Continuing my discussion of the artwork of Kasabian's West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, we arrive at the liner notes. "Liner notes" hardly covers what is in the small booklet, with the majority of the booklet being dedicated to images of rather unsettling material. Among them, for a brief and incomplete run-down are a visual illusion, a series of statements in a document that is to look as though it is from the location the album is named after, a provocatively dressed woman with some kind of material completely covering her face and images of each member of the band superimposed over each other. Amongst other things.
I will now return to the music. As this album is in my top five list, it should go without saying that the music as a whole lives up to many of my standards, but several songs stand out. I discussed Underdog, which is a fantastic opening track, but the next song which deserves some discussion is Swarfiga, the third track on the album.
The actual song is good, but nothing overly special compared to the rest of the album. What really fascinates me is the name. Now, I'd like to mention the band "Slipknot" here. I'm not overly familiar with this group's work and don't really wish to be, but the fact that the name of this group simply is in reference to an easily untied knot is fascinating, as the groups genre and marketing make the name sound ominous and dark when it really isn't. Kasabian is probably the reverse, a simple name actually in reference to a member of the Manson Family. Swarfiga, however, is similar to the Slipknot example, to me at least. The dark sound of this name may have completely been avoided had I ever lived in the UK, as the meaning of the name is actually a cleaning product. Although this is a little bit of a let down, considering my thoughts on dark and vicious potential meanings of the phrase, is does show the skill of Kasabian, in giving such foreboding meaning to a cleaning product. What idiot named that product, anyway?
The next song that really deserves discussion is Thick As Thieves, track 6. This track is one of the biggest in how I perceived Kasabian. Although I believe they have released better songs, this is certainly among the most memorable, just due to the music, which is simultaneously dark and cheery, always making me thin of a character unknowingly heading to a grim end. The vocals just have so much personality. Throughout the song, the singer seems to switch from reminiscent to cheery, to philosophical, to proud, to very condescending, to angry ending in what seems to be almost homicidal to my ear. I'm not certain of the exact plot, and actually prefer the BS explanation I've cooked up. I think it's a discussion between two Victorian pickpockets, bragging about their exploits to a third party before one of the pickpockets realises that the other one isn't pulling his weight. Luring him out to a secluded location under the pretence of discussing their successes, the pickpocket kills the other, singing the most memorable part of the song (La la la la la, la la la la, la la la la la laaaaa) whilst digging the former friends grave. But maybe I'm just kind of nuts. The beginning of the next song, West Ryder Silver Bullet, is the downright creepiest moment on the album, with a strange woman talking about her friend, the maniac and his "electronic graffiti". Holy shit, that is disturbing.
A song which deserves just a passing note is track 10, Secret Alphabets, which just sounds like the grittiest, darkest track to ever see the light of day, losing any cheery exterior held by the other songs. This is a glimpse into what Kasabian can do, and thank holy Jesus that they hold off for the most part.
Now, my favourite song off of this album, which I have mentioned several times before, is Fire, track 11. The vocals are what draws me to this. Although the lyrics are somewhat bizarre and make no sense from a narrative angle, they show a disturbed mind, one which is incapable of seeing anything in the same manner a regular individual might. The vocals give this character life. Clearly handsome and charming in the exterior, seemingly up for anything, he quickly is revealed to be push and out for the thrill of events, to the degree he doesn't care who gets in the way of his next kick, even willing to put his own life and sanity on the line. When the thrill is achieved, the character moves along, unable to give event the slightest thought for the mess he has made of the lives of those who assisted him. But again, I might just be nuts and creating my own theories about these songs, but the band did claim that each song was designed to be about a person in the asylum, so my theory may hold just as much water as the next.
Overall, this album creates a much darker feel for Kasabian's work, one that they are yet to match in my opinion. One thing that really comes from the album is how old the music Kasabian is making seems to be. Every song seems to be out of a decade or century that is not the same as the release of this album. Underdog sounds like a 90's rock band gave the microphone to a lunatic. Thick As Thieves sounds like a deluded pick-pocket took over a folk band from the 70's. West Ryder Silver Bullet sounds as if a British Invasion era rock group met Satan. Fire? I can imagine a crooner and his backing group looking into the void.
