song of the day: july 11/2011

The Lemonheads - It's a Shame About Ray

Album: It's a Shame About Ray [1992]

as with other bands that followed in the wake of melodic punk-informed groups like the buzzcocks and husker du, the lemonheads, steered by leader evan dando, gradually moved from a raw garage-band sound toward a more straightforward pop approach. the title track from "it's a shame about ray" completed the transformation. it's a wistful, melodic singalong song that has an underlying element of melancholy, but is delightfully vague in its message. the "ray" of the title seems to be someone who is gone but not forgotten, evoking an all-things-must-pass sentiment. the song features a classic three-chord structure, over which dando sings a sweet melody in a bruised but warm voice. the album was one of the first bigger-budge records by a band of the era. the treatment of the record as a bona-fide pop contender by the producers and the band's label (atlantic), as well as the recognized songwriting talent of dando resulted in the single's worldwide success at radio. it was the group's breakthrough record. however, dando descended into severe drug abuse that he curbed by the 1996 release of "car bottom cloth". however, he missed his chance at stardom - though the group retained their cult, much of their audience had already slipped away.

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