06-09-2020, 13:17
GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS ~ Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff
![[Image: R-15826066-1598511443-6038.jpeg.jpg]](https://img.discogs.com/xuyKdDCxRQx_DrGz_q_hMDooWo8=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-15826066-1598511443-6038.jpeg.jpg)
I like Grant-Lee Phillips, mostly because he is so very much his own ‘brand’. And because he’s thoughtful, clever and sincere, and sometimes quite funny and he’s made some really good music – I just love this one from some time back – it’s so … complete … I think is the right word! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coF7X_rKvHM.
There’s not a lot about this new release that is light-hearted but it’s also not too ponderous – it’s solid and nicely put together with his able collaborators – mature song-writing - observations on the human condition without ranting and raving. Some songs linger longer than others, giving pause for thought, some are more lyrical, one in particular is punchy – he never reveals all immediately.
The story behind the title is that one day, his then much younger daughter was out in the yard with stick or branch and she was dancing around, pointing up at the sky yelling ‘lightning, show us your stuff!’ which GLP was watching, and thinking he’d file away for future use, when lo and behold, a minute or two later there was the crack of thunder and a flash of blue light. Needless to say, he hustled the unwitting queen of spells inside before musing any further on that mental note! Provocation, invocation, who can say? Much the same way he describes his writing process.
Here’s the final track – “Walking in my Sleep” …
Oh yes - it gets labelled rock, indie, folk, world & country so I suppose really should be in alt? I dunno - don't think it matters too much!
I like Grant-Lee Phillips, mostly because he is so very much his own ‘brand’. And because he’s thoughtful, clever and sincere, and sometimes quite funny and he’s made some really good music – I just love this one from some time back – it’s so … complete … I think is the right word! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coF7X_rKvHM.
There’s not a lot about this new release that is light-hearted but it’s also not too ponderous – it’s solid and nicely put together with his able collaborators – mature song-writing - observations on the human condition without ranting and raving. Some songs linger longer than others, giving pause for thought, some are more lyrical, one in particular is punchy – he never reveals all immediately.
The story behind the title is that one day, his then much younger daughter was out in the yard with stick or branch and she was dancing around, pointing up at the sky yelling ‘lightning, show us your stuff!’ which GLP was watching, and thinking he’d file away for future use, when lo and behold, a minute or two later there was the crack of thunder and a flash of blue light. Needless to say, he hustled the unwitting queen of spells inside before musing any further on that mental note! Provocation, invocation, who can say? Much the same way he describes his writing process.
Here’s the final track – “Walking in my Sleep” …
Oh yes - it gets labelled rock, indie, folk, world & country so I suppose really should be in alt? I dunno - don't think it matters too much!
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson
