A Buried Rock Treasure That's Well Worth Digging Up
Written: Mar 23 '04 (Updated Mar 23 '04)
Product Rating:
Pros: Uplifting, melodic, often quirky and humorous music. A celebration of sound.
Cons: The band is no longer together.
The Bottom Line: The Bogmen somehow slipped through the cracks of the industry and never made it big. One listen to this record will make you realize what a shame that is.
becky219's Full Review: Life Begins at 40 Million by The Bogmen
Before I begin, let me just state for the record that I am of sound mind and body, and am fully aware that I am about to review a record that is nine years old. No, I haven't lost it. In fact, with this record I found something that I hadn't realized was lost in the first place - but once it was found I realized how much I missed it. Let me explain.
Back in 1995, a video debuted on MTV's "120 Minutes". This video and, more importantly, the song that went with it immediately captivated me with its charm, wit and melody. That video was The Bogmen's "Suddenly". Unfortunately, I only saw it once or twice more and never again. To make a long story short, the song, video and band were all purged from my memory, at least for a while. Happily, the song was unexpectedly brought back into my life not too long ago by a friend, prompting me to find out more about this mystery band. I picked up Life Begins at 40 Million, just hoping that it would not be like so many others collecting dust in my CD collection - consisting of one good song surrounded by filler. Not only was that wish fulfilled, but I found myself with a record that far surpassed any expectations I could have had. It quickly became one of my favorite records of all-time.
From the opening notes of "The Big Burn", it's easy to see that this is not going to be your average rock album. The song blends traditional Far Eastern sounds with catchy guitar hooks and a pounding backbeat. Billy Campion comes in with the vocals and it's then that you realize you've been sucked in. Campion has a voice like no other with a range that's all over the place, often in the span of one line. He is able to convey beauty, pain, loss and humor all equally well.
Humor is a key ingredient in this particular mixture of songs, but it never becomes overwhelming. The Bogmen are not a joke band. This is not Spinal Tap or Weird Al. The Bogmen play music about life, all the while realizing that life isn't much fun if it's taken too seriously. Many of the songs are quite witty even when dealing with more serious topics. For instance, "Dr. Jerome (Love Tub, Doctor) appears to be about a psychiatrist who takes advantage of his patients, though to what extent is probably open to interpretation. However, Campion delivers certain lines with a mock-Freud accent ("Why'd you slay your daddy/Why'd you total zee Caddy?") that can't help but make you grin, if not laugh out loud. Classically clever lines are abundant here, in songs like "Yellar" ("It's just another excuse so I can never grow up and I can pee in my pants like a two-week old pup"), "P*ss Tongue" ("You've got nothing nice to say, so spit it all out") and "What's Behind Your Coat?" ("I think you've got your soup spoon too far up your a**").
Of course, the outright funniest song on the record is my reason for buying it in the first place - "Suddenly". At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, this is truly one of the best songs I have ever heard. The lyrics (especially the spoken-word sections) are often hilarious, yet at the same time easily identifiable to anyone who's ever had a little trouble letting go of an ex-flame. It's got an irresistibly catchy Motown-marries-alternative rock beat which serves as the background for some of Billy Campion's finest vocal work to date. He switches gears from smooth lounge lizard to raspy torch singer to raving maniac flawlessly throughout the song. "Suddenly" is worth the price of the CD alone. Add the eleven other tracks, and you might end up feeling like you didn't pay enough for it.
It's easy to get caught up in the quirky humor of this record, but be sure not to overlook the more serious side of The Bogmen. Whether he's being funny or serious, Billy Campion writes some of the most thought-provoking lyrics I have ever come across. "The Third Rail" deals with a parent fearing for his child's sanity, while "Light a Candle For Me" could be interpreted as Campion's own wish that his lyrics live on long after he is gone. The most beautiful and poignant track is the record's closer, "Englewood". A song about struggling to deal with parental loss, it pushes all the right emotional buttons without coming across as contrived. Essentially a bittersweet goodbye, it provides the perfect ending. Further proof of that is the fact that this was the band's standard closing number in concert.
I have heard many fans and critics claim that this record wasn't able to capture the energy of The Bogmen's live show, which is why it didn't gain the popularity it could have. I never had the opportunity to see a Bogmen show, other than on film, but I think it's a mistake to write this record off for that reason. The Bogmen thrived in a live setting and for those that were lucky enough to have been a part of that, no recording would even come close to that experience. For those of you that aren't able to make that comparison, like me, you will fully enjoy this record. Then, like me, you will kick yourself for not discovering it sooner.
The Bogmen are:
Billy Campion - vocals, acoustic guitar
Bill Ryan - guitar
Brendan Ryan - keyboards
Mark Wike - bass
P.J. O'Connor - percussion
Clive Tucker - drums
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