The Tenth: More Magic and Medicine

I was re-reading my critique of the Coral's 2003 disc, "Magic and Medicine," and noticed that I harshed on it perhaps unreasonably. Indeed, I was immediately bitter and shocked that it wasn't as great their debut (at least, not the same,) but now that the shock has worn off and I've gotten to know most of the tracks, I feel like I have a better idea of it.

When the album is stong, it's as strong as the previous album. When it's weak, it's quite noticible, but forgivable because of the strength elsewhere. It may be more sentimental by multiples, but the material is overall strong, perhaps because of it. Here's a comparison of the 11 tracks on it, against the 11 tracks on "The Coral."

#1) Spanish Main: A quick song that proclaims, repeatedly, that "We'll set sail again/We're headin' for the Spanish Main," with a rocking guitar riff that rolls like sea waves, thus telling the listener that we're heading on an adventure.

In the Forest: Similarly, the Coral take us to another geographical location - the woods. Setting the somber, reflective mood of the album, it's bulkier than "Spanish Main," but does the same job as well. It also contains my favourite lyrical cocktease, "You'll never know how much I...... you."

#2) I Remember When: A rock track that reminisces, and then changes gears and becomes furious in the chorus, it oozes a mystical nostalgia and an angry youth at the same time.

Don't Think You're The First: Though simplistic in its rhyming couplets, it's more straightforward, and has a good point. It's quite a frustrated indictment of some poor subject who think's they're unique in their despair, and kind of unites all humanity under the same several experiences.

#3) Shadows Fall: This chilling sea ballad seems to lament a sailor lost at sea, but is put into a larger context, which seems to be the basic premise of the album. It's one of the most strongly orchestrated songs on the album.

Liezah: My favourite song on the second album, this ode to 60's brit-pop ballads (a la Herman's Hermits?) laments a girl whose habit was breaking men's hearts in every possible way. It's passive tune and almost sighing delivery, along with a beautifully picked guitar track make it among the strongest songs on this album.

#4) Dreaming of You: In many ways, the best song on the first album, this is just pure Brit-Pop, with its bouncy bass line and teen-dream lyrics, singer James Skelly (I believe,) lets loose on this one, as does the rest of the group. Lyrically, it's the one that is most likely to be a hit.

Talkin' Gypsy Market Blues: Lyrically, the track that is most likely to be a forgotten album track, this song tells a story of the singer, who went out looking for some Gypsy Boots, but couldn't find them, but in the end gets reassurance from the beautiful daughter of an old man from a car park. It's the most guitar-driven song on the album, and as for the vocals, Skelly just doesn't stop once he's started.

#5) Simon Diamond: The most absurd entry in the first album, this song tells the story of a young man who, faced with the pressures of modern life, transformed himself into a tree. I think of it as "Stairway to Heaven" in less than 3 minutes, because it starts slow and quiet, and builds to a balls-out anthem.

Secret Kiss: Listening to the album, this has become one of the msot intolerable tracks for me to listen to. It's kind of a candle-light ballad, and somewhat romantic, but not structured as well as several other songs.

#6 Goodbye: Like "I Remember When" from earlier, and "Waiting for the Heartaches" after it, this song starts almsot as a ballad, but because of its natural build, just becomes an angst-filled shoutfest, as you can sense the singer almost tearing up when he sings "Once, so very long ago.../was when I loved you so.../if only I had known..." but toughens up in the chorus, "Goodbye.../Don't say Goodbye...!" It's so organic you have to wonder if that's even the song they thought they were writing when they started.

Milkwood Blues: In my opinion, this song is too like "Secret Kiss" to have been placed after it, because it's too much in that sad, lamentable, romantic feeling that was over used already in the previous track. On it's own, it works better, and best as an instrumental. Like "Goodbye," it contains a countdown from 10 to 1.

#7 Waiting for the Heartaches: Lyrically, among the stongest of the album, because the subject matter is so rare. It just radiates self-pity and doubt, in lines like "But I can't understand/Why she's holding my hand..." just before he launches into the chorus where the singer proclaims that there's "Noi way that I can possibly run" from the inevitable heartbreak.

