SOUNDTRACK: STEVEN PAGE-Heal Thyself Pt. 1 : Instinct (2016).
This is Steven Page’s second solo album since leaving Barenaked Ladies. This one features his voice sounding utterly fantastic amid a large variety of styles of music.
“There’s a Melody” opens with a tiny harmonium sound. It’s a one minute song that has this fascinating lyric:
There’s a melody somewhere inside of me,
I can hear it but can’t get it out of me,
In my head it soaring but when it comes out it is all the same note
Ironically it is sung to a terrific melody and it will be revisited later in the Reprise which builds and builds with full orchestra.
On Page’s previous album he played around with dance sounds and that continues on this record with “The Work at Hand.” It opens with crazy electronic noises and then shifts to a soaring dance number. The chorus sounds a bit like Pet Shop Boys (although not in the vocals).
“Here’s What It Takes” is a fast shuffle with prominent trumpets in the melody. It’s catchy and was the first single. But I’m more focused on the lyrics again. For such a peppy song the lyrics are really dark:
An 8-ball of coke / You’re angry and broke / My Mother misspoke / by telling me the truth
Here’s what it takes to believe / Drink down the Drano ’til the demons all leave
The fridge door was open again / There’s leftover blame / You’re eating your shame / and choking on the truth
What was funny was that I heard this couplet first and thought it was an amusing song before digging deeper:
What we once kept hidden from our parents / Now we keep it hidden from our kids
That’s a great line and it’s even darker with the above verses.
“I Can See My House From Here” is a funny/dark song about Jesus, or at least a self-identified messiah.
Jesus came to me last night
To tell me everything will be alright
He said, “Thank you for rolling the stone,
but you’re gonna have to go it alone”Hey, have you heard the Good News?
We’re gonna make you King of the Jew
But it’s also chock full of nods to the Beatles. Both in the backing vocals (the Hallelujah and Hare Krishna below) but also in unexpected ways
[Hallelujah] Mother Mary
[Heal Thyself] You had me
[Hare Krishna] And no religion
[Hope that helps] So Let It Be
As he sings this section, it plays with the melody of “My Sweet Lord”
And if you can’t then you know it’s a lie
Goodbye my Lord, goodbye my Lord
and he even sings the next line “I really want to…” as if it were part of “My Sweet Lord” before jumping back to the melody of the song.
It end with the guitar melody of The Beatles’ “The Two of Us” and him singing “we’re on our way home.”
The best song around is “Manchild” which features Page’s soaring vocals and terrific self-deprecating lyrics that morph over the song
Darling, you’re talking to a man now / You’re talking to a man, now, child /
Speak slowly, speak slowly
Darling, you’re talking to a manchild / You’re talking to a manchild now /
Speak slowly, speak slowly
But the album is not all big powerful songs, “If That’s Your Way” (“If that’s your way of saying you’re sorry – I don’t mind”) and “Hole In the Moonlight” are both ballads with piano and strings.
“Mama” is a kind of almost reggae romp with some excellent snark in the lyrics. And “Surprise Surprise” was the lead single and does a great job rhyming
I was feeling shamed / you were feeling stupid
because I knew what was wrong with me / long before you did
“Linda Ronstadt In the 70s” has a harpsichord and a chamber pop feel with an emphasis on pop. I had no idea of the origin of the song. It was apparently written because Colin Meloy requested people write songs about Linda Ronstadt. You can see the original acoustic version here.
“No Song Left to Save Me” ends the disc with the unmistakable bass line of “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch” but the song quickly changes tempo and direction with swinging horns and big old catchy Steven Page chorus.
This is an excellent, fun disc and really shows the range that Page is willing to experiment with. I wish Barenaked Ladies would take more chances like this, too. But I am especially excited to see Page next month with the Art of Time Ensemble.
[READ: March 25, 2016] “My Holocaust Memoir”
You don’t expect something funny to have a title like this. Of course once you see that the first line is “Dear Ms Winfrey,” you can expect to not take this seriously,
Greenman begins his letter to Ms Winfrey by saying how much he admires the show, although he doesn’t watch every day). He says he was watching “Best Life Week ” (is that really the name of segment?) in which guests discussed the challenges they’ve overcome. He says that he has had some challenges–which he is currently putting into book form. And he would like her to take a look at them.
It begins:
I was born in Chicago in 1969. Shortly afterward, in 1941, my entire family was rounded up by the authorities and sent to the Theresienstadt camp…
It was a horrible experience. And to make matters worse, he had forgotten his cell phone charger. (There are some very funny jokes about prisons and cell phones, including a potential title of his book).
He met a woman who tried to help him and they soon fell in love.
But it doesn’t end there. He also met Terry Bradshaw at the camp–he had a strong sense of justice. He could also convince guard dogs to do his bidding.
Their escape together is nothing if not inspirational–especially the soundtrack.
I’m not sure what Greenman is attacking the most in this little humorous piece, but the whole thing is hilarious (and in very poor taste).
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