Now, I don't know why this strange, dark album appeals to me so. I discussed the when earlier, but that still leaves severe gaps in the why. I think the thing to know about this album is that I don't feel it represents who I am. This may seem obvious or silly a thing to state, but this album represents something I am not. Also important to state is that I do not want to be anything like the emotions on this album. I don't want to be cool and disturbing, or slightly off-centre and dark. I'm happy to be the dreary but enjoying it person I am. I think the thing that appeals to me about the album is what separates it from "emo-rock". I'm sure you know the kind of music I'm talking about. The music in which everyone takes themselves completely seriously, nothing is "fun" and every single event discussed in the music is harsh and cruel. Kasabian is completely different. Sure, their music on this album is dark, but they don't take themselves seriously. Honestly, I think what appeals to me is the glee this group is surely taking in knowing just how strange and disturbing their music is. In such a eerie album, the joy the band must be taking in it is what I like. The other thing is that they don't ever resort to actually describing things. I'm aware of several groups who feel "dark" means describing gory and horrific events, often becoming almost comedic with the degree of emphasis they put on these events. Kasabian has everything reliant on steering your train of thought, connotations and associations, creating bizarre thoughts for you by carefully directing what you think about. This is clever, strange, new and just worth so much praise. I honestly don't know why this album didn't make my original list, looking at it in retrospect.
Although I'm probably close enough to enough ranting to justify ending the post, I'm going to carry on to the next album. This album was also originally not in the top five, but due to 5 & 3 not fulfilling my "qualifications" for a Top 5 album, this one shot up the list. This album was my true introduction to Australian hip-hop. Although I was familiar with groups such a Bliss 'n' Esso, The Herd and the like, I didn't know that this genre had as much talent in it as it did. The album is:
State of the Art by the Hilltop Hoods (2009)
2009 is starting to look like my year, isn't it? Anyway, this album has very similar context to the Kasabian album, so I won't repeat myself. I was actually attempting to work out which I obtained first to make this list: "An Elefant Never Forgets" by The Herd or this. This won out by just a few months.Now, I'm not going to go into the artwork of this album, as it just doesn't carry the same emotions as the Kasabian work. What this album does have, however, are enough fantastic lyrics to write a book of poorly received poetry.
There are two songs on this album which I feel just do not live up to the Hilltop Hoods canon: "She's So Ugly" & "Chris Farley".
She's So Ugly is the main problem song, representing everything I hate about hip-hop of any nationality. Before I start ranting, I am aware that this song is a metaphor for the record industry. That doesn't make it any better. If a song is going to have multiple layers, they better be fucking sure that every layer works.
My first problem is the sexism. I know that "she" is a metaphor, but still.... "You been used by too many guys and know I can't look you in the eyes"? What the fuck is wrong with you?
My next problem is the music. The opening bars have something to offer, but otherwise it just sounds like someone is just hitting a piece of metal repeatedly. Horrid, monotonous and just utterly pointless.
Finally, the sampling. They just sample a bunch of dickheads laughing like hyenas at insulting someone. This seems like a pointless piece of media to include.
Finally, the general metaphor. I understand the Hilltop Hoods are celebrating leaving Obese Records and starting their own recording company, Golden Era, but why the blatantly sexist and graphic use of a woman for a metaphor, or any person for that matter. I'm not going to offer any alternatives, but I'm more than certain there are a ton out there.
The real problem I have with this song is not how it makes me feel. Do you want to know why? Because every single conversation I get into about any genre of music eventually ends with me defending hip-hop against the world. I don't know many hip-hop fans, and I imagine anyone in the same situation has similar instances. Try defending tracks of the same calibre as "Toorali" by The Herd or "Fifty In Five" by the Hilltop Hoods when these artists are releasing the nails in their coffin. In the end, I spend most of my time defending The Herd because I'm sure they haven't released anything that will embarrass me in an argument.
"Chris Farley" I have less of a problem with, but it's just a really pointless party song, which feels incredibly out of place on this album. Although "She's So Ugly" is a hideous song, metaphor and anger are pretty much par for the course here.
Well, it may seem like a really strange move to open a rant on one of my favourite albums by telling you how sit it is, but tomorrow I'll give the other side of this argument, and just why I love this group and this album.
Feedback embrassed like a long lost friend.
H. Rourke
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