Published on May 1, 2000
In 1986 the pop mainstream got a little ripple when “Keep Your
Hands To Yourself” by The Georgia Satellites splashed down. It was
a straight forward, no gimmick rock song with truly organic guitar
riffs and one heck of a catchy chorus. The video received heavy
rotation on MTV. The Satellites were poised to shake things up in
that oft times banal climate of 80’s rock.
But “Keep Your Hands” turned out to be the apex for the guitar
rock band. By 1990 the group had disbanded.
The writer of that hit song, former Satellite Dan Baird,
released a solo album in 1992. This album
Love Songs For The Hearing Impaired is a rollicking affair,
a celebration of pure unadulterated American rock. The kind of
music that, played live, would blow the roof off of any roadhouse
on the outskirts of Little Town, USA. Baird shares writing credits
with Terry Anderson (who adds background vocals). The album boasts
ten solid, well-crafted songs laced with southern sentiment and
saturated with wicked and lively guitar riffs.
As the title suggests the album does contain love songs –
roughhewn without embellishments. A simple man stating a simple
fact as in “The One I Am”: “All I got to offer is a sweet
disposition/I’m gonna love you in that old tradition/This kinda
thing it don’t go out of fashion/Money ain’t never gonna buy you
this kind of passion”.
The undeniable album highlight is the clever, Anderson penned “I
Love You Period” with the indelible chorus “I love you, period/Do
you love me, question mark/Please Please, exclamation point/I want
to hold you, in parentheses”. Baird’s gravely voice belting out the
lyrics over a wall of chain saw guitar riffs. Exhilarating!
In “Look At What You Started” the singer chronicles a make-out
session that ended abruptly. The song oozes with the frustration of
the moment and the provocative chorus is sung with heartfelt
conviction “Look at what you started/With no intention to carry me
on/Oh no no”. A true anthem for all men who’ve had to resort to a
cold shower at the end of a “hot” date.
In “Julie + Lucky” and “Dixie Beauxderaunt” Baird/Anderson offer
up musical sketches of people in dead end lives who refuse to
acknowledge the fact. Julie and Lucky are living a life of
lawlessness and a stint in jail is just a minor setback to starting
a family. Dixie is a school dropout, working at a Curad plant, who
makes her big break in a wet t-shirt contest. These colorful
characters never lose a shred of dignity. As Julie puts it: “Don’t
waste no tears on me/Ain’t no place in this whole wide world I’d
rather be”.
It’s hard to designate any song on this album as filler. There’s
the humorous “Knocked Up”, the anguished “Pick Up The Knife” and
the sexy “Baby Talk”, plus the hard rockers, “Seriously Gone” and
“Lost Highway”.
The musicianship is first-rate: Mauro Magellan’s driving,
indefatigable percussion, Keith Christopher’s powerful bass licks,
and the all out guitar assault from Baird and Brendan O’Brien. If
you’re fond of music imbued with an authentic, down to earth
quality, I suggest you seek out
Love Songs For The Hearing Impaired. Put it on your player
and find out just how tangible music can get.