Sweet Music PART ONE: Girl

It was the album of my last year in High School.  This year it marks thirty years of being released.  It was a blind music pick because of the cover.  The great and strikingly beautiful women on the cover.  I included a picture of her (see below) even though back then I did not know who "her" was.  Not sure if the liner notes explain who is in the photo, but when I got my copy at the store my dad quickly pointed out who she was.  "Is that Tuesday Weld?" he asked me.  I had no clue. He pointed out that she was an actress from the 60's that despite her beauty she was not really famous.  He also pointed out that she was in a movie I liked called Cincinnati Kid with Steve McQueen.  

I was excited to listen because the song "Girlfriend" was slowly making some noise on the radio and on MTV where the video combined Matthew Sweet and some odd Japan anime that really worked well with the music and I really thought if I went looking for it the music would be there too.  With an hour worth of music I knew I was going to like what was on this album without hearing anything else by Matthew Sweet at the time I knew this would provide hours of enjoyment.  Going record shopping with my friend if his song came on the radio I would have him crank it up and I would attempt to sing along.  

If I could wear out the grooves on a CD then this song would have a lot of problems being played in the future.  After all each song on the album has a cool hook that will grab you and not let go. When I first heard the single for the album I knew I was in for wild ride.  Girlfriend is a song with those catchy hooks I spoke of and also those guitar licks that keep stinging you like a bee. It was at that point I needed to hear this whole album all the way through.  It was also the time I now appreciated his session men on the album.  It was also around that time I gave another album a better listen and that album was Marquee Moon.   

Marquee Moon has a very underrated guitar player named Richard Lloyd.  His chops playing with Television are simply stunning.  You can hear even Matthew Sweet use his musicianship and his love for Marquee Moon on Girlfriend and everything else he is asked to play.  Each riff on the album has a Lloyd stamp on it.  It's like Matthew Sweet worked around his crafty guitar playing.  After a few more listens to Girlfriend I knew this album was going to be a future favorite and look forward to his albums he made in the future.

Another great musician on this album is Robert Quine.  Robert is not alone on this ride, he has help from fellow friends Fred Maher and Lloyd Cole. Fred and Robert come from the Lou Reed world and they know how important perfection is.  Lou insisted on it and always wanted the high level of musicians to play with him.  Lloyd Cole is also a perfectionist and his adding to this album made it all the sharper.  Other guests include the Indigo Girls and the famous dobro player Greg Leisz.  Greg has played with everybody and his playing shines here.  

What makes this all come together is Matthew Sweets crafty and cleaver lyrics and also this band.  They are a monster in the studio and I bet they were a monster live too.  Never saw this band but did see future Matthew Sweet shows.  What is more exciting that the songs sound very fresh and almost like they were live in the studio to just let the tape roll.  The crunching guitars and the singing by Matthew Sweet makes this an album treat.  Take Divine Intervention the song is raw and builds and builds and is such a killer tune.  The song Does She Talk? is so rough and abrasive that it leaves marks all over you. 

In 1991 Grunge was very popular and Girlfriend ignores all that and makes a Rock album that is a mix of Big Star, Neil Young, The Byrds, and The Beatles and puts it in a blender and makes it sound so original. I kinda regret not seeing this tour because I bet you it was an ear ringing talked about show of a lifetime. The music is concise and puts it in a blender that Matthew Sweet could only do.  It might have taken a few albums to get him going but once he had the right musicians and the write lyrics he had that lightning in the bottle moment. Another classic of the 1990's with flare and excitement and a few bombs to make you listen to it all over again.  If any album deserves to play at max volume then this is the one will have your ears ring with joy and your senses sharper then ever have before.