The Old 97's: Blame It On Gravity and at The Pageant

I have had a long time affair with Rhett Miller of the Old 97’s. It has gone through a lot of ups and downs overcoming him dropping out of college, starting a band, getting semi famous, getting a model for a wife, trying and failing at a solo career, getting back together with the band and well, kind of mailing it in. I would estimate that I have seen them play live about 12 to 15 times. More then any other band. I think Los Lobos would be second and Wilco is in there somewhere.

So it is always with some trepidation that I see that they have a new album coming out. Additionally they are of course touring behind it and I need to see them live. Trepidation comes because they are a very unlikely band to break through to new ground. They have a nice rocking, twanging sound. Ken Bethea gets better on guitar but he is not a virtuoso but he is just what the band needed. Miller is good looking, Murray Hammond adds heart and earnestness. Not a bad combo but also not a group you can expect to evolve like say... a Wilco.

And they have not.

Lets make clear. I still love these guys and Rhett is still cute but... there is not much growth. Still, growth is not all it is cracked up to be and certainly not for everyone. The new CD “Blame It On Gravity” came out last month and it is an excellent tuneful yet unremarkable collection. It starts with “The Fool: which rollicks along like ANY Old 97’s song. It tells a story of a guy in love. A fool in love. Who would have thunk it? Dance with me is Rhett Miller, breathy, I am singing about the girl but want the girls to be thinking about me, song. Only a girl could like it and maybe not even them. The third song “No Baby I” is much better and gives you hope. It has the poetry of Millers best work with the tag line “blame it on gravity, blame it on being a girl”. It is soft, lilting and works.

”My Two Feet”... I don’t know. I like it but seems a lot like all their new songs since Satellite Rides. The rhymes, work, the songs cute, Bethea's guitar jangles but, do I really give a shit anymore? “Ride” brings it back with quality again but there is very little rawness and it is still kind of a “look at me” song though Bethea gives us some high points as Rhett takes us on a ride. “She Loves The Sunset” is at best, insipid. “I love a girl, she loves the sunset”. Seriously? it tries to do an island hawaii thing. Lets just call it a mistake. “This Beautiful Thing”, Murray contributes... sort of. Murray is big, funny looking and bespectacled. he is married to singer songwriter Grey De Lisle and... I have never know what to do with Murray and this song does nothing to clear up the riddle.

“I Will Remain” finds Miller heading back to surer footing and is a good listen for someone who loves his voice like I do. I could listen to him chant the phone book but this is just a pleasant little ditty and an ode to eternal, lost, and unrequited love. “Early Morning” tries to become another “Four Leaf Clover”. Perhaps time will make me love it. I am not counting on it. “The Easy Way” might be the best song on the CD. It finds Rhett singing about love, Texas, jukeboxes and things he knows best. No guitar heroics, just Bethea slashing away the way he does best, in perfect time. “Heres To The Halcyon” seems to be about a ship, it tries to be too poetic and does not work. “Color of a Lonely heart Is Blue” is Murray Hammond at his best, which is singing just about the same note. If you didn’t listen to the words you would think he was singing “West Texas Teardrop”. But do not listen to the words. Fittingly they close with the best song “The One”. Miller sings about the band and relationships and bank robbery. My recommendation would be to download three or four of these songs from iTunes and call it what you need. Strictly a CD for a fan and a completist.

So that leaves us with their live show. The bottom line is that if you love them it is great live show. Rhett is still cute, albeit pudgier. He still can sing. Bethea is finally comfortable as a lead guitar player and is no longer embarrassed of his chops. Murray Hammond is talented and air tight on Bass and rhythm if needed and always solid on backing vocals and his songs where he sings are always a nice break from Rhetts too pretty vocals. I know I wrote all this without mentioning their longtime drummer Philip Peeples. He is a non entity on album or stage but like Mike Heidorn from Uncle Tupelo, it is not the band without him and if they lost him they would probably be done. Drummers are funny.