#63 "Everybody Lets Me Down" by J Mascis and the Fog

For my money, I say that J Mascis is the greatest working guitar player. I say "working" instead of "living" because I still think Jimmy Page's body of work from the 60's and 70's rivals anybody's, but the legendary Led Zeppelin guitarist really hasn't done anything significant in a long time. J Mascis, on the other hand, the long-haired heart of Dinosaur Jr, doesn't look like he'll be slowing down any time soon.

I first came upon J Mascis in the early 90's. I read about his band Dinosaur Jr. in Rolling Stone and thought on name alone that they sounded kind of cool. Coincidentally enough, when a good buddy of mine came home from college and we were talking about new music we were listening to, he pulled out this cd called "Where You Been?" The voice took a little while to get used to but the guitar work was undeniable. J Mascis had such a phenomenal sound. He could also shred like crazy behind all of that volume and feedback and in later years would release acoustic albums which showcased his ability in a quieter setting as well. I've been a fan ever since and if you ever get the chance to see a Dinosaur Jr or J solo show, it's a feast of deafening volume and make-you-sick virtuoso guitar-playing.

What kills me about J Mascis is that he started out as a drummer, but after struggling to find someone who could capture the sound on guitar that he was looking for, he just picked up the instrument himself. In only a few years he became a sort of God-father of alternative music... a grungier Neil Young so-to-speak. Kurt Cobain admired him so much that he begged Mascis to join Nirvana! I can only imagine how that collaboration might've sounded.

"Everybody Lets Me Down" is from J Mascis and The Fog's second album "Free So Free." The Fog is actually more of a fictional creation than anything else and Mascis handles most all of the instruments himself on the records. The first album, "More Light," is some of J's best work. "Free So Free" isn't as good, but it has some excellent songs on it. "Everybody Lets Me Down" is one of my favorites.

I don't know that anyone does longing and whining as good as J Mascis. Morrissey may have the self-loathing down and Robert Smith the despair, but Mascis' voice wonderfully captures that love-you-from-afar notion that goes with a lot of his lyrics. "Everybody Lets Me Down" is not one of those songs, but the idea that the whole world constantly disappoints you is perfectly suited for his voice.

My wife often tells me that my standards are too high. When I come home and tell her of a co-worker's adulterous behavior and how I have no interest in talking with that person anymore, she tells me that no one is perfect and that I shouldn't be so judgemental. When I tell her that I'm only trying to surround myself with people that I can respect, she goes on to say that everyone is flawed and that if I continue to constantly seek a higher plain, I'm going to find myself all alone. This is a pretty bad dilemna, but I can't help from hearing the chorus of this song when I think about all of the horrible people in the world... the selfish souls who carelessly hurt everyone around them because they thoughtlessly pursue things that they shouldn't. Every time I read of another Hollywood marriage ended by infidelity or some other junkie's overdose, there goes J Mascis again singing "Everybody lets me down." There are some other great lines in the last third of the song where he asks "How much hope am I allowed? How much is there left out there? Not much." It's so sad. Thankfully, the music around the tune kicks ass and J ends it with a scorching guitar solo. Otherwise I might get lost in the negativity.

"Everybody Lets Me Down" is from the album "Free So Free." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the blog.