Breaking Bad is the Best Show on Television
My month-long Breaking Bad frenzy has sadly come to an end. On September 24th, I decided to check out Episode 1 / Season 1, the pilot episode, on Netflix. Three and a half weeks later, I’ve watched every episode of all four seasons – and I’m desperate for more.
I can say without any doubt that this is the best television series I have ever watched. I had similar feelings about the genius of The Sopranos in its heyday, but my admiration for and obsession over Breaking Bad surpasses even that.
Breaking Bad follows the life of Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an Albuquerque high school chemistry teacher who – after being diagnosed with lung cancer – decides to join forces with a drug dealing former student of his (Jesse Pinkman – played by Aaron Paul) and become a methamphetamine cook. The goal is to tackle his growing financial problems, and to provide for his family when he’s dead and gone.
Walt and Jesse quickly go from small potatoes to working for the largest meth distribution ring in the Southwest. Insanity ensues – brutal violence, betrayal, fear… brilliant subplot after brilliant subplot. The relationships between Walt and the amazing ensemble cast of characters: Hank, his brother-in-law who also happens to be a DEA agent; Walt’s wife Skyler; his boss, Gus Fring; his lawyer Saul Goodman (played by the great Bob Odenkirk)… it’s all so well acted, so well written, and so utterly unpredictable.
I won’t go on and on, but I do want to recommend this series to anyone that may read this. Go to Netlfix. The first three seasons are streaming. Season 4 is available on iTunes. Get started and thank me later. Warning: it will become an addiction. Get ready for some late nights and weird dreams.
Music: One highlight of Breaking Bad is the great selection of music throughout (a quality also shared by The Sopranos). You’ll hear all sorts of great tunes for the first time. One example for me was in “Thirty-Eight Snub” (Episode 2 of Season 4). Jesse is trying to drown out his demons by surrounding himself in his home with acquaintances and large amounts of drugs. He also buys an expensive, supercharged sound system and gets lost in the loud music. At the end of the episode, the party has cleared out, and Jesse is left alone in his trashed house. He cranks up “Digital Animal” by Austin’s Honey Claws, and collapses next to the speaker. The cool electro/hip-hop vibe coupled with Jesse’s darkness and desperation really makes for an intense ending. As for Honey Claws, it doesn’t appear they’re active anymore. It’s hard to tell. But this track rocks…
“d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-digital animal freaky folks”
The AMC site has all the music listed for Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, and Season 4.
Amazon Link: Digital Animal [Explicit]
Lenny’s New One
The big surprise of the last week or so is how much I’ve been enjoying the hell out of Lenny Kravitz’s new album, Black And White America. Lenny holed himself up on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas, stayed alone on the beach in an Airstream trailer for a couple of years, and emerged with a funk / soul / rock n roll tour de force of an album.
The tune that caught on immediately was “Liquid Jesus” – a 70’s Mayfield / Gaye soul feel, and despite the initial oddity of the title, it had me singing along by the second chorus.
This album got me to thinking… Lenny Kravitz has been churning ’em out since Let Love Rule in 1989. And instead of reinventing himself over the years, he’s stayed solid and consistent. Rock, funk, soul in that laid back but powerful Lenny way…
Great album.
Ick’s Pick: Frank Turner – ‘England Keep My Bones’
Frank Turner came out of nowhere and wowed me last year when I stumbled upon his set in Zilker Park at the ACL Festival. It’s hard not to be instantly converted by the Brit- he’s likeable, charismatic, and he digs Springsteen…
So I was excited today to see that his new record has been released stateside. England Keep My Bones does a great job of translating a very vivacious and infectious live performer to tape. Songs like “Redemption”, “I Still Believe” and “One Foot Before the Other” are alive and kicking, really capturing what is great about Frank’s live shows – pure energy. I swear, his atheist barroom anthem “Glory Hallelujah” may not convert the believers, but they’ll certainly be singing along to the “There is no God” refrain if they’re not careful.
Everything I like about Frank is summed up quite nicely in “If Ever I Stray”: the populist, everyman theme; the inspiration, the encouragement…
But if ever I stray from the path I follow
Take me down to the English Channel
Throw me in where the water is shallow
And then drag me on back to shore!‘Cos love is free and life is cheap
As long as I’ve got me a place to sleep
Clothes on my back and some food to eat
I can’t ask for anything moreCome on everybody sing it 1, 2, 3, 4!
That’s the infectious chorus, words you’ll be singing along to by the end of the first listen. Like the album, they’re words that inspire, that lift you up, and make you want to track down the nearest pint of Guinness and toast to this imperfect world we live in.
BUY England Keep My Bones (Amazon)
Here’s a nice in studio acoustic version of “If Ever I Stray”…
Ick’s Pick: Greg Brown’s ‘Freak Flag’
I’ve been completely floored – I mean profoundly impacted – by Greg Brown’s Freak Flag.
