Crawl Away

Lambchop
Thriller

The slow song on Thriller, my favorite Lambchop release. To me, this would better fit on Hank, but I digress. Lambchop has two speeds I really like. Slow and elegiac, like this track. Full of swells, backup vocals and clear attenuation of all of the instruments on the track. Then there is the style used on Your Fucking Sunny Day-another track on this album. Upbeat and messy to the point of falling apart. Also, plenty of cursing, especially in such an offhand manner, i.e. not just used to shock puritans, makes the teen in me giggle.

Lambchop is the band I'd most like to see live at this point of my life. Unfortunately, they are probably the least likely to tour. Having 10-14 members in rotation tends to do that. I've always liked the idea of a stage full of people, cramped for space, trying to play their music. I can't imagine the setup Lambchop uses. Even if it is not true within the group, Kurt Wagner definitely seems like the group's official leader. I envision him in the center of the stage, possibly sitting down, with a white stage light centered on his seat while the rest of his bandmates toil in darkness. At least, that's how I'd do it if I were him.

Has there ever been a more successful band names after a hand puppet? Probably, but that's research I'm not willing to undertake. The better question is-has there ever been a better band that plays country music while having double-digit membership not all based in the same city named after a hand puppet? I'm going to go ahead and say no.