[noisereductions]

Okay, if nobody knows this -- I'm a huge Lemonheads fan. I mean really huge. Obsessive since way the fuck back. In my pre-SY days, The Lemonheads were probably my biggest musical obsession. There's a timeline which will be mapped out in the eventual NR ESSENTIALS webpressence. But I digress.

VARSHONS is the new Lemonheads album. The first in 3 years. I've been spending some time with it. Trying to wrap my head around it. Which is unique for a Lemonheads album. See generally they(he)'d put out a new album, I'd buy it, and love it on first listen. But this one is very... different.

Okay let me rewind a bit. The last album was called THE LEMONHEADS. It came out in 2006. The big deal there was that it was the first time that Evan Dando put out an album as The Lemonheads since the late 90's. Weirder still is that THE LEMONEADS' rhythm section was actually made up of Descendents. And it was a pseudo-pop-punk album. Which was a semi-return to 80's (pre-"The") Lemonheads era. And it was very fucking good.

Three years later is VARSHONS, which is a record that thrives on Evan's (mostly) Country (specifically Graham Parson reincarnate) sound. But it's so much more fucked up. Because it's all covers. And produced by Gibby Fucking Hayes.

This is the first Lemonheads/Evan Dando album (since I was about 14 and discovered them) that I've heard and did not love on first listen. This is the first time it's been any sort of "work" for me to understand one of their records. And slowly, with each listen, I feel like it's clicking to me. Maybe you think that's too much work for a "Poprock" record. But I tell you that the band has meant so much to me in my life (it's too long a story for here) that it's all worth it to me. I owe The Lemonheads this much.

Anyway, a few weird things to point out:

1. GG Allen's "Living With Linda" is turned into a Cash-esque murder ballad.
2. Kate Cocaine Moss is the lone vocalist on a techno track.
3. Evan covers "Beautiful" para Xtina incredibly.
4. Liv Tyler duets on a Leonard Cohen track and has a really nice,fragile voice.

There's no point to this thread really. So whatever.

[godsfavoritedog]

I love "Hate Your Friends" but feel they got progressively worse with each subsequent album prior to the hiatus so I kinda gave up on them. It didn't help that the one time I saw them live they only played for about 30 minutes and Evan was acting like a colossal asshole the whole time. Still, I was glad to hear he's gotten his shit (somewhat?) together and I really enjoyed the '06 self-titled album. Anyway, I'm having a hard time getting into Varshons too after maybe a dozen listens but I want to like it so I guess I'll keep trying.

[noisereductions]

you (didnt) ask:

Hate Your Friends - 6/10
Creator - 8/10
Lick - 9/10
Lovey - 8/10
It's A Shame About Ray - 10/10
Come On Feel - 9/10
Car Button Cloth - 8/10
Lemonheads - 7/10
Live At The Brattle Theater - 8/10
Baby I'm Bored - 8/10
The Lemonheads - 9/10
Varshons - TBA

[godsfavoritedog]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

you (didnt) ask:

Hate Your Friends - 6/10
Creator - 8/10
Lick - 9/10
Lovey - 8/10
It's A Shame About Ray - 10/10
Come On Feel - 9/10
Car Button Cloth - 8/10
Lemonheads - 7/10
Live At The Brattle Theater - 8/10
Baby I'm Bored - 8/10
The Lemonheads - 9/10
Varshons - TBA

True, I didn't ask ... but it's still interesting to get your take since you're a much bigger fan of theirs than I am. I'm surprised to see "Come On Feel" ranked so high. I know I'm in the minority by having "Hate Your Friends" as my favorite but damn, I loved that record. I remember getting the cassette from Dutch East and wearing it out.

Btw ... here's a question for you. The hidden track at the end of Come On Feel ... what is that? Is it a Lemonheads original? It sounded really familiar to me the first time I heard it but I've never been able to figure out why.

[noisereductions]

The hidden track is called "Lenny". It's an original yes. It's sort of a faux-Lenny Kravitz goof (anti-tribute?). Most ppl hate Come On Feel, but I find it really weird and special. It's a good mix of Evan's different sides really. I think this is achieved since it's basically a collection of re-recorded b-sides from ITS A SHAME ABOUT RAY singles, plus some random weirdness. I mean take for instance his voice on "The Great Big No". It's so perfect. But then midway thru the record there's the f'd up insane transition from the first half of "You Can Take It With You" to the second. And then finally the album falls apart/closes with "The Jello Fund"... it's like a really polished Pop album that is purposely trying to self-destruct. I love it.

[godsfavoritedog]

"Lenny" makes perfect sense now ... thanks. I think I'll give that cd a listen today. I've always loved "The Great Big No". I wonder if anyone's mentioned it in the "perfect song" thread because it would be a good choice.

[noisereductions]

Good call. That really is an amazing song.

Lover don't turn yr head...

[noisereductions]

I think "You Can Take It With You" is my favorite on there, though. It's so weird. (Note it was actually two separate songs that he felt were two short. So he just sort of put em together. But before the record came out he would play these little short ditties live and they were unrelated).