From the first notes of “Someday House” to the last delicate notes of “Tenderhearted Child”, the album flows with beauty and wisdom and grace, all delivered in Greg’s low-low-lowdown baritone. He’s always been one of a kind, this folk singing troubadour from southeast Iowa. Now in his early 60’s, he’s managed to take a look at the world around him and write some of the most heartfelt and genuine songs around. Whether it’s singing of love for a woman (“Lovinest One”), love for a child (in the deeply moving album closer, “Tenderhearted Child”), trepidation about where our country is headed (“I Don’t Know Anybody In This Town”, “Mercy Mercy Mercy”), or looking at religion and man’s thirst for something more on the other side (the gorgeous “Let the Mystery Be”) – he does so with the utmost humor and humility.
There are memorable moments – both musically and lyrically – all over this album; really well written words, shuffles, chord changes, etc. that make me smile, nod my head, and in the case of “Tenderhearted Child”, even tear up. If you’re a dad, and you can listen to these lyrics without misting up, then something’s wrong…
I wish that we could leave you
A world that knows no war
where of all God’s children
would never suffer any harmMay you not give in to bitterness
May your heart stay undefiled
May your love never fail you
Tenderhearted childTenderhearted child
I will always be your dad
even when you leave home
call me when you’re sadOkay, maybe it’s not difficult to tap into the strong emotions a father feels for a child, but this song really digs in deep.
Those deep family bonds are evident in “Freak Flag”, the title track, as well…
Well my dad preached a message of love
I heard him say on the day he passed on above
He said “Use what you got son
to raise a hopeful cry”.Dad I heard what you had to say
I try to hold to it every day
I’m your boy
I’m gonna let my freak flag flyThe song also touches on coming of age during Vietnam, and love of country (“I’m an American, I’m gonna let my freak flag fly”), and goes on to raise the flag “for every soul gettin beat down” and “for every child who sees the light and turns around”.
All this may seem like some deep, serious stuff. But Greg delivers it all in such a fresh, inspiring roots and folk sound; great hooks, wonderful melodies, and a sense of humor that brings a smile to your face.
I’m only scratching the surface here. I haven’t even touched on the opening songs, “Someday House” and “Where Are You Going When You’re Gone”, the latter which features one of the catchiest grooves and cadences I’ve heard in sometime. The guitar work is fun, twangy, and funky – right along with the lyrics.
This album is an adventure. I feel like these great songs are coming from someone who’s been around the block – someone who knows; who makes you pause, take notice, and appreciate what’s around you. Greg Brown is some kind of Shaman of the Corn Fields.
Simply put, the songs on Freak Flag make me Happy. I can’t recommend it enough.
Visit Greg Brown’s Official Site.
Ick’s Pick: Lucinda Williams’ ‘Blessed’
March 1st is not only day one of my favorite month (I’m in Arizona, so that means Spring Training games, a beer festival, and ideal weather), but it’s also release day for Blessed, the great new album from Lucinda Williams.
Lucinda’s 10th studio album has many folks likening it to a return to form of her stellar ’98 album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. I’ve had a few runs through it, and – as always, it seems – I’ve gravitated to the slower burning, wistful tracks. “I Don’t Know How You’re Living”, “Born to be Loved”, “Convince Me”…
But the true stunner of a tune that stops me in my tracks is the album finale: “Kiss Like Your Kiss”. This love’s done and gone, Jack, and nothing will ever be the same…
There’ll never be a spring so perfect again
We’ll never see a yellow so rich
The grass will never be quite as green
And there’ll never be a kiss like your kissThat’s only the first verse. It’s a thing of beauty and may be one of the best songs I’ve ever heard Lucinda sing (right there with “Blue” for me). This song alone is worth the price of admission.
A version of the song actually appears on an episode of True Blood, and includes Elvis Costello on vocals. You can find this version on True Blood: Music From The HBO® Original Series Volume 2.
The Blessed version doesn’t include Costello’s co-vocals, and as much as I admire and respect Elvis, the song rises even higher without him. This is Lucinda’s moment, and Costello only dilutes the exquisiteness of it, in my opinion. Just wait till you hear the Blessed version, that’s all I gotta say.
Blessed is another strong collection from a tried and true original still at the top of her game. Top to bottom, it can’t top Car Wheels, but moments like “Kiss Like Your Kiss” elevate it to a level that’s damn close.
- Buy Blessed on Amazon.
- Listen to “Buttercup” and “Blessed” on Lucinda’s web site.
Chris Rea’s ‘Auberge’
A lost treasure was unearthed yesterday while the wife was on a mission to clean my daughters’ bedrooms: a spindle of old CD’s. Lots of Springsteen bootlegs, old mixes… but what I was most excited to find: Auberge.
