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Alexander Spence - Oar |
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ALBUM REVIEWSPick of the Chick: Our Favorite Releases, 1999-Present |
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No break-up in rock history was more dramatic than Alexander Spence's parting with Moby Grape in 1968. After an argument with a bandmate, Spence tried to settle the dispute with a fire axe. Nobody was injured in the ordeal; however, Spence was promptly fired from Moby Grape and committed to a mental hospital in New York. Spence had plenty of time to write new songs during his confinement, and upon his release six months later, he headed to Nashville to record his first (and only) solo album. Once in the studio, Spence was given total freedom by Columbia Records to mold his mad genius. Maybe the folks at Columbia had a fear of axes. The result of Spence's studio visit was Oar, a spectacular album documenting the thoughts and emotions of a madman. Many of Oar's songs are sparsely produced folk tunes. On "Broken Heart," Spence's vocals are backed only by an acoustic guitar. The song gives you the sensation of sitting around a campfire listening to Spence recount his twisted tales. Spence's less-is-more approach is also effective at showcasing his lyrical prowess. On "Weighted Down (The Prison Song)," he sings "weighted down by decision/weighted down by the gun/waited down by the river/for you to come." Spence's clever wordplay in this song delivers a subtle yet powerful message about infedelity and revenge. Other tracks on Oar veer into psychedelic territory. "War In Peace" sounds like a lithium-induced trip in which Spence's vocals float over reverbed guitar and bird whistles. On this song and other psychedelic tracks such as "Little Hands" and "Grey/Afro," Spence mumbles through his vocals. It's almost like he's talking to himself. The Sundazed label has reissued Oar with 10 bonus tracks that were not included on the original release. Many of these cuts seem to be sketches of songs that were never completed by Spence, but grouped here with many of the sparsely produced tracks from the original album, these songs hardly sound out of place. Oar is, hands down, the best reissue of 1999. If you can only afford to purchase one reissue this year, make it Oar. It's just that crazy and that good. PIGEONHOLE: The folk memoirs and psychedelic ramblings of a madman.
Andrew Helminger |
ALEXANDER SPENCE
