This title of this song has always appealed to me: evocative, esoteric and apocalyptic, it is one of the more baroque examples in the Spoon catalog. The song itself, though, I've always felt is somewhat middle-of-the-pack, interesting for the way it steadily builds an atmosphere of dread, but ultimately just somewhat lacking in vitality.
"Beast" establishes Gimme Fiction's repetition-fetish immediately: for most of the song, Spoon stretches out a simple, ominous minor-key chromatic piano progression into a half-speed dirge. Major-key choruses attempt to deliver a release sufficient to match the verses' continuous tension-build (amplified by Britt's strangled guitar salvos, like miniature car collisions), and the second chorus succeeds a bit with its little extension/variation on the initial chord progression. However, the slightly oppressive lethargy of the song is never fully counterbalanced by Britt's vocal performance, and the song has conspicuously few enlivening melodic flourishes by the band. Is it horrible? Not by any means. The end result just comes off as just the slightest bit... well, dull.
At the very least, though, "Beast" does serve as an interesting and relatively effective album opener: an unsettling call-to-arms ('when you don't feel it, it shows, they tear out your soul; and when you believe they call it rock-and-roll') that also functions as a sort of overture and scene-setter for the album (this theatrical, song-as-album-prelude/overture notion is reinforced by the song's lyrics, which reference two later songs, "I Summon You" and "Never Got You").
Saturday, April 4, 2009
The Beast and Dragon, Adored [Spoon Feeder: Vol. 5]
Posted by yoshinorimike at 1:00 AM
Labels: Gimme Fiction, Spoon, Spoon Feeder, The Beast and Dragon Adored
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So insightful. I think this and "My Mathematical Mind" are similar in the sense that they build but never quite hit the peak you anticipate. "They Never Got You" accomplishes what the other two set out to do with more satisfying results. It's a better song than "My Mathematical Mind", and the tempo gives it the immediacy that might have prevented "Beast" from feeling so dragged out. The pace pulls an energetic vocal performance out of Britt, showcasing his staccato snarl and gift for nimble phrasing. Also, Britt's inventive implementation of one and four combined with that chromatic ascension via the mellotron makes the climax of "They Never Got You" the most dramatic moment on the album (and a high point during Spoon's live set as well).
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's interesting how similar "Beast" and and "My Mathematical Mind" are in approach (they remind me of those two Clap Your Hands songs on their first album that are like super-close variations on the same theme).
ReplyDeleteI actually do like "Mind" better then "Beast"; I think it shows how the "Beast" ominous repetition vibe is more effective with a little more energy. Instead of just meandering, the repetition creates this swirling sort of intensity that builds and swells with monomaniacal persistence.
But yeah, I agree that "They Never Got You" trumps them both; great analysis of that song. I love "Never"'s sneaky incremental build and playful bounce; plus, you're right, its vocal melody/Britt's performance is a real treat. And I love that mournful little descent of clean guitars in the outro segment.