Author Archives: Chris Moore

The Weezer Compilation – Playlists on Parade

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By Chris Moore:

With Weezer’s eighth studio album – and the third in three years – being released next week, I thought this would be the perfect time to reorganize, update, and publish my Weezer compilation.

Of course, after Tuesday, it will be in need of an update once again…

I haven’t adjusted my Weezer playlist since 2007, so the necessary selections from The Red Album and yes, even Raditude have been added, namely “Pork and Beans” and “Troublemaker” from the former and “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” and “Put Me Back Together” from the notoriously inferior latter.  “Put Me Back Together” is the only addition that I’m not fully committed to, having to knock out “Fall Together,” one of my favorites from Maladroit, and “The Damage in Your Heart,” a great song from Make Believe that is just a bit too slow and a bit too long for this compilation.

I’m certain that this list won’t please every Weezer fan.  Some may argue content (songs that don’t deserve top billing, songs that should’ve made the cut) and others may argue order (“Why is ______ so far down the list?!,” etc.), but that’s half the fun of creating a compilation like this.

I didn’t originally intend to order the tracks in bursts of chronological order, but I just loved the flow and transitions when I arranged them like this.  With the exception of the last three songs, the order (as you will no doubt pick up on quickly) is in order of album release: two full runs through their seven album catalog and a Blue Album-era outtake to kick off the third round, which extends to Maladroit before I alter the balance with extra tracks from The Green Album, Maladroit, and Make Believe.

The bottom line is that Weezer is one of the best rock bands of all time.  They’ve recently become embroiled in a critical cluster-cuss, but the dissension really extends back to Maladroit, which is – in this writer’s opinion – one of the finest rock albums of all time. Criticizing Weezer’s recent music has become a very acceptable, reasonable even, practice, one that I’ve contributed to with regards to 2009’s Raditude.

Meanwhile, Weezer rocks on.

I say, let’s rock on with them.  If you can’t applaud their recent work, then you should at least appreciate the attitude.  And, after a run through the compilation below, you just might remember why Weezer deserves so much respect.  They may not be the smartest lyric-writers or even musicians out there, but I dare you to find a band that’s more consistently fun to listen to!

1)  “My Name is Jonas” – Weezer (The Blue Album)

2)  “The Good Life” – Pinkerton

3)  “Don’t Let Go” – Weezer (The Green Album)

4)  “American Gigolo” – Maladroit

5)  “Beverly Hills” – Make Believe

6)  “Pork and Beans” – Weezer (The Red Album)

7)  “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” – Raditude

8)  “Buddy Holly” – Weezer (The Blue Album)

9)  “Pink Triangle” – Pinkerton

10)  “Island in the Sun” – Weezer (The Green Album)

11)  “Dope Nose” – Maladroit

12)  “Perfect Situation” – Make Believe

13)  “Troublemaker” – Weezer (The Red Album)

14)  “Put Me Back Together” – Raditude

15)  “Jamie” (Live Acoustic) – Dusty Gems and Raw Nuggets

16)  “Say It Ain’t So” – Weezer (The Blue Album)

17)  “Why Bother” – Pinkerton

18)  “Photograph” – Weezer (The Green Album)

19)  “Keep Fishin’” – Maladroit

20)  “Hash Pipe” – Weezer (The Green Album)

21)  “Slave” – Maladroit

22)  “The Other Way” – Make Believe

Running Time:  71 minutes

Editor’s note: this post was originally published before December 2015; the exact original date is uncertain.

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WCJM Free Internet Radio Station: “The Christmas Vacation Show” – 2006

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By WCJM Free Internet Radio:

Three years is a long time. In three years, spanning 1999-2001, WCJM did 15 Moore Hits in the Morning Shows. That’s five a year. After the Best Original Christmas Song Show in late 2003, WCJM took a three-year unplanned hiatus.

The WCJM free Internet radio cast was growing up. Jeff had gotten married, Jim, Chris, Alberto, and Dave were all finishing college. Mike and Matt were halfway through college already. But, Christmastime is a season that brings everyone back home. So, three years after their last show, the ENTIRE WCJM cast went back to do another.

Actually, it had been since 2001 when the only WCJM show with all seven cast members took place. So, this was actually five years in the making. The Christmas Vacation Show, as it came to be called, would showcase some great new Christmas music alongside some forgotten old classics.

