THE BLOG THAT NO ONE READS IS BACK! HAD SOME WORK TO DO.
ANYWAY LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SECOND LOOSE FUR (JIM, JEFF TWEEDY, GLENN KOTCHE) ALBUM. THE FIRST ONE WAS THIS COOL AND KIND OF PLAYFULLY LOOSE ROCK-ISH RECORD FOR AUTUMNAL GENTLEMEN OF THE MIND. I LIKED IT AND THOUGHT JIM'S CONTRIBS WERE JUST SWELL.
BORN AGAIN IN THE USA (6/10 TITLE, NOT A FAN OF REFERENTIAL HUMOUR IN ROCK ALBUM TITLES, SORT OF SAYS YOU DON'T CARE AS MUCH I'D LIKE YOU TO, THEN AGAIN THAT DETACHED INSINCERITY IS VERY JIM) IS A TIGHTER AFFAIR THAT FEELS MORE LIKE A JEFF TWEEDY RECORD. THAT IS TO SAY THERE'S A BREEZY SIXTIES-TURNS-SEVENTIES FEEL ACROSS EVERYTHING THAT IS AGREEABLE.
JIM'S SONGS ARE THE STAR TURN: 'ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS' COULD BE ON EUREKA, 'STUPID AS THE SUN' COULD BE ON INSIGNIFICANCE, AND 'THOU SHALT WILT' HAS THE BREEZY BACHARACH FEEL THAT WE NOW KNOW JIM IS PRETTY INTO.
THIS IS A GOOD RECORD IN THE MAIN. THERE'S A LONG INSTRUMENTAL CALLED 'WRECKROOM' THAT OTHER CRITICS DIDN'T SEEM TO LIKE BUT I FIND IT BUMBLES ALONG QUITE NICELY. IT'S JUST MORE OBVIOUSLY JEFF'S RECORD TO MY EAR.
