. I've glanced at his work a little bit over the years and was blown away by the “Low Moon” story that was serialized in The New York Times Magazine. The new release is a collection of strips that were previously unavailable in the US along with tribute strips and interviews with Jason and colorist/collaborator Hubert (Yeah, everyone around here seems to go by one name. Jason offers a humorous take during his interview on why he's gone with only one name).

The characters in Jason's work are usually animals who, at least in “Jason Conquers America”, are not particularly verbose. Despite that, Jason has a distinct flair for telling stories that do not require words. My favorite story in the collection revolves around a crow who naps in a bed in a field and wakes up obliviously in an entirely new life. (Telling any more would spoil the revelation.) In 23 short wordless panels, Jason creates a powerful and compelling commentary that proves how powerfully expressive comics can be.

You can pick up “Jason Conquers America” at your local cool comic shop or directly from Fantagraphics.

Photo courtesy of www.fantagraphics.com.