Almost ten years ago EVAN DANDO‘s THE LEMONHEADS released Varshons, their
9th longplayer. An album of covers from artists such as GG Allin, Wire, Leonard Cohen,
and Linda Perry, and with also guest performances from Liv Tyler, model Kate Moss and
guitarist John Perry of post-punk legends The Only Ones.
On 8 February 2019 the follow-up VARSHONS II will be out with versions of songs by famous names such as the Eagles, Lucinda Williams, Florida Georgia Line, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds and an earlier revealed Yo La Tengo beauty. Also on the LP will this electrifying rendition of OLD MAN BLANK from British cult rockers The Bevis Frond (1985-present). Check it out right here…
Tracklist: Can’t Forget (Yo La Tengo) / Settled Down Like Rain (Jayhawks) / Old Man Blank (The Bevis Frond) / Things (Paul Westerberg) / Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness (John Prine) / Abandoned (Lucinda Williams) / Now And Then (Natural Child) / Magnet (NRBQ) / Round Here (Florida Georgia Line) / TAQN (The Eyes) / Unfamiliar (The GiveGoods) / Straight To You (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) / Take It Easy (The Eagles)
Almost ten years ago THE LEMONHEADS released their 9th studio album entitled Varshons. A record of covers from artists such as GG Allin, Wire, Leonard Cohen, and Linda Perry with guest performances from actress and Aerosmith frontman’s daughter Liv Tyler and model Kate Moss and guitarist John Perry of legends The Only Ones playing
on five tracks.
On 8 February 2019 the follow-up covers LP VARSHONS II will be launched with versions by Dando and his band of songs by big names such as the Eagles, Lucinda Williams, Florida Georgia Line, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds and one beauty from New Jersey veterans Yo La Tengo. Here’s the charming and tender CAN’T FORGET…
Tracklist: Can’t Forget (Yo La Tengo) / Settled Down Like Rain (Jayhawks) / Old Man Blank (The Bevis Frond) / Things (Paul Westerberg) / Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness (John Prine) / Abandoned (Lucinda Williams) / Now And Then (Natural Child) / Magnet (NRBQ) / Round Here (Florida Georgia Line) / TAQN (The Eyes) / Unfamiliar (The GiveGoods) / Straight To You (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) / Take It Easy (The Eagles)
Going back in sonic history looking for memorable albums…
11 October 2018
Band: THE LEMONHEADS
Album: COME ON FEEL THE LEMONHEADS – sixth longplayer
Released: 12 October 1993 – 25 years ago
ALL MUSIC wrote: “In many ways, it’s the most interesting record that the Lemonheads have released because it finds Dando confused about everything, particularly love, both for girls and drugs, and his burgeoning fame. There are moments of self-indulgence, whether it’s the aimless piano instrumental “The Jello Fund” or two versions of the drug-obsessed “Style,” yet they are as essential to the album’s desperate tone as the heartbreaking acoustic ballad of “Favorite T.” Between those two extremes is some of the finest power pop and country-rock Dando has ever written…” – Full review here – Score: 4/5
TURN UP THE VOLUME! says: Evan Dando‘s songwriting talent was much bigger than his looks. A thing the popular press only valued fully after they consumed the man’s personal persona first. Dando was a musical master in wrapping his troubled-mind-reflections into highly sticky and melodic pop, country & blues earworms. Magnificent album!
TOP TRACKS: Into Your Arms / It’s About Time / Style / Big Gay Heart
* INTO YOUR ARMS – affecting romanticism, jangly beauty
* IT’S ABOUT TIME – “It’s about time / Lick my lips / And I won’t hear the end of this”
For some (obvious) reasons EVAN DANDO, frontman of THE LEMONHEADS reminded
me frequently of the late country legend Gram Parsons. Because both were highly cute
in appearance, highly talented as singer-songwriters and highly hooked on drugs and alcohol. Two destructive characters loved by many for their heart & soul touching songs. Parsons, unfortunately, died – only 27 – on 19 September 1973 after a lethal combination of alcohol & morfine. Boston troubadour Dando, luckily enough for him, despite serious health problems caused by his huge appetite for all sorts of dangerous hallucinogens he could get his hands on, survived after many falls and rises and still performs now & then.
Enough about evil things, I’m here to celebrate the 20th birthday of The Lemonheads‘ seventh album, released on 14 October 1996. A raw, unpolished, almost masterpiece record to my ears. On CAR BUTTON CLOTHDando did what he did so gloriously good
at the time: picking up his guitar and playing catching and moving jingle jangle songs like Mr. Tambourine Man used to do. He created gripping melodies to wrap his everything-is-broken stories (gems like Losing Your Mind, Break Me and Hospital) in. He used pop, blues, country, just any vibe that suited his troubled-mind-reflections to express his pain, his fear, his doubt, his love & hate and his mental disorder. “Tired, tired, tie a knot and try to untie it / Just can’t decide if I should lie / Or tell the truth and try to hide it” he murmured on Losing Your Mind . It said a lot about his chaotic behaviour, exploited viciously by greedy press sharks.
