Published on Apr 14, 1999
Golden Smog could be called a supergroup as it is a combination
of members from the following bands: Soul Asylum, The Jayhawks,
Wilco, Run Westy Run, and the seventies cult band, Big Star.
However, there are two reasons they are not a supergroup: 1) Of all
these groups, only Soul Asylum has had the commercial success and
name recognition. 2) Supergroup albums are usually easygoing,
informal jam sessions that bide time before their regular group’s
next release. That is the opposite of what Golden Smog has
accomplished on their latest release
Weird Tales. One could say that
Weird Tales surpasses much of the work these folks have done
with their “real” bands. (I exclude Run Westy Run because I am not
familiar with their work, and Big Star for their important and
influence on rock and roll in general).
You know something special is about to happen right on the first
track with the exuberant and wry “To Call My Own”, which was
written and sung by Soul Asylum guitarist Dan Murphy. This jangly
rock song captures Soul Asylum at its best with Dave Pirner-esque
lines like “We welcome you with broken arms”. This and his other
contribution, the folk rock song “Reflections Of Me” suggest that
Murphy should probably do more of the writing for Soul Asylum.
As good as the Murphy songs are, I think it is guitarists Gary
Louris of the Jayhawks, and Kraig Johnson of Run Westy Run that
really have the standout songs on
Weird Tales. Louris wrote the incredible “Until You Came
Along” which is the best country/folk rock song I’ve heard this
side of Neil Young. Imagine combining Young’s clever lyrics with
the 12 string guitar sound of the Byrds, and you get an idea of
what this song is like. “Jane”, a song Louris wrote with fellow
bandmate, bassist Marc Perlman, is a poignant song about a troubled
girl that would also make Young proud. Another Louris song, “White
Shell Road”, is an edgy, allegorical tale and probably the most
“alternative” sounding song on
Weird Tales.
Louris also co-wrote a few songs with Johnson: the funky, change
of pace rocker “Keys” is a lot of fun. And on a very different
note, the closing song “Jennifer Save Me” is a slow, moody piece
with a wonderful piano part from Louris. The quirky “If I Only Had
A Car” is an interesting throwaway.
Alone, Johnson comes up with the powerful “Making Waves” a drug
addict dying in the bathroom, which ends with the haunting words:
“Are you in there?/Hello hello hello/ I’ll Be Out In a While.” On
the opposite end, he also provides the pleasant pop song “Looking
Forward To Seeing You” which has nice harmonies.
Wilco’s leader Jeff Tweedy’s contributions are more subtle but
very effective, especially his solo acoustic number, “Please Tell
My Brothers”, a sweet song about missing his family. “Lost Love” is
another poignant tune about guess what. And the experimental “All
The Same To Me” is a strange, dreamlike song with eerie echo
effects.
Jody Stephens, the original and current drummer for Big Star,
keeps the beat, and co-wrote the song “Fear Of Falling” with Louris
and Tweedy, another tasty country rock tune with a nice piano,
harmonica, guitar and bass combination. Despite the countryish
nature of the material, some songs, particularly “Jennifer Save
Me”, recall some of Big Star’s gentler moments.
The only complaint I have with
Weird Tales is the pacing of the album at the beginning. The
CD as a whole has different moods and tempos, but there are too
many midtempo songs at the beginning. I would have liked to have
heard one more uptempo number near the beginning of the track
selection. But most CD players can easily solve that problem.
Weird Tales isn’t all that weird. Despite a few experiments,
it celebrates the classic songwriting of the seventies. I think the
sibling rivalries that must have developed during these sessions
pushed everyone to do their best work, and I can only hope they can
bring back the magic they made here to their respective bands.
Weird Tales is an unlikely classic.