Except for the first season of HBO's "True Detective," this complex set of 1895 short stories from Robert W. Chambers has no true links to the century that follows. Chambers' first tale "The Repairer of Reputations" opens with an eerily prescient ("Germany, Italy, Spain, and Belgium writhed in the throes of Anarchy, while Russia stooped and bound them one by one") dystopian view emerging from a weird utopian wish. As chilling as it is to see such repulsive assertions in print such as segregation and exclusion, the fine line that Chambers is drawing may have more to do with fulfilling wishes for an American Victorian age than pure hatred and overt racism.
Chambers draws a picture of New York City in 1920 as a city nearly overwhelmed with growth. The city is not exactly sleeping, but life is so peaceful that no one seems to mind that buildings (especially the dilapidated ones in the poorest boroughs) have been mowed down to plant more trees. In the middle of this Thomas More-ian richness, Chambers turns over so much development to the government, and ..no one seems to mind. We must remember this is his vision as he even drapes a constant military presence in regal splendor.
Brigs, schooners, yachts, clumsy ferry boats, their decks swarming with people, railroad transports carrying lines of brown, blue, and white freight cars, stately sound steamers, declasse tramp steamers, coaster, dredgers, scows, and everywhere pervading the entire bay impudent little tugs puffing and whistling officiously...In calm contrast to the hurry of sailing vessel and steamer a silent fleet of white warships lay motionless in midstream.
Even the most perfect vision has its aberrations. In the middle of Washington Square, they have erected the first "Government Lethal Chamber" to coincide with the legalization of suicide. So, while soldiers and residents walk these newly tree-lined streets soaking in the sunshine, any resident without fear of retribution is free to walk into one of these chambers - and never come out. Our protagonist is not one without problems as well. Hildred Castaigne was institutionalized following a period of depression that coincided with convalescence from falling off of a horse. Hildred has been transformed from a man about town into a cloistered recluse. In addition, Hildred visits a strange person who lives upstairs from an armorer whose daughter his brother Louis hopes to marry.
Mr. Wilde is a pre-Lovecraftian creation of horror. A small freakish man pieced together by false ears and fingertips made from other man-made substances. His wild energy is only matched by his sadistic cat who clearly wins most of their battles. Wilde is billing himself as "the repairer of reputation" bringing welchers, liars, and cheaters back into the good graces of this blooming sect of American society .. for a price. Somewhere within this melange of scandal and outright blackmail, Wilde and Hildred have hatched a scheme for Hildred to become "the last king of Imperial America."
Believing their divine right to be given by the stars (and a mysterious play,) Chambers contorts the details of everyday life for Hildred into the schemes of a true megalomaniac. He skillfully has Hildred describe this dreamworld of the authors first, before unveiling a timed safe that holds the diadem that Hildred will wear in this new world.
On a regular basis, Chambers is feeding you as the reader enough detail from these flights of weird fantasy to label him as an unreliable narrator. At times, the confusion of where reality and Hildred's dreamworld begin and end is purposefully ratcheted up. We do not know what is happening (except for one's skin crawling) until Hildred's social butterfly soldier cousin Louis enters his world. And the only reason we learn that Hildred's dreamworld (and perhaps that of Chambers) is a false reality is because of that damned play he read.
He (Louis) glanced along the row of shelves, "Napoleon, Napoleon, Napoleon, Napoleon?" he read. "For heaven's sake, have you nothing but Napoleon there?"
I (Hildred) wish they were bound in gold," I said, "But wait, yes, there is another book, "The King In Yellow." I looked him steadily in the eye.
"Have you never read it?" I asked.
"I? No, thank God! I don't want to be driven crazy."
"It's too late to turn back now."
— Van Morrison.
—
Mik Davis is the record store manager at T-Bones Records & Cafe in Hattiesburg.
NEW MUSIC This Week
GLASS ANIMALS - I Love You So ******* Much [CLEAR LP/CD](Republic)
The year-long rise of "Heat Waves" from left-field playlist/subgenre fave to now Top 10 streamer of all time (3.042 billion) does not seem to affect the long-time festival band. Dave Bayley continues to write about "moments that are life-changing" in the spritely Pop of 'Creatures in Heaven." The flat Coldplay-ish EDM/Pop delivery of "A Tear In Space (Airlock)" is no surprise, however. "I Love You" seems to be Glass Animals still processing the massive success by trying to mirror it. The mystery awaiting the remainder of their fourth studio album will be how much calls back to the sound of fan favorites like "Zaba" and "How To Be A Human Being."
ROLE MODEL - Kansas Anymore [LP/CD](Interscope)
The interesting facet of watching artists develop from promoting themselves via social media to signing with multi-conglomerates is the dramatic change they put their music through. Like a "hit generator," Tucker Pillsbury started as a rapper and morphed into a singer. However, if you would have forecast that Tucker (his first Hip-Hop handle) would become a Harry Styles-meets-Cut Worms style jangle Popper - we need to visit a casino or two. ROLE MODEL clearly has raw talent. "Deeply Still In Love" follows the "As It Was" formula but detours at Wallows-esque sail-out ending. However, the rustic AAA-ready "Look At That Woman" comes as a complete surprise as ROLE MODEL revisits his Hip-Hop-ish delivery over a smooth Country-esque wonder complete with hints of steel guitar, subtle piano, and twangy guitar.
