SOUNDTRACK: MOGWAI-Rock Action (2001).
After all of Mogwai’s releases over the years (and all the various compilations and imports and whatnot, it’s hard to believe that Rock Action was only their third proper full length release.
I just recently learned that the song “Dial: Revenge” has vocals by Gruff Rhys from the Super Furry Animals (the lyrics are in Welsh, apparently so that it would sound like gibberish to most of the English-speaking audience (SFA released a wonderful album sung entirely in Welsh, called Mwng). This song is a very delicate piece which reminds me in some ways of later Mercury Rev (Rock Action was produced by Dave Fridmann who produces Mercury Rev). It’s got a soaring “chorus” and strings.
“Sine Wave” opens the disc with some heavily distorted noises that seem to be fighting with some echoed guitar notes. The song feels different from other Mogwai songs but it doesn’t really sound different–it’s clearly Mogwai. “Take Me Somewhere Nice” is perhaps the most conventional song Mogwai have done. It has a verse/chorus structure and even has whispered vocals–that follow a melody. The biggest surprise has to be the strings that overlay the top–they’re a bit disconcerting at first, but it quickly shows how well the band can pull this off. It’s followed by something of a continuation of that song with the 59 second “O I Sleep,” a simple piano track with Stuart’s whispered vocals over the top.
“You Don’t Know Jesus” falls into more typical Mogwai territory. It’s a 9-minute epic which somehow build and builds even though it feels like it’s all crescendo–until the last few moments trail off into quiet notes.
The one minute “Robot Chant” is more noise, but it leads into the surprisingly upbeat “2 Rights Make 1 Wrong.” This is a faster track, which builds for over 9 minutes. The middle part slows down so you can really hear the synthesized voice over the proceeding. You can eventually hear the banjo as well.
The disc ends with the pretty ballad, “Secret Pint.” It’s a simple piano based song (with lyrics). The recording is very clear (you can hear all of the dynamics of that opening cymbal). While it could never be a hit, it easy certainly their most accessible track.
Rock Action is a different kind of Mogwai album: slower, more deliberate, with conventional music structures but which is in no way a commercial record. It’s also less dramatic than albums (or EPs) past. If you want soaring epic Mogwai, this is not your album (even the 2 nine-minute songs aren’t as dramatic as previous songs), but it’s a welcome addition to Mogwai’s repertoire.
[READ: May 27, 2011] “M&M World”
I didn’t know that there really is a M&M’s World in Times Square, but apparently there is. And it sounds like a nightmare!
Anyhow, the story begins with Ginny agreeing to finally take her kids to M&M’s World. Her girls are Olivia and Maggie and they have been dying to go to M&M’s World forever. The kids march down the street, looking in all the shop windows until they finally reach the destination.
Walbert describes the store in all of its bustling glory–and given her details I’ve no doubt it’s exactly as she describes: busy, crowded, noisy, overstimulating.
What this story comes down to is a woman (who is recently a single mom) trying to keep her kids safe in a world that is no longer safe for her. It was interesting to read this right after Emily of New Moon in which Emily is given pretty much free rein over her whole life (except what she can wear or read); Emily is allowed to come and go as she pleases (and almost falls to her death), with no one knowing where she is. In this story, Ginny is constantly watching over the girls, monitoring their every step. And so, when she loses sight of her daughters in M&M World, Ginny’s world is sent spinning.
As a parent I understand this concern, and yet at the same time, Ginny seemed a little too concerned without provocation. It’s hard to know exactly what you’d do in this situation (probably the same thing), but reading about it makes it seem so overly panicky.
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