Fluxblog Weekly #245: Of Montreal, Bette Midler, Blonde Redhead, Erykah Badu
January 6th, 2020
The Quarry In Her Sex Safari
Of Montreal “Polyaneurism”
A very clever thing about “Polyaneurism” is how Kevin Barnes pushes hard on using language that signals a fluency in social media and contemporary slang, and in a way that shows him to be both plugged-in and slightly removed in generational terms. The song is just as much about this tension of staying “with it” as it is about the specifics of entering a relationship with a younger woman on her polyamorous terms. He’s open minded and excited by possibilities but can’t help but feel like maybe he’s internalized too much of the norms of his youth and slightly ashamed of it – “if you want monogamy are you just, like, some basic bitch?” The tone of the song is light and playful in a way that’s very much in line with Barnes’ earlier work but a refreshing change of pace from his more anxious and manic music from over the past decade or so. The silly mood conveys a more relaxed emotional stakes even if he’s clearly deep in love. He’s obviously attracted to her because she represents change and transformation, and he’s just figuring out how to evolve without betraying himself.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
January 7th, 2020
Bringing Me Ecstasy
Bette Midler & Bob Dylan “Buckets of Rain”
I only recently learned of this Bette Midler cover of a Bob Dylan classic recently, as a result of working on the 1970s surveys. This version, which she performs as a duet with Dylan himself, was recorded around the same time as the original on Blood on the Tracks and came out only a few months after that album in early 1976. It’s an incredibly charming recording, and has the feeling of something the two of them decided to throw together on a lark.
Whereas the Dylan version is an earnest acoustic ballad, this is more of a cheeky honky tonk barroom piano tune that plays on Midler’s strengths as a campy cabaret act. They sound like they’re flirting and goofing around – like, why did they change the word “bucket” to “nuggets” here other than to be silly? Midler’s ad libs are both beautiful and hilarious, especially when she sings “Bobby, Bobby, hey there Mr. D, you set me free!” The playful spirit continues through the fade out in which Bob and Bette have a bit of charming banter that ends with him noting “you and Paul Simon should have done this one.” I disagree, that could not have possibly been as cute as this.
Buy it from Amazon.
January 8th, 2020
Everyone Else Is Really Boring
Blonde Redhead “In Particular”
“In Particular” feels both twitchy and very even, like someone keeping something in a tidy order out of obsessive compulsion. There is an anxiety in this music, but it’s dialed down and kept at bay as Kazu Makino sings lyrics that sketch out a vivid portrait of a depressed person and expressing genuine empathy towards them. It’s a little ambiguous what the singer’s relationship with this person is – is it just platonic friendship, or is this romantic? – but the affection is clear and forthright, and the love is given unconditionally. But despite all that, the song is anything but sappy. There’s no sentimentality to the tone of this piece, and the rigidity of the musical structure makes Makino’s message come across as more logical than emotional: Of course I love you despite your “hysterical depression.” Of course you are special. Of course I am your “only friend.” Why would you ever doubt this?
Buy it from Amazon.
January 9th, 2020
Come Back To The World
Erykah Badu “Time’s A Wastin'”
There are many amazing and beautiful things about this song, but for me “Time’s A Wastin’” has always been about the relaxed keyboard chords at the core of the arrangement and the particular tone of that instrument. I’m not an expert and it’s not specified in the liner notes, but I think it’s a Fender Rhodes? Something like that, at least. It’s a warm, wholesome tone that also suggests something cosmic or spectral beyond the physical realm. Badu is offering wisdom, advice, and encouragement in her lyrics, and the keyboards support that by conveying patience and gentleness even as she calls for immediate and decisive action. The song is basically about coaxing someone out of inertia, and she sings from a place of deep empathy – she’s obviously been in some place before. The implication isn’t that she knows much better and is condescending to this other person, but that she’s got some perspective. In its mellow feel and stately pace the music suggests a panoramic view going back ages, but Badu sings it all like someone firmly grounded in the here and now.
Buy it from Amazon.