The National - High Violet

Every so often, a band comes along that strikes a cord in the soul. I've only had this happen a few times in my life. I'm talking about a band that seems to be speaking to YOU, and your condition at the exact time you are listening to their music. During these episodes, it's nearly impossible to play any other music. When this happens, it's generally hard for others to understand because they are probably not in the same "place" as you. They may be going through or have gone through the same experience with another band or a book or something. It's a fairly amazing experience. I feel a little sorry for people who have never had it happen to them. The only bands that have had this affect on me are:

U2 in the early 1980's (specifically Boy, October, War & The Unforgettable Fire).
The Beatles when I was in college.
The Replacements - ongoing.

And now there is a new one - The National. The trilogy of Alligator, Boxer and High Violet is a running commentary on the onset of middle age. That fact alone provides a lyrical similarity to my life. The experiences being explored often hit home, and they are not always comfortable. Here is what Ian Mathers of Pop Matters has to say about the themes of the National's lyrics over their past few albums:

For years now the National have been singing about the city and wine and girls and maybe growing up a little, and if Boxer saw them embracing the bittersweet sting of maturity and nostalgia, High Violet follows hard on its heels with a set of songs about New York and Ohio, about the terrible, undertow pull of a (gasp) settled, normal life, about being a little in love with melancholy but also being self-aware enough to realize that love is a little ridiculous and self-destructive. Becoming an adult is a slow processes that involves thinking that you’re not a certain kind of person, and then waking up one day and realizing that yeah, you are.....

It’s not that the National’s music (or its members’ lives, one hopes) are devoid of joy or levity, it’s that High Violet summons up perfectly and terribly the sneaking suspicion you start getting in your 20s that possibilities are closing off, that your life might not turn out the way you wanted it to, and that there’s probably no-one else to blame but yourself.

Deep stuff. And while you might be starting to worry about my current state of mind for being so into this so-called "melancholy" music, there is no need to worry. I find that the National do have the ability to be oddly uplifting. Much like The Smiths or Waterboys back in The Day, The National's music tends to "soar" at points and leave the listener feeling somewhat refreshed, even when the lyrics can tend to be kind of a downer. Here is an example of this, maybe my favorite track on the new album entitled "I'm Afraid of Everyone."

One of the troubles with The National, however, is that it generally takes multiple listens to their music to appreciate what is being accomplished. A reviewer who takes a few listens and writes an overview has probably missed the point. Since their new album High Violet was released, I have read many reviews ranging from "one of the best albums in decades" to "boring." The word "Masterpiece" has been thrown around a bit. That is the great thing about music - everyone has an opinion, but they are all from different "places." Nobody is right, nobody is wrong - it's just "where you are at." Anyway, one of the best reviews of the album that I read is from the BBC's Mike Diver:

Brooklyn’s The National are the absolute antithesis of an overnight success. Together for over a decade, the group’s slow ascent to international acclaim has been emotional. While several critics have clicked with albums of swollen heart and bruised soul, a handful have mistaken deliberate, delectable languor for dismissible listlessness. But those who’ve embraced Matt Berninger’s baritone, and subsequently each fascinating detail that trails in its wake, have discovered a band for life – for love and loss, euphoric highs and exhausting lows. For everything, always.

2005’s Alligator – its Daughters of the Soho Riots still empties the air from this listener’s lungs every time – marked the moment The National broke underground (2010 parlance: ‘blogosphere’) cover, and they’ve refined and arguably improved their output ever since. High Violet is the quintet’s fifth long-player proper (and highest of profile yet), following 2007’s excellent Boxer, and again features orchestral embellishments courtesy of Clogs’ Padma Newsome. It is being talked about in certain circles as a potential album of the year, but this is no release to shout about from the rooftops in the hope of attracting strangers. Its charms are subtle, its grip soft and easily shrugged by those who choose to pay it only passing attention. Live with it a while, though, and High Violet rewards patience with songs that colour one’s waking existence, becoming vivid night-time narratives when curtains are drawn.

