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| From | "Kerry Chicoine" <KChicoine@whitehat.com> |
| Subject | Re: Adventures of Jet vs. The Cars - For Jason Damas |
| Date | Fri, 31 Jan 2003 12:46:13 -0800 |
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Jason [DanAbnrml9@aol.com] wrote:
> The Cars in particular are more or less the root of all my
> personal tastes--if you can trace the sound of a band back
> to them somehow, I'm probably going to like that band.
Jason, my man, if I may have your attention for a moment.
There's no way I can listen to Adventures of Jet and *not* be instantly
reminded of The Cars. Similarities include the overall "new wave" vibe of
the songs, the ultra-melodic and hooky synthesizer lines, and the
masterfully crafted, positively upbeat choruses. The only major difference
is in the quality of the lead vocals (Hop Litzwire of AOJ sounds nothing
like Ocasek or Orr), the complexity of the arrangements (AOJ are downright
baroque and more dissonant in comparison), and the guitars in AOJ are more
Foo Fighter-ish, more "bash you across the face" than the elegant six-string
stylings of Elliot Easton (definitely one of my favorite left-handed
guitarists).
Jason, your AMG review of Adventures of Jet's 2000 release "Part 3: Coping
with Insignificance" is, frankly, less than favorable, and I personally do
not agree with your assessment; but that is not the issue at hand. You state
that "Part 3" is "filled with good but unrealized ideas" and that "this
album seems somehow unfinished or unrealized".
To each his own, of course, and with all due respect, but I really can't
grasp this whole "unrealized songs" concept as it applies to AOJ. I
certainly *have* heard undeveloped and unrealized songs before (hell, I've
written [and discarded] more than a few), but certainly NOT in the case of
AOJ. If fact, I'd have to emphatically state that I find AOJ's songs to be
COMPLETELY realized (moreso than many of the songs discussed here, frankly),
as fine-tuned and meticulously detailed as a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece
or a 1890's-era Victorian mansion, if I may be permitted the architectural
reference. AOJ's songs might not get to the Big Hook as immediately as a
Cars song would, but there are more details to savor and ponder along the
way, more unexpected melodic surprises to be delighted by, which makes the
AOJ listening experience more akin to taking a journey, rather than staying
home and watching TV. The songs take me places, *different* places, in
different locations within any given song. God is in the details, or so they
say.
Furthermore, the actual collection of songs comprising "Part 3: Coping With
Insignificance" seem to gel in a most cohesive manner, to me anyway,
collectively portraying a not-so-futuristic world controlled by corporations
and the resulting fallout on western civilization. I mean, it's a concept
album of sorts (as is the new record "Muscle"); I can't fathom how one could
perceive this album as "unfinished" in any sense of the word.
FWIW, I instantly "got" AOJ -- there was no confusion, in my mind, as to
what the verses were, what the pre-choruses were, what the choruses were,
and what parts were transitions, bridges, etc. -- everything fit together
perfectly and naturally as far as I'm concerned. What actually *held* my
attention for more than a few seconds (unlike an alarmingly significant
number of recent powerpop songs) were the utterly unexpected melodic (and
sometimes rhythmic) shifts in their songs, as well as the incredible
attention to detail in their arrangements. These are definitely not
intro-verse-verse-prechorus-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus-outro
arrangements; face it, a retarded monkey could understand that tired old
formula. Instead, AOJ take certain artistic liberties with the powerpop
formula, and I appreciate the inspiration, thought and effort that goes into
breaking such boundaries. However, I understand that, for some listeners,
such musical detailing can be perceived as "unrealized" -- I mean, if a
certain musical moment only occurs *once* in a song, for me, that can be a
beautiful detail (see Mike Keneally) -- for another person, it could seem
like a side-trip, a distraction, or a loss of momentum. To each his/her own.
Jason, I hereby order thee to click thy holy link immediately:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X21352C43
This will enable you to save the new AOJ song "Orchid" to your hard drive
for your personal listening pleasure. Listen to this song -- especially the
outro -- and tell me you don't hear The Cars influence. Come on, what're you
waiting for?
Jason, if The Cars are your benchmark for awesome powerpop, I beg you,
please, to re-visit AOJ (and perhaps even tweak your AMG review; I mean,
come on, one and a half stars?). Given a little ear-time and a couple of
discriminating listens, I think it's possible you might be swayed. The new
record actually exceeds my expectations and further advances the musical
manifesto envisioned by Adventures of Jet. It's rocking my world right now.
Oh, and I tried my hand at a little AOJ/Cars-type synth action on the
Receiver song "Aeroplane", available exclusively on the most recent
International Pop Overthrow compilation. Give that a spin as well if you're
so inclined.
kErrY kOMpOsT
www.mp3.com/kompost
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