you know what the deal is dude, top 100 albums in no specific order.
Smog - A River Aint Too Much To Love
Track listing:
Palimpsest
Say Valley Maker
The Well
Rock Bottom Riser
I Feel Like The Mother Of The World
In The Pines
Drinking at the Dam
Running The Loping
I'm New Here
Let Me See The Colts
The first of my many reviews concerning the enigmatic Bill Callahan will be on what is widely considered to be his best work. While under the guise of Smog, Callahan recorded around 18 albums, cassettes, and EPs that span psychedelica, lo-fi, folk, Americana, and modern indie. It's staggering to see just how much music one man can create, and it's shocking to think that one of America's most prolific singer-songwriters is unknown to so many people. "A River Isnt Too Much To Love" is one of those albums that changes your perceptions, your beliefs, and even your outlook on music.
"A River Isnt Too Much To Love" was my first experience with Callahan's brand of atonal folk. His delivery style can most accurately compared to Ernest Hemingway, as it's marked by short, blunt staements. The way he crafts elegant yet simplistic songs that rely upon the oldest time signatures and rhythms is, to me, fascinating.
First up is "Palimpsest", a song that starts out slow and winding. Callahan's eerie lyrics, along with the appearances of cello and violin, create a devastatingly emotional song about alienation and loss. Short yet powerful, "Palimpsest" is a standout track.
Next is "Say Valley Maker". I'm on the fence with this song, as it's one of those tracks that at time seems beautiful, but also warrants skipping over on occasion in favor of some of the more lively songs. However, it has some of my favorite lines in all of music:
Well I never really realized death is what it meant to make it on my own
Because there is no love where there is no obstacle
To me, these are powerful lyrics, full of emotion that is somewhat dampened by Callahan's style of monotone delivery. Still, it's a song that I don't mind because I can recognize its function as a transition to "The Well".
"The Well" is a narrative song that tells the story of Callahan discovering a well that he yells "F*ck all y'all" into. Weird sh*t, but sweet nonetheless. In contrast to everything prior to "The Well", this song is more uptempo and rolls along with the help of some simple violin and drum work.
Now I don't really know why this next song gets so much praise from indie hipsters and retard music critics, because to me it's nothing too spectacular. Maybe it's because I've forgotten more about music than the average Brooklynn Vegan journalist will ever know, but I'm not too quick to declare this his opus. Apparently going apesh*t over piano chords mixed with acoustic guitar is the "in" thing to do. Whatever, I'm not trying to say that "Rock Bottom Riser" is a bad song, because it is enjoyable, it is catchy, and it is well written. I just think that there are other songs in this album that deserve recognition over it.
One of these songs is "I Feel Like The Mother Of The World", and I'm nice enough to include a video for you dudes to enjoy.
This is another song that has particularly badass lyrics;
Whether or not there is any type of god I'm not supposed to say
But today, I don't really care
God is a word, and the argument ends there
In short, "I Feel Like The Mother Of The World" is one of my two favorite songs off this album, and is actually what convinced me to give it a chance.
Moving along then, "In The Pines" showcases Callahan most melodic singing yet. Another slow track that is saved only by it's lyrics.
"Drinking at the Dam" is my favorite Bill Callahan song ever, and to my brain it's perfect in every way. I could listen to this song for the rest of my life. It reminds me of 1994's "Steep Cliff Mountain Type Valley Jaunt" because of the spacey background vocals. You'll have to excuse me if we're ever together and this song starts to play because I'm liable to enter full-on school girl gush mode. I suggest you download this album just to hear this song.
A great intro is really the only thing I can compliment "Running The Loping" on having. If anything this song serves as a reminder that great artists make mistakes. Bummer dude, it's lame but I'm sure some like it because most people are stupid.
"I'm New Here" has the best guitar work on the album. Fingerpicking that would put most folk artists to shame is the best part of this song, and the minimalistic lyrics aren't a distraction.
Rounding out Smog's most popular album is "Let Me See The Colts". A great tune that everyone I've ever met has loved. In one of his most accessible tracks Callahan acknowledges his Western Americana type appeal by singing about a gambling man taking a trip to see the future crop of horses. The best part is when the song switches from military snares and ambling chords to soft and sweetly melodic strumming. Callahan asks "Is there anything as still as sleeping horses?" before the violins kick in and revert the whole thing back to a cacophony of lustrous harmony.
And just like that, it's over. On first listen my mind wasn't necessarily blown, but I was pleasantly surprised. Callahan certainly isn't the average folk singer, and most of his songs take time to grow on you. For me, the growing came quickly. I guess what helped was that Bill Callahan doesn't seem like a
man whose music is a reach. He's more concerned with getting it all out there and seeing what comes back. In a way he embodies his adopted city of Chicago through his straightforward approach and blue collar ethic. It has been said that "Hollywood is hype, New York is talk, Chicago is work", surely Callahan's 18 albums can attest to that. He is one of the very few musicians I can say that I would truly like to meet.