And she lifts her head when I kiss around her neck...
Any album that opens with a song about a cat that can make you cry belongs in the top 5. Thankfully, there's only one album I know that can do that, and it just happens to be RHP's best work and one of my all-time favorite albums. As a long time fan of Kozelek's crew, I found Old Ramon so refreshing in college that I actually bought two copies of the disc (and promptly lost one...). It's by far the most light-hearted (but still poignant) and listenable release from the band and seems to catch fire in all the right places. Between Days opens with a strong chord and Kozelek's rare holler and never lets up again. Cruiser flirts and teases with over 8 minutes of melancholy. River rolls on at a never too long 11+ minutes too, but it is Byrd Joel and Michigan that really hold this record together. Byrd Joel, one of my all time favorites, might just make you feel good about death and loss, if that's possible. It sticks with you for hours afterwards and never quite releases you. Michigan reminds me of summers and summer flings and finds a way to wrap it all together in a visual image that trancends the music itself. Maybe that describes all of RHP's catalog, or just Kozelek himself. I could listen to him read the phone book and enjoy it.
7 comments:
Hey Country Roads...this album was made for you. You'd love it.
My insistence that cats do, in fact, nest is acknoiwledged by Kozelek in track 1. Which, indeed, is so soothing it brings tears to the ole eyes.
I would love to give it a listen.... I have never heard it before. Your description of the Michigan track intrigued me.
B- Are they real tears or just the result of the cat nesting on you?
Sugar Mama, you know the answer to that. And so do Ted and Pooh.
my favorite kozelek compositions ever as well. yeah, the long songs make it. 'michigan' is one my all-time favs. (hopefully we'll discuss this in late '07?)
when i was a courier for 2 years in durham/triangle, this was for sure top 5 player in the car.
and when 'smokey' came on the radio while sugar and i were driving one night in san diego we just cranked it and looked for a lighter.
yes.
thats about all i can say.
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