So In Honor of Tallahassee Turning 10 Soon...

[SMAP]

On November 5th (day before my birthday too ) the classic album by The Mountain Goats turns 10 years old, and I'm forcing myself to do a ranking of the album. I will do write ups if you guys want me to.

Considering this is one of the few albums I think of as perfect, this will be nearly impossible for me, but I'll try.

Before I begin, any predictions, own rankings, write ups, etc.?

[Zilla2112]

"See America Right" is the worst song, imo. The rest of the album is consistently good, though it's not my particular cup of tea.

[SMAP]

See America Right really is a bit of an oddity... it's probably on the lower half of the album for me, but it's got a real raw passionate aggression... not too unusual for tMG, but it's more distorted and electric, which is slightly odd for the band.

Would you like me to do write ups?

[Zilla2112]

Oct 19, 2012 23:48:20 GMT -5 SMAP said:

See America Right really is a bit of an oddity... it's probably on the lower half of the album for me, but it's got a real raw passionate aggression... not too unusual for tMG, but it's more distorted and electric, which is slightly odd for the band.

Would you like me to do write ups?

On each song, I presume? Sure, if you want to!

[Fatalfriend]

I like Mountain Goats now, even though I've only heard The Sunset Tree.

[nogatoyumi]

Oct 19, 2012 23:48:20 GMT -5 SMAP said:

Would you like me to do write ups?

i think you should. c:

[SMAP]

Alright, doing a song per day, starting with my least favorite song up to my favorite. I will post a Youtube link for each song and will do write-ups.

The first song and write-up will be put up today, within a few hours.

[SMAP]

14. The House That Dripped Blood

Video:

Alright, this will be hard for me, since I absolutely love this song, but something's gotta go last in this ranking. The whole song has a killer groove driven by that chugging acoustic guitar lick... it's a little odd though, it almost conjures up an image of a house deep in the woods, which I don't believe is the intention, I'm pretty sure the Alpha Couple at least lived somewhere close to the rest of society. The main thing that keeps this song from being higher is that it's the only song on the album that builds up to one moment instead of trying to be exciting the whole way: and that moment is the wheezing, haunting harmonica solo. It fits the mood perfectly though, and I wouldn't have the song any other way. Hell, what other tMG songs have harmonica? Their cover of Two Headed Boy and... just this I believe.

Now, there's also the lyrics here. I'm admittedly awful at picking up exactly what songs are about so I apologize if I take these at laughably face value, but I just love the theme of this. He's angrily searching through their new home for... something? Is it a metaphor and he's searching for a way to make his wife happy? Is there some unknown secret hidden in the house? I just love picturing it, the words are haunting poetry...

"Dig up the laughing photographs
They're here somewhere or other
Take what you can carry"

[SMAP]

13. See America Right



It actually kinda pains me to put this so low, because I really love the way this song works into the album. Someone who never listened to The Mountain Goats before probably would've gotten a little bored of the clever little short folk songs and knew what to expect at this point, and probably got startled by the beginning of this. But in all reality this is instantly recognizable as John Darnielle, despite the suddenly aggressive lyrics (and not in the subtle aggression he normally uses) and the blaring drums and electric guitar. My favorite part about this song is the little quick two second breaks of acoustic guitar... they kinda almost sound like a time bomb ticking, which fits the song's short length and ferocious power. This song however does take some getting used to... I know Zilla isn't very fond of it (same with most people, although this one grabbed me first listen actually) as it is kinda obnoxious and John's slight nasal is put to it's extreme, but it once you just let the drunken haziness of it all slip in... the song is absolutely sublime, at least in the context of the album.

The lyrics fit perfectly after the controlled chaos of No Children... the whole album is kinda waiting to blow up and you can almost feel it with the pessimism in No Children's lyrics, but it all lets loose here. You can tell he's been doing some heavy drinking, and you can just feel all of the doubts about marriage slip through every word.

