•
Rating: There are two things I have always liked about Kurt Cobain. Firstly, he was born on the same day as me, which allows me to brag a little, even though it doesn't help much with the girls. Secondly, he was a great rock connoisseur. Among his discoveries are the Meat Puppets, the Pixies—which, let's be honest, not too many people cared about before Cobain declared his love for them—and then the Vaselines.
The Vaselines were a little band of two Scottish kids named Frances McKee and Eugene Kelly, founded in 1986. They had only produced a few EPs and an LP. Just a handful of songs in total. Cobain tried to revitalize them, to the point of inviting them to open a Nirvana concert in Edinburgh. He attempted to do what Bukowski did with John Fante. Despite having such a guardian angel, the Vaselines never soared high in the golden skies of rock 'n' roll. They remained a so-called "cult" for a few passionate fans and indie pop fetishists, or what I believe is more accurately described as twee pop.
"The Way of the Vaselines" is a well-executed summary of their work, a distorted production where the melody seems to fit perfectly with an uninterrupted hum of the soul. It would probably have been a much-loved album by a young Torless or a young Holden. Let's face it; it's a record for eternal kids, even somewhat nerdy. The production, while a bit scrappy, and the writing, even somewhat raw, always manages to connect with our inner child. This probably struck Cobain to the point that he covered several of our beloved Vaselines' songs. The influences are very clear and range from the Jesus and Mary Chain to a certain cheeky electro-pop against the backdrop of a typical Albion-extracted new wave. At first listening, I understand that the two Scots might seem like a kind of Moldy Peaches avant la lettre, but upon deeper listening, you can see that their influence goes beyond the more melodic moments of Nirvana and reaches what I believe are Belle & Sebastian's best moments.
But what lies deep within this record, I think the best descriptions beyond names and labels can be found in smoky Scottish afternoons, in bedrooms with yellow and green patterned wallpaper, in the frail voice of a grandmother who, although we have already grown, insists on giving us butter cookies made by her once light and slender hands, now only wrinkled and aged. Those afternoons lost reading comforting coming-of-age novels or smoking cigarettes never finished, tossed halfway. These atmospheres are found in songs like "Molly's Lips", "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam", "No Hope". Then we go out, suspended as it were, to look for some second-hand books or to call at the phone booth a girl we like. At the booth because we ran out of credit on the cell phone. Then we return home, it's dinner time, and we start by drinking a few beers only to end up drinking even 5-6. We return to the record and feel like dancing in our bedroom. Just hopping around, and lo and behold, "The Day I Was Horse", "Dum-Dum", and the masterpiece "Son of a Gun" come to our rescue. And I assure you, their version is a million light years better than the Nirvana one present in "Incesticide".
And the girl we love, even if she's not right there next to you, she is still close, the Vaselines tell us: "sunshine is in my bedroom when you play". In the morning, we wake up with a dry mouth, we have to go to work or study, and those sounds accompany us. We no longer know the color of melancholy or the shape of joy; thanks to these songs, everything has mixed, and even the trees on the avenue near home seem to bend down to drink the water that the sky and the dew have thrown at their feet, not with the roots but with their mouths.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Son of a Gun (03:46)
Swing swing up and down,
Turn turn turn around,
Round round round and about and over again.
Gun gun son of a gun,
You are the only one, And no one else can take my place.
The sun shines in the bedroom when you play,
And the raining always starts when you go away.
02 Rory Rides Me Raw (02:28)
Galloping through the morning dew,
There is only one thing that I want to do to you,
And its true that I'm going to do it soon.
Rory rory ride rory
Rory rory ride rory
Rory ride me slowly,
Ride me raw raw raw.
Stride on your back rocking to ride,
I got the feeling we're gonna gallop alright,
And It's true that I'm gonna do it soon.
Galloping through the morning dew,
There's only one thing I that I want to do to you,
And it's true, that I'm gonna to do it soon.
It'll take three to satisfy me,
'Cause I'm more of a man than you'll ever be.
Rory, ride me slowly, ride me true, ride me true.
03 You Think You're a Man (05:43)
You think your a man but your only a boy,
You think your a man but your only a toy,
You think your a man but you just couldn't see,
You Weren't man enough to satisfy me.
Man boy.
04 Dying for It (02:22)
She said to me, would you like to be,
I got plenty of time, It's gonna take some time.
Ahhhh I'm hanging out.
I'm hanging out baby, I'm hanging out,
Ahhhh I'm hanging out.
I'm hanging out baby, I'm hanging out,
Ahhhh I'm hanging out,
Come on now, come along sing my song.
She said to me, we're gonna lie on the floor,
Cause we don't need to go and can choose some more.
I'm dying for something, oh what will it be,
I'm dying for you to do something to me.
05 Molly's Lips (01:44)
She said she'll take me anyway,
She'll take me everyway,
As long as she stays with me.
She said she'll take me everywhere,
She'll take me anywhere,
As long as I'm good and clean.
Kiss kiss Molly's lips
Kiss kiss Molly's lips
Kiss kiss Molly's lips
Kiss kiss Molly's lips
She said she'll take me everytime,
She'll take me anytime,
As long as she stays with me.
She said she'll take me everyday,
She'll take me anyday,
And it would be free..
06 Teenage Superstars (03:28)
I'm a teenage Jesus superstar without a mighty cross to bear,
And when mom complains about my hair,
I say hey mom I just don't care.