Bill McCai: Probably the cleverest thing the boys ever wrote, (and exclusively of from the mind of James Skelly,) Bill McCai is the chilling tale of how normal life can just kill you. It follows the title character from the carefree days of his youth to the dreadful plainness of his life as a grown man. "And every day when he gets the train/looks out the window, thinks in vain/if I could only be that boy again..." so sad. The song hits the nail again when he sings "His wife can't stand the sight of him/with his routine glass of Gin/She makes his lunch of processed ham/and waits in for the meter man..." It's so upbeat that whenever it gets depressing, the effect is doubled because of the seeming lack of concern from the narrators. In fact, the bounciest part of the song is the lyric at the end tha treveals his fate. The verse: "His family gathers round for tea/Eyes fixed on their new Telly/Newsflash came, then it said/Bill McCai was just found dead..." leads into the best refrain of the song "No more windows, no more trains/Hung himself out in the rain/Now he'll never be that boy again..." The narrator's complete lack of sympathy drives the point home: "And we say BYE BYE, BILL MCCAI.....!" The song hits you in the face in the middle of the albumn and, upon second or third listen, gives you something better to look forward to.

#8) Skeleton Key: Ripping their instruments apart in this hailstorm of a song, this is the one that lets loose more than any other. Its supernatural ramblings about beds of nails and pointing fingers, shipwrecks and intricate locks, make no sense really, but it's a gripping listen.

Eskimo Lament: The most uniquely sentimental song on the album, the song goes for two verses with a very somber individual reciting "Rain, rain, go away..." and then gets razzed by an array of brass instruments, it's very well orchistrated. Then, it becomes a great vocal exercise for the group, who didn't get as much background vocal play on this as last.

#9) Wildfire: This rapid change-off song is among the stronger lyrics on the album, the entire song just chugs along, with a great liquidy guitar and keyboard instrumentation, "Wildfire/I desire to be loved/Climb higher/to the platform just above/Little liar/You deceive me with your wit/elocution/sculpted perfectly to fit." It comes at a crucial point in the album when the identity of it has already been decided and a very solid song needs to signal the beginning of the end of the album.

Careless Hands: Part of me just thinks "Ugh God, Secret Kiss part 2..." and part of me thinks that lyrically, "Careless Hands" is as sophisticated of a love song as any modern musician can conjure up. So lyircally, it's impressive, but at this point in the album, hearing Skelly warble love ballads gets tiring, and we're ready for the change that comes afterward.

#10) Bad Man: Beginning with an enthusiastic swing-based drum solo, Bad Man is the most socially cirtiquing song thus far on the album. It makes a plight for this man, who just constantly referred to as "Bad." Lyrically strong, musically superb.

Pass it On: One of the 3 or 4 best tracks on the album, "Pass it On" culminates all the balladry of the album into this great track. It conveys greater emotional depth than the rest of the ballads, and the tune is janglier and more catchy than most of the songs they've recorded.

#11) Calendars and Clocks: It takes an epic song to end an epic album, and this song does that. It ends the album - then brings it back for an encore. The song supposedly is 11 minutes long, but that is the track length, it is actually 2 different songs. The first ends after 6 and someodd minutes, and then aftr over a minute of solid silence, a single guitar brings us back into the album's murky depths, singing a dirge about the evils of time travel, using that as a platform for the most politcal song on the album. The pair make for a stunning composition that doesn't tire any more than 2 seperate tracks would. The second part actually makes reference to the title of the second album, "Magic & Medicine"

Confessions of an A.D.D.D.: I don't know what A.D.D.D. is, but in any case this is a very good song. It lays down all sorts of wild accusations on this character, and then then joins the whole audience together with the phrase, "And if you think it's you then let me know." It's not quite as epic as "Calendars and Clocks," but it wraps things up better than if the album had ended with any different track.

So that's my big time-killer for today. Keep on Rockin'
-Scott