Obscurity #3: Late! - "Pocketwatch" (feat. Dave Grohl!)

I had originally intended to post this album months ago – the draft file has been sitting in my posts folder for more than six months – but I never got around to writing the complete post (or downloading the complete album, for that matter). At any rate, here is something to finish the year out right.

In a sense, this album isn't actually as obscure as it sounds. In fact, this tape is the result of two studio sessions done by Dave Grohl. Yes, the "Godlike Genius" himself, part of the biggest rock band of the current generation (Foo Fighters) and the previous one (Nirvana), not to mention his countless other projects. Finding himself with a bit of downtime in between joining Nirvana and recording that album, Grohl sat down for two recording sessions in late 1990 and early 1991.

The result? Ten great songs that showcase Grohl's multi-instrument virtuosity and early knack for songwriting, in addition to foreshadowing the greatness that was to follow his abbreviated stint in Nirvana. Save for a backing vocal part on "Petrol CB," he recorded all of the vocals and instruments for the album himself, setting a precedent for the recording of the first Foo Fighters album. In fact, the album as a whole is essentially a Foo Fighters' "0" album, a muddy predecessor, the Bleach to the self-titled album's Nevermind.

The fresh-faced energy that dominated early Foos albums is easily recognizable throughout much of the record's music, though Grohl doesn't exactly come across as the stadium-filling frontman we have come to know and love. The intermittent vocal shakiness doesn't ever detract from the songs though; if anything, it only adds to the low-fi charm. "Pokey the Little Puppy" opens the album, the title a nod to the Little Golden Books classic, and the drum-driven instrumental track provides an excellent example of the Little Golden Boy's percussive ferocity that would soon power Nirvana's breakthrough album.

One of the album's standout tracks is "Throwing Needles," an uptempo rocker in the vein of such self-titled album songs as "Good Grief" or "Wattershed." Indeed, the song proves to be just as explosive as the heaviest of Foos tracks. Another Pocketwatch song utilizing a similar formula just as well is "Winnebago," which Foo Fighter fans might recognize as an early Foos B-Side. The re-recorded version ended up as the flipside to "Exhausted," as well as "This is a Call" and the US version of "Big Me."

This was not the only Pocketwatch track that Grohl redid for later albums, as the album's two acoustic tracks, "Color Pictures of a Marigold" and "Friend of a Friend" both popped up again in re-recorded versions. The former song, shortened to "Marigold," appeared on Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box" single just a few years later in a version recorded by Grohl and Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic. It later received the Foo Fighters treatment, along with "Friend of a Friend," on Skin and Bones, a live acoustic album. A studio version of "Friend" also ended up on the acoustic disc of 2005 two-disc album In Your Honor.

Overall, Pocketwatch is surprisingly (or maybe not surprisingly) good. Fans of Nirvana, the Foo Fighters, or any of Grohl's projects will appreciate both the sounds and the step back in time. From the introverted acoustic numbers to the Nirvana-esque noise-freakout of "Bruce," these ten tracks are an indication of great things to come and showcase Dave Grohl before he became everyone's favorite frontman.

Tracklisting:

1. Pokey the Little Puppy
2. Petrol CB
3. Friend of a Friend
4. Throwing Needles
5. Just Another Story About Skeeter Thompson
6. Color Pictures of a Marigold
7. Hell's Garden
8. Winnebago
9. Bruce
10. Milk

Supergrass: In it for the Money (1997)

Considering that I have nearly a 5-week break from school, I should be able to post a few albums. I may even write up the previous post, like I said I would do forever ago.

First up: a classic album that I've just recently rediscovered. I went through a huge Britpop phase during my sophomore and junior years of high school (which, even then, was a decade too late), and Supergrass was one of my favorite bands throughout those years. Back then, I preferred their first and last album to anything in the middle of their prolific back catalog, but as my music tastes have matured a bit, I have come to realize that 1997's In It for the Money may very well be my favorite of theirs.

On the heels of their successful first album I Should Coco, released in 1995 to much acclaim (even gaining some American fanfare with the classic ode to youth, "Alright"), Supergrass returned two years later to offer a brilliant sophomore album. This time around, they brought more ambitious experimentation, broader instrumentation, and all the ostentation one would expect from a Britpop band, without sacrificing an ounce of the energy and fun that made their first album so great.

Anchored by four strong singles, the album hit #2 on the British charts, while selling more than one million copies worldwide. "Richard III," the second single and an album highlight, calls to mind the urgency of such Coco tracks as "I'd Like to Know" or "Lenny," adding a horn section to a catchy, almost "Nevermind"-esque melody (watch a brilliant 2004 live performance of this song in the video link below). Such songs as "Tonight" and "Going Out" recall the youthful whimsy, and no less whimsical instrumentation, of "Alright," though with a bit more of an edge. "Sun Hits the Sky," another fantastic single and one of my favorite tracks from the album, shows vocalist Gaz Coombes channeling his inner Bono with a great big vocal performance over a soaring, impossibly happy song.

Considering that In It for the Money is a remarkably consistent album, I could easily spotlight all 12 songs with a favorable word, but I'll reserve one final mention for closer "Sometimes I Make You Sad." After not listening to this album for four years, I had all but forgotten about every track on the album, save for this one; I effortlessly recalled it, smile intact, while listening to it for the first time in forever. Definitely the most interesting song that Supergrass ever did, this track features a carnival-esque, organ-driven melody over a vocal beatbox percussion loop. Yes, that's right. Intrigued? You should be. (Check out "Richard III" B-Side "Sometimes We're Very Sad" to listen to a hilarious excerpt from the recording session for the "drum" loop.) Though on paper the song sounds like little more than a novelty, its infectious melody and head-bobbing rhythm has ensured that this song has stayed on repeat since I rediscovered it a few days ago.

When an album can be described by the phrase "more mature sound," this may be grounds for many core fans of old to turn away, though this is certainly not the case for this album. Supergrass managed to retain all of the fun and excitement of I Should Coco while strengthening it with tighter melodies and songwriting, making In It for the Money a Britpop classic.



Track Listing:

1. In It for the Money
2. Richard III
3. Tonight
4. Late in the Day
5. G-Song
6. Sun Hits the Sky
7. Going Out
8. It's Not Me
9. Cheapskate
10. You Can See Me
11. Hollow Little Reign
12. Sometimes I Make You Sad