"I was shaking way too hard to think
Dead on my feet about to drop
Went and got the case of vodka from a car
And walked the two miles to the bus stop"

[SMAP]

12. Tallahassee[/u]



It's so easy to get lost in this beauty of a song. Most of the time I seriously forget I'm listening to the song and think I am the husband in the Alpha Couple, especially if I close my eyes. I like the little extra touches this song has, like the looping bass line that sounds exactly like the words "There is no" (which if you haven't listened to the song yet, many verses start with those three words) I'd be lying if I said it was perfect though, as it ever so slightly drags with it's near 5 minute length (in all actuality it really doesn't drag at all, but in comparison to later parts of the album, the length brings it down to third to last place), a length this band rarely reaches. But good God, it's such a tranquil opener. The whole thing ends up being one beautiful build up though, when the guitar strings reach their loudest at approximately (without checking) four minutes in, it leaves just about anyone stunned. In addition to that, the way John starts gasping for air a little bit when he reaches the higher notes at the end kinda foreshadows that things aren't going to be as pleasant as the lyrics sound. The more negative and fearful lyrics tend to be sung that way. Hell, there's even little voices in the back, probably just from managers and stuff that you can hear near the end, it gets me sorta paranoid that someone just eavesdropped on me singing very loudly to this song. I feel like I'm repeating myself here, but I can't get over how immersive this whole thing is, I adore it to bits.

Now, the lyrics really set up the plot of the album... provided you know about the characters ahead of time from previous Mountain Goats songs (the Alpha series). He's incredibly nervous about moving to this new home in Tallahassee, but at the same time is putting an optimistic look on things, maybe the marriage can be saved? It's done in a slightly minimalistic approach, not at all unusual for John, with the exception of this album, as most of the songs take a much more wordy style. But the words that do come out, are incredibly poetic. I get goosebumps just from hearing the way he breathlessly asks himself why he came down here, he sounds almost amused when reminds himself it was "you"

"Prayers to summon the destroying angel
Moon stuttering in the sky like film stuck in a projector
And you
You"

[SMAP]

11. Idylls of the King[/u]



Just listen to that percussion. It just rings in your ear, so many pleasant little dings. I have no idea how See America Right was the single over this, The Mountain Goats could've been indie superstars with this with the right marketing (don't think John would want that though actually) this is the one time in the album they pull in this catchy singalong chorus, and it actually works without making the song feel restrained and repetitive. Especially with the light percussion hits (I wish I could remember the name of that instrument...) that slightly glide you through the chorus and into the next verse. The song almost has a tweeish tone in it, the softness of the whole piece gives you a relaxed feeling... that is until you pay attention to the lyrics. The way he says them is so soothing it took many listens to realize how negative and terrifying they really are, especially with the word choice used, but more on that later. The guitar has this slight twang to it too, and the way the strings are ever so lightly plucked gives you this huge airy feeling. It's a song in denial in a way, it's like it doesn't realize how frightening it's situation really is and just wants to relax as hard as it can and have a good time. Especially since it's smushed in between two of the most emotionally taxing songs on the album (The House That Dripped Blood and No Children FYI) it wants to disguise it's inner turmoil. This song just leaves such an impression on me, I can't help but want to sing along as if everything's alright, John Darnielle makes these fears and problems sound desirable, I WANT to feel his pain and suffering. Gorgeous and delicate song.

The lyrics here are among my favorites on the album, and that's saying something, especially when this didn't even make the top ten for the album. Just... wow. If you just read the lyrics without hearing the song, you'd think this was a heavy duty ballad or something. First two lines of the song lull you into a false sense of security by making you think this is easy going music, so you stop paying attention to the lyrics (except the chorus of course, that all of them line is catchy and must be harmless right?!) He then describes the day as full of promise and potential but quickly adds, "More clay pigeons for you and me"

And that's just the beginning of the morbidness. He dreams of vultures hiding in their trees? The shrieking of innumerable gibbons?! Seriously? This song has such a dream like atmosphere, maybe he wants the melody and lyrics to clash as nonsense. Oh yeah, and I love how the most easy going line is brought to the forefront as the chorus, leading to even more confusion. Admittedly, this one doesn't further the plot much at all lyric wise, but I think it's okay given the huge doozy coming afterward. Overall, words can't do the lyrics justice without just posting the whole song, but I'll give you a quick sample of my personal favorite part of the song:

