Under the Scalpel 10.01.09: Rammstein, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, G Love & Special Sauce

Posted by Mark Ingoldsby on 10.01.2009

Listening to the new Rammstein single is like getting date-raped by Bela Lugosi at a KMFDM concert, Pearl Jam gets ponderous, Alice In Chains releases an instant classic, G Love & Special Sauce are "Feelin' Alright", and more. Brought to you by the sometimes humorous, always heartless guitarist from the hard rock band A Simple Complex.

"Under the Scalpel: Dissecting Pop Culture One Song at a Time" is a weekly column written by Mark Ingoldsby, songwriter and guitarist for the hard rock band A Simple Complex. Download three free tracks that will rock your panties off at www.asimplecomplex.com

Rammstein – Pussy
See The Band Like You've Never Seen Them Before



"We like being on the fringes of bad taste", Rammstein guitarist Paul Landers told a British newspaper in 2005. "The controversy is fun, like stealing forbidden fruit," added keyboard-player Christian "Flake" Lorenz.

One would think being associated with Columbine student-turned-gunman Eric Harris, arrested for using an ejaculating stage prop, and sued by a penis-eating murderer might discourage such scandalous behavior. But "Pussy," and the methods being used to promote the song, provide hard evidence the band hasn't been deterred in the slightest.

Like most Rammstein singles released in the last eight years, "Pussy" consists of simple, metal guitar riffs and gothic keyboards playing over pounding rock drums. Pretty standard fare for these German industrial-metal veterans. A bit too similar to their 2004 single "Amerika" as a matter of fact.

But it's not the music that makes "Pussy" scandalous; it's the controversial lyrics. When it comes to laying out his intentions, frontman Till Lindemann does not beat around the bush, so to speak.

You've got a pussy,
I have a dick,
So what's the problem?
Let's do it quick.

Not exactly the Song of Solomon. In fact, delivered with Lindemann's heavy European accent, listening to this track is like being date-raped by Bela Legosi at a KMFDM concert.

The song's lyrics alternate between English and German. The English lines are rather hokey and inconsequential ("Too short, too tall, doesn't matter, one size fits all."). And although I can't get an exact translation of the German words, phrases like "Steck Bratwurst in dein Sauerkraut" require no decoding.

When it comes to shock value, however, the crude lyrics to "Pussy" pale in comparison to the methods the band has chosen to promote the single.

The cover art for "Pussy" features the band members' faces and arms 'photoshopped' onto nude female bodies. It's enough to give a man nightmares.

Even more bizarre, the song's music video is straight-up, triple-X pornography. Whereas their 2004 music video for "Mein Teil" featured a white-winged angel simulating fellatio on the lead singer, the video for "Pussy" completely removes the element of simulation.

Set props like handcuffs, sausages, and a horsewhip only begin to tell the tale of the carnal carnival that constitutes this video. I'll spare you the blow-by-blow (literally) of the goings-on, leaving you only with the following thought – this may be the first music video by a multi-platinum-selling band to feature money shots.

"We've had 6.5 million people watching the video in one week," Lindemann boasted. But when asked if the private parts in the video actually belong to the band members or were "stunt cocks," guitarist Richard Kruspe replied, "No comment."

Um… a gentleman never tells?

"Pussy" leaves no doubt that Rammstein is hardcore – in every sense of the word. Maybe not to the level of GG Allin, but hardcore nevertheless.

This song is all right, but very unexceptional. In my opinion, nothing the band has done since Herzeleid and Sehnsucht can match the quality of those two releases. And I'm sure once the wow-factor of this song's promotional vehicles wears off, I won't be going out of my way to hear it.

But I will admit that Lindemann's Schwartznegger-like delivery of "You've got a poozay… I have a deekuh…" has been stuck in my head for three days now.

Rating: *** (3 out of 5)
If You Like: Die Krupps, HIM, KMFDM, White Zombie

The Six Pack: A half-dozen quick song reviews in an easy-to-carry cooler!

