dpjohansen's Full Review: Fuzzy by Grant Lee Buffalo
Grant Lee Buffalo are one of the few bands that have recently got me through a very boring 2 weeks working in Denmark. As such, I feel it is my duty to review the 3 out of 4 Grant Lee Buffalo offerings I took along with me. The beginning is always a good place to start...
Fuzzy
Producer
Paul Kimble
Grant Lee Buffalo were a 3 piece band based in LA, consisting of Grant Lee Phillips (vocals) Paul Kimble (various instruments) and Joey Peters (drums), part of the alternative/roots rock genre until they disbanded in 1998 and Grant Lee Phillips went solo.
Their debut album Fuzzy was met by much critical acclaim and plugged to the nth degree by REM singer Michael Stipe, which was ultimately what prompted me to buy it back then. Having heard nothing from it, I went in blindly, but I was happy I followed Mr Stipe's advice. I've come to realise that Mr Stipe knows his onions where music is concerned, and it's never a good thing to disagree with his recommendations.
You see, for me, this is exactly what I had been searching for at that time, musically. A haunting voice, clever and interesting lyrics, coupled with the right kind of guitar and drum backing. It's bloody brilliant, it's nigh on perfection in an 11 song package.
I'd say if you like American Music Club, REM, Sugar/Bob Mould, Counting Crows or Cracker. Then you will like Grant Lee Buffalo.
1. The Shining Hour
The album opens with this toe-tapping ditty (and it is a ditty), an eclectic mix of guitars and damn fine lyrics. If you have ever wanted a song that tells of the ghost of Anna Clarke, that sings for money in the blue billiard room of Monterey, or a backdoor key that is a 19th century sword once owned by John Booth, or a hole in the wall that's covered by a picture of Al Capone sitting down at city hall, or a song to the memory of King Tut's horse (who apparently collapsed from heat stroke somewhere in the East Village a year earlier). Then this song could be the shining hour, based on all these mad beliefs Surreal? You'd think so.
2. Jupiter & Teardrop
One of the many things I love about GLB, is their (or rather Phillips') ability to tell a darn good story with a song. This one is a sad, melancholy lament about a couple named Jupiter (her parents named her so to bless her with a lucky soul) and Teardrop (named because of the Tattoo by his eye) They want to get married, have kids and all that malarkey. Teardrop is apparently on parole, he's always getting locked up. One night Jupiter is listening to the radio and hears Jackie Wilson's lonely teardrops. She later gets a phonecall from Teardrop, saying he's in trouble with the police again and could she bring his gun, so she puts the phone down on him. I think she'd had enough.
3. Fuzzy
This is undoubtedly the best track on the album, it's almost Neil-Young-at-his-finest-moment-esque. Phillips delivers it with such soulful grace, and you can feel he means every word. The guitars on this are amazing. It's a slow one, but it's chocked full to bursting with sweeping chord changes and bittersweet beautiful lyrics.
Here we are in our car driving down the street,
we're looking for a place to stop, have a bite to eat.
We hunger for a bit of faith to replace the fear,
we water like a dead bouquet, does no good, does it dear?
4. Wish You Well
This one has a slight country feel, Phillips hamming up the southern lilt he so likes to use in his singing, coupled with strumming, twangy guitars. But the drums are so much bigger than country. So very much bigger. Dolly Parton wouldn't have drums like this, she really wouldn't.
5. The Hook
Another slow one, this time with less instrumental accompaniment, rather, it's not quite as full, but Phillips' singing had been brought more to the fore to compensate. Another bittersweet warning of, you don't get what you want unless you put away your ambiguous desires for something larger than life, put away your fear and see what's right in front of you.
There's one thing to tell you, friend,
I don't believe in Supermen...
You gotta let it all go,
this cut-above stuff...
6. Soft Wolf Tread
Another one of my favourites from the album. A reworking of Little Red Riding Hood (with a dash of The Boy Who Cried Wolf thrown in.. it's a whole Wolf thing, basically) but it's not as harsh, this wolf's soft. Quiet, conspiratorial, homoerotic verses mixed with a raucous chorus.
The solt wolf tread
thru the Emerald forest he was looking to make a bed...
..up comes Hood, he's beautiful,
as a sirloin steak to a pitbull chained up...
The soft wolf said "Dear Hood..
what brings you to this neck of the woods?
in your scarlet cape and your basket full of grapes,
what lures you?"
The soft wolf tread the clearing,
and he's nervously tugging on his earring...
Big soft, silly wolf.
7. Stars n' Stripes
I can only describe this one as sparkly, and, almost like a cat purring. It has that quintessential feel of contentment, musically. Lyrically, it makes me feel like he's basically trying to say, despite all the crap going on politically (politicians = worms with their stars and stripes and swastikas, so sayeth Grant Lee) Everything will be ok. You also feel like he might break into a verse of Moon River right at the very end. And to be honest, I've been compelled to do so on more than one occasion.
8. Dixie Drug Store
LOL. This song always makes me laugh. It's another one of Grant Lee's stories, but this time about a traveller spending the night unknowingly making love to the ghost of voodoo queen, Marie Laveau in New Orleans. It's very clever, if not for it's storytelling lyrics, for it's basic concept. He should have written a follow up about sleeping with the ghost of Mozart in Vienna with a "Rock Me Amadeus" backing track. Or maybe I should do that.
This song is very rhythmic, musically and hard not to click your fingers to if you feel so inclined. And by golly, it's catchy.
9. America Snoring
This song is loud, scathing, ranting, full of venom and sarcasm, even bigger drums than the last big drums affair, basically, it's fantastic and it's REALLY LOUD. Lyrically, ooooh how it's having a dig at American Politics and the state of the union. All these things happening that are just wrong, and what's America doing? snoring it's bloody head off! Snoring so loudly in fact, that despite having plugged his ears up, Mr Phillips can still hear it. This was probably one of my favourite singles of 1993 I think.
10. Grace
This is an odd one, musically, and quite hard to describe. It doesn't change tempo or chords very often, rather, it flows along at one constant guitar infested rhythm. But Phillips cleverly mixes his fables, stories and metaphors to make it an interesting thing to listen to.
You remember Houdini,
who, not a shackle could hold,
carved a trap door into heaven,
to escape growing old,
Guess he just couldn't hack it,
he bundled up for the cold,
double-breasted straight jacket,
French handcuffs of gold.
Even the Lone Ranger, Pocahantas and Miss America get a look in.
11. You Just Have To Be Crazy
For a song that has so few words, and even less instruments, this is brilliant.
You just have to be... is said several times.
And here's a list of what the song says you have to be....
..Crazy
..Out of your mind
..Touched
..Tapped on the head
..Starry
..Chocolate cake.
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