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Rating: "It is said that when a parent dies the child perceives the sense of mortality.
But when a child dies it is IMMORTALITY that the parent loses." - cit. from "American Horror Story" - Season 1, Episode 5.
On March 6, 2010, at the age of 48, Mark Linkous decided to silence the demons in his head by sweeping them away with a gunshot.
It is the family who made the incident public, but for them and for those who loved the SParKLeHOrsE there is little or nothing to be astonished about.
Already 15 years earlier, with a cocktail of alcohol and psychotropic drugs, the artist born in Virginia had tried in vain, managing "only" a coma and a few months in a wheelchair.
He found himself in London during the promotional tour of the first album under the name SH, with the unpronounceable title "Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot".
Recorded in his home studio in almost total solitude, (the "band" is actually Linkous himself) using a multitrack recorder and a lo-fi technique, the album is fragile and unstable.
Thus, songs conceived acoustically like the "morphine" "Homecoming Queen", "Spirit Ditch" and "Most Beautiful Widow in Town", carrier of a sickly simple and out-of-tune folk guitar solo, are born, grow, and die just as they were conceived.
The voice, as per usual, is almost never natural but filtered through an effect that slightly distorts the contours, heightening the melancholy.
"Weird Sisters", "Saturday", "Cow" and the swinging "Heart of Darkness" counterbalance tracks of rural and synthetic rock like "Rainmaker", a "Tears on Fresh Fruit" that seems to have come from the pen of Thurston Moore and "Hammering the Cramps".
Everywhere the sounds seem rough, but the sign of negligence is the charm of low fidelity in the recording phase.
After all, I am convinced that the closer you get to perfection the more you lose in spontaneity.
Brain and gut in music have contrasting roles.
Before leaving his final seal, with the work of the disturbed country of "Gasoline Horseys", Mark moves us with "Sad and Beautiful World".
"Sometimes days go by fast, sometimes this seems to have to be the last.
It's a sad and beautiful world. It's a sad and beautiful world..."
Heartily recommended to those looking for something beyond eating-sleeping-f***ing.
To the remaining 98% of humanity: "stay away, please!!!"
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
06 Tears on Fresh Fruit (02:07)
just when you've found your way to
the boiler room
they come and dig you out
with picks and shovels and
acetelyne torches
I couldn't do nothing but watch as her tears fell on fresh fruit
behind the boney walls of my skull
there was playing a lullaby
la la la la la la la la la la la, la la la la la
we're just trying to be free
of our bodies
our stomachs full of liquor
all our lungs
full of water
I couldn't do nothing but watch as her tears fell on fresh fruit
behind the boney walls of my skull
there was playing a lullaby
la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la, la
10 Hammering the Cramps (02:49)
hey little dog, can you fly?
hey little dog, can you fly?
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hey little car, can you fly?
hey little car, can you fly?
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
captain howdy's here but
we can't see him
we can't see them
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
oh yeah
14 Someday I Will Treat You Good (03:40)
Something going on around here
I could not crawl back if I tried
I couldn't wait around
I couldn't wait another second
Something going on around here
I left my baby on the side of the highway
She just couldn't see things my way
Someday I will treat you good
Someday I will treat you fine
Someday I will treat you good
You know I should
Everything that's made is made to decay
Well I'm shrinking bones in the sun
Won't you tell me why that
The beautiful ones are always crazy
She's whispering like Morticia now
I left my baby on the side of the road
I left her with a heavy load
Someday I will treat you good
Someday I will treat you fine
Someday I will treat you good
You know I should
Something going on around here
I could not crawl back if I tried
I left my baby on the side of highway
She just couldn't see things my way
Someday I will treat you good
Someday I will treat you fine
Someday I will treat you good
You know I should
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Other reviews
By zigghio
I see songs as little planets, they don’t have to be in alignment, if they orbit they become boring.
It is one of the masterpieces of the ’90s because ... you can find country-punk outbursts, post rock approaches, and also gospel.
By Alternativo91
The album opens with 'Homecoming Queen' which has a beautiful arpeggio, and a whispered voice, dreamy, melancholic to avoid when feeling down.
The most catchy song, however, is undoubtedly Someday I Will Treat You Good played with feedback and dissonances which indicate that the artist was far from making a pop piece.
By zaireeka
The songs are islands of wrenching beauty.
Great sensitivity has its price.
By Loconweed
Many have unjustly overlooked the EP, which can be considered an extension of the first album.
'The Hatchet Song' is a peculiar song in Linkous's discography for its use of piano.