Berninger’s lyrics, though tonally divisive, are incredibly engaging. He’s no Steinbeck, no Kerouac, despite endorsements from the most feverishly faithful; but his stories, delivered with wrenching sincerity, form the first point of entry for newcomers awaiting enlightenment. High Violet is an album characterised largely by absence, and displacement – of being someplace other than ideal. This extends from simple geography – the overseas lover of England’s vexed protagonist, the big-city claustrophobia of the luscious Little Faith – to the afterlife ruminations of Anyone’s Ghost, a song that blindsides with its switch from aloof coolness to an affecting concession of continued allegiance after death parts its players.

To the untrained (read: unfocused) ear, High Violet may sound pedestrian. But such drama lies in the richly textured nuances that this album ultimately plays like a movie you’d never dream of breaking from, whatever the reason. Set fire to the theatre and The National will play on, those who paid attention earlier again foregoing comfort for captivating beauty, until the final flames flicker into stillness.

So there you have it. That's where I'm at. Pick up High Violet and give it a listen (or thirty listens). It may (or may not) speak to you.

Jeff

Another First

I took the day off from THE CHECK today. I was all set to attend tonight's Twins game against the hated Orioles with CR, Tito Jackson and The Weeg. We were going to take the bus downtown (smart drunks) and have a few brewskis and the all-you-can-eat Friday fish fry at Glueks. Unfortunately, the Twin Cities has received rain of biblical proportions all day and it might......snow.......tonight. The game has officially been called. This means the Minnesota Twins will experience their first weather-postponed home baseball game since September 20th, 1980.

Now, you might think that I am a little bummed or outraged or homicidal about this, but I am not. This simply means that I have attended the first exhibition game at Target Field, the Home Opener at Target Field and technically the first rain-out. Plus, the game will be played Saturday night as part of a double-header, so we're basically just moving our plans 24-hours. Don't get me wrong - it's fairly ridiculous that is may snow in May, but what can you do?

Once this postponement was announced on the Strib's web site, it didn't take long for the anti-stadium Wing Nuts to start rubbing in the fact that there will be no game tonight. There were a few people stating that the rain was some sort of "Wrath" for building a ballpark and overlooking The Kids and stuff. Never mind that the vast majority of the games have been played in beautiful weather, which would seem to be evidence of Good Karma or something. But why mess with facts?

And then there is the roof crowd. There was quite a bit of lamenting the fact that Target Field does not have a retractable roof in the Strib comments section. Never mind the fact (there is that word again) that a retractable roof would have added a couple hundred million dollars to the financing plan, and many Legislators have stated that they would have voted against a Twins ballpark bill that would have been $750 million vs. $550 million. The bill most likely wouldn't have passed, and Minnesota wouldn't have to worry about rainouts, or baseball, at all. And speaking of homicidal, let's say Target Field DID have the retractable roof. I would have been able to go to the game tonight and watch INDOOR baseball, something I've been trying to avoid for the past two decades.

No thanks.

I'll simply wait 24 hours to bus downtown with the guys. The forecast for Saturday is cool, but sunny and clear, so I'll need my hat and coat and maybe one of those Snuggy things to pull over us. We'll be able to see the moon and stars and clouds and stuff. It'll be a good time.

But we will miss the Gluek's Friday fish fry. That's sort of a bummer.

Jeff

Saturday Afternoon Thoughts

Here are a few things on my mind this afternoon:

1. Brett Favre News Lull Over. Does everyone remember Vikings Quarterback Brett Favre? He's been out of the news for a few weeks now, but do not fret because he's back. ESPN announced that Favre would require ankle surgery in order to play for the Vikings this fall. If he opts not to have surgery he might be forced to.............retire. Since the ESPN report aired, Favre himself has stated that the ankle surgery would be relatively minor, and should not prevent him from playing. Is this truly news? No. Bondo59, a blogger quoted in the StarTribune summed it up the best when he stated: "So, if he times it out perfect, Brett Favre should be ready about the third pre-season game."

