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 tvput 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 youi'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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