Essential Listening: J Mascis + the Fog “Free So Free”
Now that I am an official old person, I sit by the campfire telling the youngins about the days when you could see a brilliant bands like Dinosaur Jr. , the Pixies or any of the K-tel “Sounds of the Nineties” bands for five bucks with a crowd of about a hundred. Then the bad things happened involving bratty 27 year old marketeers, Courtney Love, Douglas Copeland and finally beer companies and Tommy Lee. I woke up sober, creakier and dragged down by all the things I would imagine and fear as a stoned college kid… the job, the kids, the divorce, the brain surgery–your typical things that just didn’t seem as fun as burning a fat one and going to the bookstore.
Then J came back. It started with the excellent and highly recommended “More Light” from a few years ago, and then came full circle with “Free So Free”. The music is every bit as exciting and innovative as it was ten or fourteen years ago. At the time of this release I saw him for thirteen bucks with a crowd of about one hundred, just like the “good old days” that never existed but are nice to talk about as if they did.
J Mascis is on his game with this cd. Some songs rock like BIG ROCK SONGS. Others get funky and groovy. One does a neat trick that is even neater in concert. His guitar playing has never sounded better. His drumming has never been crazier or more freaked out, totally wrong in all the right ways. I think he is my favorite drummer and guitar player which means nothing to him or you folks reading this. I fancy myself an expert in these things, so you can take my word for it.
Ironically, the album has four songs about freedom, coming at the time when we were about to lose a lot of ours. GO RED WHITE AND BLUE!
The first song is “Freedom”, meaning when you put the cd in the player it will most likely be the one you hear. It has a disco beat that is completely unexpected but works. The guitar work is short and riffy. There is a weirdo tempo change that makes me love him and give the teens a chance to mosh. You can change the words in the chorus (if you sing along) to “Frida” and make it about Ms Kahlo.
“If thats How its Gotta be” is a pretty song that features the trick that was cool live. J is pretty open here, the lyrics are poignant:
“and i ran away from livin,
thought i wanted it that way
every step i should be givin
but i’m stuck feelin this pain
if thats how its gotta be……”
It is a soft acoustic song that he sings very well.
“Set us Free” has great drums and the chorus is like a mantra. It will bring you peace. It has great lyrics near the end, but I can’t find them anywhere to quote them directly. You are going to have to trust me.
“Bobbin” is a bouncy song that isn’t afraid to Rock. The drums are fun as hell, like chasing midgets through a field.
“Free so Free” is wonderful. It has a laid back grooooove. J sings about conflicted love. His voice is multitracked for a unique and soulful sound. The guitar work is varied, one moment he is playing an amazing solo, the next doing a lovely acoustic thing, then back to a solo that exposes the heart of god that is hiding in all things. The feeling he plays with on this song is inspiring.
“Everybody Lets Me Down” is the best song he has ever done. Everything that is great about his work comes together and gels in this song. It starts with a goofy wurlitzer (not the Prozac Nation author) and J singing in falsetto. The drums kick in, the song speeds up and the lyrics codify some of my most mixed up life philosophy.
“… any time it seemed okay
had to wreck it, couldn’t wait
i know there’s something better
oh no…
(chorus)
everybody lets me down
all this time i’m never found
everybody lets me down
i go outside and look around
i never quite set on the ground”
The guitar solo is perfect and shouldn’t be sullied by description. It is a great song to drive very fast down an open road to.
“Say the Word” is four minutes of the best guitar and drums he has recorded. J said in an interview that having his own studio freed his songwriting in that he didn’t have to worry if his drummer was capable of playing what he was writing, and this song shows that freedom. His drumming matches the wild spirit of the guitar work perfectly and provides one the most creative jams I have heard.
The rest of the songs are great. “Someone said” is a soft song that is prophetic. “Outside” has J singing slightly different and it is one of his best vocal performaces. “Tell the Truth” is another great rock song with effed up tempo going on.
To sum it up, this may be the best music J Mascis has made. He has grown as a songwriter and musician. It is good to see that the nieve belief I had in some of these musicians when I was younger wasn’t wasted, that J and others have proven to be formidable creative forces over the long term. The reunited original line-up of J, Lou and Murph proved their relevance on their recent tour and their new album will drop in the spring. This album showcases J at the top of his game.
Now go buy it. If you live in the northern areas, don’t forget to wear a hat, you don’t need to catch a cold.
Thank you.