Dean Moriarty Posted August 11, 2009 Author Share Posted August 11, 2009 I like American Central Dust better Wilco (the album). I think. However, there's nothing even nearly as amazing as One Wing on ACD. IMO the verse melody in One Wing is very annoying. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CortezTheKiller Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Cocaine and Ashes would be a Son Volt classic for me, the melody is subtle and the arrangement beautiful and the vocal harmonies are exquisite, but the line about snorting his father is just so forced and clunky that it overshadows the greatness of the song.Forced and clunky? Without the "snorting of one's father," "Cocaine and Ashes" doesn't exist. "I snorted my father and I'm still alive." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 LittleSavage said everything that I would have said about what makes American Central Dust a head scratcher for me. But then, with a name like LittleSavage, and an avatar like that, of course, we will see eye to eye. And Cortez, I guess the issue for me is that writing a song about snorting your father's ashes feels forced and clunky. Even if Keith Richards actually did it. I read an interview with Jay where he had what seemed like a pretty heartfelt explanation about why he wrote the song. How we all deal with grief, etc. The sentiment is nice, and I can appreciate what Jay was aiming for, but the execution falls flat for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CortezTheKiller Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 I don't think the song is simply about Keith Richards snorting his father's ashes. However, the event is what inspired the song. I like how Jay uses the bizzare story to delve into issues of mortality, grief, and sorrow. In this context, I don't find it to be forced or clunky. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 I don't think the song is simply about Keith Richards snorting his father's ashes. However, the event is what inspired the song. I like how Jay uses the bizzare story to delve into issues of mortality, grief, and sorrow. In this context, I don't find it to be forced or clunky. I don't think it's about Keith Richards snorting his father's ashes either. As I said, the sentiment behind the song, is certainly neither forced nor clunky. I just think Jay could have delved into issues of mortality, grief, and sorrow in a way that doesnt cause me to picture Keith Richards snorting his dad's ashes. Just my opinion -- I know that I may be in the minority. The bizarreness of the story (as you admitted) takes away from the song (to me). Not trying to be argumentative. EDIT: Cortez, also, I just re-read my initial post, and I did say that it was about KR/ashes. Another example of me, thinking what I mean, and saying something different, and then being surprised that people don't understand me. Sorry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CortezTheKiller Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 I don't think it's about Keith Richards snorting his father's ashes either. As I said, the sentiment behind the song, is certainly neither forced nor clunky. I just think Jay could have delved into issues of mortality, grief, and sorrow in a way that doesnt cause me to picture Keith Richards snorting his dad's ashes. Just my opinion -- I know that I may be in the minority. The bizarreness of the story (as you admitted) takes away from the song (to me). Not trying to be argumentative. EDIT: Cortez, also, I just re-read my initial post, and I did say that it was about KR/ashes. Another example of me, thinking what I mean, and saying something different, and then being surprised that people don't understand me. Sorry. All good. I just think the story of Keith Richards is what inspired Jay to write the song in the first place. It served as the catalyst to examine some of the the themes in the song. The inclusion of such a line like "I snorted my father" is a nod to what inspired him to write it in the first place. It is bizzare. But I like how Jay was able to use such an insane story to write about some more serious and unsettling themes. It works for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dean Moriarty Posted August 11, 2009 Author Share Posted August 11, 2009 Yeah the "snorted my father" lyric is a little goofy, but IMO the gospel piano chord progression and the Richards-esque harmonies make the song. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CortezTheKiller Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Yeah the "snorted my father" lyric is a little goofyBut not 1/100th as goofy as Keef actually doing it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dean Moriarty Posted August 11, 2009 Author Share Posted August 11, 2009 But not 1/100th as goofy as Keef actually doing it. True. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LittleSavage Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Well, I'll stand by what I said re: Cocaine and Ashes. The 'snorted my father' line really bugs me -- it pulls me out of the song, and that's never a good thing. I could have figured out the Keith Richards inspiration from the title and (as Dean Moriarty pointed out) the perfect Richards-esque close harmonies. To make the connection so literal with that line undermines -- for me -- what is otherwise a beautifully written song. And, right back at you, Matt (the Z) -- it figures we'd see eye to eye. You expressed what I feel about the song far better than I'm doing right now. (I was going to mention ACD's Sultana being easily outdone in the epic historical ballad category this year by Costello, but I didn't want to get too off-topic, or have anybody think I'm picking on Jay.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Just to get this out of the way, we all agree that "Happy" is Keith's best song, right? I mean, it's not even close, right? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Just to get this out of the way, we all agree that "Happy" is Keith's best song, right? I mean, it's not even close, right? yeah, no doubt ... would be in my stones all-time top 20 somewhere around 15 or so? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Just to get this out of the way, we all agree that "Happy" is Keith's best song, right? I mean, it's not even close, right? Yeah, I would have to agree on that. Even his vocals kick ass. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 At least we can all agree on the important things. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CortezTheKiller Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Just to get this out of the way, we all agree that "Happy" is Keith's best song, right? I mean, it's not even close, right?Agreed. However, I reserve the right to change my mind once Keef releases his first-person narrative response to "C & A." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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