Amen. That is all the people need to know.

2. Cleveland Indians Most Hated MLB Team. Speaking of ESPN, I recently came upon another report from the sports outlet quoting a report from the Nielson Company that "scientifically ranked" the most hated baseball teams. According to the ESPN report, The computer-generated program searched for positive and negative keywords in message boards and blogs to determine sentiment about baseball teams. According to Nielsen's website, "Positive scores indicate positive-leaning discussion and negative results indicate negative-leaning discussion."

Now, who would you guess would be the most-hated MLB baseball team? Ready...............

The Cleveland Indians.

Yes, the Cleveland Indians. Folks, this is simply the dumbest, most ridiculous thing that I have heard in years. How can the Indians be hated when they are virtually irrelevant? They haven't won anything in decades. Now, I do despise that God-forsaken drum that 3 or 4 fans (half the fans in attendance) beat during rallies, but that is not enough to make then #1 most hated team. I actually think that drum-beat thing is kind of funny when the Indians are trying to rally from 10 runs down in the 8th inning. Does this mean that the most hated football team is the Atlanta Falcons? The most hated hockey team the Nashville Predators? This is simply the dumbest thing that I have ever heard. Anyway, we all know who the most hated baseball team is.

3. Ruesse/Brackin Twins Book. Speaking of baseball, I've recently purchased "The Minnesota Twins - A Complete Illustrated History" by Dennis Brackin and Pat Ruesse. This is a fantastic overview of the Twins organization from Day 1 through the building of Target Field. Ruesse and Brackin can really spin a yarn, and there are some very funny stories of the early '60's, Metropolitan Stadium, the crazy (losing) '70's, Ron Davis, the World Series teams, etc. I highly recommend the book for any fan of the Twins.

One of my favorite stories involves the 1987 World Championship team and public address announcer Bob Casey. The point of the story was to illustrate how "loose" the '87 team was and how they liked to pick on Casey. Folks, the following took place during the deciding game 7 of the the 1987 World Series:

"In the interlude between half-innings, Twins players locked public address announcer Bob Casey in the tiny bathroom that was located off the dugout. One of the players ran to Casey's announcing booth and lathered his telephone earpiece and a nearly towel with shaving cream.

In short order the Twins were entertained by Casey's repeated shouts of "Let me out! Let me out!" followed by Casey coating his ear answering a supposed "emergency" phone call. Then Casey soaked his suit with shaving cream trying to wipe off his ear.

"I'm so nervous nervous I can hardly watch the game, much less participate in it, and they're thinking about locking Casey in the bathroom," said GM Andy MacPhail."

Very good stuff!

Some Updates

Hola amigos. Sorry I haven't rapped at 'ya in a while, but there has been all kinds of craziness going on. THE CHECK, as always, has been keeping me busy and stressed and now both of my boys are starting up in their baseball leagues. My oldest son made his junior high baseball team after two weeks (!) of tryouts. It turns out that 40 kids were vying for 8 spots on the squad, and he was one of 8 selected. My youngest son will be starting his first year of kid-pitch, meaning no more pitching machines. For being 10, he's got a cannon for an arm. He throws harder than I did at 16. Or at 36, for that matter. Anyway, all of this baseball business cuts down on my blogging time. Along with youth baseball, here are some other things that have kept me from blogging:

1. Watching Twins. Off to 13-6 start. The scary thing about the Twins great start is that I don't believe they are playing that well. Let me explain. While Joe Mauer (.382), Justin Morneau (.368) and Michael Cuddyer (17 RBI's) are off to a great start, other key players are struggling. Leadoff man Denard Span is hitting .230, DH Jason Kubel is at .169 (!), and shortstop J.J. Hardy, while playing great defense, is hitting a paltry .214. To make matters worse, the team is hitting .148 with the bases loaded. The pitching (3.59 team ERA) and fielding (2 overall errors) have been outstanding, however. Once the Twins get Span, Kubel and Hardy going, along with getting some key hits with men on base, they could be scary. Then again, there is no guarantee the pitching and fielding will hold up. I do know that it's going to be a fun summer watching these guys.

