Everything’s been up and down lately. Not much music has been coming out of me. It’s a block, but I know it’s temporary. I’ve started taking my Microtrack with me to a lot of places, as I find myself alone in the car, driving, and I’ll have a musical idea that I know won’t last more than 10 minutes in my head. I record a crude version of me humming or la-la-la-ing it out (quite embarrassing even when it’s just me listening back to it) so at least I’ll have that “really good idea” for a while, until I can get back to Logic.
What’s been inspiring me lately is Tripping Daisy’s “Jesus Hits like the Atom Bomb“, which is, hands-down, the best album I’ve ever heard. I bought it when it came out, in 1997, and at first, as with most music I end up loving, I didn’t like it at first. Why not? Because it wasn’t as “alternative-rock” as their previous album, “I am an Elastic Firecracker.” There wasn’t a track on there that could, at the time, match up to my then-favourite 9-minute grunge-opus “Prick“.
However, after only a few listens, I quickly came to realize that this was an amazing musical treat.
From the get-go, the ever-energetic “Field Day Jitters“, followed by the wonderfully epic “Waited a Light Year” (yes, we all know it’s not actually a measure of time), and all the way until the last murmurs of their Brainiac tribute, Indian Poker Parts II & III, “Jesus Hits…” is an ear-opening and emotional journey through a very abstract and candy-coated sonic landscape. I still, to this day, have it constantly playing in the car. I sing along to it. I don’t do that very often, but I can’t help but make an exception. Am I any good? No, but it my imagination, I’m awesome. This album makes me feel awesome. This album makes me feel more everything than anything that came before it. This one album has seen me through pretty much every good and bad time of my recent life, and I know it’ll be there for anything in the future. I know I’m coming off as some sort of fanboy, and because of that, I try each and every time to listen to it critically, objectively. In doing so, I’m still amazed by how it all comes together, so very fresh and dynamic, although I have found a few editing errors. One of the best things about this album is that I actually do notice new things every single time I listen. How could they ever follow it?
While I do very much enjoy Tripping Daisy’s post-humously released self-titled final album, it has its dry spots. This is very much not the case with “Jesus Hits…” If I wanted an amalgamation of both albums, I would simply add “Drama Day Weekend” and “Tragiverse” to it, but that might upset the flow of it all.
I’d love to give all credit to the band itself, and I’m sure that that’s where the majority of it should be placed, but that would be overlooking a very important individual named Eric Drew Feldman. There are no words for the music this man produces. He knows how to hit those fantastic moments time and time again. Another one of my favourite Feldman productions is Frank Black’s “Teenager of the Year“. Speedy Marie, ahead of the now. She’s better built, that’s how. She’s built for speed.
I think I’m done gushing for one post. Next up, the sounds of post-apocalyptia.