"How long will we ride this way about?
How long 'til someone caves under the pressure?
My dreams are haunted by armies armies of ghosts
Faces too blurry to make out
Numbers far too high to measure"

[SMAP]

10. Peacocks[/u]



Why does this song make me feel so nostalgic? There's something about this song that just screams 2002 to me... only from my young child's point of view, not John Darnielle's emotional and reckless view. Was this intentional? Perhaps, as this song presents a clear sense of hope for the marriage, especially after the reckless chaos of both No Children and See America Right that come before it. And it's surprisingly springy compared to later tracks like Have to Explode and International Small Arms Traffic Blues. It also helps that song is incredibly simplistic, but in the most exciting sort of way. You hear John croon several times that "We will rise" implying that by the end of the night, the Alpha Couple will finally feel truly happy again. Through romance? Perhaps, but perhaps not. I just love the way the guitar has a quick moment of really fast strumming every time that lyric comes up, it gets you pumped. You KNOW something will be happening soon. It's a song of patient waiting so to say, a nice little interlude in our album admist the chaos, somehow ending up amongst the dramatic songs on the album because of this. I may be drawing some comparisons to Idylls of the King here, but in all reality, while both are relaxing, Idylls is more relaxing in a poppy upbeat sounding way, while this is a calm moment of reflection, probably the moment in the album where there is the most hope for the Alpha Couple. John's voice here in particular is absolutely soothing, especially at the line "How come there's peacocks in the front yard?" He sounds almost bewildered at everything he says, really emphasizing even more the nostalgic mood this song gives me. But one thing he is certain of in this song, they will rise. You can hear it in the stern tone he puts into it, he will fix the marriage, because he HAS to fix the marriage. The decision has been made for him, nothing else matters.

Now, these lyrics are far from the most impressive on the album, I have to admit. In fact, I have no idea what the hell the peacocks anything to do with the rest of the song. But I absolutely love them. They have this nice airy feel, like we're reestablishing what we've conquered and what we still have to face. John's voice gives all of these little details so much more meaning. The opening of the song already has that little extra lyric detail that just sounds so good to the ear. "I hear them squeal, I see them preen." just strangely works. The lines about feeling the sun scorching and the wind stopping just feel so real to nature, I can almost feel these details when I hear them. I can picture an easy going sunny spring noon in the first half, but the second half of the song is where it implies that that night will be a life changing moment. And strangely, that reminds me of my childhood, even if that moment was a simple family bonfire and a new episode of Hey Arnold. Good God, this song makes me wonder why simplicity isn't as common with talented Indie songwriters like Darnielle.

"Sun's all prickly
On my neck
When the helicopter passes
We both hit the deck
Hands grasping and groping
Seizing opportunity
Right where it lies"

[SMAP]

9. International Small Arms Traffic Blues[/u]



In all honesty, this song kinda terrifies me in a way. It feels like there's a bit of a detail missing between this and the innocent hopefulness of the preceding track on the album, Peacocks, but I'm glad there's that detail missing there, it leaves up the emotional turmoil that causes this song to your own interpretation. The song is a really simple build up that just about anyone could have thought of (soft to loud anyone?) but the execution of it all is absolutely dazzling. Clearly something happened between this and Peacocks that just leaves me bewildered... why is John so depressed? Did another fight happen? Did the "rise" not go as planned? It just makes the already violent expressions in the lyrics even more terrifying. He's comparing his love to a powder keg burning a warehouse down, a Cuban plane, and best of all: The border between Greece and Albania. Even if you're unaware of the violent connotations of all three of these, as they describe disasters just waiting to happen, you can feel it in John's voice that this is bad. Real bad. He's not quite monotone like he will be in Have to Explode, but it sounds like he's not able to totally process the emotion of what is happening to his marriage, he's just stating his situation. And just slowly... the guitars sound more in tune with the real world, and by the time John gets to the end of his lyrics he's finally full on singing again, like we just slowly woke up. And then we hear possibly the loudest point of the album, which is when the guitar strings are plucked so loudly... it's unlike anything I've ever heard. Like some strange beast was awoken from these acoustic strings and it's pleading John to finish his depressing story... but alas the lyrics are done at this point, and we quickly start to fade out over the course of 20 seconds or so (Not an actual studio effect fade out, but just the guitar steadily calming down until the song is over) There's just something completely frightening at how a man can say these early lyrics with such a straight face, they're terrifyingly emotional. This song was a huge grower for me, would've probably put it bottom two for the album when I first heard it, although not as much of a grower as the song I'm going to give second place :3

