1996: Penthouse in the Woods

Scud Mountain Boys: Penthouse in the Woods

[purchase]

Joe Pernice holds an MFA in creative writing from The University of Massachusetts where he apparently learned less is more. His lyrics are sparse. They give flavor to the often moody songs he writes, but they explain nothing. "Penthouse in the Woods" could be about anything...but I'm thinking a murder is involved. The weapon: an airtight garbage bag. The singer's guilt can't be washed off stained gloves. The song comes from 1996's Massachusetts, the last album Scud Mountain Boys would record before Joe would head off with brother Bob and record the sensational Overcome By Happiness as The Pernice Brothers. Those who mourn The Scud Mountain Boys will be pleased to learn The Scuds have a five-date East Coast reunion tour beginning in mid January of next year. In 2009 Joe realized a life long dream by publishing his first novel, It Feels So Good When I Stop  via the hip Penguin imprint Riverhead Books.

By the way, the photo is of a Free Spirit Sphere I visited on Vancouver Island,BC.

Heaven Week: Holy Trinity Edition

John Lennon: God [purchase]

The Velvet Underground: Jesus [purchase]

The Scud Mountain Boys: Holy Ghost [purchase]

Perhaps it's the holy trinity in song titles, if not in the holiness of lyrical content. But it couldn't be a coincidence that these three songs are among the finest songs each of these artists ever came up with, could it? Surely there is a divine hand.

Though Lennon, Reed, and Pernice might argue the point, starting with Lennon's litany of things he doesn't believe in. "God" was a statement of independence if ever I've heard one--not only independence from religion and spirituality, but also from his former bandmates and indeed all musical peers. This signaled Lennon's ambition to be more than mere songwriter.

"Jesus," meanwhile, might be my favorite VU song. There is an emotional complexity to this song that isn't apparent from the lyrics alone, which in total are "Jesus, help me find my proper place / Help me in my weakness, 'cause I've fallen out of grace / Jesus." Is it a song written from the perspective of someone truly searching for redemption? Or is it laced in sarcasm? I can't be sure--heck, maybe I'm just projecting--but I detect the slightest bit of taunting in this track. I've never read anything by Reed to indicate his own feelings on the subject or the song.

Finally, "Holy Ghost," from the masterpiece that is Massachusetts. Again, God probably wouldn't be too happy with this one, about an addict and loser wishing he was still with his ex. It's lyrically tied to the earlier track from the album (not to mention Joe Pernice's best song ever), "Grudge Fuck," which is also about a loser calling up his ex out of a combined loneliness and lack of weed. With this song, which comes closer to the end of the album the loneliness is increasing. "I'd tempt the holy ghost to have you by my side" - talk about desperation!

Little Black Book: Helen

Scud Mountain Boys: Helen

[purchase]

This is the final track on the Scud Mountain Boys' second album, Dance the Night Away, and is a pretty clear sign of where the band was headed for their third and best album, Massachusetts. In other words: the studio. This song and "She Took His Picture" are both guitar-pickin' romps--forebearers of "Cigarette Sandwich" from the third album--unlike the dreary (in a good way) ballads that make up the rest of this album and the entirety of their debut, Pine Box. Both early albums were recorded to one microphone set up on co-songwriter Bruce Tull's kitchen table, which made for a couple of perfectly moody records that Pernice has certainly never recaptured.

Not that he's wanted to; he's clearly left lo-fi behind, and "Helen" was the first indication that that was his desire early on. It's a terrific, fun song. I love the way he sneaks Helen's name into the verses, as if the original lyrics were more anonymous but he couldn't keep from dropping his woman's name out the side of his mouth.