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[MUSIC] THE SAVAGE ANIMAL
"First Impressions of Pink" |
01.05.11 |
BY MIKEY MIGO
Same drill, different artist. I've been doing this for awhile now. Here's the premise of this piece for those who haven't been paying attention or sleeping on the job. Like anyone, there is stuff that I miss out on. Everyone has their favorites and their "range" so to speak. This, coupled with the fact we only have so much time in a day, makes it impossible to hear every band or artist out there. Some bands you just miss out on. It happens, but it's easy to correct. Listen.
What I do is listen to a band's complete discography. I tend to keep it limited to 6 total studio albums just because, like I said earlier, there is only so much time in a day and I do these things weekly. I've had some great luck exposing myself to acts like Simon and Garfunkel, The Stooges, The Smiths, Regina Spektor, Arcade Fire, and The Black Keys. At the same time, I've punished myself with Kings of Leon, Breaking Benjamin, Portishead, and other groups that were torture to endure.
The point is that I'm listening with an open and hopeful mind. Sure making fun of something is fun at times, but not for an entire discography. I genuinely want to enjoy myself and find something new and different to add to my own personal musical lexicon. Whatever the opinion, I'll share it with you written in real time as I listen and form my own first impression.
Why Pink?
Of all the artists I've done first impression pieces on, I think I know most about and have heard most of Pink. I still don't know much. I know a few singles off the top of my head. I remember enjoying "Get This Party Started" a lot when it came out, but got tired of it quick. Other than that, I know she's had a lot of singles. My impression of her without a full take is that she's full of shit. She sells empowerment and shit talks and mocks other pop stars for their lack of intelligence or integrity. She does this while be dressed like a slightly more "punk" version of the same ladies she's "rebelling against". It just seems hypocritical to me. Whatever though. She could be real about it for all I know. I guess we'll find that out. I think she has a great voice, great presence, and could very possibly change my mind on these things. Let's see how this goes…
Can't Take Me Home
(2000 – 55 min.) -Pink's first album starts off with a very typical R&B sas-track called "Split Personality". As I look over info on the album, I see it's produced by Babyface. That's a letdown. I knew she was an R&B singer at start, but I didn't think it would be this bland. It sounds like a pseudo-sassier version of a Destiny's Child B-side. I know for a fact her sound changes and evolves, but I have a feeling this going to be a long album. On "Hell Wit Ya", the music sounds horrible and she doesn't even say the word "shit". Instead she alludes to it by saying "shhhh". "Most Girls", a single I don't remember, is next. Correction, I vaguely remember the chorus. Then again, it sounds like everything else that came out from the late 90's/early 00's that I can't even tell for sure. In this song we hear the words "shorty", "everything a flygirl could want" and "g". I know this was recorded in 99, but I'm still impressed she got so many "gangsta white girl from the burbs" stereotypes in one song. I'm trying to find merit here, but this is already starting to be painful and I'm only four songs in. The first single of the album "There You Go" sounds like something I avoided during high school. The chorus style and song structure sounds generic, but that tends to be an ongoing trend on this album. "You Make Me Sick" was apparently another single. It lost me as soon as "maybe he had too much Hennesy" was sung. C'mon. When looking to find out more information on this, I see the song was in the movie "Save the Last Dance". Go figure. The more down tempo "Let Me Let You Know" shows some signs of brilliance, but the very pointless background samples are retarded. "Love Is Such a Crazy Thing" is 5 minutes of my life I want back. "Private Show" is horrible. Maybe it could have been okay if it didn't have what sounds like a dude getting off in the background. The title track, "Can't Take Me Home", is a little hokey. "You can't take me home to ma-ma" is one of the weirdest delivered lyrics I've heard in awhile. I appreciate the effort to do something out of the box though. It does stand out compared to the rest of the blandness on this one. We're treated to a beautifully sung ballad called "Stop Falling" next. Her voice is amazing here, but the music doesn't hold up. It sounds like she's singing over a very sensual porn song. I spaced out during "Do What U Do", but I think it was just my brain trying to shut itself off. I can't wait for this album to be over. I'm kind of surprised "Hiccup" wasn't a single. It has more life to it than most of the album and sounds like what the radio and TRL at the time would have eaten up. I actually think I like "Is It Love" the most on this album. And no, not because it's the last song. I like the vocal delivery a lot and it's catchy as hell. This is another one that would have been an interesting single. You can hear that she clearly has a good singing voice, but on this album the voice isn't hers at all. It's as generic as R&B pop can be. It's all sassy attitudes and being pissed off that men don't treat her right. The production sucks so badly. The random noises warped into "beats" are shit. There would be times when an song sounds okay and then out of nowhere a random loop or sample is thrown in and it's overkill and completely buries any potential her voice has. I REALLY hope she evolves quickly and she moves on to a different production team on the next one.