The lyrics... I've talked about them quite a bit already because they're essential into understanding why the sound is so exciting, but just read these. In the beginning, he has to start and stop those comparisons, and then begin the line again, finishing his comparison, as if he couldn't think straight, because of all the little troubles swirling in his head. Finally, the song begins to wake up so to say, and for his last comparison, he finishes it first try and begins to say it one more time, to emphasize the reality of his situation. It just works in such a natural way, I can just imagine myself feeling this way in my head and having my mind think like that. But as much as I love the song's comparisons, they're kinda the novelty of the song, as the real meat comes in the last few lines, which are a stunning revelation, and also manage to sound incredibly poetic. So much more emphasis into singing these right is put into these lines, mainly because they fucking rule. It plays into the perfect build up before the loud guitar strings so well, it reminds me of something forming. Just read these, they're lyrical perfection, especially when accompanied by the music:

" There is a shortage in the blood supply
But there is no shortage of blood
The way I feel about you baby can't explain it
You got the best of my love"

[SMAP]

8. Southwood Plantation Road[/u]



What a fierce song. Like wow. Throughout the course of this song you can hear Darnielle just strumming his heart out through every note, it's intense and incredibly fast paced, especially compared to 95% of the album. That raw energy of course goes straight into his voice too, as no line is rushed, but said however with a quick raw urgency, as if his whole life is quickly going into shambles. This song is where you can pick up a few hints of the marriage already going through huge hurdles, but it's told early enough in the album where you get an implication that it's just some possible fights they can get over. This song fits perfectly after the slow tranquilness of Tallahassee and the mild pace of First Few Desperate Hours, making this the perfect third track on the album. I just love the whole urgency of the song, it gets you so pumped up for the rest of the album and really puts the "rock" in this folk rock album. There's a really nice bubbling bass line (one of the best on the album too) that carries a different melody than the guitar that just gives a reflective edge to the whole madness. Throughout the song, John's snide wordplay and heartfelt yelling really grabs me from nowhere and keeps me paying attention for the whole ride, especially his last line which is a desperate attempt at staying happy, as he knows he won't be for much longer, it's a simple but brief "la la la la la" that sounds so incredibly phony... like you know he's just telling himself this and doesn't actually mean it. It's a subtle little addition to the song that is downright goosebump inducing honestly. I swear this song is shorter than it is, such a rush of energy, almost a kick in the balls I'd say actually. But despite this, there's nothing mean spirited about this song, as it's incredibly honest (then again every Mountain Goats song is where am I going with this) and just about anyone can feel the emotion in it. Overall, a great song that hints at the terror the Alpha Couple are about to experience.

Now, the lyrics are just brilliant. If the whole album could be judged on just lyrics, I'd be tempted to put this in the top 3. They are just so frightened and unsure... they introduce the setting a little bit more and do a wonderful job describing that little road they live on... what really gets me though is the way he jumps from talking about his wife giggling and screaming, and quickly jumping to how he can't lose her, and how they must stay married. It just portrays how quickly good times can fade away, even if just one simple slip up or mistake gets in the way. I love the graveyard metaphor near the end too, though I have no doubt Southwood Plantation Road is actually set right by a graveyard either (it's a real place, they're not just pulling these names out of their ass)

