The other night I was in the bar and I heard “Zip-Lock” by Lit, which was a revelation, since, otherwise, the only song I ever hear by Lit is “My Own Worst Enemy.”
This is especially ironic because Lit, like Eve 6, is a band for whom fame and (probably not) fortune did not come easily, and band that dotted the proverbial “I”’s and crossed the proverbial “T”’s, so to speak. Lit was around in the early ‘90s and, by the time of their record deal, had enough classic songs nested up to make for one killer album, A Place in the Sun, straight through.
With Eve 6, I feel like this phenomenon is obviated just by how underrated their third album is, It’s All in Your Head. It doesn’t start with anything too great, from what I remember, but then, what Eve 6 album does? The second song, anyway, is “Think Twice,” classic, hard-nosed power pop to be pumped through any bar or dark alley in the land, the third song then being “At Least We’re Dreaming,” possibly Eve 6’s best song of their catalogue and absolutely the pinnacle of me-against-the-world classic rock.
I included these last two on my “Dream Eve 6 Set List,” which, sure, I’m still kind of pathetically proud of. I also left off a certain song of some merit, though, which would be “Friend of Mine.” You see, “Friend of Mine” is a song about rape. It’s directed from vocalist/lyricist Max Collins to someone who’s been the victim of rape and who is struggling with suicidal thoughts (“Do you feel you’re on the brink / Of spilling some red in the sink”). I deemed this track unfit for my Dream Eve 6 Playlist because it operates on its own plane of especial emotion, sympathy and compassion and another thing it got me thinking of was that scene in Dead Poets Society. You know what I’m talking about. Robin Williams’ teacher character finds that graph for deeming poetry’s quality of “perfection” and “importance” and throws it out the window, emphasizing, then, spontaneous creativity and a sort of gut reaction connection with the audience. Nobody would deny this prowess within this staggering achievement of “Friend of Mine” and no act could follow “Friend of Mine,” sympathy’s last stand in a world of bottom lines and hurried, quantified initiatives.
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