British singer/guitarist Chris Rea released Auberge in 1991. Like most of Rea’s work, it didn’t make much of a ripple in the USA. I’m not sure why. Featuring Rea’s low, smoky vocals, the record is an atmospheric, emotional masterpiece.
Hearing a few of selections doesn’t come close to capturing the feeling you get after listening to the record straight through, from “Auberge” to “The Mention of Your Name”. But they do give you a glimpse into the sweeping ambience of the album – soothing, wistful, joyous, bittersweet… a critic might call it melodramatic at times. But that’s just fine with me…
♦ Gone Fishing – Hey Chris, tear my heart right out of my chest, why don’t you? Rea wastes no time getting deep down into it on track number two of the record, throwing up his hands and heading out on the water… “you ain’t ever gonna be happy, any how, any way / so I’m going fishing, and I’m going today”.
♦ Sing a Song of Love To Me – Pure, heartfelt longing for love. “Sing a song of love to me, as the shadows start to grow / And I won’t be sad lonely any more”.
♦ Looking For The Summer – One of the more uptempo numbers, with a bluesy, rootsy crawl. Looking for a path out of the darkness.
Check out Auberge on Amazon.
Official Web Site: ChrisRea.com
Here’s a nice video from Rea’s 1993 tour. A nice slide guitar intro into “Auberge”…
A good man named Hans from Germany sent me this link on Twitter this afternoon. He put it best: “it doesn’t get any better than this.”
That’s the truth. I was speechless after watching this…[Ick’s Pick] Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine
I discovered the treasure trove that is the music of John Prine back in the early 90’s, during my last year of college. The Missing Years about knocked me on my butt, with its witty wordplay, catchy cadences, and gorgeous melodies. The album led me directly to Great Days: The John Prine Anthology, which gave me a crash course in this American treasure, the postman turned folk singer from Maywood, Illinois.
In reading the liner notes of the new tribute album, Broken Hearts &Dirty Windows – Songs of John Prine, I found out that Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) had the same experience – growing up in Wisconsin and happening across the Anthology; getting to know John Prine through classics like “Sam Stone”, “Paradise”, “That’s The Way That The World Goes Round”, and “Hello In There.”
With the release of this fantastic new tribute album, it’s clear that Prine has had a similar impact on a host of younger artists – and it’s interesting that the artists on this record rank among some of my current favorites: Conor Oberst, My Morning Jacket, Old Crow Medicine Show, Deer Tick, Drive-By Truckers… it makes sense now: we’re all rooted in Prine’s music, and as they’ve matured and made music of their own, its these same roots that have pulled me into their music.
The common theme is humble, genuine, gritty, homegrown American music.
The standouts for me on this record include Deer Tick’s “Unwed Fathers”, featuring the sandpaper vocals of John McCauley and the sweet accompaniment of Liz Isenberg; Josh Ritter does “Mexican Home” from 1973’s Sweet Revenge. Ritter takes Prine’s uptempo version. and slows it way down – exposing the song’s melancholy core:
“My father died on the porch outside
On an August afternoon
I sipped bourbon and cried
With a friend by the light of the moon
So its hurry! hurry! Step right up
It’s a matter of life or death
The sun is going down
And the moon is just holding its breath.Drive-By Truckers do their thing, taking The Missing Year‘s “Daddy’s Little Pumpkin” and shifting it into overdrive; My Morning Jacket also do a Missing Years tune, “All The Best”, which Jim James and Prine recently performed on Letterman (worth a look); the Avett Brothers pick what I think is the perfect song for them: “Spanish Pipedream”; and Old Crow Medicine Show take the beautiful “Angel from Montgomery” and add their old timey flavor to it.
The big surprise for me was the album’s finale – “Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian” as performed by Those Darlins, a female trio from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. First off, it’s one of Prine’s most hilarious songs, the innuendos flying left & right. And then you add a sexy rhythm, an island feel, and the sensual and sassy singing of Those Darlins. Play this at a BBQ this summer, it’ll be a guaranteed hit. It’s such a fun ride, and a fitting finale to what amounts to a great tribute to good ol’ John Prine.
- Buy Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine on Amazon.
- You can hear a full stream of the album over at NPR’s First Listen (until it’s release on Tuesday, June 22).
- Also courtesy of NPR, you can listen to John’s full set from Bonnaroo, where he’s joined by Kris Kristofferson and Old Crow Medicine Show.
Ick’s Pick: Josh Rouse’s El Turista
I knew next to nada about Josh Rouse before hearing of his new album El Turista a couple weeks ago. The review I read spoke of laid back Latin-inspired rhythms, the kind of vibe Stan Getz and João Gilberto exuded. That’s my kind of vibe.
