Reviews
Dead Moon
Echoes of the Past
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Add to del.ico.us.Review Date: 2006-10-03
I am honoured to be reviewing the Sub Pop Dead Moon retrospective/collection that has just been released. Years ago, when music was pure and ulterior motives didn’t dictate a band’s sound and decisions, there might have been many bands like Dead Moon. Unfortunately, in 2006 bands like Dead Moon are on the verge of extinction. I find this sad, and yet it makes Dead Moon’s story all the more impressive. Gather around, children and I’ll tell it to you.
The husband and wife duo known as Dead Moon have been doing it their way -- and only their way -- for over twenty fucking killer years: no major label involvement (everything is self released), no videos, no mainstream radio play. Instead, their career has literally been carved out through relentless touring, word of mouth and an intense cult following that salivates for a chance to hear new Dead Moon music or see them in concert. This is rock music the way it was meant to be, the way it should be, and the way it is never going to be again.
With much of the back catalogue out of print, Dead Moon were faced with a bit of a conundrum, one which eventually led them to Sub Pop. Sub Pop, as you all know, are a well-established and respected indie label, and they were more than willing to put together a release spanning the greatest songs of Dead Moon’s career. The end result is a massive two-disc collection that has upwards of 50 songs and well over two hours of music. As for Sub Pop, they aren’t just happy to work with Dead Moon -- they are thrilled. The enthusiasm emoted in the emails sent by Sub Pop, talking about this collection, literally screams at you. You can’t help but feel excited too.
I suppose the beginning of the first disc is as decent a place to start as any. “Graveyard” establishes what you can expect right away. Fred Cole has a voice that you’ll never confuse for anyone else again. The best comparison I can think of is a more punk Neil Young, and even a touch of Meatloaf. The recording quality isn’t pretty, but it doesn’t have to be. It is rock, and nobody ever said it had to be clean. I’ve been bellowing out “I’m in graaaaaaaveyard” spontaneously for much of the weekend and Terri has been wondering where it comes from. This is where it comes from.
Usually Dead Moon’s songs are succinct, snappy and snarling, but “Dead Moon Night” is an anthem that quotes the band’s own name (and I bet is their most famous song that fans want to hear when they go to a show). Fred is on lead vocals and Toody acts almost like a punk rock cheerleader on backgrounds -- she chants out the letter “D” and Fred answers with “For disaster.” The extended format gives Fred sometime to show off his epic guitar skills.
Toody, Fred, and Andrew (drums) aren’t always encouraging you to throw up your horns and rock along; the slower songs might not have that instantly radiating quality that happens when you fall in love on first listen, but they have a way of sneaking up on you. If Jack White doesn’t have a shitload of Dead Moon albums in his collection then I shouldn’t have a website, because much of the White Stripes’ work sounds like it could be on a Dead Moon record. “I Hate the Blues” proves my point. It’s a slow jam with a compelling groove as Fred croons in his whiney, almost distant-sounding, frightened voice about hating the blues. Close your eyes and you can see this being sung in the seediest bar where everyone knows exactly where these lyrics are coming from. As the first disc winds down, Dead Moon slows it down again with “Can’t Do That” and I feel compelled to make the Neil Young comparison. Fred’s lyrics are so often times related to Toody, and that she is actually playing on the songs about their struggles in a relationship is a fascinating element. I wonder if it has ever been a sore point.
The live version of “54/40 or Flight” has me wondering if it would be worthy to trade away my first born in exchange for a ticket to see Dead Moon while they are still going at it. This is music that affirms how much you love music, know what I mean? It’s the shot in the arm that you need sometimes when running a pro bono website like TWM.
I’m glad that “DOA” managed to win Track-Fu, because in my opinion it’s easily the wickedest song on the list. I’d eagerly throw entire albums of mine off the balcony to smash to the ground in exchange for being able to own this one song. Simply put, it is an instant classic and if you hear it and aren’t sucked in to singing along with the letters “D O A,” then you are a better man than I.
And the hits keep on coming! The first disc is to this point my favourite music that is new to me that I have heard in 2006, so in comparison the second disc suffers somewhat. That isn’t really fair though, is it?
“Poor Born” has an almost bluesy-honky punk feel to it, both in the guitar that runs throughout but also in the way Fred tells his story and even brags a bit about the life that he has lived. As he puts it, he “has been screaming at the top of his lungs since nice 1965” and that his voice still sounds as bitchin’ as it does is straight-up a freak of nature.
In the mood to have your heartstrings tugged on instead of your socks rocked? “Somewhere Far Away” does the trick. I’d say about 75 percent of the songs fall on the rock side, but without these slower gems sprinkled throughout it would be a lot to ask to make it through the double album in one sitting. Every time you start to crave a slower song Dead Moon has one pop up; it’s very convenient.
When “Too Far Gone” ends and a few seconds pass by and you realize that this epic saga has finally come to a conclusion, it takes some serious resistance to not flip it back to the first disc and start all over again. I won’t mince words. This is the best new-to-me music I have heard in 2006. It won’t go on a year-end list because it’s not a new studio album, but if it qualified we’d have a No. 1.
If you are only going to buy one album this year, Echoes of the Past is that album. Enough said.
Score: 9.4
- Dan