Classic Albums: Benji by Sun Kil Moon

Now when I think back just only a few years to 2014, it’s Sun Kil Moon and this album named after the famous 70’s kid’s dog movie Benji, which the film been remade for almost every new generation or just endless sequels? I haven’t seen all of them, have you? Anyway it’s just got to be this album and I guess that’s what this blog is about to but I think ever in a few more years time it’s still going to be the same for me because it’s my memory. That year just seem to belong to him really. Now anyone, everyone else should check it out if they haven’t yet heard the album called Benji.

So do you know Sun Kil Moon, if you don’t know it’s a moniker of singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek and this made it his second album for 2014 on my Classic Albums list. Just before Xmas last year I did named, so already on that list is Mark Kozelek Sings Christmas Carols because it’s my fave silly season record of all-time. It only make sense to include the singer-songwriter record he released much earlier that same year so that’s what this week’s Monday’s post is all about, OK?

To be honest this was somewhat, I’ll call it re-discovery today because I was a big Red House Painters fan in the 90’s which is his old band. But I haven’t listen to his new stuff for a while at this point but in early 2015 he tour Australia and I finally got to see him live. I’ve already written about that gig here on my blog, it was just a little over three hour long Sun Kil Moon show so it did makeup for never seeing him/them before. He’s doing a Aussie tour later his year but not coming to Perth, you can play my house if you need a venue?

Most likely I’ve blogged about him a lot so trying to now in this post to not repeat myself in this one. I did picked up his solo live album recorded in Italy called Live At Biko and he talks about writing the above song after getting a text message from his gf. He also asks a girl sitting on the front of the stage what she thinks of the song called Dogs too, somewhat named after the Pink Floyd song and a list of ex’s. That one could be my fave track but that would hard to pick out really or the song I Watched the Film The Song Remains the Same which made me listen to Led Zeppelin again which would have the first time in years and years, two of my kind-of teenage me fave bands which I don’t listen to anymore. Both his Mum and Dad songs with I Can’t Live Without My Mother’s Love and I Love Dad are sweet. Both Carissa and Truck Driver are song about family members who both died the same bizarre way. Pray For Newtown about an American gun shooting, Jim Wise about someone’s on home arrest, Micheline was someone who live next door neighborhood as a kid, Ben’s My Friend is just that. Way more auto-bio words and lyrics than ever before.

I think this one was really popular with hipsters at the time but I don’t know if he’s still in fashion now? I do remember a reviewers at the time of release did pointed out at least one person died in each of the tracks of this album. Mark’s nylon acoustic guitar playing features less than the previous albums but way more than the albums he’s done since Benji. I think it’s now six newer albums but I might have missed count that?

So who else out there digs Benji or for that matter any Sun Kil Moon, Mark Kozelek, Red House Painters?

Benji track listing and times:

1. Carissa – 6:56
2. I Can’t Live Without My Mother’s Love – 3:59
3. Truck Driver – 3:56
4. Dogs – 5:37
5. Pray For Newtown – 4:08
6. Jim Wise – 3:34
7. I Love My Dad – 6:16
8. I Watched the Film The Song Remains the Same – 10:31
9. Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes – 5:35
10. Micheline – 6:07
11. Ben’s My Friend – 5:17

 So this album my 75th CA post so celebrating that fact I’ve fucked around reordering the list in what’s the most popular or got the most viewers:

1. Rust In Peace by Megadeth
2. Sex by The Necks
3. Henry’s Dream by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4. The Soft ‘N’ Sexy Sound by Dave Graney ‘N’ The Coral Snakes
5. The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn by Pink Floyd
6. Tales From The Australian Underground – Volume 1 & 2 by Various Artists
7. Gala Mill by The Drones
8. Station To Station by David Bowie
9. Batman by Prince
10. Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs by Marty Robbins
11. Work (Work, Work) by HTRK
12. Songs Of Love And Hate by Leonard Cohen
13. Whatever You Love, You Are by Dirty Three
14. Love Of Life by Swans
15. Rid Of Me by PJ Harvey
16. Lulu by Lou Reed & Metallica
17. The Future by Leonard Cohen
18. Aerial by Kate Bush
19. Unplugged In New York by Nirvana
20. Y by The Pop Group
21. Black Monk Time by The Monks
22. Drowning In The Fountain Of Youth by Dan Kelly And The Alpha Males
23. Vespertine by Björk
24. Ex Tropical by Lost Animal
25. Horses by Patti Smith
26. The White House by The Dead C
27. Silence Is Sexy by Einstürzende Neubauten
28. Last Splash by The Breeders
29. In The Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra
30. Where Joy Kills Sorrow by Various Artists
31. The Shape Of Things by Pere Ubu
32. Blue Valentine by Tom Waits
33. Emergency Ward by Nina Simone
34. Law Of Nature by Laughing Clowns
35. Rock For Light by Bad Brains
36. King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime by Faith No More
37. Kaira by Toumani Diabaté
38. White Light/White Heat by The Velvet Underground
39. In The Pines by The Triffids
40. Mutiny/The Bad Seed by The Birthday Party
41. Ascension by John Coltrane
42. Arular by M.I.A.
43. What Are Rock Stars Doing Today by Magic Dirt
44. Kings Of The Wild Frontier by Adam And The Ants
45. Warm Leatherette by Grace Jones
46. Sings Christmas Carols by Mark Kozelek
47. Big Name, No Blankets by Warumpi Band
48. Super Ape by Lee “Scratch” Perry & The Upsetters
49. Hex Enduction Hour by The Fall
50. Primary Colours by Eddy Current Suppression Ring
51. Trainspotting by Various Artists
52. Veedon Fleece by Van Morrison
53. In My Own Time by Karen Dalton
54. Bricks Are Heavy by L7
55. The Human Jukebox by Scientists
56. Trailer Park by Beth Orton
57. Body Language by Kylie Minogue
58. Stay Sick! by The Cramps
59. Charcoal Lane by Archie Roach
60. Jean Lee And The Yellow Dog by Ed Kuepper
61. Paradise by My Disco
62. Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood by DMX
63. High Voltage by AC/DC
64. (I’m) Stranded by The Saints
65. Bahdeni Nami by Omar Souleyman
66. The Definitive by Blind Willie McTell
67. After School Session by Chuck Berry
68. His Best by Bo Diddley
69. Congotronics by Konono Nº1
70. TV Sky by The Young Gods
71. Moon Pix by Cat Power
72. Self-tilted by The Seeds
73. I’m New Here by Gil Scott-Heron
74. But not really counted because it was only published yesterday Embracism by Kirin J Callinan
75. Also not counted because well, you know you’re reading it right now Benji by Sun Kil Moon

 Click on your fave album/s on the above list to see if anyone can ever top Megadeth? Or click on them to keep them on top! Thanks for reading again or if it’s the first time thank you.