SGR

Okay, as recompense for me being late for reviewing my own nomination, I'm gonna be the first one at the trough here.

Concrete Blonde - Concrete Blonde (1986)



Ah yes, Concrete Blonde. That band that got airplay for “Joey” and basically nothing else - at least that I’m aware of. Years ago, when I was in my early teenage years, my uncle put me onto their third album, Bloodletting (that featured “Joey”). At the time, I thought it was alright. It never really resonated with me though - and as a result, that album was the end of my exploration of Concrete Blonde. So here we are again - listening to more Concrete Blonde - the future has compelled me to.

First off, Johnette Napolitano has a great voice. Lots of power and good range. “It’s all I can doooooooooooo….’cause I’m true” - she can belt - in fact, after listening to this record, I think she’s quite underrated. Even among great female rockstars of the ‘90s, you really don’t see her mentioned. Why is that? I don’t understand. Anyways, great voice.

Something about the quick shift between the somewhat melodic and mid-paced “True”, which opens the album excellently, to the rollicking speed test of “Your Haunted Head” comes off a little jarring to me upon repeated listens. I think if “Dance Along the Edge” came second in the tracklist (and this track third), that would feel like a more natural transition. Regardless, good tune!

“Dance Along The Edge” is one of those mid-paced slow-burn songs that devoted fans treasure and that casual fans use as a chance to attend the restroom and grab another drink during the concert. Maybe that’s a bit harsh, because this is another memorable track. Not great, but serviceable - the chorus is just enough. It goes on for just a minute too long though.

“Still in Hollywood” is a fast paced chunk of punk that reminds me quite a bit of The Pretenders (which is a compliment). Love the mood and energy of this one - one of them songs you turn up in your car in the summer and roll your windows all the way down. Lyrics are meh on this one, but it doesn’t even matter - because this is one of those songs where the lyrics are completely secondary. Nice guitar solo too. People would go and take a piss during the former track during a live set just to make sure they don’t miss this one. It’s one of those tracks. Keep on, keep on, keep on!!!!

“Song for Kim (She Said)” has this excellent melancholy guitar riff that, if slowed down, would find itself snugly on an early Low album. Provides great atmosphere. The little bass licks pick up the empty space left by the sparse guitar riffs incredibly well (the lead vocalist, Johnette is actually the bass player, it should probably be mentioned). Johnette’s vocal melodies here are just delicious and I love the lightly used echo effects. Slowcore-esque ambiance, e.g.:



And of course, a fitting comparison, given the bleak subject matter of the lyrics. This is probably the best track on the album - I just love this one. The chorus just explodes - “She said hoooold ooooon, hooold oooooooout, ’Cause it's good!” - before quickly and naturally returning back to the slow-earth crawl of the rest of the track; Featuring another completely tasteful little guitar solo too.

We get a serviceable cover of George Harrison’s “Beware of Darkness” too.

“Over Your Shoulder” is basically the inverse of “Your Haunted Head” in terms of subject matter - claiming that the subject can’t move on from the past relationship with the narrator. It’s also a little blast of punk with a catchy chorus in it own right. It’s a banger of a track.

“Little Sister” is serviceable and filling alt rock. Half a heart away, baby. Good song.

The album closes with “Make Me Cry” and “Cold Part of Town”, two more decent tracks about love and loneliness and loss. The former being a more acoustic number and the latter being a richer and fitting closing to the festivities.

Wait, that wasn’t the closing track? We get an instrumental version of the opening track “True” to actually end the album. Yeah, this is a nice instrumental - but tacking this on at the end is rather pointless.




Let’s talk about the lyrics of the record briefly - themes being some of the following:

Maintaining your integrity and being honest about you are -

“But if I can't walk proud, I'd rather walk away
I do all I am and it's all I can do
Oh I'm true” - True

Moving on from toxic relationships/exes -

“Now, I don't need your tragedy and I don't need your shame
You can't keep your promises, but you keep naming names
He laid his troubles out to me like a deck of playing cards
Well don't you know that I can tell the Kings and Jokers well apart?” - Your Haunted Head

Searching for love in a cynical world, fearing commitment -

“When do we stop searching
For what we're searching for?
Then when it comes
We question love and try for more” - Dance Along the Edge

The suicide of a friend:

“Oh, Kim
Your diary said
The voices calling you from the edge
They finally called you away
You know I hear them too
They're telling me to stay
Oh, Kim
Remember when
We had a million plans
And we believed them
Angry words ring in my head
I'd give every song I got in me
To bring it back again” - Song for Kim (She Said)

The inevitability of a sibling much younger than you making the same mistakes you did:

“Our mama's nest is empty, all the babies gone and grown
And you're talking
But I hear me, you should hear you
Look into a younger face that used to be my own
Years apart they make it harder to be near you” - Little Sister

Standard love song material gets some play:

“You're the only one who leaves me warm and satisfied
And you're the only one who takes me wrong and makes me right
Oh, and if you took your love away
You'd leave me high and dry
Cause baby, you're the only one can make me cry” - Make Me Cry

And of course, lost love and loneliness:

“Dear darling
You were right about them all
When my luck went bad
They never came around or called
That's all right
'Cause I don't miss them anyhow
But it gets chilly over here, sometimes
It's a cold part of town” - Cold Part of Town

Alright, let’s wrap things up here. After my first listen: “This is a serviceable ‘90s alt rock album”. After my second listen: “Jeez, this thing has some good tracks”. After my third listen: “Okay, okay, some of these tracks are sticking in my head, there’s some serious earworms here”. After my fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh listen: “What the hell should I rate this? This has no business being this enjoyable. I know deep down this is a 7/10 album objectively, but why does it excite me so much? Why do I feel so compelled to rate it higher? Can I find some sort of reason to not give it top marks?”

Okay, the George Harrison cover might be the weakest track, but it’s not bad. The instrumental track of “True” at the end is unnecessary. And I don’t like the track placement of “Your Haunted Head”. These issues though, for the most part, are forgivable. I want to give it a 9, my brain is telling me an 8, so I’ll compromise here.

This is a great album; An underrated album. And going into it, I didn’t expect to like it nearly this much. All things said, it’s basically a standard ’90 alt-rock record - but damn I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t love it. I don’t think I’ve listened to any nominations in this club thus far as much as I’ve listened to this one. It’s been spin after spin. I think I’ll need to revisit Bloodletting honestly.

Ehh……**** it. Great pick, rubber soul.

9/10