| CRITIQUE |
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The
Magnetic Fields - 69
Love Songs, Volume 2,
(Merge Records) |
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Volume 2 begins rather uncermoniously with two of the more unbearable tracks: a tiny acappella “Roses” and a kitschy take on beatnik jazz poetry, “Love is Like Jazz” (perhaps a guest appearance by William Shatner could have rescued this unfunny track). Naturally, over sixty-nine songs there will be the “unbearables” or songs that just “don’t do anything.” Still, they have a place. The aforementioned “Love is Like Jazz” fulfills two aspects of the total box: it is a genre piece, and it is a “Love is Like…” song. Scattered throughout the set, these types of songs help Merritt to make his point about his contribution to “The Book of Love.” Merritt molds cliché, melody, and lyric into twisted songs of sad love and grave passion. For those familiar with Merritt’s body of work (The Magnetic Fields along with his “side projects” Gothic Archies, The 6ths, and Future Bible Heroes), he delivers a variety of songs that would fit with each of those incarnations. He takes on genres as well; Volume 2 contains the excellent spin on world music-and appropriately titled-of “World Love”, solemn country of “Papa Was A Rodeo”, and the country-gospel of “Kiss Me Like You Mean It”.At track three (“When My Boy Walks Down the Street”), Merritt hits the nail on the head, marking the point where Volume 2 doesn’t look back. Merritt is at his most energetic on Volume 2. From the Rumors drenched “No One Will Ever Love You” to the New Order dance pop flavored “Long-Forgotten Tale”, he acknowledges his influences. The Merritt trademark indiepop perfection of “(Crazy for You But) Not That Crazy” to Casio pop glory of “If You Don’t Cry”, he shows off his other personas (that is, the side projects). On top of it all, he causes moments of epiphany. Moments where you get on the phone and call a friend to enthusiastically say, “Hey! Did you hear [insert song title]? What in the world, this is incredible!” Lyrically and musically, Merritt turns in a masterpiece on the slow dark synth ballad of “You’re My Only Home”. The stark banality of the lazy keyboards match perfectly with his deadpan baritone. He plays any person who has been hopelessly (and dysfunctionally) in love: “When you cancel dinner plans/When you cross the street and you don’t take my hand/When you make impossible demands/I wish I didn’t understand, but…”. He also delivers the goods on “Epitaph for My Heart” that begins with him reading a “caution label” that kicks into one of the darker, subtly intense lyrics (with perfectly complimentary music): “Let this be the epitaph for my heart/Cupid put too much poison in the dart.” Finally, Merritt kills you with “The Way You Say Good-Night”(sung by tenor LD Beghtol). With cello driving, light piano riffs, and a flawless melody, the song’s “happiness” is a bit of deviation from his other love songs. Not only does Merritt write outstanding music but his lyrical prowess is equally amazing. “When My Boy Walks Down the Street” begins with “Grand pianos crash together when my boy walks down the street.” “No One Will Ever Love You” contains some of the most poison tongued lyrics that send you scrambling for the lyric sheet to read in awe. He enlists the vocal talents of Shirley Sims to sing these lines: “Where is your sense of indignation/You are too kind/Much too kind/Where is the madness you promised me/Where is the dream for which I paid dearly.” His lyric gets even more intense as Sims’ voice matter-of-factly sings, “But you’re not here to make my sad songs more sincere/No one will ever love you honestly.” He twists over-the-top cliché on “(Crazy for You But) Not That Crazy” with “I stood beneath your window with my ukulele… I treated you like God/You were my glass menagerie/Did you not find that odd?” Merritt’s
ability to take diverse instrumentation (using the ukulele as the
principal instrument on one song, and the keyboard on another)
and integrate them seamlessly with most creative word-smithery
this side of Morrissey proves he is a great songwriter. The fact
that 69 Love Songs can hold your interest over three
discs proves he is a genius. |
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© 2000 Tidal Wave Magazine |
A
three volume, sixty-nine song, box set of love songs? The Magnetic Fields
wunderboy, Stephen Merritt raised eyebrows with his record label, journalists,
and indie fans. Already an indie darling, the question was could he
deliver? The speculation was like an indiepop version of Sportscenter
analysis. Stephen Merritt could have released the most pretentious record
since Prince’s three-disc funky Goliath, Emancipation.
But he didn’t. As a whole, it is nothing short of an opus; still,
each disc can be digested as a stand-alone. Each disc, randomly ordered,
provides glimpses into the genius of Merritt, and his tiptoeing through
the decades of love in song.