Music Review: Harvey Danger

Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?

When I was in New York last spring, I found myself driving in an unfamiliar area on a Sunday evening. Flipping around the radio dial, I found a station that was playing an interesting mix. There was one song which was really good; it seemed like a mix of grunge and bubblegum pop. Over the "ba-ba-ba" of the chorus was a really fun line, "I'm not sick but I'm not well". It seemed appropriate. After the song was over I waited for the DJ to identify it, but they were in the middle of a twenty song marathon. I made it home close to an hour later without finding out what it was.

By now you've probably guessed that the song was by Harvey Danger. A friend ID'd the song as "Flagpole Sitta". The downtown music store had a copy to listen to, so I gave it a spin. Hmmm, an okay song. Yeah, that's good. Oops, they can't handle a slow song. Pass on this album for now; I bet a copy will show up in the cheap CD bin soon. And it did.

And so... I still think "Flagpole Sitta" is a whole lot of fun. "Carlotta Valdez" isn't too bad; the Jimmy Stewart/Vertigo lyrics are neat. But the rest is eminently forgettable, even after several listens. This album gets put in the same category as the Spin Doctor's Pocket Full of Kryptonite: a few good pop songs, forget the rest. Think of it as a CD single with a really long B side.

been around the world and found
that only stupid people are breeding
the cretins cloning and feeding
and i don't even own a tv

put me in the hospital for nerves
and then they had to commit me
you told them all i was crazy
they cut off my legs now i'm an amputee, god damn you

i'm not sick but i'm not well
and i'm so hot cause i'm in hell


Last updated 8 June 2000
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All contents ©1998-2002 Mark L. Irons