Alice In Chains – Check My Brain
"Check My Brain" is a second gem from the highly-anticipated return of the kings of heavy-emotion-meets-heavy-rock. Not as complex (or long) as "A Looking In View," "Check" makes for a much more suitable radio single. Somber vocal harmonies and bending guitar notes warble over steady, pounding rock percussion, giving this song Alice In Chains' signature feel of being chased through a haunted, hard-rock funhouse.

"So I found myself in the sun, oh yeah,
A hell of a place to end a run, oh yeah...
I walk these streets, I creep and I fall, oh yeah
When she sang I answered the call, oh yeah...
I hung my guns and put 'em away, oh yeah,
The trick of the trade, and by the way, oh yeah,
California, I'm fine,
Somebody check my brain."

I could theorize this song is another about drug abuse, but I'll admit – I really have no idea what the hell they're singing about. Despite this, the song is an instant classic.

Rating: ***** (5 out of 5)
If You Like: Deftones, Grinspoon, Ozzy (1991-1996), Stone Temple Pilots (1992)

Florence + The Machine – Kiss With A Fist
"'Kiss with a Fist' is NOT a song about domestic violence," insists Florence Welch, the namesake of Florence + The Machine. "The song is not about one person being attacked, or any actual physical violence. There are no victims in this song. Sometimes the love two people have for each other is a destructive force. But they can't have it any other way, because it's what holds them together."

You hit me once, I hit you back,
You gave a kick, I gave a slap,
You smashed a plate over my head...
I broke your jaw once before,
I spilled your blood upon the floor,
You broke my leg in return...
A kick to the teeth is good for some,
A kiss with a fist is better then none."

Obviously about domestic violence, right? The message is clear – better to stay in an abusive relationship than to be alone. Coming in at just over 2 minutes, "Kiss" is a short, pop-punk number that is unnecessarily simplistic and tiresomely repetitive. Like a lazy mix of early Liz Phair, early Joan Jett, and Belle Stars' 1988 cover of "Iko Iko," this song combines elements of pop with college-radio/chick-rock that explodes into an unimpressive indie-rock(-sounding) track. Makes me want to smash someone over the head with a plate. And by that, of course, I'm not talking about any actual physical violence. Sometimes the dislike of a song is a destructive force blah blah blah.

Rating: ** (2 out of 5)
If You Like: Dresden Dolls, Hole, Ida Maria, Juliana Hatfield, Liz Phair, Ting Tings, Tracy Bonham

G Love & Special Sauce – Peace, Love and Happiness
G Love has been flying under the radar for 15 years, occasionally scratching the bottom of a few Billboard song charts. This unparalleled and underappreciated artist blends hip-hop, rock, blues, folk, and pop into upbeat, catchy tunes that have a very distinct flavor. Mentioning G Love & Special Sauce may not produce a lot of "I know them!" responses, but a lot of people have probably heard the band without realizing it. In 2005, the band rewrote a classic Coca-Cola advertising song into "I'd Like to Teach the World to Chill," a laid-back acoustic hip-hop number infused with Caucasian rapping. They were also featured on the short-lived Comedy Central talk show Turn Ben Stein On as the house band. "Peace, Love and Happiness" is a fun jam that is best likened to Traffic's 1968 clap-along hit "Feelin' Alright?". In "Peace," G gets political and stands up for the common man.

"How can we eat this daily bread,
With so many people starving,
How come the presidents just build more bombs,
When they should start disarming,
With all that money spends on guns,
Instead of food and education,
We need to buy a little peace and love instead,
And start the healing of the nation."

If you're looking a truly innovative artist who puts positive messages over lively grooves, add some G Love to your collection, starting with "Peace."