Not only was the entire cast of Chris, Jim, Mike, Alberto, Dave, Matt, and Jeff present, but everyone contributed. There were just as many skits as songs, and the laughs kept on comin’! Matt’s new Best Buy related standup, Jeff’s usual cast of characters, Jim’s mound of material, Dr. K’s epic “Gnome for the Holidays”, and even a skit by Chris all made this show very memorable.

A lot of fun was made about how “old” the cast was getting, but if it’s bringing old friends together, age really doesn’t matter. Everyone had a great time on the show and you can tell just by hearing it that everyone really loves each other’s company.

So, add another comedy radio show to the list of Christmastime must-listens. This one, though, will make you realize how important spending time with your best friends means. Even if you can only get together every three years.

Editor’s note: this post was originally published before December 2015; the exact original date is uncertain.

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The Top Five Rock Artists of the Decade (2000s): NUMBER FOUR is Jack Johnson

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This is the second in a five part series dedicated to the top five rock artists of the decade, 2000-2009.  The criteria used to determine this list were: (1) Quality of Music, (2) Quantity of Released Material, (3) Diversity of Media, and (4) Roles of Artists/Band Members.

By Chris Moore:

For an artist whose entire recorded career is contained within this one decade, Jack Johnson has compiled an expansive and impressive catalog.  He has matured quickly, enough to form his own record label and to gain the respect of some of the biggest names in rock music.

As I type this, I’m listening to the live En Concert version of “Constellations,” a duet with Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, performed as comfortably as if they were buddies jamming in their parents’ basement.

Most notable of all is the manner in which Jack Johnson has achieved success — namely, by recording chart-topping albums in an age when singles are all the rage and illegal downloading has cut many artists’ sales.  In a mere nine years, Johnson’s repertoire extends across four studio albums, a soundtrack, three concert DVDs, and a live CD.

Without a doubt, Jack Johnson is one of the top rock artists of the decade.

AN ALBUM GUY, AN ACOUSTIC GUY…

Just to recap:  singles ruling the music kingdom, illegal downloading killing sales, music stores closing their doors.

Well, you wouldn’t know it by the way Jack Johnson has built his career.  Thus far, it’s gone down something like this…

2001: Brushfire Fairytales, a mix between conventional (read: acoustic) and catchy/quirky, a debut album that manages to crack the top forty in the U.S., rising all the way to number 34 despite the fact that the only single released faltered on the fall line, forty slots lower.  Songs like “Inaudible Melodies,” “Flake,” and “Losing Hope” were already outstanding, while others shared the promise of thematic (“The News”) and lyrical (“Posters” – “Here comes another one, just like the other one”) material to come.

2003: On and On, a darker, more lyrically interesting album, a follow-up that skyrockets to number three in the U.S. and manages multi-platinum sales globally.   You wouldn’t know it from the U.S. singles charts, but there are some tremendous songs here — “Taylor,” “The Horizon Has Been Defeated,” “Gone,” “Holes to Heaven” — the list goes on…

2005: In Between Dreams, a veritable “best of” collection, an instantly classic album with a crystal clear sound and a beautiful sense of atmosphere, a true masterpiece.  It hit number two in America, and in a rare case of the UK being behind, they finally caught wind of Johnson as he topped the charts there.  It’s all here — the carefree, relaxing (“Banana Pancakes,” “Better Together”), the serious, politically-charged (“Crying Shame,” “Good People”), the good love songs (“Do You Remember?) and the jilted love songs (“Sitting, Waiting, Wishing”).

2008: Sleep Through the Static, billed as “Jack Johnson gone electric,” an even calmer, lower-key record than he had ever produced before, one that takes some time to grow into.  This is a case of each individual song being great — played in order, the “chill” factor is too much at times.  Not the strongest note to end the decade on, but it leaves us with some wonderful tracks like “All At Once,” “If I Had Eyes,” “Go On,” and “They Do, They Don’t.”

JAPAN, THE GREEK, AND EN CONCERT

His career as a professional athlete — surfer — may have been brief, but Johnson hasn’t stopped moving in this career, either.

And there are the films to prove it.

Live in Japan is more than just a concert DVD; it is a documentary of the On and On tour.  Then, as if that wasn’t enough, comes A Weekend at the Greek, an even more interesting, visually stimulating documentary of two concert dates on the In Between Dreams tour.  I’ve seen a good number of rock documentaries and live DVDs over the years, and believe me when I say that the latter (The Greek) is perhaps the best I’ve seen.

En Concert, released last year, was the final Jack Johnson release of the decade, and his first CD/DVD combo.  Excellent, colorful booklet?  Check.  Great setlist?  Double check.  Some great guest duets?  Triple check (J Radio, Paula Fuga, and Vedder).

