I just finished the brilliant 33 1/3 book on Neutral Milk Hotel's 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.' This is a very funny album. I can't remember what I personally gathered of it on first listen, but it's definitely something most people probably need to listen to a few times. A friend of mine asked me today if they were a Christian band. The book answers this question and very well at that. Author Kim Cooper states: "Pt. One" ends with a spacey drone that oozes into the track's initial gutsy cry "I love you Jesus Christ," which is the spot where aggressively non-Christian listeners have to make a conscious decision to stay with the music. But is the expression one of love for the Saviour or for another person, punctuated by the emphatic invocation of J.C.? Jeff repeatedly made it clear that he was singing about Jesus, but alternative interpretation is there for those who need it. (Cooper, 69-70)
Cooper's book writes honestly about the band. She doesn't paint them in a pretty light but she illustrates their stance well. Frontman Jeff Magnum is an odd guy, seems a bit reclusive in his inability to accept or further enjoy fame. Perhaps that's why this album is so good. I can't help but think if Brand New disbanded in 2004 after the release of 'Deja Entendu,' would they have such a big legacy as Neutral Milk Hotel had? Or would they be forgotten amongst CDs in a secondhand record shop? Who knows. The difference is Magnum isn't making music anymore on his own - a very bizarre decision for someone who created such a masterpiece.
A bit close to home that I really enjoyed reading. I've seen so many shows at that venue, in reading that I could picture how it was all happening.
The Farkeys were in force again come July 29, when Neutral Milk Hotel was booked to headline at Toronto's venerable Horseshoe Tavern. Bryan Poole reflects, "We'd always do these tours, Elf Power and Neutral Milk and Gerbils, I don't know how many people that is in total, twelve to fifteen people. Nobody can make a group decision, there's no consensus on what to do or where to go. It becomes a real problem. Neutral Milk Hotel was notorious for showing up late to gigs, barely getting to gigs, more than a few times. we totally misgauged how long it was gonna take to get there, and then couldn't find our way out of Montreal. 'Ah, we're still like 250 km away, we're not making sound check.... It's 10 o'clock, we're still not there.' Elf Power's supposed to open the show. Ended up not getting to this club until midnight. Sold-out club. The owners were freaking out. We finally get there and they're like super excited, wild-eyed, waving us into the back alleyway, running to get the stuff on stage. There's people just packed, standing there, no equipment onstage - you can imagine, these people are there for a couple of hours, staring at a stage with nothing on it. So Neutral Milk Hotel just went and played, and then Elf Power played afterwards. But the things is, those were the best shows. They barnstormed the stage and the next day, the Toronto paper gave this outstanding review of how great it was. The live shows were always just really chaotic." (Cooper, 92-93)
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