I have to admit, I don’t think I ever listened to all of My Generation and if I did, it must have
been in the 70s! I know the two hits quite well “My Generation” and “The Kids
Are Alright,” but the rest of the album was virtually brand new to me.
Basically, it sounds like a young band trying to take their
influences, the Blues and some Soul, and find their own voice. It’s funny to
hear The Who finding themselves on their first record when yesterday Led Zeppelin just bust out of the gate
with their sound all ready to go and an album packed with classics.
When I was a little kid I remember loving the stuttering in “My
Generation.” Remember that scene in Forest
Gump when he’s dancing around for Elvis? That’s how I would sing and dance
around when I heard “People try to put us down. Just because we g-g-g-get
around! Things they do look awful c-c-c-cold. Hope I die before I get old.”
Based on the strength of that one song, I can see how this album is always
listed as one of the best ever recorded.
I will walk away from this record with a better
understanding of The Who’s sound and two songs I really liked, the soulful “I
Don’t Mind” and the roadhouse jam “A Legal Matter.”
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I always compared The Replacements debut Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash to
the first time I ever encountered somebody on cocaine. He was a hell of a lot
of fun, yet his abundance of nervous energy made me not want to turn my back on
him. Sorry Ma, is a badass punk spaz
attack from what you think are the coolest guys you know.
I’m embarrassed to admit, I never listened to 1981’s Sorry Ma, until probably around 1990 and
then it was a borrowed copy. I didn’t own the thing til the 2000s, so every
time I hear it, it’s a little familiar and a little new.
“I’m In Trouble” has always been my favorite. “You’re in
love and I’m in trouble.” “Customer” and “Shut Up,” are other little faves too,
but every track has its moments. I always thought in “Hangin’ Downtown,” when
Westerberg yells “anyway I got no place else to go,” was a shout out to the movie
An Officer And A Gentlemen. But, I
just looked it up and the movie came out after the record? Well that sucks, I
must have passed that along as fact like a hundred times.
Some day when we can time travel, I’ll be in the studio
drinking beers when they record this album.
I didn’t want to instantly dismiss Soundgarden’s return with
King Animal. But, anytime a band goes
away for a long time and comes back you have to question the motivation for the
new album. When The Pixies got back
together they refused to do an album. At some point this year My Bloody Valentine is putting out a
new disc and people are actually excited about it!
When I got this Soundgarden
disc, I barely listened to it and I fucking love Soundgarden. Ever since I
heard “Big Dumb Sex,” I was sold. Badmotorfinger is something that I’ll be
writing about this year and “The Day I Tried To Live” and “Fell On Black Days”
are two songs I can listen to over and over and over!
Having said that, I can’t make a decision as to whether or
not this album is good, bad, or four rich dudes making a record for shits and
giggles. I thought maybe something would have jumped out with a giant hook and
sucked me in, but there’s nothing like that. “By Crooked Steps” rocks and is
kinda cool. “Bones Of Birds” sounds like “How To Disappear Completely,” and when
a band like Soundgarden tries to rip off Radiohead, my head starts to hurt.
I’ll just say I’m disappointed.
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