I just read the news about Grandaddy’s bass playing and founding member Kevin Garcia passing away a couple of days ago on Monday. Unbelievable he’s died at 41, I just turned that age last month and I can’t imagined what they and his family is going through right now.
So I’m sitting here now, thinking about that and just have started blogging about it. I’ve put on the album Under The Western Freeway too, it was on the to do list of albums for my Classic Albums list I’m making here on this blog. I guessing I’m doing it right now, I do hope it’s not too random or something? I don’t know what to say really because my mind gone blank now.
That video clip was my intro back in the late 90’s to them and it was by way of Aussie TV show rage again. It was Aussie band’s songwriter duo from The Go-Betweens who played it, Robert and Grant had just got back from America. If I remember right Robert Forster just raved about them for about five minutes before playing the song. It was quite a builded up by him and a lot of the times songs can be a bit disappointing on that show when it does come on. Grandaddy was far from it, Summer Here Kids was one if not the best track they played all night.
I guess at the time they fit into to that indie nerd rock thing going on in America in the late 90’s by the likes of Weezer which never liked them at all. Grandaddy was more on the Pavement side of things really I guess but I think enjoy Grandaddy way more than even them. This album is just so epic and fits in perfectly with the other albums from the 90’s I’ve included in this list of mine. Under The Western Freeway was released in October 1997 so it’s just coming up to it’s 20 years anniversary and was the debut album then.
The follow-up album was not out until the year 2000 so they’re remember more as a 2000’s band really with two more albums before breaking up. After the reunion shows it’s the first new stuff for ten years with a new album out only two months ago and an upcoming tour which, I guess is going to be cancelled now. It’s all very sad now but I guess it’s great they got it together to do those reunion shows and recording/releasing new material before this did happened.
I’m not really doing Grandaddy or Garcia justice and it’s getting really late here so I might just sign of now. Thinking and sending all the love I can to them and his family at this time.
Who else loves some Granddaddy out there?
Under the Western Freeway tracklisting and times:
1. Nonphenomenal Lineage – 3:11
2. A.M. 180 – 3:20
3. Collective Dreamwish of Upperclass Elegance – 5:26
4. Summer Here Kids – 3:35
5. Laughing Stock – 5:59
6. Under the Western Freeway – 3:01
7. Everything Beautiful Is Far Away – 5:13
8. Poisoned at Hartsy Thai Food – 1:13
9. Go Progress Chrome – 2:31
10. Why Took Your Advice – 4:07
11. Lawn & So On – 9:04
All my Classic Albums posts are in that link or they’re all linked below too!
- Tales From The Australian Underground – Volume 1 & 2 by Various Artists
- Station To Station by David Bowie
- Unplugged In New York by Nirvana
- Rust In Peace by Megadeth
- Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs by Marty Robbins
- Henry’s Dream by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
- Whatever You Love, You Are by Dirty Three
- Gala Mill by The Drones
- Black Monk Time by The Monks
- Ex Tropical by Lost Animal
- Work (Work, Work) by HTRK
- In The Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra
- The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn by Pink Floyd
- Songs Of Love And Hate by Leonard Cohen
- Warm Leatherette by Grace Jones
- The White House by The Dead C
- Silence Is Sexy by Einstürzende Neubauten
- Lulu by Lou Reed & Metallica
- Kaira by Toumani Diabaté
- Kings Of The Wild Frontier by Adam And The Ants
- Drowning In The Fountain Of Youth by Dan Kelly And The Alpha Males
- Aerial by Kate Bush
- The Future by Leonard Cohen
- Rock For Light by Bad Brains
- Last Splash by The Breeders
- Sex by The Necks
- Emergency Ward by Nina Simone
- Paradise by My Disco
- Batman by Prince
- Sings Christmas Carols by Mark Kozelek
- What Are Rock Stars Doing Today by Magic Dirt
- Love Of Life by Swans
- Big Name, No Blankets by Warumpi Band
- Blue Valentine by Tom Waits
- In The Pines by The Triffids
- Where Joy Kills Sorrow by Various Artists
- TV Sky by The Young Gods
- King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime by Faith No More
- Jean Lee And The Yellow Dog by Ed Kuepper
- Law Of Nature by Laughing Clowns
- (I’m) Stranded by The Saints
- Super Ape by Lee “Scratch” Perry & The Upsetters
- The Soft ‘N’ Sexy Sound by Dave Graney ‘N’ The Coral Snakes
- Mutiny/The Bad Seed by The Birthday Party
- Bahdeni Nami by Omar Souleyman
- Ascension by John Coltrane
- The Definitive by Blind Willie McTell
- Rid Of Me by PJ Harvey
- Horses by Patti Smith
- Vespertine by Björk
- Hex Enduction Hour by The Fall
- Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood by DMX
- I’m New Here by Gil Scott-Heron
- Charcoal Lane by Archie Roach
- In My Own Time by Karen Dalton
- Stay Sick! by The Cramps
- Primary Colours by Eddy Current Suppression Ring
- Veedon Fleece by Van Morrison
- Trainspotting by Various Artists
- After School Session by Chuck Berry
- Body Language by Kylie Minogue
- Bricks Are Heavy by L7
- Trailer Park by Beth Orton
- Arular by M.I.A.
- Moon Pix by Cat Power
- White Light/White Heat by The Velvet Underground
- Y by The Pop Group
- The Human Jukebox by Scientists
- The Shape Of Things by Pere Ubu
- Congotronics by Konono Nº1
- High Voltage by AC/DC
- Self-tilted by The Seeds
- His Best by Bo Diddley
- Embracism by Kirin J Callinan
- Benji by Sun Kil Moon
- Betty by Helmet
- Late Registration by Kanye West
So the idea here is simply for me to write a post about each of my fave albums that I consider total stone cold classics!
Please do leave a reply below and tell me what you think about this album and/or artist or whatever you’d like to say about it?
