Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Pass the Cracker Soul: The Forgotten Band---Cracker




Not really... but have you taken a listen? The band I am talking about has been around for quite along time and it's main singer and songwriter, David Lowery, has been in the rock n roll business even longer. The band I am talking about of course is Cracker, my favorite band not named U2 or Social Distortion. This is David's second successful band after Camper Van Beethoven. Lowery's attempts at songwriting rank at the top of all songwriters in modern rock. The best part about Cracker is how at one point they are such hard edged rockers with songs like "I Hate My Generation" or "Teen Angst" at one point and then laid back country songsters with "Eurotrash Girl" and "Mr. Wrong" and then mix it all together with songs like "Low" and "Sweet Thistle Pie".
(Look up the definition of Sweet Thistle Pie sometime!) Songs you should download: "St. Cajetan, Eurotrash Girl, Teen Angst, Useless Stuff, Cracker Soul and How Can I Forget You", Also the Camper Van Beethoven favorite: "Take the Skin Heads Bowling"

I have been craving Cracker music lately on the road so I loaded all the songs I have on my iPod. But I needed more. So I went to their label's site "Pitch A Tent Records" and found they had a limited release live album called "Live at Wavefest". Better hurry, only 1000 made!!! $15 for some of the best music around. Great live versions of the following songs:

  1. 100 Flower Power Maximum
  2. Pictures Of Matchstick Men
  3. Eurotrash Girl
  4. Teen Angst
  5. Big Dipper
  6. Take The Skinheads Bowling
  7. Sweet Thistle Pie
  8. St. Cajetan
  9. Get Off This
  10. Useless Stuff
  11. I Ride My Bike
  12. Low
The version of Eurotrash Girl is freaking awesome and so is I Ride My Bike. Great music for all Cracker fans.

One of the things I like about Lowery's songs is his word choices. He's out there on the east coast in the Carolinas and has that Southern Rock sound to his songs but has vast knowledge of the Santa Cruz/Monterey area as well as the Central Valley of California since Camper Van Beethoven was formed in Santa Cruz. The song "Big Dipper" is cool because he is referring to the wooden roller coaster at the Boardwalk.

Also great is the Cracker/Leftover Salmon album. Cracker songs with its original members along side a bluegrass band. What's better than hearing a banjo play "Teen Angst".

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