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Rating: "As Good as Dead"".
"As good as it is, it's dead."
We are in 1996 and in Illinois a duo of semi-unknowns give life to Local H, a project born almost as a pastime and inspired by the decidedly more famous Pearl Jam and the already defunct Nirvana. I believe that many, after this introduction, will consider Local H a priori as yet another nauseating attempt to drag a genre, grunge, also into the second half of the '90s, in a nutshell "riding the wave" as much as possible until reaching the shore. Yes, once again, I have to go against the grain because there is no other way, I must because grunge, ("as good as dead", "as good as it is, it's dead"), has survived albeit with a different aspect from what is commonly known, and I am not referring to the radio-friendly versions in fashion.
Close to Eddy Vedder (so much so as to dedicate a piece to him) and to Cobain, the album begins with a melancholic intro (already atypical in itself) that opens to the blasting "High-Fiving MF", where MF stands for "mother - fucker" and where the guitars start only after a funny verse where probably the leader Scott Lucas talks about the attempt to purchase a person for purposes easily inferred from the title of the track. It continues with the super-hit "Bound For The Floor", the band's flagship which will be identified by media and fans (not that many) precisely in the same piece. The chorus is pounding, but what is striking is the ability with which 4-5 simple notes placed there can become a real earworm ready to be placed in any TV commercial or radio. The climactic end vaguely reminds of "Rape Me" by Nirvana and its 'as good as dead' Cobain. Unfortunately, the hit will become famous again years later, shortly after the terrorist attack of 09/11, frankly I can't explain to you the real reasons for this, perhaps related to a reflective and almost self-destructive anger-laden text, a discourse (that of living off misfortunes) that has touched, for example, System Of A Down.
Moving on, noteworthy is the grit of various tracks like "Lovey Dovey" and "I Saw What You Did And I Know Who You Are", both very close to the "Nevermind" sound.
In the middle of the work, there is just enough room for a good acoustic, "No Problem" indeed breaks the tension before entering the dedication to the aforementioned Eddy Vedder, a true icon for the band, who like Pearl Jam themselves, has always preferred to stay a bit in the background from the cold money circle, so much, too close to the music world. Continuing without being verbose, worth mentioning are the melancholic "Freeze-Dried (F) Lies" and the light "O.K.", a good closing to an excellent album. The cover depicts two children, one smiling and the other "blinded by money" which, in my opinion, can represent the murky correlation between happiness and money, a combination in an America "as good as dead".
By the way, without having too many "mental hang-ups", the album title is taken from the track "Eddie Vedder", ("You go ahead, as good as dead, coming to a head, you're as good as dead").
To each their own conclusions.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 High-Fiving MF (04:50)
You High-Fiving Motherf**ker
You High-Fiving Motherf**ker
You High-Fiving Motherf**ker
You High-Fiving Motherf**ker
You're just a walking billboard
For all the latest brands
You've got no taste in music
And you really love our band
You're haircut is atrocious
It's been the same since '83
Your glory days are over
And so's your stonewashed jeans
You crass fat-ass
You stupid steroid f**k
I'll bet you even named your
Grand prize monster truck
You want me - you can't pay
You want me - you can't pay
You want me - you want me
You High-Fiving Motherf**ker
You High-Fiving Motherf**ker
You High-Fiving Motherf**ker
You High-Fiving Motherf**ker
You're just a walking billboard
For all the latest brands
You've got no taste in music
And you really love our band
You're haircut is atrocious
It's been the same since '83
Your glory days are over
And so's your stonewashed jeans
You crass fat-ass
You stupid steroid f**k
Hi-jack the pit your shit
Male bonding as moose rut
You want me - You can't pay
You want me - You can't pay
You want me - you can't pay
3 and you want
You crass fat-ass
You crass fat-ass
You crass fat-ass
You crass fat-ass
You crass fat-ass
You crass fat-ass
You crass fat-ass
You crass fat-ass
You crass fat-ass
You crass fat-ass
You crass fat-ass
You crass fat-ass
You High-Fiving Motherf**ker
You High-Fiving Motherf**ker
You High-Fiving Motherf**ker
You High-Fivin
You High-Fiving Motherf**ker
You High-Fiving Motherf**ker
You High-Fiving Motherf**ker
You High-Fivin
You, you, you, you
You, you, you, you
You
03 Bound for the Floor (03:42)
Born to be down
I've learned all my lessons before now
Born to be down
I think you'll get used to it
And you just don't get it
you keep it copacetic
And you learn to accept it
You know it's so pathetic
and you don't(x4)
Born to be down
I think that I've said this before now
Born to be down
What good is confidence?
