thevoid99's Songs of Life 2004 # 1: City Girl
Apr 17 '04 (Updated Apr 20 '04)
The Bottom Line thevoid99's Musing on Kevin Shields' "City Girl".
Free to live, last time
And you, you’re always
You’re wonderful, I wanted you
I do, I do, I do
Free to go, and go
And you
City girl, you’re beautiful
I love you, I do, I do, I do
I feel love, I know
And you
City girl, you’re beautiful
I love you, I do, I do, I do
Free to go, I know
And you, you
City girl, you’re beautiful
I love you, I do, I do, I do
Written, Performed, & Produced by Kevin Shields
Published by Copyright Control
From the soundtrack to “Lost in Translation”
By the summer of 2003, I was already a huge fan of My Bloody Valentine and already had felt that as a guitarist, Kevin Shields was one of the best. Just as I was discovering independent films and more indie-driven music, I felt there was more to explore. I wanted to discover more of MBV’s catalog in which, at the time even after hearing Kevin Shields’ guitar playing in Primal Scream’s 2000 masterpiece “XTRMNTR”. I wasn’t sure if Shields would return with any new material and I thought it would be impossible and likely to come out very soon. Then one day as I was going through my daily online browsing, I went to Billboard and learned the unthinkable. Kevin Shields was going to return after all but not with a new album. Instead, it was four new tracks to a film called “Lost in Translation”, Sofia Coppola’s sophomore follow-up to her 1999 film “The Virgin Suicides”.
After reading the article, I wondered what would the new music sound like with rumors that it might be electronic-driven or a return to MBV’s sound. Still, I was in immense anticipation though for the film, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see it even though I did enjoy “The Virgin Suicides” and its soundtrack of 70s music plus the score by Air. Even after watching the trailer when I went to see “American Splendor”, I was wondering if the new music of Shields was going to be played. Unfortunately it didn’t but the trailer for “Lost in Translation” did amaze me, as I was more anxious to see that film and hear the new songs. Then the film’s website emerged and then, I heard those familiar, distorted MBV riffs that harkens to the days of “Isn’t Anything”-era MBV. Even though it was 30 seconds of it, “City Girl” came to me with its first verse with Shields singing in that familiar drowsy, yet enchanting vocal style that I came to know and love. It made hungrier for the record itself as I anticipate the film and soundtrack.
Even after hearing the evocative, melodic instrumental of “Ikebana” and the electro-throb of “Are You Awake?” I felt like Kevin Shields hasn’t lost his touch as a musician or a songwriter. Even though “City Girl” had a familiar sound, it still sounded new to me like the first time I heard “Loveless” and “Isn’t Anything”. To this day, I still think it’s ahead of its time in pop craftsmanship. With the film ready to appear in Atlanta on 9/19/03, I was more anxious to hear the soundtrack and then watch the film. Then on Friday, I went to Borders like I often do on Fridays where I found the soundtrack on display. I decided to hear clips of some of the tracks except the Kevin Shields stuff in its entirety where I heard the full version of “City Girl”.
Man, just hearing that MBV-style guitar riffs bleed through your head with Shields’ drowsy vocals clinging on those earphones and Brian Reitzell, the soundtrack’s producer, playing drums as if Shields’ old MBV drummer Colm O’Ciosoig was on board. Even though I wasn’t really sure in what Shields was saying except on the chorus of “City girl, you’re beautiful/I love you, I do, I do, I do”, I felt it was easily the best pop song I heard in a long time, and in its purest form. Even with Reitzell pounding those drums in a soft but furious tone the way MBV sounded like back in the day, the whole song entranced me, I knew I had to see the film and hear how the song was used.
On 9/21/03, I finally went to see the film that would not just become the Best Film of 2003 but also one of my favorite films of all-time. The first image of a young woman in pink underwear trying to sleep as the film’s title appears with those same MBV riffs of “City Girl” appearing through a wave of distortion of Japanese noises. I knew I was in for a great ride and after the final credits, the song played and I was moved by the whole film and the song just made me want to stay in the theaters a little bit longer as I was seduced by Shields’ vocals and guitar.
