SOUNDTRACK: MY MORNING JACKET-Acoustic Citsuoca (2004).
There was a lot of fanfare when this EP was re-released recently (at least I think it was re-released; there was a lot of fanfare about it recently whatever the case). This is a live acoustic performance which features 5 songs from MMJ’s earlier recordings.
I’ve become a pretty big fan of MMJ over the last few years, but I haven’t really delved into their back catalog all that much. As such, this album doesn’t blow me away, because to me, these aren’t different versions of the songs. They’re just the versions of the songs.
That said, the disc is very enjoyable, and the band, especially Jim James, sound in great form. If you’re a fan of the earlier discs, this is probably a stellar addition to the collection, especially since (as I’m led to understand) the early discs are full of reverb and all kinds of fun things like that. And this is a very stripped down recording. (Although I have to admit that I think “Sooner” sounds an awful lot like “Sweet Jane”).
If you’re new to the band, I recommend either their newer discs or Okonokos, the live disc, where the band really rocks out. It’s a great introduction to latter day MMJ.
[READ: October 12, 2009] “Hygiene”
This story is listed as coming from the book There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor’s Baby: Scary Fairy Tales. Which sounds pretty cool. But I only have this one story to mention. And, it seems to fit in quite nicely with the title of the book.
“Hygiene” is set in a city in Russia. As the story opens, a stranger rings the Family R’s door and informs them that a plague is coming. They should stay housebound, and not speak to anyone. And, most importantly, they should stay away from mice (who as we all know, are carriers). He also confides in them that he is one of the few people who has survived the plague. If they agree to pay him some money he will happily go out and get them supplies on a regular basis.
Grandfather dismisses the man as a quack. And yet the family follow his precautions and stay inside (in part because grandfather’s son-in-law wants to disagree with grandfather). But soon they are running out of supplies. When the bakery down the road is broken into, and a riot ensues, the family dispatches one of them to see what he can steal. After coming home with a bag full of food, he disposes of his clothes and douses his body in eau de cologne, to try and kill any germs. And all seems to be well.
But as things grow more tense, and food grows more scarce, the family is quite upset to see their little girl feeding scraps to their cat. They are even more upset when they see the little girl kissing the cat, and they see that the cat’s mouth is red, and the girl informs them that he has caught and eaten a mouse. They are forced to take action.
As I read the story, I assumed that we weren’t sure if the stranger was a charlatan, and that made the story twisted and compelling (I’m still not sure if we’re supposed to think he’s a charlatan or not). Knowing that this is a fairy tale also leads you to wonder ahead of time what will be coming down the road. Clearly a moral is meant forthcoming, but what will it be?
This was certainly a fun, and weird story. I have to wonder what the rest of the stories are like.
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