I won't try to hide the fact that I have thrown myself on the altar-- I'm an MMJ disciple. And because I cannot profess to being objective when it comes to this deliciously hard-rockin' Kentucky outfit, this is not necessarily a review. It's an opportunity to share the thought that this band going in an unexpected (but welcome) direction with the release of their latest record, Evil Urges.I mean, it would be easy to expect more hair-raising, head-shaking, ear-splitting, southern-fried rock anthems from Jim James and crew, but am I the only one who thinks this record sounds more like the Bee Gees were hanging out playing bocce with Beck when their friend Prince came over and they all started to get their modern-day soul-jam on? A tune like Thank You Too! is just too luscious to be crafted in this decade, or so I thought. I'm happy to be proven very wrong.
The show that My Morning Jacket treated fans to last week at Radio City Music Hall was a show that was as classy, mature, and truly awe-inspiring as the venue itself. The newer tunes are indeed slower than some of the epics we've come to love (like Lay Low or One Big Holiday), but nary a moment is wasted on these new efforts, and the sparse arrangements are rich when one knows just how much could have been packed in between each note. Had I been seeing this newer soul-licious version of MMJ in a hockey arena with a flask in my pocket, I admittedly might have wanted more head-banging. Seeing it at Radio City felt perfect, however, as the band seemed to channel tones that have echoed through the venue in days gone by.
The theatrical venue inspired whimsical frontman Jim James to explore its upper reaches, as you will witness as he serenaded the first balcony with some searing guitar riffs during a powerful Steam Engine, from their 2003 album It Still Moves. This song is a perfect example of how their gentle songcraft can suddenly accelerate into a blistering crescendo (which is the moment when James took advantage of his wireless setup to do some stairclimbing).(all MMJ RCMH photos courtesy Dino Perrucci)
And to offer some alternatives to those who still want their rock a little more, well, raucous, I will give you two extremes of rock, both hailing from my native country. The first is Canada's heir to the Tragically Hip throne, The Constantines, and just witness how they not only heartily endure a vicious hailstorm at the Gorge, but get the crowd whipped into an astonishing frenzy as they endure getting pelted. (Highlight comes at 2:45 when keyboardist Will Kidman climbs the rafters... thanks for this one, Mary!)
The other extreme is something that I fully expected to bring me shame-- the worst cover ever performed is by a Canadian? According to Total Guitar Magazine, Celine Dion's version of AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long gets top honors in the dregs department. But before you concur, just check it out and tell me if this clip doesn't define "guilty pleasure"... Maybe I love AC/DC too much, or maybe the hilarity of Celine and Anastacia changing the lyrics to describe a man are too good to hate. I mean, "knocking me out with his American thighs"? Let's begin with Celine not only air-guitaring her entrance, but then somehow combining the air guitar with a can-can on one stiletto-heeled leg? This woman is a brave, brave performer, and I deem this is too good to pass up. So sue me.
