#24: Say Anything - Is A Real Boy
"And the record begins with a song of rebellion..."
I have to admit. I hated this cd when I first heard it. Kind of ironic that it now kicks off the under-25 portion of the countdown. I think I hated it because it was pushed down my throat by my roommate at the time. Also ironic? He and I now bond over the memories of this cd.
My initial thoughts the first time I heard the vocals of Max Bemis was "this is weird." And indeed, the cd is kind of weird. But Say Anything are... different. And in a time period where I was coming from Fall Out Boy and Yellowcard being my favorite bands (don't take that as disrespect to those guys) I guess I needed something different.
Ultimately, the song that got me was the classic "Alive with the Glory of Love." The beginning captures anybody's attention when he starts out "When I watch you / wanna do you / right where you're standing." Come to find out the song came from stories of his grandparents meeting in a time of war. I could be wrong but at the current moment, I'm too lazy to fact check. But the story goes something like that.
The rest of the cd is mental journey, from "Spidersong" to "Chia-Like I Shall Grow." This was also a period of angst for me so while I couldn't relate to the lyrics, I could relate to the tone of "Every Man Has a Molly."
A note of interest is the song "Woe." In music, I feel that if the "f word" is used properly, it is almost needed. And this song is one of the best examples of the use of that four letter guilty pleasure of mine.
But the defining song on this cd comes toward the end. More than "Glory" and "Woe" combined is none other than "I Want to Know Your Plans." In a cd full of the rantings of a mad man (Bemis spent time in a mental hospital between this release and the next cd), this was as close to a love song as you were going to get. And while it was nothing out of Shakespeare, it was, in a word, real.
While the verses are his own form of poetry, Bemis hits a home run with the chorus that you have to hear to truly feel:
"You're what keeps me believing the world's not gone dead,
Strength in my bones put the words in my head.
When they pour out to paper, it's all for you.
'Cause that's what you do."
I watched the first video and I really like this. Never heard anything by this band (though I've heard of them).
ReplyDeleteI also, for the record, love the movie "Say Anything" :)
OK- if my memory hasn't gone to complete shit....haven't you posted the first video on your blog before? Because I know the song but I distinctly remember watching the video on your blog. Am I insane? (Only answer this if the answer is "no".)
ReplyDeleteThere are a few songs of theirs that I like...but as a whole...I would maybe have a hard time getting super into them. I don't know. BUT if this was around when I was 16 or 17- I would have dug it. I've "matured" as they say. :) *snicker*
ugh. GREAT cd. i looooveeee the guitar on spidersong
ReplyDeleteWhat's so funny is that originally, I HATED Say Anything. This was mostly because I thought "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too" was a good showcase of their sound. It isn't. In fact, I didn't really get into them until I heard their next CD, and even then, it was about a year before I gave ...Is A Real Boy the chance it deserves.
ReplyDeleteGood thing that changed.
Since becoming an all around Say Anything fan, I have to say that I LOVE the desperation behind these songs. I think Max has become a better singer as his albums progress, but from the hyper-verbose lyrics, and the manic arrangements, there's something still quite charming about ...Is A Real Boy. In an era where apathy and escapism reign, where human beings are complacent more than they're connected, I think this album provides the perfect blueprint for some sort of human revolution, which is why I'll always be attached to it. In that respect, it makes the opening lines ring even more true: "And the record begins with a song of rebellion..."
Oh, and "Every Man Needs A Molly" is probably one of the finest things Max has ever written.
So late on this, but I love Say Anything. Max = Genius, I don't know why but I really didn't expect them on your list for some reason, but I'm glad they made it!
ReplyDeleteI love Say Anything. Alive with the Glory of Love is my favorite.
ReplyDelete