I Shudder to Think...

The past few days at work I have been playing the hell out of Shudder to Think - Funeral at the Movies/Ten Spot, which is a compilation of their second and third albums put onto one disc. Actually, today I managed to play both Pony Express Record and this album. Anyway, I wanted to focus more on Funeral at the Movies/Ten Spot though, mostly because it also contains a bunch of great songs while their other albums like Get Your Goat and Pony Express Record usually hog all the attention.

Before Shudder to Think jumped to the majors for Pony Express Record and became gradually more abstract and skewed in their song writing, they were releasing records on DC punk label Dischord. Even then, Shudder to Think didn't really fit the bill as the type of band that would be on that roster. However, they managed to release three albums on the label before making the big hop to the majors. Their final for Dischord was Get Your Goat, which was really the beginning of their transition into a more disjointed and intricate playing style. However, one thing that is consistent through all albums is Craig Wedren's theatrical vocals. Even on Funeral at the Movies/Ten Spot with a more straight ahead rock approach, Wedren's falsetto is in full force and as dramatic as on any of their other releases. As much as I loved everything that is found on Pony Express Record, I liked the bands ability to just write straight up catchy rock songs just as much, which is what this compilation contains of mostly. It also features a fairly interesting cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic", a bit more schizophrenic maybe. Some of the strongest material comes off the Funeral at the Movies portion of the disc, with songs like "Chocolate", "Lies About the Sky", and "Red House". However, the song "About Three Dreams" is probably one of my favorites off the entire compilation, which slowly builds itself up until Wedren unloads what I am guessing is the three dreams with manic urgency. Such a good song. Anyway, if you're a fan of Shudder to Think and haven't listened to these records, you should. It's a interesting look at the band before they put together everything to release some of their finest music. If you listen to Shudder to Think, this is probably the more accessible material, however not as rewarding as what they would eventually come to release.

Shudder to Think - Chocolate [MP3]
Shudder to Think - Lies About the Sky [MP3]
Shudder to Think - About Three Dreams [MP3]
Shudder to Think - On the Rain [MP3]

A bit further with this, just last year Craig Wedren released a solo record called Lapland. Compared to material that was written with Shudder to Think, it's a bit more mellow and subdued, not nearly as quirky and off the wall as anything written in the past. However, I remember reading that some of the music found on Lapland was originally for a later Shudder to Think album, which I found a bit interesting. It's quite possible, however, that they had been altered quite a bit though, as that's a lot of time in between that last Shudder to Think record and Wedren's solo record. Wedren still manages to put to use his incredibly talented vocal range on various parts of the album, showing that he hasn't lost any edge off it. Anyway, Lapland is a good record and worth checking out, especially if you were a fan of the band and are looking to maybe hear and experience a bit more of an intimate side of Craig Wedren.

Craig Wedren - Do You Harm [MP3]
Craig Wedren - Rain Diamonds [MP3]

You can still purchase most of Shudder to Thinks discography here. Along with Craig Wedren's solo album here.