2. Watching Mad Men. OK. I have been purposely trying not to become obsessed by another television series. The last time this happened, I watched the entire Band of Brothers HBO series over the course of 2 days and had dreams that I was fighting in WWII. It's happened again, however. I'm hooked on Mad Men. For those of you who have not watched Mad Men, it's a series about Madison Avenue Advertising Executives in the early 1960's. Let's just say life was a little different back then. Smoking 3 packs a day, drinking scotch during business meetings, etc. And how the men treat the women at the office would not fly at THE CHECK in the 21st century. The series, however, is mesmerizing. The look and feel of the early 1960's is spot on (from what I hear). The characters are all largely unlikable, morally bankrupt individuals searching for the American Dream (i.e material goods) of the 1950's/1960's. The lead character, Don Draper, is a suave, successful, charming, handsome man who has a knack for advertising. He is also soulless, harbors unthinkable secrets and cheats on his wife repeatedly without a second thought. The rest of the characters are not much better. For some reason, the viewer ends up cheering for a few of them. Not all of them, however. My wife and I have watched three entire seasons worth of Mad Men over the past few weeks. We're hooked. I'm still waiting for the dreams that I am an early-1960's Ad Executive, which would be much better than the WWII dreams.

3. Scouring the News for Sasquatch Updates. We're in a dry spell, folks. Where, oh where is the stink ape? It must be mating season or something. There is news on the alien front, however. British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking claims that extraterrestrial life is out there, and it might be too dangerous for humans to interact with them. He speculates most extraterrestrial life will be similar to microbes, or small animals - but adds advanced lifeforms may be "nomads, looking to conquer and colonize." That would be truly bad news. I always expected something like an alien invasion or The Rapture to happen right before my first trip to Target Field. You know, bright sunny day, ready for the opening pitch, and the aliens invade. I'm really glad that didn't happen.

4. Waiting Patiently for New Tunes. Geez, talk about a dry spell. I'm ready to start listening to my old Hall and Oates tapes. Have no fear, however. In May, The National and The Hold Steady release new albums. I like what I hear from the Hold Steady's upcoming release. Check out this new tune from the band of former Minnesotans called The Sweet Part of the City. It's a different sound - part blues, part Rolling Stones. On top of that, I just heard DEVO is going to be playing at the Minnesota Zoo. Like I said, it's going to be a good summer.

Jeff

The Day Is Almost Here

I've been checking Monday's weather forecast online about every half-hour today. It hasn't rained in days, and today (Sunday) feels like June - 70 degrees and sunny. The forecast for Monday's Twins opener at Target Field, however, calls for scattered showers and Thunderstorms.

Of course.

But you know what? It doesn't matter. This is a day that I have been waiting for since the 1980's. Outdoor baseball returns to Minnesota. A chance of a little rain won't ruin this moment. Plus, I'd rather have the threat of rain rather than the assurance of a roof. I will be in attendance to witness the official opening of the stadium.

I realize that I am a little (or a lot) over the top when it comes to baseball and this stadium stuff. There is something about the game of baseball that makes me very sentimental. The nation is in love with football, but football just makes me nervous and angry. Baseball is a game that was built for a slower time. It not all "life or death." Hey, you win 2 out of 3? Great! In football, if a team loses it's first game, they're screwed. George Carlin did a monologue about this.