GUM/AMBROSE KENNY-SMITH - ILL TIMES [LP/CD](KGLW)
On break from Pond and King Gizzard, Jay Watson and Ambrose Kenny-Smith wield a panoply of sounds that reflects heavily on loss while wailing like Seventies FM radio. "Dud," Kenny-Smith's Flaming Lips-ish tribute to his late father is both heartbreaking and soothing. The synth fun of "Ill Times" dives into Seventies Soul with groovy turns and an overprocessed drum fill that sounds magical.
REISSUES OF THE WEEK
DURAN DURAN - Duran Duran/Rio [LP/CD](Parlophone/Rhino)
The phrase "New Romantic" entered heavy use thanks to the most handsome band on the newly unleashed MTV. In the beginning, Duran Duran was far closer to their idols Roxy Music and David Bowie. With the Human League vaulting to the top of the charts, Duran Duran was selected to follow. The quickly assembled band made the quickly assembled record for release in mid-1981. Amazingly, they launched several singles into the dance clubs and found a foothold ("Planet Earth," "Girls on Film," and the standout "Careless Memories.") With more time and refinement, 1982's "Rio" was the embodiment of Duran Duran: sleek (the swooping title cut,) dramatic ("the breakthrough single "Hungry Like The Wolf,") and deeply romantic ("the underrated ballad "Save A Prayer.")
HALL & OATES - Now Playing
[BLUE LP](Rhino)
UTOPIA - Now Playing [BLUE LP](Rhino)
Despite the radio never being packed with Power Pop, the Seventies were its golden age. Under the skillful production of Arif Mardin (John Prine) and Todd Rundgren, Daryl Hall and John Oates first discovered the formula for "blue-eyed Soul" on their first three Atlantic albums. The Philadelphia natives exposed their Soul roots first ("Fall In Philadelphia") before their 1973 masterpiece "Abandoned Luncheonette." showcased their writing ("When The Morning Comes") and ability to smooth out a hit ("She's Gone," #60 in 1973, #7 after re-release in 1976.) With no success in the Pop realm, 1974's "War Babies" was turned over to Todd Rundgren ("Is It A Star?)
Rundgren had his own Power Pop group borne out of a shift from Prog Rock to Power Pop. By 1977, Utopia's "Love Is The Answer" was a #1 hit for England Dan and John Ford Coley. Like many Proggers, Utopia trimmed down its sound which increased their fanbase (and Rundgren's as well) preparing them for the onslaught of New Wave. "Set Me Free" would be their only Top 40 hit. However, their singles would still float along on AOR radio until MTV's takeover in the Eighties.
Various Artists - CAN'T SEEM TO COME DOWN: THE AMERICAN SOUNDS OF 1968 [3CD](Grapefruit/Cherry Red)
1968 was a tumultuous year in history. As FM radio embraced the freedom of playing anything it wanted, and Top 40 AM radio edged closer to the end of its heyday, a mixture of Psychedelic Rock, misty-eyed Folk/Rock, and post-Blues soon-to-be-"Boogie" music took hold. Like the skillfully assembled "Pushin' Too Hard," the best feature of "Come Down" is how well it gives shape to a period of time where - in the words of Joan Didion - "the center will not hold." There are so many surprises here that are purposefully designed not to leap out immediately. A hidden deep cut from Bubblegum masters The Lemon Pipers hints at something not so sweet in the distance. Tom Rush meshes his longtime warble with the electric guitars for a version of "No Regrets" that became a standard for the era. While Steppenwolf introduces their rugged guitar snarl inside of a messy garage Pop single.
The collection digs up so many necessary hidden gems including Ars Nova's glowing "Fields of People," the Psych Rock freakout from "The Savage Resurrection," and weirdly mixed single version of the Grateful Dead's "Dark Star."
GRATEFUL DEAD - American Beauty
[HIFI AAA LP](Rhino)
THE CARS - Candy-O [HIFI AAA LP](Rhino)
The first Rock albums to roll out of Rhino's new HiFi high-capacity AAA repressing program are a pair of classics known both for their songwriting prowess and their sonic impact. Benched by legal problems (drug bust in New Orleans,) the Grateful Dead toned down their psychedelic sound to explore the roots of the music they loved: Folk, Country, and Bluegrass. "American Beauty" follows quickly on the heels of the equally brilliant "Workingman's Dead." However, as they grew comfortable with this new sound, they invited more people to co-write and play. The expansion and intimacy of these connections is best heard on "Truckin',"Ripple," and "Friend of the Devil." Diving deeper into this "Beauty" gives you the amazing drift of "Brokedown Palace," and the heartbreaking "Attics of My Life." Some say The Dead were never better than this 1970, now it sounds better than ever.
Boston's The Cars neatly shut down Punk, opened up Top 40 to more AOR sleek singles, and made a debut that was nearly flawless in its recording and track order. Their second album meant they had a lot to prove, so while they scaled back its slickness they added real tension. "Candy-O" on its surface seems like a mixed-up try at fulfilling the need for singles ("Let's Go" and its gurgling lead synth) and some dialed-down harmonies ("All I Can Do.") However, after delivering the hits, "Candy-O" is an aural feast - especially on vinyl where the cuts are still linked together. "Lust For Kicks" is a brilliant social satire. "You Can't Hold On Too Long" while feeling incomplete is Who-ish Power Pop. While the fused "Shoo Be Doo/Candy-O" dare to sound as briefly edgy as Ocasek's idols Suicide. Finally, "Dangerous Type" nails the one aspect "The Cars" was lacking - the perfect closer. Like its now classic cover, "Candy-O" dared to break the New Wave mold and give us the first dose of Eighties Rock N'Roll.
