Shot Glass vs. - A Study In Approach
BRB just gonna binge Randall King's whole discography after this....
On the heels of my mega Mockingbird and the Crow review, I received some feedback. In the review, I made a comparison to Randall King‘s recent album Shot Glass. I compared Randall King‘s album favorably to Hardy’s and felt that it executed its simple ideas better. There was some pushback with a feeling that Randall King‘s album should be ranked lower because it was primarily about one topic, whereas the Mockingbird and the Crow touched on a variety of different topics.
This is true but I disagree with the conclusion. I thought it would be worthwhile to discuss Randall King‘s album in more depth to illuminate what I feel is the crucial difference.
The major critique leveled at albums like Shot Glass is about the song topics. The album is predominantly about relationships. It's about as cliche as you can get. This is in contrast to Hardy, where, for as much as I am bothered by the manner in which he chooses to address his chosen topics, the themes are at least more original then cranked out boilerplate love songs.
However, I dispute the idea that an album can be evaluated and cast aside based on simply featuring a cliche topical theme. Nearly 70% of all songs across all genres that appeared on the Billboard top 40 since 1960 fall into the category of romantic relationship songs. That would include love songs, romance songs, and also breakup songs.1 This is not the first time I ever discussed this fact, there is a very early piece of mine that discusses this idea2, but I wanted to take a different angle. This is a deeply impactful statement on how we relate to music and what music even is.
This reality may cut against what our perceived desires are with music. We claim to wish for unique and innovative ideas, topics, and methods of giving forth song and transmitting emotions. You know, the type of thing stuffy review outlets call “real music”. However, in the realm of popular music, which one must consider country as part of that pop tradition, it sure seems that people don’t actually want that. Hence the 70% number. I fully assume many readers will wave this off and simply attribute that number to the prevalence of mass produced mainstream recyclable music. The thought process is reasonable.
Obviously there will be a high percentage of generic love songs. Mainstream music has two essential requirements. First, it needs mass appeal. Love songs are generic enough that they can be easily consumed en masse. Second, songs must be new. The industry needs to make money, artists need to further careers, and the result is the never ending churning of music. Combine those two factors and voila you have the 70%. My rebuttal to this compelling narrative is urging readers to consider the context of music from throughout the generations. It sure seems that a lot of those old folk songs concerned themselves with love. This is not the top 40 music, this is genuine folk music. Not watered down Bob Dylan or Neil Young folk music. We are talking about genuine article. Music that was passed down from bards in old times and spread word of mouth throughout the generations. The music of the people, by the people, and for the people. Look back to old English, Irish, or African folk songs and they are heavily concerned with romance. This obsession with relationships and it being the primary discussion point of music is not new and it is not a bug. (As an aside, JP Harris' album Don’t You Marry No Railroad Man is a masterful interpretation of some of these iconic old time music ballads and tunes. It’s not an easy listen for those accustomed to modern music but at bare minimum it would be highly educational. I found it quite enjoyable. Highly recommended. Also, he hand-carved his own banjo for the project.)
I would like to clarify that I appreciate artists that go off on their own in uncharted territory and create wholly new stories and ideas. They tap deep internally for their musical inspiration and it is an act of true self expression. I’m not suggesting that this is a more or less valid approach towards music. I am simply stating the realities of what music means to the people. We can no longer wave away “simple” music as “Oh, it’s just a love song”, because we discard too much meaning and depth from within the human condition when we do that.
This takes us to Randall King‘s album. Eleven songs nearly entirely composed of discussions surrounding love. There are some exceptions. The title track is a reflective drinking song. The closing track is a remarkable display of emotion. I guess you could say it is also about love and relationships, but I'd classify familial bonds as a separate category.
What makes Shot Glass stand out from other albums devoted to discussing love is how each song attempts to bring out another component or dynamic within this multifaceted, immensely complex, and deeply human thing called love.
Here's a track by track breakdown to show what I mean.
Shot Glass: an analysis
1) Baby Do- love via gratefulness. An exultant, upbeat number expressing thanks and wonder that the love of his life chose him.
2) Record High- breakup via optimism. An witty wry take on how sometimes the rock bottom lows of a breakup can lead one to the record highs of a new era.
3) You in a Honky Tonk- love via celebration. Slightly raunchy topic choice but seeped in classy elegance, Randall celebrates his two loves, his partner and country music.
4) Can't You Feel How That Sounds- love via longing. Life on the road is tough, but absence makes the heart grow fonder.
5) Roger, Miller Lite, and Me- breakup via tribute track to artistic influences. Yeah it's a breakup song but also maybe the best tribute/Frankenstein country song ever?
6) Hey Cowgirl- love via despondency. The girl is ethereal, slipped away like dust moving from a ray of sun to the shadows. Reality is hard to deal with. Love at a distance even harder.
7) Hard Way to Make It Rain- lifestyle of a singer. So much of the setting for Randall's songs is his romantic prospects vis a vis his career and the traveling. It wreaks havoc on anytbing but especially relationships. Why does he do it? This frenetic anthem deepens the meaning and setting for so much of the album.
8) Middle Of Nowhere Church- love via reflection. The Cowboy Rides Away but with a twist. Sometimes you find yourself regretting decisions and hoping there's enough time to reverse course.
9) Around Forever- life cycle via retrospection. It's life. It's love. Are they the same? Intertwined for sure. Life has cycles, ups and downs. Grab onto what you have.
10) Shot Glass- alcohol via reflection. The title track. A gorgeous display of meaning and depth. It really is crazy how the feelings and emotions of the whole album could in fact fit into a shot glass.
11) I'll Fly Away- mourning. Killer. If you know the background to this, it becomes even more meaningful. Even as is, it's a solemn tearjerker of a tribute to those no longer with us. Close your eyes, take a breath, and give a hug to a loved one after listening to it.
On one hand, you could do a basic analysis and be like “bro two thirds of these songs are all love or breakup songs. It's all the same and boring.” Or you could listen carefully to the songs, pay deep attention, and realize that each one provides a unique perspective into the topic of love. To reiterate firmly. It is not the choice to discuss a classic trope in song that is a lame creative choice. If that rendered a song as being “not creative”, then there hasn’t been a creative song put out since about fifteen minutes after Eve took a bite at the apple. It's what you do with the trope that matters. If you attack the same topics with the same perspective, then that gets boring fast. Attack the topics with a fresh and differing perspective every time, and you have a total work which provides a masterful interpretation of human emotion. It gives much deeper value than simply having only one song allotted per topic on an album. This is why I clicked so deeply with Shot Glass and why it ended up on my 2022 podium.
I hope you enjoyed this shorter and more snappy style piece. Feel free to leave a comment or reach out at Todayiheardblog@gmail.com
Joe
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0305735617748205