I think I got my love of baseball from my dad. He was a hell of a baseball player back in his day. Growing up, I was always a little bummed that I wasn't a better player. I was an OK pitcher and a pretty good outfielder. I couldn't hit to save my life, however. I was a BAD hitter. He would come and watch me play in Little League and my first year of Babe Ruth baseball, but then he passed away before my second year of Babe Ruth baseball. The fact that he was such a good baseball player, and I loved the game so much, led to this sentimentality that I feel towards the game today. Baseball is something that father's and sons (or daughters) can use to connect with each other. Have you seen the end of Field of Dreams? I'm talking about when Kevin Cosner's character is playing catch with the ghost of his dad? I've seen it about 10 times and never with dry eyes.

Because of this sentimentality, it was hard watching baseball in the Metrodome over the past 28 years. Sentimental it ain't. Teflon roof, plastic everywhere. It was like playing baseball in your basement. But that is the past.

It's time for a new era to begin. Real grass. The sun. Clouds. And, yes, some rain. Target Field, to me, is the correction of a huge mistake. But sometimes it takes those mistakes to make you appreciate what is good.

Play ball!

The Greet Machine

For those of you who don't know the story behind this blog, the title "What Jeff Thinks" might seem a bit narcissistic. Upon stumbling on this blog, you might have thought "who the hell is Jeff and who cares what he thinks?" You might have read this blog a 100 times and still think that. I, however, did not create or name this blog.

My wife created this blog and named it for me back in December of 2006. I had spent much of the prior decade expounding to her and anyone who would listen on the need for a new Twins stadium. In May 2006, Minnesota entered a parallel universe and a bill was passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Pawlently that called for (FINALLY!) a new ballpark to be built. So my wife basically created and named this blog for me so I'd have an outlet to talk about the stadium rather than bothering her. Around the time my wife created this blog, however, there happened to be a little Land Squabble between Hennepin County and the owners of the Rapid Park site which threatened to kill the Twins stadium bill. I almost lost my mind. It is a good thing for my mental health that I had this blog as an outlet, as I thought there was nobody else out there that knew the details of this Land Squabble or felt the pain like I did.

That is when I discovered The Greet Machine.

I happened upon The Greet Machine and found there were was another individual out there that not only knew the details better than me, he personally knew some of the people involved with the passage of the Twins bill and who were involved in the Land Squabble! I started reading this blog almost hourly for updates! I felt that my blog was inadequate compared to The Greet Machine (except for Sasquatch news). There was literally no better place to find in-depth news on this Land Squabble, and what it meant for the creation of a new Twins ballpark.

It is through commenting on The Greet Machine that I met it's author, Shane. I also met Freealonzo through Shane's blog as well as Snyder and found some kindred spirits with the Twins ballpark. The four of us will be sharing a half-season of Twins tickets at Target Field for the first time this year. We'll be attending the first exhibition game this Friday and the Season Opener on April 12th. All because of the blogosphere. Pretty cool.

I started to dig deeper into past posts on The Greet Machine and found out that Shane did some incredible work during the actual passage on the Twins ballpark bill in 2006. More than one person has told me that Shane was responsible for polling ALL members of the Minnesota Legislature and he determined that there was the majority vote needed to pass a ballpark bill if the funding source was palatable. He listed who was for and who was against a ballpark bill. It has been rumored that the Twins were ready to scrap their plans for a new ballpark and give up entirely until they were presented with this information from Shane's blog. He also put up with quite a few anti-stadium wing-nuts on his blog.

In fact, I ran into Shane at the ballpark groundbreaking ceremony in 2007 and as we were walking out, a gentlemen approached Shane and asked "don't I know you?" It was Representative Brad Finstad, author of the Twins ballpark bill in the Minnesota Legislature. Finstad thanked Shane for all of his hard work, and said that this ballpark might not be a reality without The Greet Machine. He said that many, many members of the Legislature relied on his blog, and the comments from the public, to gauge public reaction. Many, in fact, trusted the information on this blog more than any public media or polls.

