Album #16: Camper Van Beethoven (1986)
Camper Van Beethoven
Genre: Alternative
Dedicated to MB Member: Urban Hatemonger
1. "Good Guys and Bad Guys"
2. "Joe Stalin's Cadillac"
3. "Five Sticks"
4. "Lulu Land"
5. "Une Fois"
6. "We Saw Jerry's Daughter"
7. "Surprise Truck"
8. "Stairway to Heavan"
9. "The History of Utah"
10. "Still Wishing to Course"
11. "We Love You"
12. "Hoe Yourself Down"
13. "Peace & Love"
14. "Folly
15. "Interstellar Overdrive"
16. "Shut Us Down"
Exploring multiple genres and mixing praise and satire so subtle as to only clue in the initiated, an overlooked gem of the mid-1980’s is Camper Van Beethoven both the band and in particular their eponymous album. Featuring everything from Country to Reggae influence and touching on just about everything in between, they are at their best right out of the shoot with a peppy rock number “Good Guys and Bad Guys”. You might hear a hint of the Clash in there from time to time, you might feel like you’re listening to modern Indie rock music, you might think your having an acid flashback. One thing is for certain, there is something for everyone on this album and if nothing else you’ll enjoy the ride. Blathering incoherent (See “Five Sticks”) or manically senseless (“LuLu Land”) lyrics and political popular musical satire abound; they ask “Where’s the Bridge, has anyone seen the Bridge?’ as they threaten to drive “Joe Stalin’s Cadillac” off of it. And that’s just the first quarter of the album.
I discovered the band and the album in 1991 while I was living and working in Minneapolis. I remember my peak interest in the album coincided with my fervor for the Minnesota North Stars Hockey team which was in the middle of an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Finals. After winning just 27 times in 80 tries during the regular season the North Stars were the last team to qualify for the playoffs in the Norris division and had to play the Presidents Trophy (Best regular season record) winning Chicago Blackhawks in the opening round. The Blackhawk’s had Ed Belfour and Dominick Hasek as goalies and the best defenseman in the NHL Chris Chelios and yet the Stars pummeled them 4 games to 2 and advanced to play team with the next best record in the NHL’s regular season the St. Louis Blues. (The middle of the album is very mellow by the way) The Blues were led by the leagues top goal scorer Brett Hull who had 86 that year. Again the Stars rose to the challenge and again in six games advanced. After that all that was left for them to do now was face the Defending Stanley Cup Champions and winners of five of the previous seven overall, Edmonton Oilers. There was something special about those Stars though and they prevailed losing just once and advancing to the cup finals in five games. Their run came to an end their as Mario Lemuiex and the Penguins beat them in six games to win their first of two consecutive cups. Still it was pleasure to watch them defy the odds again and again and well back to the album.
The energy of the album picks up again the “Love the Witch” which feels like a medieval melody tromping away gallantly to the beat of it’s own snare drum. Another favorite of mine is “The History of Utah” which has some punk and world music elements to it I really like. It’s all over the place and leaves, as usual, and ominous feeling as to the point of it all. There are references to classic rock throughout the album (Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Charlie Daniels, Grateful Dead) The Band incorporates a myriad of instruments including violin, banjo, mandolin, steel guitar and the sitar; helping them bridge the genres without changing their basic mood or style. There are a number of full instrumental and well as instrumental heavy tracks throughout the album which are a nice change of pace and a chance for the band to really flex their musical muscle. The Pink Floyd cover of Syd Barrett’s Interstellar Overdrive is the highlight of the album for me and is perfectly followed by the 90 second grand finale. I highly recommend seeking this album out to all fans of interesting music, it will not disappoint.
“Remember I’m only responsible for all this”