Almost Famous (Directed by Cameron Crowe, 2000)

This may be a narrow point of view, but it seems that almost anybody, no matter how uptight, religious, or conservative, can appreciate the seductive draw of the lifestyle of a 70’s rock star. After all, the rock and roll existence contains all the flourishes of human indulgence: sex, fame, glory, and money. Whom among us do these things not tempt? Perhaps that is why Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous” is so appealing at first?

We are drawn into a world of art and beauty, punctuated by overt sexuality and seemingly consequence-free drug use. We are pulled towards an entire “industry of cool” where creativity reigns and love is free. And despite the few negative results that are shown in the film, no one dies, and in the end everyone are still friends.

In the post-70’s world however, most of us understand the trappings of such hippie extravagances and are well aware of the harsh side of a life of hedonism. We have been shown it again and again in lame biopics about Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and countless others gone too soon. While Crowe does his best to avoid the familiar clichés that come when showing the dark side of the rock star life (the overdose, the band break-up, etc.), he does not always succeed.

If the film’s point is not to completely glorify the sexy excesses of rock stardom, it is instead to make clear the struggle that occurs within a critic in the face of them. Nowhere is this struggle more obvious than in young William, whose maturing ability as a writer becomes compromised by his blatant adoration for the musicians he covers.

Before he ever dreams of his possible assignment to travel with “Stillwater,” William is warned by his mentor, Lester Bangs, that they will try to befriend and corrupt him. Lester’s best advice to him is that in order to be a rock journalist and a true critic, he must be “honest and unmerciful.” This phrase gets straight to the heart of the movie and is central to its message. The words are repeated again at the end of the film to drive the point home.

But between the first time William hears these words and the last time, he does not comprehend them. Like Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz,” he knows the answer all along but he must still learn it for himself. Only when he has been fully used and his fantasy is near shattered does he realize what he must do. In order to “be a true friend” to the band, he must take Lester’s advice and be brutally honest and authentic in his reporting.

Exalting the band with fabrications and partial truths will only “further the big business of rock and roll” and dilute the purity of a beautiful thing. And no matter how huge the egos that are involved in it, rock ‘n roll as an art form is a thing of beauty. Money does not help it, fame will not nourish it, and drugs… well, drugs might be useful, but the point is that music is art and art has always relied on the truth for inspiration. Everyone knows that the truth is not always pretty, but as Keats said, “Beauty is truth, [and] truth beauty” and “that is all [you] need to know.”

Neil Young "Mirror Ball" (Reprise, 1995)

In 1995, following the release of its third critically acclaimed album, Pearl Jam was starting to waver. Eddie Vedder, the enigmatic singer and leader of the band was “in the midst of a pretty serious stalker problem,” and the rest of the members were restless and lacking direction*. It was at this moment that the godfather of grunge, Neil Young, stepped in to help.

After performing with the band at an abortion rights benefit in Washington, D.C., Young invited the group to back him up on his next album. For Young, the album would be a follow up to 1994’s “Sleeps With Angels,” a hard-edged album dedicated to grunge’s fallen warrior, Kurt Cobain. Just 11 days after the D.C. performance, and armed with only the first two tunes off the album, the supergroup assembled in Seattle to record.

“Mirror Ball” was recorded in four days during the winter of 1995. Except for the first two songs, Young claims that all the material was written at the sessions. And it is not too hard to believe. The songs sound spontaneous: a release of crunching, riff-driven rock, powered by heavy distortion, ringing sustain, and Young's signature lyric style.

Like Neil's other rock albums, “Mirror Ball” features simple chord progressions, basic rhythms, and a rich mixture of grit and beauty. But it also features something more: a talented, young band in its prime. Like Crazy Horse in the early '70s, the members of Pearl Jam were more than willing to do Young's bidding. But unlike Crazy Horse, whose sloppiness characterized the many (great) albums on which they played, Pearl Jam was a hard-hitting, cohesive unit. Their straightforward approach served to stabilize Neil's "wheels have come off the tracks" abandon.

That said, the songs are raw. Recorded live, as is Young's style, the outros of songs feature massive feedback and band banter. At the beginning of "Downtown," an ode to '70s rock and hippie idealism, Neil can be heard saying, "I think I fucked up, let me just play the groove for a minute," before launching into a riff that dominates the five-minute single. Similarly unpolished, "I'm the Ocean" is a dirty rocker that could easily have been on Neil's classic "Zuma" or his later "Living With War."

But while half of the album feels and sounds like classic Neil, the other half takes on a characteristic of its own. "Neil Jam," as the group was known in its live incarnation, constitutes a more complex sound, involving super-grungy layered guitars, keys, pump organ, and whirlwind backup vocals. "Peace and Love," the album's anthem and second single, is the first tune on which Vedder sings and the band sounds original. The track is powerful, with a stronger form, changes in tempo and style, and a dark message that the title belies.

"Throw Your Hatred Down" and "Scenery" are similarly unique and positively epic. With Neil finally relinquishing some of the lead guitar duties, the solos are the most scorching on the album, fusing his simplistic intensity with the Jam's ample ability.

The album strives for authenticity and succeeds: making the listener feel like that lucky fly on the wall at the recording sessions. And while it may not be Young or Pearl Jam's best or most enduring work, "Mirror Ball" serves its purpose as something else: an honest snapshot of grunge through the lens of its progenitor and its greatest champions.

* Weisbard, Eric, et al. "Ten Past Ten". Spin. August 2001: http://www.fivehorizons.com/archive/articles/spin801.shtml

Listen to the Album at: http://music.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=music.artistalbums&artistid=809619&albumid=8669484

Buy the Album at: http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Ball-Neil-Young/dp/B000002MZ9