It’s hard to get started, you know? I guess you just have to pick somewhere. Why not with an oldie made new?
I recently drifted across the fact that there were not one but two Spoon records this year, Lucifer on the Sofa and Lucifer on the Moon, the latter a dubby remix of the former that landed only recently.
I was a big fan of Spoon in the Gimme Fiction (2005!) era, and am delighted to find that the old cads are still delivering immaculate rock and roll nuggets.
I love that Spoon chose to open their newest record with this cover of Smog’s old slow strummer.
For the first time in my life
I let my self be held
Like a big old baby
“We played that one for fun,” Daniels says in an interview with Spin (“Is Lucifer On The Sofa The Last Word On Spoon? Britt Daniel Isn’t Sure”), “and that one kind of just stood out as, ‘Hey, maybe this isn’t just us warming up or getting in the mood. Maybe we could actually record this.’ They bring this energy to the recording. “We’re rolling”, the producer kicks us off. “Let’s do the fill, twice as long,” Daniels says to the guys. Just getting warmed up.
I can’t really say I’m drawn to listen to Smog much anymore these days. Bill Callahan’s smug deep drawl lost its charm for me sometime after college, tending to sound more cheesy than profound. A little too serious, maybe, even while winking.
For what it’s worth, though, I’ve always truly loved the cover of Knock Knock (1999):
Enough said.
Another tried and true get-in-the-mood jam: “I Know You Rider”, an American standard made famous by the Grateful Dead.
I learned the song by playing it with the band, who would give it a menacing hard rock plod and not do a lot of doodling. I’m actually not much of a fan of the later Dead versions, which tend to be too fast and too noodly for me. I do, however, love this short and sweet 1965 version by the Warlocks (as the Dead were known around the Bay at the time.)