the walkmen

the walkmen have broken up. well they've taken 'an extreme hiatus', which sounds like an old fashioned breakup to me. the walkmen are an incredible band. one that I know we will still be talking about 20 years from now. or at least, I will. highly underrated band. their first album 'everyone who pretended to like me is gone' was in major rotation in my first apartment over by the old summit/Compaq center. it was something I could put on at 2/3am and sit and have it going, slowly burning itself into my brain. it wasn't touchdowns and balloons from the walkmen. it was a slog through the muddle. but it was persistent. and sometimes there were glorious rejoices. this continued for a few albums and they started to sound different. not bad, just different, almost hopeful in a way. I would read about the members of the band getting married, having kids. that's never good for rock and roll, or I should say, it might only be good for a period. it is usually the beginning of the end. and it was for the walkmen. 'Lisbon' is something amazing and their latest/last album 'heaven' is great as well. I never saw them live and I could have seen them at twist and shout here in Denver, but for whatever thousand reasons a person can create, I didn't go. big regret. the walkmen are a major source of the soundtrack from my years living alone in Houston and even into my married years. there's still great music out there, but i'll miss these guys. great work.

oh and I can't believe I almost forgot to mention this. they covered, in it's entirety, 'pussycats' by harry nilsson. how amazing is that? and it sounds incredible! it's one of my favorite walkmen records. it's actually the first way I heard 'pussycats'. I'd never heard the harry nilsson version until recently. I can't believe I almost forgot that. it's so good!