Missundaztood
(2001 – 55 min.) -My worries about this album being like "Can't Take Me Home" are put to ease a bit. I see off the bat this is where she started working with 4 Non Blondes's Linda Perry and going more rock orientated. This is also where she seems to have more of a voice of her own. Does it translate into a good album? Let's see. We start off with the title track, "Missundaztood". Instantly, it's a million times better than the first album. We get a simple drum tempo as Pink softly sings this light hearted track. It's got a lot of bounce to it, but still doesn't exactly grab me. I remember "Don't Let Me Get Me" by the video, but it's been awhile. The lyrics make much more sense after having to hear the very forced sounding debut album. And again, I vaguely recall "Just Like a Pill". I think if I had been asked or sung this song and the last song that I would have thought it was the same song. It's a very solid pop track. I have ears and have lived through the first decade of 2000. Of course I know "Get the Party Started". It's a fun song and probably one of the best pop songs of the first half of the decade, if not the full monty. It's just one of those songs that was used in so many advertisements, played on the radio a billion times, and the video was on a loop. It got old and annoying, but taking a step back from it and not hearing it in awhile it really is an awesome party pop tune. Next is song that's not a single called "Respect". She tells us this is her rap song and it's better than anything rap related from the first album, the Babyface produced album. I like the verse work, but the chorus is weak sauce. I am pretty shocked by how good "18 Wheeler" sounds and even more so that it wasn't a single. The last single of the album, "Family Portrait", is one I don't think I've heard. The chorus, verse, and well the entire song are new to me. I don't recall it at all, but it's a very personal piece. She pours her heart out to the point that I find myself not wanting to listen because it feels too voyeuristic. When I see a track that says "featuring Steven Tyler", I instantly take notice. "Misery" is one of those tracks. It's a stripped down, down tempo blues track. Tyler joins in and lends some great vocals. They combination of these two powerful voices is pretty remarkable and I don't see why this wasn't pushed more come awards or for a video. Seeing the two together on stage or on screen in general would have been even more of a boost to her cred. I dig the somber approach to "Dear Diary". "Eventually" is more of the same, but even more soulful. On "Lonely Girl" we have guest vocals from Linda Perry and the track is solid as can be. I know this album had it's share of singles, but I can't help but think they could have done just as many more. I really like "Numb". It may be my favorite track on the album. There is more laid back bluesiness to "Gone to California". There is even what sounds like a sax solo, which rocks. The album closes with "My Vietnam". It's a weird track and doesn't fit in with the rest of the album and kind of screws up the flow at the end. I'd probably not be so jarred by it if it were placed on the album elsewhere. I just took me out of the album. The last half of the album is very soulful and chilled out. The first half is all the singles and commercial stuff. I like the blend here. This is obviously where Pink starts to become a big name. She really has her shit together, the production is a million times better, and Linda Perry did her wonders as co-writer and producer on a lot of it. If her jump from the first album to this one is any indication how much she'll evolve then I'm looking forward to the next three albums….
