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243-2122 EXT. 325 |
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Golden Smog LaLuna, 215 SE 9th Ave., 241-5862 9:30 pm Sunday, Jan. 17 $9 The phenomenon of musical supergroups--bands formed by members of previously successful bands--began before the members of current alt-country darling Golden Smog could say "No Depression." Their latest album,Weird Tales (Rykodisc), gives pause for reflection on the supergroup phenomenon. Do such bands deliver the goods musically, or are they simply watered-down versions of the individual contributors' talents? Are they formed just to jump-start deteriorating careers, or do they serve as new outlets for creativity? A look at the history of notable (though not always so super) groups provides some answers. Cream remains one of the most successful and well-known of the supergroups. Eric Clapton, who had played with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, teamed up with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker of the Graham Bond Organisation to form the U.K. band in 1966. The group crafted hit singles like "White Room" and "Sunshine of Your Love," setting the pattern for the "power trio" dynamic that has been copied ever since. Clapton and friends were smart enough to bow out when it was time to move on. They recorded their last album in 1969, and Clapton and Baker went on to form the short-lived, conflict-ridden Blind Faith (with ex-Traffic member Steve Winwood). Meanwhile, another influential supergroup was taking shape. David Crosby of the Byrds, Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield and Graham Nash of the Hollies released their first critically and commercially successful album in 1969, which went gold and featured the hit single, "Marrakesh Express." A second ex-Buffalo Springfield member, Neil Young, joined the bunch, upping the star quotient. Despite its success, by 1971, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young broke up so the members could follow their own musical paths. As one of the biggest supergroups of the '80s, Asia sported an all-star lineup as well: John Wetton, formerly of King Crimson, Roxy Music and Uriah Heep, among others; Steve Howe from Yes; Geoff Downes of Buggles; and Carl Palmer of King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Critics doubted that music lovers would give a damn about these aging rockers, but Asia proved them wrong. Sales of Asia's self-titled 1982 album soared, and the record reached platinum status. (Remember the single "Heat of the Moment"?) Not all supergroups have such impressive histories. Take, for example, the flash-in-the-pan, mid-'80s band GTR (an abbreviation for "Guitar"). The lineup of Genesis' Steve Hackett and Yes' Steve Howe, along with ex-members of Bronz and Marillion, sounded promising. But the sophisticated, early '70s-style prog rock on GTR's self-titled release was met with a lukewarm reception and resulted in only one minor U.S. hit and a slew of poor press. Chequered Past was another super disappointment. Talented members of the New-Wave scene--including ex-Blondie members Clem Burke and Nigel Harrison, ex-Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, Tony Sales and Michael Des Barres--joined to create bland arena rock on their one album in 1984. After ditching a heroin habit, Jones continued to be active in (not so) supergroups, including the Neurotic Outsiders with ex-Duran Duran member John Taylor and Duff McLagan and Matt Sorum of Guns N' Roses in (with little success, not surprisingly). Speaking of Duran Duran, let's not forget Power Station, another less-than-incredible supergroup. After Duran Duran's popularity and limited talent had run its course in the mid-'80s, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor got together with Robert Palmer to play their soulless, semi-industrial electro-funk. The press cringed, but devout Duran Duran fans bought into a couple of the singles, including "Some Like It Hot." Coincidentally, before the band disintegrated altogether, singer Robert Palmer was replaced by Chequered Past's Michael Des Barres. Of course, not all recent supergroups have been flops. The Traveling Wilburys, featuring Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, George Harrison and ELO's Jeff Lynne, had a few hits in the late '80s. On the indie front, the Halo Benders, starring Dub Narcotic/Beat Happening's Calvin Johnson and Built to Spill's Greg Marsch, has put out a couple of fine albums. Portland even has a few great supergroups of its own, including the Cavemannish Boys (made up of Chris Slusarenko from Svelt and Sprinkler, John Moen and Jim Talstra from the Dharma Bums and the Maroons) and the indie-pop Magic Fingers (ex-members of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Dandy Warhols and Swoon 23). Which brings us to Golden Smog, which seems to fall somewhere in the middle of it all. With six members of well-known bands, it certainly fits the supergroup definition. The Minneapolis contingent alone (for all intents and purposes, the original lineup) is impressive: Kraig Johnson of Run Westy Run, Gary Louris and Marc Perlman of the Jayhawks, and Dan Murphy of Soul Asylum started what would become Golden Smog nearly a decade ago. Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and Jody Stephens of Big Star joined later. Unlike in most similar collaborations, each of the members still considers his original band to be his primary focus (though one could argue that almost all of said bands have run their courses anyway). The Smog does, indeed, seem to be an outlet for ideas that don't fit into the members' other bands: Dan Murphy gets to step out of Dave Pirner's shadow to write and sing, and Johnson writes not just music but lyrics, too. Side-project status can be a double-edged sword, however. The personality conflicts that tear many supergroups apart can be avoided if you only get together a couple of times a year. The flip side is that the music suffers as a result. Some of the songs on Weird Tales sound slapped together, disparate and oddly produced. Often it's obvious that the group had limited time to put it all together; 15 tracks is a lot for any album, let alone one that can't be carefully honed over time. Louris' distinctive vocals and melancholy melodies aren't too far from Jayhawks fare, and they serve as some of the best songs. Tweedy's contributions are unmistakably Wilco-esque in an earnest, sparse way. The Murphy cuts sound like later Soul Asylum (thank God for the "skip" button). The most pleasant surprises are songs featuring Johnson. "Keys" has the cocky groove of Run Westy Run's best, but the gentle, vulnerable "Making Waves" and the easygoing saunter of "Looking Forward to Seeing You" allow the multi-faceted songwriter to branch out. The tracks that work best are the simplest ones because they don't
sound as if all six members are trying to find something to play. "Jane"
and "Fear of Falling" are beautiful examples of the "less is more" aesthetic--which
the band should have followed more often. Unlike some supergroups, Golden
Smog probably won't greatly impact modern music, but it won't be the
butt of jokes, either. Let's just hope these boys learn from those who
came before. If they know when it's time to call it quits, they can
put their ample talent to use in other supergroups already waiting in
the wings.
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