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You should have a soft heart for any record by Crazy
Horse, the Skeletons, or the Possibilities. These bands
have given so much personality, oomph, and drive to Neil
Young, Scott Kempner and Jack Logan that they're like
rock music's crutches. Once artists and audiences
dispose of them through neglect, indifference and
insanity, then the long days of filthy, rugged rock and
roll will crumble like feta cheese. We'll be left with
the aging members of Yes (can't really get rid of them,
whether you want to or not) and studio players who've
worked with enough boy bands to care more about
paychecks than soul.
Just like the Possibilities' unselfish supporting
work, Way Out is a complete band effort, where
harmonies rule, chords are shared and everyone's given a
chance to sing. States of being are also shared; the
opener, a gentle putdown of pop star attitudes, balances
its optimism ("You're living in a dream / You're going
all out") with a pessimism ("You're invisible") that's
frequently more true. The critique gains more power with
the group's unity of voice and Jason Gonzalez's
ever-powering keyboards. Gonzalez utilizes everything
from a keyboardist's glorious resumé -- Mellotron,
Farfisa, Hammond, Wurlitzer -- in these songs, and
offers his work like an homage to all his heroes. The
company that provided Beach Boys with their instruments
is definitely thanked, as is the person who wrote that
amazing, timeless keyboard intro to Del Shannon's
"Runaway".
Though Way Out's instrumentation is part of
the reason why my mind is stuck on early rock kings, the
also group pours the same energy and spirit as the early
pioneers. Given a choice between songs that go "too
fast" or "too slow", they always say yes to speed,
because such songs are more fun to play. If The
Possibilities argued much during the two years in which
they made this record, I bet it was solely about matters
of pleasure. Where Jonathan Richman makes innocence his
subject matter, the Possibilities make it their
attitude. They play as if music is not their occupation,
but the passion that their parents can't keep them from.
"Wouldn't Take Nothing", "Way Out", and the rest of
their gems resemble numerous other songs, but for a very
understandable reason: the Possibilities know the golden
rule is to not fuck with a good thing -- just play the
hell out of it. -- Theodore
Defosse
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