I’m at that point in my fandom of guitarist Mike Keneally where I pretty much like everything he does. I’ve listened enough to his old albums and know enough about the man himself that my fandom has deepened into the kind of warmth I feel for people I consider “family,” whether related by blood or not.
Still, there are times that I often recall more what I love about the person, or their music as the case may be here, than what I actually do like about whatever endeavor that person has taken on. I hate saying it, because it does feel like I’m ripping on a family member, but this Mike Keneally Band album left me wanting. The real problem I had with Dog, which arrived on June 22, 2004, was that it amounted to half of a great album – at least time-wise. The other half just kind of got on my nerves.
Dog started off on a great note, with a lot of raw, minimalist rock-guitar type of music. That was nothing shockingly new for Mike Keneally, but this time he did so with such vigor that it’s a lot of fun to listen to. Of particular note are “Bober” and “Pride Is a Sin,” which have remained in my head the longest. Equally likable and fun are the other songs, up to about track No. 8 — “Choosing to Drown.”
I think I’m an adventurous listener — after all, I’ve bathed my ears in glorious cacophonous free-jazz — but Dog took a serious turn for the sour with me at that point. “Drown” is where my frustration set in: The track started off as an angular oddity with a vocal line that runs counter to the direction of the song. And it annoyed the hell out of me. What annoyed me even more is that one of the catchiest, strongest riffs Keneally has ever played blasted out two and a half minutes into “Choosing to Drown.”
And then it was over — back to obtuse weirdness, albeit lesser-so than those preceding that great set of riffs, fewer than 50 seconds later. I want more of that riffing. It set up a yearning in me as a listener, but alas it was not to be. Perhaps, and I don’t want to say this, but perhaps Mike Keneally simply couldn’t take it any further.
What followed was an odd, jazzy number in the form of “Gravity Grab.” On its own, this would be a fun little ditty, but sandwiched between “Choosing to Drown” and the 15-minute freak-out “This Tastes Like a Hotel,” it really just helped destroy the second half of Dog for me. “Hotel” pretty much completely turned me off — too long, too divergent, too little substance to keep me coming back for more. However, following the previous disjointed 20-plus minutes of music was a cool, pseudo-bluesy creeper in the form of “Panda.”
Those with itchy trigger fingers are urged to skip directly to track 11. And really, reading back on that, it seems like there are minimal problems with this album, but that 23 minute chunk of stuff I don’t care very much for — right there in the middle of the running order — always ends up sucking the life out of an album I otherwise enjoy very much.
[SOMETHING ELSE! INTERVIEW: Mike Keneally talks with us about the lingering influences of Frank Zappa and XTC, and his magical introduction to prog through ‘Tarkus.’]
Perhaps it was a bid to win over less-adventurous listeners, because the music on Dog (well, most of it, anyway) was without doubt the most simple of Keneally’s career. It was straight-up rock with unadorned singing and intelligent lyrics. And it worked beautifully. What might still scare listeners off is that curious dark spot in the heart of the album’s run-time, at a point where the listener has settled in for a good, long listen.
When you’re enjoying a run of great songs, nothing is more disruptive than something that seems patently meant to show off the musician’s “weird” side. This was material that was best left to the bonus disc — something for the true die-hard fans to dig into, if they so choose.
What’s always made being a Mike Keneally fan is that he makes sure to reward loyal listeners, and for pre-orderers of Dog the case was no different: not only did we get a package packed with a bonus DVD of various live footage, outtakes, etc., we also got a very cool extra disc containing another 30 or so minutes of various new pieces and live tracks.
But, that’s where my frustration peaked: the “new” tracks on this bonus disc really deserved a spot on Dog: “Li’l” was an extended jam-like song that really, really should have been on the album in place of the meandering “This Tastes Like a Hotel.” It was more fun and fit in with the rest of the album’s rock-oriented vibe than the jazzy musique-concrete approach of “Hotel.” I’m still quite perplexed, in fact, as to why “Li’l” isn’t on the album. “Party Poopers” was just a fun little bit of oddness — but that’s the thing, it’s fun. That second half of Dog was seriously in need of fun.
“Sun Flute” was another non-album track, appearing here in basically demo form. Fleshed out in the studio, it might have made a beautiful addition to Dog, but instead it was left behind. In between were some funny “radio” snippets of Keneally himself and a few exuberant live tracks. I’m really sad to say it, but this bonus disc, named Pup, makes a more compelling listen than the album that spawned it.
It’s a shame because, the impression left by Side 2 of Dog might be such that a tentative listener wouldn’t investigate further into Mike Keneally’s career. They should. Keneally’s back catalog is chock-full of choice nuggets of beauty and fun. Hopefully, the oddness of Dog won’t turn off the new potential fans who stumble upon it.
- How David Bowie’s ‘Reality’ Stood Out For What It Was Not - September 29, 2023
- Metallica’s ‘St. Anger’ Was Always Much Better Than They Said - June 8, 2023
- How King Crimson Defined an Unsettled Post-9/11 Landscape on ‘Power to Believe’ - March 5, 2023
