Belief Systems

SPOON I Can’t Believe That Kurt Cobain Is Dead

I don’t know if this can be claimed as an actual Spoon song – it sounds like it predates Telephono, and is probably just Britt Daniels. The charm of the tune extends only as far as the title, and its smirking rejoinder in the chorus; there’s no indication that this is the same songwriter who’ll pen “The Beast and Dragon, Adored.” Think of it as a rather goofy yearbook photo, shot at his parents’ house, an issue of Spin tossed on the carpet, a four-track on his closet dresser, a practice guitar on a stand with a skinny tie lazily strewn over it, and Risky Business sunglasses on the nightstand (if you want to go ahead and complete the image of Daniels rocking out in his underwear, that’s your prerogative – just don’t follow through and make him a Scientologist).

WILLIAM AND VERSEY SMITH I Believe I'll Go Back Home

From American Primitive Vol. 1: Raw Pre-War Gospel, on John Fahey’s Revenant label. In league with this collection’s “I’m Gonna Cross the River of Jordan Some O’ These Days,” “This Time Another Year You May Be Gone,” “I Am In the Heavenly Way,” ad nauseam, it’s a song about death, not as an unfortunate end (see above), but rather a much-welcomed return journey. Popular music still hasn’t gotten over its death-obsession, but then again, neither has the culture. At least they had a mitigating mythos then. Those were the days…