Sloan
"Mirror Ball" b/w "John, You Made It On"

Sloan is the first band in years that I've set out to see twice in one year without doing so in some work-related capacity. The current tour has them playing "One Chord to Another" in its entirety to celebrate 20 years since its release and the accompanying box set includes this single, demo versions of the songs "Junior Panthers" and "G Turns to D" respectively. I believe the box set is sold out but spares of the 7" were at the merch table last week in Nashville.

Sloan are HUGE in Detroit. Because the main alt-rock station in the area is Canadian, they played the absolute shit out of the band, as well as Hayden, the Tragically Hip and quite a few other Canadian acts that could not get arrested elsewhere in the states (Canadian radio stations, by law, have to dedicate a specific percentage of their playlist to Canadian artists). Songs like "The Good in Everyone" and "Underwhelmed" basically feel like classic rock to me at this point and I am perfectly fine with that.

But it took me over ten years to really latch on to "G Turns to D" and it probably had something to do with Malissa explaining the lyrics to me. The songwriter, Chris Murphy, showed a friend some things on guitar, and that friend then used that knowledge to write songs critical of Chris. EVERY damn turn of phrase in this song hits like a bullet, the pride of sharing knowledge followed by the fall of being taken down because of it. Some Shakespearean-like drama built in there, I tell you.

I latched onto the original on iPod repeat tour van rabbit hole and now would put it in the rarefied air of an absolutely perfect, flawless song. And this demo version, the thing I was most-excited about on this big $75 boxset, is devoid of EVERYTHING I adore on the final version...the wildly propulsive drum fills, the emphatic bass slides, the jaggy guitar accents, EVERY lyric...just nonexistent.

And that disconnect, the absolute lack of any valuable idea present on the demo...it makes me love the song even more. The barest sliver of a melody is basically all that was extracted from this rough take and with that tiniest bit of inspiration out came blissful perfection. It leaves me with a thousandfold more respect for the artistry and skill of the band.

I'm not as in-love with either iteration of "Junior Panthers" (name changed from "Mirror Ball" because of the Pearl Jam/Neil Young collabo of the same name at roughly the same time) but I did hear it at a wedding some years ago. Recalling that fact just reminds me that in high school it seemed like the coolest girls and the biggest music fan guys were ALL into Sloan. For the longest time, they were my favorite band I owned no music by. At the show in Detroit in May I ran into no less than three people I had not seen since high school. No longer living in the city, not on social media and not expecting any class reunions to ever happen...seeing those three folks was a welcome surprise.

The "Junior Panthers" song title lead to an interesting discussion...the band has Junior Panther t-shirts for sale at their merch table and a friend commented that it was a bad t-shirt, that it's too obscure a reference, it doesn't get the message across of "I am a fan of Sloan."

My counter-argument was that a good t-shirt design is one that sells. If people buy that shirt, it's because they WANT to be in on the reference. Even more so if they're toddler versions of the shirt...one of which we bought for Violet.

I guess what I'm saying here is...listen to "G Turns to D" and maybe if it moves you like it moves me it's worth searching out "John, You Made It On" and since I've got the space, here's the full lyrics to "G..."

"Songs are all about you


And I'm tellin' everyone I'm doin' fine without you


I hurt you but I helped you


You may think I've a lot of nerve


But I deserve some credit or at least an edit

Take out the part that breaks my heart


And makes me sound uncaring


If you eliminate the swearing


Then I could show my mother


That you can go from one chord to another

G will turn to D, you'll turn to me


And you'll say, you have done me wrong


I wrote these songs about it

She's aware it's all been done before


It's another song in this key


Yeah, but this one's about me


That all the validity she needs

Criticism's brutal but I don't really mind


Yeah, she's put it out on vinyl


But it's pretty hard to find, but you'll hear

G will turn to D, you'll turn to me


And you'll say, you have done me wrong


I wrote these songs about it

I wish I'd never taught her how to play


I knew she'd get me I should have known


Now her hands are on the fretboard


In an unfamiliar way and it's tellin' me

She's aware it's all been done before


It's another song in this key


Yeah, but this one's about me


I may not wanna hear the words to

G when put with D


But if you take what you're shown


Learn on your own


Then everything you do belongs to you


But know that you are on your own"

It's 2am now. Shit.