Live - Built To Spill

For being so beloved by hipsters across the nation, this live CD is a document of a rock 'n' roll band, make no mistake. They jam for upwards of twenty minutes at two different times (and for them, it's JAMMING, not IMPROVISATION), they play songs about skippin' work 'n' gettin' high, they cover Neil Young....and they are positively endearing.

"Randy Described Eternity", "Virginia Reel Around The Fountain", "Car" and "I would Hurt A Fly" are the highlights. The dual twenty minute long BTS original ," "Broken Chairs" and the cover of Neil Young's "Cortez The Killer" are kick-ass. Hey, didn't SY/Dino Jr and Watt team up to cover this as an encore on one of the late 80s tours?

The thing about Built To Spill is that they take the formula of good Dinosaur, Jr. (let's say DJ from 1986 until 1993), expand on it, and, in my opinion, completely blow Mascis's troop out of the water any day of the week. I really like Dinosaur Jr., "You're Living All Over Me" is a heck of a record (and SST's last gasp of relevance), "Freak Scene" is one of my favorite songs of the era, but I think Martsch and Co. fully deliver on Dino's promise of superloud rock guitars with catchy songs attatched. It could be just me.

Or it could be Doug Martsch's mystical hair. The combover/ZZ Top beard. I think that if I ever see the band live, he very well might hand over the keys to the magic Legs car, or molest any children around. Where's the trenchcoat, Doug? People who look like you do usually wear a trenchcoat, too. Do you drive around Boise in an unmarked van looking for your lost puppy, asking small kids on playgrounds to help? Or do you live in the desert with ancient Les Pauls and fuzzy Fender Custom Shops, growing growing growing your beard and waiting for 'Top to call you to join? Ya sure got the chops...


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Mike Keegan
5.29.2000

Dairy Farmers For Quebec's Independence