Some Songs Considered

“Get Off This” – Cracker
(Words/music: Davey Faragher, Johnny Hickman, and David Lowery, available on Kerosene Hat, Virgin 1993)

The charm in a Cracker record generally come from its quirks, and “Get Off This” has its share of odd wrinkles.  From using a talk box in the song’s opening to some of David Lowery’s odder associative lyrics, the weirder edges give the song a slanted swagger.  Lowery sings with such confidence and enthusiasm that it’s easy to buy into his perspective even if the images seem surreal the first time around (or, in the case of this song – images that move quickly before being deciphered). 

However, to write off “Get Off This” solely as a string of jokes or a novelty misses the big picture.  The goofiness only works because it’s a well-written song.  Lowery’s vocal cadence compensates for his odd images by giving his vocals an interesting rhythmic quality; even if he’s hard to decipher, it’s fun to listen to him.  And some of the choices that seem odd at first – the talk box or the chorus of “las” near the end, for instance – end up serving the song well.  The talk box cuts takes what might have been a lead guitar line on another song and turns it into an odd yet catchy melodic line running through the track.  By the time the “las” kick in at the end, I don’t particularly care what Lowery’s singing because I’m singing along to the best of my ability. 

More on Cracker: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

“Show Me the Way” – Peter Frampton
(Words/music: Peter Frampton, available on Frampton Comes Alive!, A&M 1976)

Before I owned a guitar, I wanted to have a talk box.  As someone with dual fascinations with both gadgets and sounds, it was inevitable that I’d succumb to its shiny allure (same with the theramin, and to be honest I’m not really over that crush yet).  I remember surfing from webpage to webpage in the late ‘90s, first learning how the talk box worked (redirecting the sound of the guitar through a tube, bouncing off the singer’s vocal cords, and into the microphone) and later finding workable plans for building a talk box.  The dream of making ridiculous sounds was within reach!  Despite the fact that the raw materials, tools, and time involved would have cost more than buying the actual item (perhaps), I convinced myself that I would do it if I actually owned a guitar.  This, of course, is like saying that you’d reupholster your car if you owned one.  Now, a solid decade later, I do own an electric guitar sans talk box, and even if it still produces a very specific, instantly recognizable sound, I can live without it.

When I think about the sound that a talk box produces, I immediately think of “Show Me the Way.”  Without the effect, it’s a fine pop song, and this entry might be about how Peter Frampton’s voice fills with enthusiastic glee near the end of each verse.  It’s that specific melodic phrase combined with the specific sound from the talk box that brings the song to the next level.  The talk box gives the song its calling card – a unique sounding introduction produced by a gimmicky piece of equipment.  It also brings an already excellent melodic phrase into complete earworm territory.  The net result works so well that spending more than five seconds thinking about the phrase “talk box” immediately places that melody into my brain.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course.  I just think it’s unique in that I can’t think of other songs that I know and love with such a strong association to an object.

More on Peter Frampton: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm