Mea Culpa. I wasn't attentive enough the first time I heard More. Last night before going to sleep I gave it another try. I must have heard it on a wrong day. Actually, I remember the time and place. In a perverse way they recorded this album for my own enjoyment. Funky music, babe! Let's dance through it.
#Intro.
You're such a sweetheart Jeff. Chocolate city is your home.
#Fuzzy Dice.
A real spark on the album. Kick in a flabby butt, with a sharp tip of a cowboy boot. Ouch! Nervous feet. Sweaty palms and underarms. Grab the fuzzy dice and step out! No Trend threw in various 1980 dance clichés in this restless song: ska interspersed with some prominent disco bass playing and brass parts that pull you forward ... towards your goal perhaps!? Even questionable guitar playing can't ruin it for me. You're totally fuzzy with excitement. You're going to make it this time despite the bad day or generally shitty situation. You're going to be a winner, there is a chance, it doesn't matter whether you are addicted to slot machines, or simply an overweight divorcee with erection problem who didn't get laid for ages ... This very promising weekend in front is yours, dear brother or sister. Saturday Night Fever! Love the filthy fuzzy dice rolling over the slippery dance floor.
Personally, the ska track bothers me. But maybe b/c I'm allergic to ska.
I can understand the feeling. I just recall my allergy to metal.
OK, things didn't start to unwind the way you had it in your mental movie and you get instead:
#Sorry I Asked.
Just another sexual faux pas and you are painfully shy person. Oh, such a shameful situation again. This is a pretty song/sight, everyway you look.
#Spank Me w/ Your Love Monkey.
You gave up eventually and accepted what was on offer, what could you do. Vicious Godson of Soul leads you to hell. Get on the good foot! EHH! AHH! Get on the good foot!
To fully appreciate it, you must realize that, if I recall correctly, it was used as soundtrack music in Jeff Mentges movie Of Flesh and Blood.
I can fully appreciate it w/o knowing this fact. Now it's even better. For me, speaking of music, only horrible part is intentionally processed drum sound. Everything else stimulates my ears.
#Last on Right, Second Row.
You know, there must be a seedy area of your town where you can go if you're desperate. This is a place for random dirty autobiographical moment. Think about it. Think.
Truckers and swingers would use the place as a pick-up joint. The song title refers to the location of some jockey's cab. The chorus "play w/my inguinal ring" comes from bathroom graffiti or a note or something found at the scene by one of the NT members. Disgusting.
Excellent.
#Bel-Pre Declining.
Depression is catching your Soul, it's indeed awful what have you just done to yourself. I agree, this is a genuinely lovely little tender instrumental.
#No Hopus Opus.
I can get through opera track only with a brief pause in between. I suspect it was planned for complete side B. I understand the impulse. I am the Who fanboy. This monstrosity is really gross musically, but life is that way too. Bad like late 1980s Pink Floyd with guitar solos at large. 18 minutes long prolapse of reason. Here I could freely think of a thin line between bad and good in a full cycle of things in life.
"You can't win/B/c there's no reward" and "You can't lose/B/c there's nothing to be gained" are classic, defeatist NT lyrics. Also note the chorus' evolution from "the best things in life are free" to "the worst things in life are me."
… and not to forget "things really are that bad, no matter how you look at them".
(the rhythm section is uniformly fantastic)
It is. It is.
In the end, More is pure ghastly No Trend. Strange, T&G didn't want to issue this record although around that time they managed to put out fuckin' awful Hairway to Steven. Few years earlier they got screwed with overripe Virgin Prunes. When you combine these atrocities, No Trend might seem pretty exciting entertainment. They never issued a perfect album, anyhow.
More.
