letters and sodas…. June 27, 2008
So Tuesday, I remembered to go to my local Best Buy and pick up a copy of the reissue of Liz’s Guyville. Even though I still have my original copy and it’s not warped from the zillions of times I played it over the years. What I found most inspiring was not only the record itself, but the dvd portion in which Liz interviewed the guys who helped her make Guyville possible.
The dvd made me realize how truly genuine and earnest Liz really is… to this day. I really enjoyed watching Brad Wood comment about the record as they both listened back to it. They made such a great musical team. I think what really drew me to Guyville from the beginning was not only the sharp lyrical flow and quirky, amazing chord progressions… but Liz, herself. I think the record is much more autobiographical than she was initially willing to let on. The dvd really clarified how unhappy and yearnfully sad she was during the making of it. That sadness I truly could identify with. Still do, in fact. Despite the deep sense of sad, there was a strong sense of rebellious self-empowerment and raw rock n’ roll throughout the entire work. I’m happy to find that many other people admit to it and could hear it as well.
I could see the disappointment in Liz’s face when she recounts meeting Mick at a studio in L.A. He basically forgave her for having made Guyville…. as if it was a mistake and she was using it as a vehicle for the press. It’s a shame that he could not see what a huge compliment Guyville truly was. The double l.p. that the Stones released back in ‘72 struck such a deep chord in Liz and really got her creative juices flowing with her own work. For me, Guyville did the exact same thing. It’s the very reason I even felt the desire to start playing guitar and writing songs. Maybe one day Liz will hear Circuitville. Maybe I will run into her at a studio and she will forgive me for having made it. I have a feeling that might not be the case. Art always influences art. I don’t think there is a stronger nor higher compliment than that in this life.
My only hope is that others find a similar kind of inspiration in Circuitville. I did initially think I had to do a song by song response to Guyville, but I realized over time that it’s not necessary to reinvent the wheel so hard. Aside from making subtle references to the Stones and Guyville, I had my own sense of alienation within my community to contend with and write about. Liz took a sharp angle with gender and really got into the idea of having her songs have a conversation with Mick’s lyrics. All three records paint vivid pictures in audio form of a human trying to deal with his or her environments and the people that closely surround and affect them. The vulnerability and brazen character that Liz exuded was inspired by Mick. During the making of Circuitville, they both inspired me.