In any rock artist’s career, the ratio between studio albums and live albums must be carefully balanced.  From the outside, three live CDs and/or DVDs may seem excessive when held up against four studio recordings, but Jack Johnson somehow managed it.  He was smart to release Japan as a bonus disc with The Greek, and he held off on a companion CD until En Concert.  This was a rare circumstance of the overlap between smart marketing and an affordable, fan-friendly strategy.

WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS — COLLABORATIONS AND OTHER VENTURES

If this was all Johnson produced this decade, it would be more than enough.  However, he wasn’t content to stick to these traditional products alone.  He took on the task of recording the Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the film Curious George soundtrack, involving others like G. Love, Matt Costa, and Ben Harper.  This was not only a strong release, but also featured some of the strongest tracks of his career — “Upside Down” (his highest charting single at #38), “Broken,” “Wrong Turn” — as well as some of the silliest, albeit catchiest — “The Sharing Song” and “People Watching.”

Meanwhile, he continued his interest and involvement in independent films (he did graduate as a film major, after all!), contributed to numerous high profile tribute releases (“Mama, You Been on My Mind” for I’m Not There, “Imagine” for Instant Karma, “Someday at Christmas” for This Warm December), and nurtured the careers of the several artists on his Brushfire Records label.

My respect for Jack Johnson is multiplied when I consider how he accomplished all these things on his own in less than ten years.  He is a unique voice and sound in modern rock music, as well as a prolific artist, and as such, I was not surprised to hear that, a mere month into the new decade, he has already returned to the studio to work on his fifth album, due out in June 2010.

Even with my disappointment after Sleep Through the Static, I can already feel my anticipation building!

Editor’s note: this post was originally published before December 2015; the exact original date is uncertain.

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“Please, Mrs. Henry” (Bob Dylan Cover)

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For Bob Dylan chords / tabs / lyrics, CLICK HERE!

By Chris Moore:

And, just like that, I’m back with my second session of the night!

As a follow-up to my previous music video, this is “Please, Mrs. Henry,” also from Bob Dylan’s 1975 release The Basement Tapes. Generally, I am most impressed with complete, clean studio recordings of songs from my favorite bands, yet there are many instances of great music being created when an artist has stripped away at all the usual standards and practices of studio recording. A most recent — and admittedly weird — instance of this is the re-release of Beck’s early nineties indie rock release One Foot in the Grave. While this album really isn’t the kind of music I’ll be showing off to my friends, there is this really raw and unique sound to it. One of the benefits to these types of recordings is the quantity of music usually available — i.e. 24 Basement Tapes tracks and 32 tracks on the aforementioned Beck album. In the first 16 album tracks, songs like “Cyanide Breath Mint,” “Asshole” (later covered by Tom Petty for the She’s the One soundtrack!), and “Painted Eyelids” would never make it anywhere near the radio. I love the lyrics and sound to some of the bonus tracks, as well — “Favorite Nerve,” “Burning Boyfriend,” and, “Feather in Your Cap” to name a few.

Of course, with these types of recordings, there are always going to be throwaway tracks and songs that will make you want to say, “What was he thinking?!” But that’s to be expected…

Getting back to the Laptop Session at hand, “Please, Mrs. Henry” is one of the songs I initially disliked from this album. More specifically, I found it kind of plain. Now that I’ve gone back to it — specifically during my Bob Dylan mp3 marathon earlier this month — I have a newfound appreciation for the lyrics as well as the music. Where else can you get the perspective of a singer/narrator who is not only telling you he is drunk, but actuallly sounds drunk while he’s doing it? Dylan’s inflection aside, how else can you read lyrics like “I’ve been sniffin’ too many eggs…Drinkin’ too many kegs” or “I’m groanin’ in a hallway; pretty soon, I’ll be mad” or, who could forget, “Why don’t you look my way and pump me a few?”

Great stuff.

With that, I’ll leave you to watch my interpretation of one of the many songs on The Basement Tapes that have been capturing the attention of fans since it was recorded in 1968. Even before the album was officially released, these tracks became some of the most bootlegged songs in rock music history. (Think: Great White Wonder.) And now you have my version to add to the mix. It certainly doesn’t approach the level that Dylan’s on, but it was a lot of fun to try! (Check out the chords, linked at the top of this post, so you can play, too…)

See you next session!

Editor’s note: this post was originally published before December 2015; the exact original date is uncertain.

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