Wacky: Fade to Black (1998-2000, 2006-2010)
Huey Lewis says that heart of Rock and Roll is still beating. Hilary Gray Roberts says the Oboe may be bad in Cleveland. None of these things are true. At the end of the Dark Turn, Wacky had become a black hole. It had morphed, yes, but like a desperate Power Ranger who grabbed his belt and said “We need dinosaur power now!” and then a bird poops on his head. Bad morph. It had transformed, yes, but like a really cool Porsche that thinks it’s going to become a robot but instead transforms into molten lump of crappy gearbox.
In between lovely but ultimately temporary dating spells, Matt would turn to the other corner of the couch and say “Hey Chris, we should do a song about this…” Chris was still recovering from a failed attempt at cooking plantains clear across town, but [Matt’s Warcraft character / Fezzik depending on the era] thought it was a good idea.
He still played guitar as clumsily as ever, and now and then had some good idea. Now and then Thelma would pop by and they would discuss the mighty reunion tour.
Out of this era came little. Matt usually came up with chord progressions he liked but never got around to writing the words. He lamented his past songwriting lyrics that didn’t use clever metaphors. Plato’s Cave? Roman Cavalry? No. Just simple expressions. Like the Hulk writing poetry. “Me Like You. You Not Like Me. Me Sad.” He would record the chords and start singing along with them to record a flash of inspiration if it it. Which is usually didn’t.
One negative side effect of this is that the crap words get stuck and that’s what he thinks of now. Case and point our first entry “Awesome Sauce”. It’s just a snippet (yes, there’s a full recording including clowns with lemonade) that features the following “trying to get a flash of inspiration” lyrics.
From Awesome Sauce
(the song was going to be called Parade…)
Awesome Sauce Masterful Lyrics Snipped
“Time to make up a bridge…”
This is the bridge
It sounds like most of my bridges
How about an “F” in there?
Oh, bridge
You come from Heaven, But you go Hell
With an Exit – New Jersey. Bridge.
Exit New Jersey Bridge….
My socks are clean, my dress is warm
I’m not wearing a dress cuz that would be weird
I’m in the jeans!
It is also clean, and it is all so new
Just like when I fell in love with you
But things become dirty
Like my shirty
Jeans
Yeah. Solid. Which is not to say everything is a train wreck. Two good examples from early and late in this era are also included.
Time It Takes
is about fingerpicking and being hopeful about being in love. Hooray, growth.
Unturned Stone
is about strumming (shut up!) and telling a girl that it’s no use fighting it. That feeling anymore
Not the rock. Cuz you can’t stop that.
