I don't know man, it just doesn't do anything for me. Which is surprising because, sonically, it is right up my alley. This is one of music's fundamental riddles. How one song can fail to move me, while another apparently similar song can blow me away. You can't explain rock and roll.
[Lyrics are good - dude is most definitely a poet.]
I was OBSESSED with this album, which is a little odd as none of their other stuff has grabbed me that strongly. I just fell DEEP into Eitzel's pitch black well of self-pity and never looked back. I even bought the special little green box (https://www.discogs.com/release/8967597-American-Music-Club-The-San-Francisco-Collection) that came with one single - the B-sides are terrific - and has room for the album and a couple other singles. Any record that can get me to listen to California Dreaming without sticking hot pokers in my ears has got to be special, right? I shared a studio back then with another photographer and eventually he declared this off-limits for the 5-disc changer LOL.
I'll comment on the lyrics because the music is quite different from what I normally listen to, so I feel nothing I could say about it would be fair as I don't know a lot about the genre. What I find really interesting is that, if I am not mistaken, this song is from 1994, correct? That is, right before the Internet really exploded, way before social media and mobile phones were what they are today. Interesting how current some of the imagery is. This feeling that technology has conquered us (i.e. references to the TV which he would like to say he doesn't watch but has to admit he does indeed watch) and the nostalgia for the past (i.e. mention of the good old days). The funny thing is, to some extent I sometimes find myself having some of these feelings today, and wishing next year was 1994 as opposed to 2024. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. Crazy how, in reality, the weight we attribute to technological advances may actually be a lot smaller compared with other things that are making us feel nostalgic, like growing up and the actual passage of time, regardless of the specific decade.
" a lot of the reviews for the record panned it as “overproduced” and as a victim of slick production. Looking at that through a 2023 lens, those indictments feel more reflective of the weird 90s orthodoxy than anything else. Those that dared to put out something polished were often promptly shot down simply for wanting to do so." Exactly. Somehow people decided that doing things well didn't matter, or was even uncool. I think it's one reason rock is almost dead here--people know the difference, even people who are not experts. Regarding this song: good production, but I don't like his voice and he sings out of tune, so it didn't do much for me.
I don't know man, it just doesn't do anything for me. Which is surprising because, sonically, it is right up my alley. This is one of music's fundamental riddles. How one song can fail to move me, while another apparently similar song can blow me away. You can't explain rock and roll.
[Lyrics are good - dude is most definitely a poet.]
Some of their music is - tough to get into. Their album "California" is pretty good, imo. It's hard to find but it is available on YT right now.
You definitely can't! That's part of the appeal, I think.
Loving this. From the first notes it sounded familiar and energetic. Very nineties. The energy is really good.
I certainly will not wish the world away. I wish for one with more songs like this one in it. Thanks for sharing, Kevin
You bet! And thanks for sharing this on Twitter yesterday. I tried to comment there, but it wouldn't let me.
Digging the vibe!
The image at the top has a very U2 Joshua Tree vibe!
Right? I rooted through quite a few pics to use, but kept coming back to this one.
I was OBSESSED with this album, which is a little odd as none of their other stuff has grabbed me that strongly. I just fell DEEP into Eitzel's pitch black well of self-pity and never looked back. I even bought the special little green box (https://www.discogs.com/release/8967597-American-Music-Club-The-San-Francisco-Collection) that came with one single - the B-sides are terrific - and has room for the album and a couple other singles. Any record that can get me to listen to California Dreaming without sticking hot pokers in my ears has got to be special, right? I shared a studio back then with another photographer and eventually he declared this off-limits for the 5-disc changer LOL.
None of their other stuff grabbed ahold of me the way this did, either. I liked it all well enough, but nothing like this.
No one declared it off limits, but I'm sure more than 1 friend got tired of hearing it played at my house, in the car, etc. lol.
Mark is hands down my favourite live performer. Every gig has been an 11/10 classic. That said, I’ve always preferred the solo stuff to AMC.
I'll comment on the lyrics because the music is quite different from what I normally listen to, so I feel nothing I could say about it would be fair as I don't know a lot about the genre. What I find really interesting is that, if I am not mistaken, this song is from 1994, correct? That is, right before the Internet really exploded, way before social media and mobile phones were what they are today. Interesting how current some of the imagery is. This feeling that technology has conquered us (i.e. references to the TV which he would like to say he doesn't watch but has to admit he does indeed watch) and the nostalgia for the past (i.e. mention of the good old days). The funny thing is, to some extent I sometimes find myself having some of these feelings today, and wishing next year was 1994 as opposed to 2024. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. Crazy how, in reality, the weight we attribute to technological advances may actually be a lot smaller compared with other things that are making us feel nostalgic, like growing up and the actual passage of time, regardless of the specific decade.
Yep, '94! Wild how timely it feels for being almost 30, isn't it?
Absolutely! Some messages or feelings never get old
" a lot of the reviews for the record panned it as “overproduced” and as a victim of slick production. Looking at that through a 2023 lens, those indictments feel more reflective of the weird 90s orthodoxy than anything else. Those that dared to put out something polished were often promptly shot down simply for wanting to do so." Exactly. Somehow people decided that doing things well didn't matter, or was even uncool. I think it's one reason rock is almost dead here--people know the difference, even people who are not experts. Regarding this song: good production, but I don't like his voice and he sings out of tune, so it didn't do much for me.