There will be some members of the Legislature, the Ballpark Authority, Hennepin County Commissioners, and other Big Wigs that will be thanked in a ceremony before Friday's game. There is no question that all of these individuals played an instrumental part in getting this ballpark built. When I saw the list of dignitaries, however, I have to admit that I was somewhat shocked not to see Shane from the Greet Machine listed. His blog was an example of a grass-roots, one-man movement that helped sway the opinion of politicians and the Twins themselves. He should be honored with the other individuals who made Target Field possible.

So when you are attending a game at Target Field, please remember Shane and his work on The Greet Machine. Without it, that site still may be an empty parking lot.

Jeff

A Couple of Spring NFL Notes

As we approach the opening of Major League Baseball season, the National Football League almost incredibly remains in the headlines. And the news, even more incredibly, doesn't even really involve Brett Favre. It just sort of involves Brett Favre. It turns out that the Philadelphia Eagles are entertaining trading longtime quarterback Donovan McNabb. It also has been rumored that the Minnesota Vikings are McNabb's first choice if he is indeed traded. This, of course, is where Brett Favre comes in. We are now firmly entrenched in the "Brett Favre Will He/Won't He Retire Game" and waiting with baited breath for his decision. We all know that Favre, if he decides to return, will not make this announcement until mid-August at the earliest. In fact, I would not put it past Favre to announce he is willing to return to the Vikings at precisely 1 hour prior to kickoff before the first regular-season game.

You know, if Donovan McNabb is truly available to the Vikings, it would truly be nice to know if Favre is returning sooner than later. This, I realize, is impossible. There is no way Favre goes to Mankato. No way. McNabb, on the other hand, would look good in purple. He's a mere youth at 33 years old and has plenty of experience losing big games. And, I don't think a Viking quarterback has actually thrown up in the huddle since Tommy Kramer - and that was for different reasons. If Favre is truly "retiring (nod, nod, wink, wink)," McNabb would be the next best choice for this team. Unfortunately, I don't believe there is any way that Favre will make a decision quickly enough to pull the trigger on McNabb. I just hope the Vikings don't lose out on both Favre and McNabb and end up with the T-Jack/Rosenfelds combo.

In other big NFL news, the rules of overtime have been changed. Here is a good article that outlines the new rules that will take affect this fall. Basically, the NFL didn't like the fact that many teams lose in overtime without actually getting the opportunity to touch the ball. You may remember a team that experienced this phenomenon last January. Not that there is really a need to rehash the gory details, but for those of you who might have been in a coma, the Vikes were driving for the winning score at the end of regulation when Favre threw an interception (the blood is rushing to my head right now). The game went into overtime and we all know that there is cosmically no chance the Vikings would win the coin flip. Sure enough, the Saints had a nice kickoff return and had to drive about 15 yards to kick the winning field goal. Game and season over for the Vikes.

Now, with the new rule changes, if one team kicks a field goal in overtime, the other team actually gets a chance to receive the ball and either tie the game or win on a touchdown. One would think that I, and other Viking fans, would be happy about this.

No.

I (here is the angst part, Free) personally look at these new overtime rules as providing the Minnesota Vikings with about 576 new ways to lose a game in overtime. Mark my words right now - next year Donovan McFavre will drive the Vikings to a field goal in their first drive in the playoffs. They will then, because of the new rules, be forced to kick to the other team (probably the Packers) and that team will return the kickoff for a touchdown. The Vikings will become the first team in history to lose a playoff game in which they scored first. This is just one of the many new overtime losing scenarios that I have been able to come up with in my brain this morning. I'd throw a few more at you, but we have plans later today.

In addition, the new rules also provide Brad Childress with the about 1,038 new ways to blow a strategery call. This, I believe, is why Zygi Wilf actually voted against the rule changes. I believe Wilf had a mental image of Childress standing on the sidelines with the big playcard with that befuddled look that says "What the hell do I do now?" And he voted "NO." He's no dummy.

On the positive side, I am not going to waste any more time thinking about this until fall. After all, it's baseball season. Less angst in baseball.

Jeff