Sufjan Stevens – Adlai Stevenson
Playful intro. About what I expected based on what I’ve heard of his stuff and I’m not unhappy. I had to refresh my memory on the song’s subject – seems like he’s referencing Adlai Stevenson II. 🙂
Violent Femmes – Johnny
I immediately think of Love Can Make You Happy by Mercy. I still have a hard time with VF vocals. Some nice guitar work, but one listen was enough, for now, for me.
SS- new to me. not a bad song. again very prog rock. I feel like you guys are trying to change me. I do love me some horns. Sounds like a parade or something you would hear at a carnival.
VF – I will admit this is an odd song. We would listen to it a lot, Johnny is a live extra. not sure if the song is even on an album (I guess I can look that up) The lyrics just cracked us up. Especially the part about the ring and not really knowing why he is keeping it. I think we do that with a lot of stuff we don’t want to let go of for some reason or another.
“Adlai Stevenson”/Sufjan Stevens. Stevenson, two-time Dem loser of the presidential election to Eisenhower. The line is he was too much of an egghead. He is not remembered better because Ike is not remembered worse. (If Steven’s referencing ASII, as Ed says, please disregard my comments. I couldn’t make out all the lyrics.) Intro is a great evocation of old-school campaign rally music. A wry little eulogy.
“Johnny”/Violent Femmes. Gano is plainly channeling Lou Reed/VU here, notably in his speak-singing and Noo Yawk accent but also in his bittersweet evocation of a down-and-out character and the singer’s relationship to him, and in the song’s galloping coda. “I was so hungry, I just wanted to attack … I coulda been a whip!” Sounds like this was actually recorded live at a party? A potent and poignant track.
I think you have the correct A.S. – as I read it, he is the II. His grandfather, “the 23rd vice president of the United States from 1893 to 1897 under President Grover Cleveland.” was the first. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adlai_Stevenson_I)
Sounds like a group a dudes playing in the subway. A bit rough around the edges. Perhaps they are developing a new creation from scratch. Making it up on the fly. Interesting
Sufjan Stevens – Adlai Stevenson
Playful intro. About what I expected based on what I’ve heard of his stuff and I’m not unhappy. I had to refresh my memory on the song’s subject – seems like he’s referencing Adlai Stevenson II. 🙂
Violent Femmes – Johnny
I immediately think of Love Can Make You Happy by Mercy. I still have a hard time with VF vocals. Some nice guitar work, but one listen was enough, for now, for me.
SS- new to me. not a bad song. again very prog rock. I feel like you guys are trying to change me. I do love me some horns. Sounds like a parade or something you would hear at a carnival.
VF – I will admit this is an odd song. We would listen to it a lot, Johnny is a live extra. not sure if the song is even on an album (I guess I can look that up) The lyrics just cracked us up. Especially the part about the ring and not really knowing why he is keeping it. I think we do that with a lot of stuff we don’t want to let go of for some reason or another.
“Adlai Stevenson”/Sufjan Stevens. Stevenson, two-time Dem loser of the presidential election to Eisenhower. The line is he was too much of an egghead. He is not remembered better because Ike is not remembered worse. (If Steven’s referencing ASII, as Ed says, please disregard my comments. I couldn’t make out all the lyrics.) Intro is a great evocation of old-school campaign rally music. A wry little eulogy.
“Johnny”/Violent Femmes. Gano is plainly channeling Lou Reed/VU here, notably in his speak-singing and Noo Yawk accent but also in his bittersweet evocation of a down-and-out character and the singer’s relationship to him, and in the song’s galloping coda. “I was so hungry, I just wanted to attack … I coulda been a whip!” Sounds like this was actually recorded live at a party? A potent and poignant track.
I think you have the correct A.S. – as I read it, he is the II. His grandfather, “the 23rd vice president of the United States from 1893 to 1897 under President Grover Cleveland.” was the first. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adlai_Stevenson_I)
“Johnny” by Violent Femmes
Sounds like a group a dudes playing in the subway. A bit rough around the edges. Perhaps they are developing a new creation from scratch. Making it up on the fly. Interesting