I'm in hell and the angels cry cause I'm trying to sell my soul,
And when mom complains about my clothes,
I say hey mom leave me alone.
Come on little girl, it's gonna be alright,
Come on little girl, it's gonna be alright,
I got one thing on my mind girl,
I got one thing on my mind and I don't care.
I'm a teenage Jesus superstar.
07 Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam (03:31)
Jesus don't want me for a sunbeam,
Cause sunbeams are not made like me,
And don't expect me to cry,
For all the reasons you had to die,
Don't ever ask your love of me.
Don't expect me to lie,
Don't expect me to cry,
Don't expect me to die for thee.
08 Sex Sux (Amen) (03:10)
I was born up an original sin,
Brought my two time in her slim virgin,
Father, Son and the Holy Ghost,
I'm the Sacred host, with the most.
I was born on Christmas day,
And all my people turned me away.
They said I'd be the one,
Borrow the life of the chosen son,
Doing the cross was not for me,
It's human life of chastity.
I was born on Christmas day,
And all my people turned me away.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
I got one thing to say, SEX SUX AMEN!
09 Slushy (02:00)
Long brown hair, eyes were green.
Prettiest girl I've ever seen,
And you'll never miss what you never had.
Oh, you'll never miss what you never had.
Long brown hair, eyes were gray.
Tried and tried to stay away,
And you'll never miss what you never had.
Oh, you'll never miss what you never had.
I do, I do,
I really miss you,
And if I'd only ask your name again.
10 Monsterpussy (01:43)
Monsterpuss, monsterpuss,
Meow, my monsterpuss,
Monsterpuss, monsterpuss,
Meow, my monsterpuss,
I'm gonna skin it and wear it as a hat,
On my head, everyday when it's dead.
I'm gonna skin it and wear it as gloves,
On my hands, everyday when it's dead.
I'm gonna skin it and wear it as a scarf,
Around my neck, everyday when it's dead.
11 Bitch (02:42)
I'm a real bitch
I'm a twisted witch
I'll screw you around
When your feeling down
I wonder around with my nose in the air
I bug all these losers, but I don't care
They might think they're better than me
But I'm gonna make them history
I've been around I've done all I can
I'll mess you a bud, I'll even steal your man
I've tried too hard, been pushed too long
Gonna put all you man where you belong
13 Oliver Twisted (02:49)
Once I had a friend called Oliver Twisted,
Who used to think he was a brand and gifted,
Stupendisly handsome, Beautifully smart,
He had no heart.
On his own he was all alone,
He wanted more than he ever got.
Once I had a friend called Oliver Twisted,
Who took life so slow that he occasionally missed it,
Permanently senseless, never on his brain, he had no brain.
Once I had a friend called Oliver Twisted,
Who lived on the edge or so he insisted,
Inteligently careless, hated rock and roll, he had no soul.
14 The Day I Was a Horse (01:29)
They say the story, hope it don't bore ya,
About they day I was a horse,
He said I've been a mourning and a better be a comming,
And he changed into a horse.
Where'd he go?
I don't know.
Whats he on?
Something strong.
Whats it?
Doing shit.
I think I'm on a muther fuckin trip.
He walks his house with a big bad mouth,
And he swallowed all my friends,
So I let him in and rescued the gang,
And he started up again,
He got kinda thinking and he started up a shaking,
And fell on the bed,
Forgot his swings how everything had changed,
Thought this might never end.
15 Dum-Dum (01:57)
I'm a real dum-dum, I'm a son of a gun,
I was born to walk, but I wanted to walk,
I'm a real dum-dum, I even left my mom,
Cause I get on my knees, and I do what I please.
Dum-dum,
Dum-dum,
Dum-dum,
Dum,
Dum-dum,
Dum-dum
I'm a real dum-dum, but I don't mind,
I got a dum-dum girl, we're two of a kind,
I'm a real dum-dum, I'm gonna find the sun,
I'm gonna do what I want, everyday that I please,
I'm a real dum-dum, Just look at the fun,
I'm gonna get my pics already, satan, satan,
I'm a real dum-dum, hey, I don't care,
If you wanted to know I'm a don't carebear.
16 Hairy (01:48)
I don't want to look like you,
Greasy hair and ugly too,
I just want to live in peace,
To lie in bed and stay asleep.
I don't need your company,
I'm so hungry and I can't sleep,
I'm real tired to even whine,
So don't come up and offer man!
I can do without you,
I've come this far on my own,
I don't need any helping hand,
Cause I'm, I'm a man.
17 Lovecraft (05:37)
Kill your friends,
Light your feet,
Do what I want,
Lovecraft.
Kiss your mouth,
Burn your hair,
Do what I want,
Lovecraft.
Blow your man,
Do what I want,
Taste your lip,
Lovecraft.
Pic your time,
Do what I want,
Do what I want,
Lovecraft.
19 Let's Get Ugly (02:19)
Time and again,
I think to myself,
Oh, watch me,
One less gun shell,
You are,
You are,
You are, ugly
You are,
You are,
You are, ugly
Oh, watch me,
Thats her alone,
I've started to cry,
I've started to moan.
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By tode
The fame of the Vaselines stops here.
You’ll love it. To be listened to in front of the window during a fall thunderstorm to remind yourself that, ultimately, even raindrops don’t like their job.