Rating: ***** (5 out of 5)
If You Like: Basehead, Beastie Boys (1992-1995), Citizen Cope, Jack Johnson, Spearhead

Pac Div – Shut Up
I was flipping through the music channels on my Sirius radio when I stumbled on Pac Div's "Shut Up." In the chorus, a repeated sample of the words "shut up" sounded vaguely familiar. Nothing drives me crazier than being unable to remember where a sample comes from, so three hours (and several listens) later, it finally hit me: Sir Mix-A-Lot's 1992 cut "Lockjaw." Ah, relief! The music of "Shut Up" finds a comfortable middle-ground between today's stripped-down hip-hop (GS Boyz "Stanky Legg", New Boyz "You're A Jerk") and the stripped-down hip-hop of the 1980's (Schooly D "Gucci Time", Beastie Boys "It's The New Style"). The track's lyrics are not profound, mainly being comprised of three MC's who are informing their hizzos to simply shut up and sit still.

"Just keep your eyes on the road and you['d] better keep your mouth closed,
Stop playing with your cell phone 'cuz it's about to get thrown...
And don't you think about touching my stereo."

I laughed when one of the MC's felt the need to clarify the statement "straight to the sand" with "That's the beach." Yeah, I figured as much. This song is all right, but don't go out of your way for it. The fun sound effects, occasionally cool lyrics, and overall strong flow of each MC isn't enough to make up for the awful singing in the chorus and lackluster music track. Hence, the three-star rating of "Meh, it's okay."

Rating: *** (3 out of 5)
If You Like: Cool Kids, Ludacris (2000-2005), Yo Gotti

Pearl Jam – The Fixer
"The Fixer" is a poppier remake of their 1996 hit "Hail Hail," alloyed with the type of energy found in a song like Counting Crows' "Angels Of The Silences." The lyrics of "Fixer" are simply a boring collection of contrasting elements.

"When something's broke, I wanna put a little fixin' on it,
If something's bored, I wanna put a little exciting on it,
When something's low, I wanna put a little high on it,
If something's lost, I wanna fight to get it back again,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, fight to get it back again,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah."

Frontman and lyricist Eddie Vedder spews third-grader poetry in "Fixer" that is unimpressive, lacking the powerful storytelling of the band's peak years as heard in songs like "Jeremy," "Once," and "Corduroy." The cool guitar and bass riffs that made Pearl Jam so popular back in the day are nowhere to be found. Instead one guitar blandly strums away at chords while the other occasionally emulates U2's Edge with dull one- or two-note licks. It's a shame that they themselves have become just another watered-down version of 1990's Pearl Jam. This track is as uninspired as Audioslave's "Doesn't Remind Me" and repetitive as Staind's "It's Been Awhile." To borrow the words of Casey Kasum, "This is ponderous, man. Ponderous."

Rating: ** (2 out of 5)
If You Like: Audioslave, Default, Our Lady Peace, Screaming Trees, Stone Temple Pilots (pop rock tracks 1996-2001)

Supervillains – Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
Supervillains is a pop-ska band who unfortunately released their first album just as the Third Wave of Ska Revival began simmering down in the US. Therefore, they didn't get to experience the chart success their predecessors, such as Reel Big Fish or Mighty Mighty Bosstones, were able to achieve in the late 1990's. Their recent cover of Billy Joel's 1977 hit "Movin' Out" doesn't deviate much from the original. Even the tire screeching sounds and Joel's silly "ack-ack-ack's" have been duplicated. As many already know, "Movin' Out" is the tale of a man who refuses to participate in long hours of backbreaking labor to own the finer things in life, simply to appear more well-off than one actually is.

Who needs a house out in Hackensack,
Is that all you get for your money,
And it seems such a waste of time,
If that's what it's all about,
Mama, if that's movin' up then I'm movin' out."

The band did put just enough of a personal stamp on the song to make their reinterpretation worth listening to. Supervillains gave "Movin' Out" a good mix of ska with modern pop that works well. This song doesn't have the pep and wildness of the band's original music, but it's still worth having. That's the impression that I get, anyway.

Rating: **** (4 out of 5)
If You Like: 311, Everything, Less Than Jake, Mighty Mighty Bosstones (mainstream tracks), Reel Big Fish, Sublime

Wacky Video Of The Week

Boogie Pimps – Somebody To Love
Premise: Skydiving babies aim for luscious lady's ample milk jugs


Boogie Pimps - Somebody To Love on MUZU.