“I don’t wake up with a sudden start, but with empty arms and a broken heart” is a loud and clear line of It’s All True, the opening track. I experienced (and still do) Car Button Cloth as a public scream for help by somebody who knew he messed up, but who still cared. Admit it, many of us like that kind of rock and roll exorcism, as long there’s a happy end, of course. Because hurt souls are capable of producing awesome music drenched with recognizable emotions and human drama. There are plenty of examples available, then and now. Oh, yes, I just said almost masterpiece because near the end of the album his voice – tortured by anything he smoked and/or swallowed, I suppose – lost direction sometimes in a way that it affected the momentum of some songs. Maybe, he was too tired or too intoxicated (and the producer probably fell asleep too) to get back to those very moments. I actually wonder what really happened back there, back then, in the studio. Anyway, I played the whole album three times in a row – yes, I was forgotten how immensely touching it was – and I selected (a difficult process), three top tracks…
I love the cool ‘I just sing what I like‘ attitude of Australian singer-songwriter COURTNEY BARNETT. Her two albums, so far, prove she’s a damn good composer and an enthralling storyteller. No wonder she’s a huge fan of troubled Boston troubadour Evan Dando and his Lemonheads who released some excellent alt pop albums in the nineties. Barnett is particularly fond of their 1993 LP Come On Feel The Lemonheads. Her own performance of touching love track BEING AROUND is just enchanting…
. If I was in the fridge, would you open the door? If I was the grass, would you mow your lawn? If I was your body, would you still wear clothes? If I was a booger, would you blow your nose? Would you keep it? Would you eat it? I’m just tryin to give myself a reason, for being around.
If I was the front porch swing would you let me hang? If I was the dance floor would you shake your thing? If I was a rubber check would you let me bounce Up and down inside your bank account? Would ya trust me, not to break you? I’m just tryin really hard to make you, notice me being around.
If I was a haircut would you wear a hat? If I was a maid, could I clean your flat? If I was the carpet would ya wipe your feet, In time to save me from mud off the street? If you like me, if you love me, why don’t you get down on your knees and scrub me? I’m a little grubby From being around.
‘Perfect Day’
Covered by KIRSTY MACCOLL & EVAN DANDO
Original by LOU REED
Just one of those rare, magical moments when two memorable artists come together
to cover a timeless classic of a legendary icon in an unforgettable, touching way. That’s what the gorgeous KIRSTY MACCOLL and Lemonheads troubadourEVAN DANDO did with PERFECT DAY, one of the highlights on LOU REED‘s 1972 album Transformer. They turned this reflective diamond into something really touching special. Dreamy, romantic and heartwarming. You actually can feel the wondrous sensation of a ‘perfect day’. And, yes, the fact that MacColl and Reed already left us for another universe colors this pearl exceptionally melancholic. I guess we should cherish every single day to come…
This cover was the closing track on Kirsty Maccoll‘s 1995 compilation LP, titled GALORE.
Original PERFECT DAY version on TRANSFORMER – Reed’s second album – 1972
Going back in sonic history looking for memorable albums…
22 February 2018
ARTIST: EVAN DANDO
ALBUM: BABY I’M BORED – his solo debut Lp (with Dando’s ex-wife
Elizabeth Moseson the album’s cover)
RELEASED: 25 February 2003 – 15 years ago…
BBC Music wrote: “It’s hard to write any review of Evan Dando’s debut album without using phrases like ‘return from the wilderness’ or ‘long-awaited comeback’. However recent interviews with Dando reveal a man hardly contrite about his lost weekend that lasted 5 years! It has to be argued that being lazily labelled as grunge’s poster boy and hanging around with Courtney Love would send any man over the edge. Yet let’s not forget that Dando is the king of the dissolute lyric, and there’s definitely something awry if this album doesn’t make you feel like curling up with a bottle of Tequila. Don’t worry it does. The lo-fi production by Bryce Goggin and Jon Brion (who contributes several co-writing credits) focuses firmly on Dando’s voice. It’s lost none of its ability to deliver memorable hooks with the kind of insouciant charm that thankfully hasn’t been diminished by his legendary self-abuse. For all its low-key charms, this is a positive reaffirmation of the talent we all knew Dando had in him. Let’s just hope that he’s now on to more productive ground. Give us more Evan, now!”
TURN UP THE VOLUME! says: a poignant album for the midnight hours, a sonic companion for lonely moments, a string of unpolished, honest songs for melancholic reflections. Half-light reveriers and semi-darkness musings…
THREE HIGHLIGHTS: Hard Drive / It Looks Like You / All My Life
* HARD DRIVE – this is what quality songwriting is all about…
* IT LOOKS LIKE YOU – sweet, catchy humdinger…
* ALL MY LIFE – just b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l…
Here’s the deluxe edition of BABY I’M BORED
released in June, last year…
EVAN DANDO, former frontman of THE LEMONHEADS (1986–1997 and a reunion in 2005) was born 50 years ago – 4 March 1967 – in Essex, Massachusetts. Happy birthday to a highly talented, but also much troubled (drugs and alcohol) singer/songwriter who gave us some brilliant, compelling and impassioned pop music over the years. Next June his solo album BABY I’M BORED will be reissued. The 2CD/2LP set will include an extra disc of unheard and unreleased tracks, singles, b-sides and rarities and will be released via Fire Records that stated: “After The Lemonheads disbanded Dando returned to music first with a solo tour and live album ‘Live At The Brattle Theatre’ before recording ‘Baby I’m Bored’. Mature and autobiographical, the record stripped him of his grunge label. Self-deprecating, these are songs of decline and coming back from that. The albums/LPs will feature ‘Hard Drive’ and ‘All My Life‘, two tracks penned by Ben Lee and features contributions from producer/composer Jon Brion, producer Bryce Goggin, Tom Morgan, Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb, Calexico’s John Convertino and Joey Burns, ex-Spacehog frontman Royston Langdon, Come’s Chris Brokaw and Arthur Johnson.”
To celebrate Dando‘s 50th birthday let’s go back in time and listen
to the original ‘Baby I’m Bored’ album. An underrated diamond…