After streaming the album on Lala (sounding like a broken record with Lala lately), I was hooked. One listen is all it took. And I know there are those of you out there who will lock in the same way I did.
Then, here you go: El Turista (Bonus Version). You’ll thank me later.
New Citizen Cope – The Rainwater LP
The Rainwater LP, the new album from Citizen Cope is out digitally today ($3.99!). I’ve had a couple of spins through so far, and like what I’m hearing. This time around, Cope (Clarence Greenwood) focuses more on social justice, poverty, and world ills rather than matters of the heart – which is admirable in itself. But I do miss having a killer love song like “Sideways” or “More Than It Seems”, or the aching “D’Artagnan’s Theme”.
Some standouts for me so far: the reggae-soul infused “Off the Ground”, the funky bass line and accompanying synth-groove of “A Father’s Son”; and songs like “Keep Askin'”, “Lifeline” and “Healing Hands”, which showcase Cope’s forte – the laid back, no nonsense urban storyteller.
There’s definitely this type of formula building in Citizen Cope’s albums – but it’s a formula that works for him, and is unmistakably unique. Clarence Greenwood has a lot to say in his lyrics. There’s a lot about the world that bugs him, and he has a way of channeling his frustrations in a peaceful, subdued fusion of soul, R&B, and rock/pop sounds. But even with his laid back demeanor, you can still feel the passion, the power, and often the anger in his music. Citizen Cope has carved out his own niche in pop music, and The Rainwater LP is another solid collection of tunes to add to an already impressive discography.
Be sure to catch Citizen Cope live. As anyone who has seen him will attest, once you do, you’re hooked in.
- AOL Music is currently offering a full stream of the album.
- And even better, you can buy The Rainwater LP MP3 album for only $3.99 here on Amazon. Awesome price. Grab it while you can.
Ick’s Pick: Jesse Johnson’s Verbal Penetration
As a Prince-obsessed maniac since the age of Purple Rain, I’ve always been interested in following those he helped spawn back in the day. The Time were obviously the most talented of the bunch, and a sizable contributor to the feel and sound of the band – along with Prince, Morris Day, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – was guitarist Jesse Johnson.
After the success of Ice Cream Castle (which featured “The Bird” and “Jungle Love”, tunes co-written by Jesse), he left the group for a solo deal with A&M Records. His body of work has always ranked up there as my favorite – his first two albums, Jesse Johnson’s Revue and Shockadelica, are classic Minneapolis synth-funk. Also solid were his other two studio efforts: 1988’s Every Shade of Love and 1996’s Bare My Naked Soul.
Except for a 2000 greatest hits collection, Jesse has been quiet all these years – that is, until Verbal Penetration came along. I know, I know, the album title is pretty cringe-worthy at first glance. But after picking it up earlier this week, I’m here to tell you – this is a fantastic collection of neosoul, retro-funk and R&B. It’s 29 tracks spanning two discs, and clocks in at almost two hours, and you quickly succumb to the verbal penetration ride that Jesse wants to take you on.
At the forefront is Jesse’s prolific guitar work. It’s been 13 years since his last studio album, and this album burns with a funky ferocity that feels like Jesse’s been bottling up this energy all these years, and he’s finally been uncorked. Case in point is the instrumental “Merciful” – where a smooth, simmering groove sets the backdrop for a jaw-dropping guitar solo that kicks off 25 seconds into the song, and doesn’t let up until the song finishes at almost 5 minutes.
There are so many highlights, and I’m just a few listens in… Check out “Sheila Rae,” a dose of warm and sunny pop/funk with synth horns and some catchy female backing vocals (which show up a lot on this album).
“1000 Watts of Funky” is old school – you guess it – funk, paying obvious homage to Sly & the Family Stone.
There’s “Ali vs. Frasier”, where Jesse puts on his Wes Montgomery hat and kills with some jazz guitar.
“Letter From a Soldier (Reprise)” and “Love Letters” mashup classic Curtis Mayfield vibes with smooth neosoul grooves.
Even the strange ones are captivating. There’s “Redemption for the Soul, Enlightenment for the Earhole”, a tale set in the far future where music is banned. It is the “Days of the Deafening Quiet”, after the “Great Last War left the Nurennus Realm in control”. It’s narrated by French-Norwegian artist Jezabella Kipp-Messmer, and her accent will confuse, possibly annoy, and probably mesmerize you. What’s truly mesmerizing is the funky sounds backing up the story.
Verbal Penetration is a welcome surprise from a familiar old friend. It sizes up well against Prince’s post-2000 output, and even far exceeds it at points. Jesse’s hiatus hasn’t diminished his talent and potency in any way whatsoever. If you have a little purple in you, do yourself a favor and pick it up.
Buy: Verbal Penetration
Visit: JesseJohnson.com
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