And you just don't get it
you keep it copacetic
And you learn to accept it
You know it's so pathetic
and you don't
04 Lovey Dovey (02:57)
Don't you hate it
When people are in love, they're so
They're so happy
So goddamn happy, happy
Don't you hate it
When people are in love, they're so
They're so happy
So fucking happy, happy
I wanna cut you down
I wanna cut you down
I wanna cut you down
It's not fair
Crystal clear and glassy-eyed in love
Dave and Heather
I see them fighting all the time
I kind of like that
I kind of need that
'Cause I just hate it
When people are in love, they're so
They're so happy
So fucking happy, happy
I wanna cut you down
I wanna cut you down
I wanna cut you down
I wanna cut you down
I wanna cut you down
I wanna cut you down
I wanna cut you down
It's not fair
You're so crystal clear and glassy-eyed
You're crystal clear and glassy-eyed
You're crystal clear and glassy-eyed in love
Don't you hate it
Don't you hate it
Don't you hate it
Don't you hate it
05 I Saw What You Did and I Know Who You Are (03:16)
Maybe the life I've left
Is coming back for me
Maybe to beat you, I'll cheat you
Maybe it's twisted, ham fisted
Imparting the words to impeach you
It's all right
Maybe.
Wanna play?
This one is turning sour
By the hour
06 No Problem (04:14)
I'd Like to think that it's out of here
You'll blow into town maybe twice a year
To Check on me to see if I'm still here
and make me think that it's my idea
and everything in the world is free
I come to you so easily
I never felt a sense of meaning
you that i refuse to see
You had me but its over now x3
It's No Problem x2
Im not really sure why I let you win
or even why I let it begin
I've always been an easy in
I'm easy out the door again
I know it's only because your down
that you ever wanted to come around
Just a little secret in a little town
You had me but its over now x2
You'll get my attention again somehow
It's No Problem x4
07 Nothing Special (03:59)
A one trick pony in a one horse town
You're feeling lonely and the cable's down
You feel like the only freak in this town
What's wrong with you?
What's wrong with me?
We've got a life of scratching tickets
at the local gas and stop
So suck on another whippit
and hear the brain cells pop
I know I'm nothing special
I know I'm nothing great
I know I'm nothing different
But I just don't feel the same
What's wrong with me?
Can you feel the radiation
dragging your sister down?
You won't feel the alienation
you'll never leave this town
I know I'm nothing special
I know I'm nothing great
I know I'm nothing different
But I just don't feel the same
What's wrong with me?
and I could be happy with less I guess
if they tell me that less is more
They set a place for me at the table
I won't be hungry anymore
I know I'm nothing special
I know I'm nothing great
I know I'm nothing different
But I just don't feel the same
What's wrong with me?
08 Eddie Vedder (03:29)
Quarters on the eyes
Rejected Sacrifice
Cauterized at best
Failing your litmus test
I know it's dumb to say
But turnabout's fair play
Always knew that you
Were suffering a fool
You go ahead - as good as dead
Okay - I understand
But I don't want to be your friend
I don't need another friend
I've got too many friends
If I was Eddie Vedder
Would you like me any better?
That's it - I quit - I don't give a shit
You go ahead - as good as dead
Coming to a head
You're as good as dead
09 Back in the Day (03:35)
Well, punk is dead
And, yeah, you're next
But it seems no one has told you yet
So hardcore
You must be sore
You come on like a major threat
Face - I know you like it hard 'n' straight
Face - Think I'll hang around and wait
Hey, old school - yeah, you were cool
But that was back in the day
Yeah, that was back in the day
Well, take a bow
Harder than thou
You scream "Guilty" like a Judge on high
Well, beat them back
The New Jacks
More than music it's a way of life
10 Freeze-Dried (F)lies (04:00)
Abusive excuses are all I have to hold
Use and re-use to explain why I'm so cold
One for headaches
One for stress
But the one for fear's the one I like best
Abusive excuses they save me everytime
The slow slide down
You never can see it
The slow slide down
You always believe it
Destructive impulses and cowardice and lies
Buzzing back to life like freeze dried flies
Flies for love
and flies for sex
But the flies for fear are flies I like best
Impulsive destruction is where my talent lies
The slow slide down
You're trying to change me
It's all my fault
But you never blame me
It's in everything we do
One for love
and one for sex
But the one for fear's the one I like best
This act is a bore but it makes me who I am
The slow slide down
You never can see it
My act is a bore
You always believe it
It's in everything we do
11 Fritz's Corner (02:51)
I'm not mad
I'm just bored
And everything I do is only because
There's nothing much else for me to do
And that includes you x2
Messing around with you x3
Piss away potential
Everyday is a waste
And I'm wasted everyday
There's nothing much else for me to do
And that includes you x2
Messing around with you x3
You see me now a little bit clearer
The face I make when I'm looking in the mirror
It gives me away, the things that I say
You think you know where I'm coming from
The words I say when I'm playing dumb
It gives me away x4
One more thing before we go
I've stepped over everyone I know
Everyone I know x2
You see me now a little bit clearer
The face I make when I'm looking in the mirror
It gives me away, the things that i say, it gives me away
You think you know where I'm coming from
The words I say when I'm playing dumb
It gives me away x3
I'm always ashamed
I'm always ashamed,
and that's no way to be x8
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