Try This
(2003 – 53 min.) -
The third album is credited to Pink and punk star Tim Armstrong. The album starts off with "Trouble". I know the song by its chorus. I'm pretty sure it was used in a million TV shows and promotional material. It's catchy as hell and pretty damn solid for a "pop song". Just because her voice has some bluesy harmony to it doesn't change the fact that this is a rock song, a surprisingly good one too. It's like a Joan Jett song that doesn't sound dated. This is followed up by another single "God Is a DJ". It sounds familiar, but I don't remember it. It's not bad. It's got more of an electro-funk-punk vibe that's just awesome. I found myself going into a slight headbang trance during "Last to Know". It sounds great, but its content is eye-roll-worthy. The swagger of "Tonight's the Night" is fun. It's not what I'd expect from Pink. On "Oh My God", it says "featuring Peaches", which makes it like 10X cooler automatically. This is a very slow, methodical, and down right sexy track. Very very cool. I don't know what I think about "Catch Me While I'm Sleeping". It sounds like what SNL was making fun of with "Dick In a Box", but only like 20 years too late and sung by a chick who could beat them up. The song is saved for me by robot voices in the middle though. I have it in front of me, but I still had to check for the credits on "Waiting For Love". The song is pretty awesome and reminds me of a cross between a Pink Floyd song in terms of trippy, but similar to a Bon Jovi song at times. I dunno how to really describe it. It's really bad ass though."Save My Life" is a more conventional track. Linda Perry isn't credited, but you can totally hear her influence in it. "Try Too Hard" is a rock song, pure and simple. It sounds like Nirvana meets Hole, which could be deadly. I don't think that musical analogy has EVER been made. "Humble Neighborhoods" is awesome. It starts off with some chanty rock stuff and goes into a really cool punk rock song. You can't help but enjoy this tune, especially the piano smashes at the end. We come down a little with a down tempo-ballad-like rock tune in "Walk Away". "Unwind" is another good solid soul rock track. "Feel Good Time" was originally a William Orbital song intended for Beck, but she wanted to cover it so he just gave it to her. It uses a sample from the band "Spirit". It sounds so familiar and is a fun tune. The last track is called "Love Song". I was VERY excited to see it because I thought it was Pink covering The Cure, but it's not. It's decent and soul felt for sure, but it doesn't live up the expectations at all after seeing the title. There is a bonus track after that called "Hooker" that's pretty vulgar. It's a sas-rock song that seems like Pink venting her ass off. Cool. Hearing Pink do rock is great. She could EASILY front a rock band and I'd love to hear that some day. It's like Brodie, Courtney, and Joan Jett… but much better. I hope there's more of this on the next two albums. Still, I have to be objective. I'm 100% for empowerment, but the lyrics are weak sauce. It's very black and white and spoon fed. No metaphors, no allusion, no creative take. It's all "damn those men and gosh darn it I AM great" or "I'm so bad ass and my past is sketchy". It sounds beautiful. The music here is top notch and her voice is great. It's just those lyrics. Yuck. It's a musical evolution for sure. I like what I heard and can totally understand the acclaim but if there is one area I want to hear improvement on, it's the lyrics. Great album!
I'm Not Dead
(2006 – 54 min.) -The fourth starts off with "Stupid Girls", a single. I recall this one and this is probably where I got my opinion stated in the "Why?" section. The song sounds fun and the message is cool, but the execution is annoying. She's rebelling against her own. She presents herself as smarter and edgier than the other pop stars, but I have not seen one Pink video that didn't have her flaunting something. She's hot so it's okay and all, but it's just a little hypocritical. Maybe these "stupid girls" are happy in their ignorance. Let them be themselves, girlfriend. Never the less, we move on. Apparently this album is half singles at a whopping seven singles from this piece. The next is "Who Knew". It sounds okay. It's a down tempo ballad type of tune. I like the piano and the build of "Long Way To Happy", but then the chorus kicks in and it sounds like a country song. That's NEVER a good thing. We get a soul tune in "Nobody Knows" that's as solid as they come. It was a single apparently, but I think I would have remembered this one. It reminds me of those good 80's soul-pop tunes. In "Dear Mr President" she has The Indigo Girls backing her. It's a pretty good combo. It's one of her better lyrically written tunes, but the guitars and chorus delivery sounds like a country song. Next is the title track, "I'm Not Dead". It's got a weird vibe going on. I really dig the synth sounding stuff and the throbbing tempo. The vocals feel alittle held back or polished. I can't tell. A song of this nature would have been more interesting with some more freeform emotive stuff. I'd take a gravelly voice over over produced any day of the week. "Cuz I Can" is a fun track off the bat. The opening reminds me of an 80's new wave track. The vocals are close to it too. It just works. It's one of the better tracks I've heard thus far. I'm going to have the "Ice Cream. Ice cream. We all want ice cream" part in my head for awhile. "Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)" is okay, probably the weakest track on the album. It sounds like a very bland pop rock song, but it has the f word in it a few times. It doesn't make it edgy though. It makes it a bland pop song with the f word in it a few times. I've heard "U + Ur Hand" recently so it may be the freshest of her work to me. It's a decent tune, but kind of too poppy. It's borderline sexy/borderline cheesy. I'm not sure which border I'd give the win. I love the piano break down in "Runaway", but from a complete song stand point I'm sorta bored with this