My favorite thing about this song (aside from maybe the bass) however is the incredible opening line, and the worried and frantic tone Darnielle says it in. Right away the tone of the album shifts and never quite returns with that, and just like the song's length, you can feel that happy things end quickly in this album. I guess that's what the song is supposed to mean and I never really noticed it before typing this out. But just listen to that opening line, it works wonders

"I've got you
You've got whatever's left of me to get
Our conversations are like minefields
No one's found a safe way through one yet"

[SMAP]

7. Oceanographer's Choice[/u]



This is where things start to get difficult for me. All of these songs from here on out have been my favorite on the album at one point, but I think I have to put this at 7th.

But anyway... this song is an outright stunner. My jaw was open the first time I listened to it. I guess this is pretty much what would happen if The Mountain Goats went full on indie rock and stripped all of their folk sound, but it works tremendously. From the very beginning, which has about five seconds of quick electric guitar of fading in and out through each headphone, you already know John Darnielle is about to put up a high budget show to dazzle you. Just everything about this.... he sings the whole song like he's doing some dramatic reenactment of this year's biggest blockbuster. There's a storyteller kind of tone here... airy and disconnected, yet full of passion and aggression. It's unbelievable. Not to mention of course the tremendous band we have playing the background here. I think this was the highlight of the album for a lot of people who were expecting that now that John Darnielle had a studio and full band to perform with, that a lot of songs would sound like this. But just listen to the way this song is carefully planned out and produced... the quick little intervals you get to hear just John's voice before the instruments kick in for that verse, the haunting synths, the pounding drums and piano corresponding with each other, and the real star here, the blaring wild electric guitar that cuts loose like a wild animal over the bass and acoustic in the back. The way that thing tries to hide it's passion throughout the song, but ends up just breaking through every time John yells the words "LOOK AT THAT, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT" is just downright chill inducing. And then that absolutely intense guitar solo at the end... just wow. Even then you can hear the guitar trying to stay minimal by just holding some sustains, but ends up just bursting and crackling into a whirl of jamming by the end, and soon the song is about to end and it sounds like the guitar doesn't want to let go but knows it has to. It just is so carefully done, I adore the spooky and mysterious atmosphere, the synths almost give it a showy circus feel though too, adding the over the top drama that grips me every time. It all blends into one big showdown... I'll explain more in the lyrics section of this write up, but this just works perfectly as the penultimate song on the album, it's just about the climax of the Alpha Couple's struggle, and the sound it provides couldn't suit it better. This song just feels like it's closing a curtain as it ends, the way those guitars slowly rev down and the song finally stops, although you can feel there's still some kind of magic left as even after the song pretty much has ended. It's truly glorious stuff that words don't really do justice to.

The lyrics... oh my god the lyrics. A lot of people interpret the song as a fight, but honestly I think of it much, much differently. As alluded in Peacocks and Old College Try, the Alpha Couple are going to give each other one last chance at passion to possibly reconcile the marriage. And when doing this, John uses these huge broad and beautiful exaggerations or possibly metaphors, describing it as more of a showdown for our album's climax. The opening line "Guy in a skeleton costume, comes up to the guy, in a superman suit, runs through him with a broadsword" at first seems delightfully odd, until John shortly mentions flipping the TV off, giving the just that extra little life detail to the song, as well as giving you an instantly gripping hook. Just... everything about these lyrics is so incredibly intense... Falling down? Locking arms? Every line is said in such short breaths... it gives you the impression everything is happening right before your very eyes. By the end, he describes the ceiling swirling, an allusion to the incredibly morbid and brilliant final song that succeeds this song, Alpha Rat's Nest. To put things shortly, the way this song is given such a violent tone while actually being an attempt to put back passion into a relationship works way too well for it's own good.

"And then we fell down
And we locked arms
We knocked the dresser over as we rolled across the floor
I don't mean it when I tell you
That I don't love you any more
Look at that
Would you look at that?
The way the ceiling starts to swerve
What will I do when I don't have you
When I finally get what I deserve?"