[Rupert 'Stiles' Stilinski]

Yay! I would be slightly embarrassed to admit my Evan Dando obsession without this thread already started.

I'm a Gram obsessive as well. Evan has been so wonderful to me for the last few years. He loves the same music that I love, and I really love his persona. Since I saw them live a few years back, I didn't miss them in Chicago--almost always two night stands.

I met Evan at the last show he played in Chicago. He gave me a copy of Varshons (which I was too drunk to pay for, ha!). I asked him to sign it. I told him my name was love... He asked me how to spell it. I said, "LUV" like the NY Dolls song. He did.

I really like Varshons. He says that he didn't put much into it, but it seems rather polished and perfect for a covers album. "Layin' up with Linda" is my favorite by a country mile.

Look at the second to last post on this page for a wonderful version of it. A little big star thrown in. Can't stop watching this!

http://forum.evandando.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5034


I'm totally gay for the Dando! He's such a captivating performer and I love his stage presence.

Thanks for starting this thread so I can know I'm not alone in my geek worship of him!

By the way, the last time I saw him, I was screaming for him to play some Gram. He played the most perfect version of "A Song for You" that I've ever heard. Wish it was recorded, but my camera wasn't working.

[noisereductions]

Okay, so the 2nd time I saw him, he was singing "Down About It," and I was right up front, and when it got to the "gotta own up to my own some how" backing vox part he smiled and nodded at me so that I'd yell that part out for him. It was awesome.

Also he bummed cigarettes off me. And was really really nice.

PS, of all the millions of covers he's done, by far the most achingly beautiful was the time I heard him cover "Backstreet Girl" by the Stones. It killed me, and I wished wished wished he'd release a version.

[Rupert 'Stiles' Stilinski]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

Okay, so the 2nd time I saw him, he was singing "Down About It," and I was right up front, and when it got to the "gotta own up to my own some how" backing vox part he smiled and nodded at me so that I'd yell that part out for him. It was awesome.

Also he bummed cigarettes off me. And was really really nice.

PS, of all the millions of covers he's done, by far the most achingly beautiful was the time I heard him cover "Backstreet Girl" by the Stones. It killed me, and I wished wished wished he'd release a version.

You can post covers that you'd like him to do for you on youtube. There are some great ones here. This is his sort of homepage:

http://www.youtube.com/user/pelicanmouse

Enjoy!

[noisereductions]

I forgot to say FAVORITE SPANISH DISHES - 6/10, but the cover of "Skulls" is so f'ing brilliant. I love it.

[barry swedgin]

Do you remember back in the 90s Evan hung about with Noel from Oasis? They were working on a song called "Purple Parallelogram". Did ED ever play it live at all?

[noisereductions]

The released "Purple Paraellelogram." And Evan also released a cover of "Live Forever," that was pretty cool.

[Rupert 'Stiles' Stilinski]

I think I have a boot with Purp Par on it. Also, I love Fav Dishes for the Different Drum cover, though I love his solo versions much more.

Isn't his youtube page funny. On the first video, he's smoking some sherm stick off to the side, methinks.

[noisereductions]

now that I tihnk about it, "Purple" must've been on a bootleg. I wash thinking it was on LEMONHEADS (aka FANCLUB CD) which was like a companion to CAR BUTTON CLOTH. But it's not. And it doesnt seem to be on any of the CBC singles. Hmm.

Speaking of which, if any band deserved a full bsides collection... I mean so many of their singles had incredible tracks.

[noisereductions]

by the way, I wanted to tell godsfavorite that one of the time I saw Evan he had an acoustic guitar ran thru a distortion pedal and he played tons of early stuff. I remember an incredible take on "Glad I Don't Know" with extended solo. So great.

[godsfavoritedog]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

by the way, I wanted to tell godsfavorite that one of the time I saw Evan he had an acoustic guitar ran thru a distortion pedal and he played tons of early stuff. I remember an incredible take on "Glad I Don't Know" with extended solo. So great.

Sounds fucking amazing!

I must have been unlucky and caught him on a bad night. It was after Car Button Cloth came out and I saw them at a club in Killington, VT of all places with Semisonic opening for them. He was just pissed at the entire world that night. When Semisonic (who was actually a much better live band than people would think) was playing he was wandering around the club just ignoring anyone who dared try to talk to him. It then took what seemed like forever for him and the rest of the band to set up and when they finally started playing, he kept bitching out the sound guy. After a couple of songs, he turned on the crowd for not being into it enough for his taste ... which to be fair, it was a lame crowd ... played a couple more songs and finally angrily stormed off after playing an intense feedback drenched "solo" that had people covering their ears (not me, I was loving it).

Total time of the show? Around 30 minutes. It was still kinda fun though because I got to talk to the guys from Semisonic, who I know casually ... plus my then girlfriend almost got in a fight with a couple of annoying skier chicks who were giving us shit for no real reason ... and even though I wished they'd played longer, I got a perverse satisfaction out of seeing the "I like that "Into Your Arms" song" so-called fans leave wondering what the fuck had just happened.

[noisereductions]

Right after CBC was the sketchy drug hiatus.

[Count Mecha]

You're still in high speed fucking idiot mode.