album at this point. A little more attention is piqued with "The One That Got Away". It's a bluesy track, but lame as fuck. The vocals are delivered in the Tracey Chapman/Bruce Springsteen type of "tell every detail of a story and call it a song" thing. It feels more country than blues or soul. If anything this might prove that country music is merely really bad blues/soul music. "I Got Money Now" is a good down tempo track. On the surface it's about dealing with her past but it kind of comes off as a love song to money. "Conversations With My 13 Year Old Self" has some beautiful piano work. I like the idea of the song's topic, but the lyrics suck. Not the message, but how her message is delivered. We close with "Centerfold". It's an okay closer, but didn't blow me away. Too much "stripped down" crap just for the sake of having "stripped down" stuff on it. It doesn't work for me. Her voice is as great as always, but it's just too close to country for my liking. Other than that, I can really appreciate her evolution. The first album was commercial R&B pop, then some rock, then some punkish stuff, and now this one had some 80's synthy new wave pop stuff. With each new ingredient added, it only compliments her other qualities. It's not as good as "Try This", but that's all objective. It's good for what it is, but it goes in areas that I'm not into. I'm not turned off just yet though. With the constant changes, I can only wonder what's in store for her most recent album…
Funhouse
(2008 – 47 min.) -"So What" kicks off the album. It sounds awesome and nothing like anything else on the four albums before this. There is a lot of stuff about her former ex in it. The weird thing is knowing they ended up back together after this was released. "Sober" is next. It's a down tempo track, but awesome. I see Tony Kanal on the credits, which is weird. You'd think he'd of saved this for No Doubt. It works well here though. "I Don't Believe You" is a pretty somber song. Pink's voice is incredible on it and the music compliments it well. "One Foot Wrong" is another down tempo track, but with a bit more attitude and soul. Again, very well done. "Please Don't Leave Me" starts off with a fun guitar tempo and builds up. It doesn't build to what I expected, but it's solid. "Bad Influence" is swanky in all the good ways. It's a funk pop song that has a similar delivery as "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger, but I wouldn't think it was a direct rip off. There are just very noticeable inflection styles that stand out as similar. It's still one of my favorite tunes of her so far. The title track, "Funhouse" is another funk pop track. Any song that mentions "evil clowns" that's not sung by middle aged white dudes in face paint is cool with me. "Crystal Ball" is a pretty song. It's folky and bluesy. Shit gets gritty with "Mean". It starts with a solid rock guitar and breaks down into a down tempo break up song. "It's All Your Fault" puts me in a trance. It's a good mellow tune with some great music. "Ave Maria A" is okay. I like the music more than the vocals. This one just didn't click with me and feels way different than the rest of the album. The album closes with "Glitter In The Air". She performed it at the 2010 Grammys and it was amazing. I remember the performance, but not the song at all. Hearing it now, it's a very well done song. It's just I'll remember the performance way longer than this song. It was just that good. Not a bad album. It's not my favorite, but it's another step in a different direction. My complaint about the last album sounding a little too polished isn't an issue here. You can hear strain, pain, and expression in the cracks of her voice. The genre direction just wasn't for me. With the way she goes, it could be death metal next time.
THE VERDICT: PINK
(2000 - – 5 Studio Albums) -This is how I like my musicians. They are ever-evolving and always striving. That's what Pink does. Her first album sucked and was all generic R&B pop stuff. From what I understand it was mainly because she was young in the business and didn't want to step on any toes before putting on any expensive shoes. It got her out there. The second album grows leaps and bounds. Linda Perry obviously helped her find her own voice. Then the third album gets a bit more "punkish". I'm not a super huge fan of the punk genre, but good is good. She did very good with it and put out a great album. The four album is the second weakest if you ask me. It's good, but it seems way too produced. The most recent affair, "Funhouse", was a good one too. My main complaints are the first album sucking and more often than not a song will have some underwhelming lyrics. She is obviously smart, witty, and creative. The words are just too black and white, clear as day, spoon fed, and predictable. A more poetic and less literal direction would do wonders. In a perfect world, I'd like to see Pink do something more 70's rock. Like her homage to Janis, Jimmy, and The Doors. I don't even know if she likes them, but it would be cool as shit. Another "never going to happen, but would rock" situation is for her to pull a side project out that's just a full on rock band. Imagine how weird, but awesome it would be if Pink became the vocalist for a band like Velvet Revolver. The chick has it in her and has the chops to hold up in any vocal battle. I know I'm stretching, but I say this mainly out of greed. I just have a hard time getting into pop music and I feel like she's wasting away in a world that doesn't truly applaud her art or her massive potential. I didn't expect to enjoy her work so much, but outside of maybe "Try This", I wouldn't want to own any of her albums. Maybe a few songs here and there, but the pop stuff holds me back. I see and get her appeal, but it's just not for me. As I write this, she's only 31. She has a long career ahead of her and I think with the right moves and some big albums she could blow up to be even bigger than she already is. She is too good for pop.
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