I would later see the film again in October and on Christmas Eve as less than a week went by and I bought the soundtrack at Borders, and I didn’t even care how much it cost. Just playing that whole album with the intro by Richard Beggs of Japanese songs mixed in with noises of Tokyo helped build the momentum of “City Girl”. I ended up playing that entire soundtrack endlessly, even when I was going through my own period that I will know refer to as “The Lost Cruise Trip” where I felt all alone and not sure in what I wanted to do. It was the soundtrack and “City Girl” that helped me gets through that whole trip.
Even though the song’s lyrics might seem a bit juvenile or underwritten by some, I felt the lyrics were made out for the purest reasons. Even when the video premiered late in 2003 during an episode of Subterranean with Sofia Coppola as a guest, I was really anxious. Even though it was just a few unused clips from “Lost in Translation” through the viewpoint of the film’s heroine Charlotte, played by Scarlett Johansson, I felt Shields made that song by having her as the muse. In some case, I think “City Girl” is about Charlotte, who is lost in love and in a world that is foreign to her. I felt the song was in some way, sung from the viewpoint of Bill Murray’s Bob Harris to Charlotte. While “Lost in Translation” was clearly an eccentric, subtle romantic-comedy with elements of drama and evocative, dreamy textures, Sofia Coppola definitely got what she wanted.
She and Brian Reitzell did manage to get Kevin Shields out of hiding and the end result isn’t just my favorite album of that year but also “City Girl” being my favorite song of that year. I was even happier that Shields got a British Academy Award nomination proving that he was back and ready to come out. Even as he decided to re-release some old MBV material, I was happy that at least, he was coming out. Though I felt “City Girl” was just one of the many highpoints of the soundtrack, I didn’t want to overlook the instrumentals Shields did. “Ikebana” for me was a glimmer of innocence with its melodic, ringing guitar riff washed away from an evocative synthesizer while “Goodbye”, though it didn’t appear in the film, was a return to the ambient soundscape of “Loveless”-era MBV. “Are You Awake” was definitely another surprising track as it helped explored Shields’ curiosity on electronic music, which some say he had been experimenting with for quite a while. With its throbbing, dreamy tone, it did feel like what MBV would’ve done next if they had gone in that direction. Clearly, they would’ve gone for a more pop-driven presentation.
Of course, those along with many cuts from the soundtrack could not escape the brilliance of “City Girl”. Whereas everyone tries to make a pop song with hi-tech production values, certain current styles, and racy lyrics, what many of those people forget is the purity of a simple pop song. Some critics have compared “City Girl” to the music of the Beach Boys not just its simplistic natures, but in pop craftsmanship. In many respects, I think it does go back not just to the Beach Boys but pop music itself in its purest form by just going back to a simple melody, a seductive riff, throbbing rhythms, and cool vocals. Though I was a bit upset when the song didn’t get an Oscar nomination (in a chance to see Shields perform live at the Oscars), I still felt it was the best original song from a film with some credit given to songs from films like “Lord of the Rings”, “Big Fish”, “A Mighty Wind”, and “The School of Rock”.
In the end, I think “City Girl” is the return of the love song for hopeless romantics. Whenever I hear that song, I think of Charlotte looking for love as her own husband is neglecting her for his own career. I wanted to be Bob Harris and sing a song on the karaoke just to comfort her. I would choose that song, pick up a Fender Jazzmaster, play those riffs till my hands bleed and sing those words just to show them how I feel. It may have not been my words but thanks to Kevin Shields, he made even silly words seem pure. Thanks Kevin.
Lost in Translation Soundtrack (2003):
http://www.epinions.com/content_113940795012
© thevoid99/Ikebana/Selma Publishings, 2004.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
thevoid99
|
 - Top 100 |
|
Member: Steven Flores
Location: Smyrna, Georgia
Reviews written: 1542
Trusted by: 440 members
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.