The Sam's Town Challenge

In a post a couple months back, my brother-in-law Matt mentioned that to understand the Killers album Sam's Town you needed to drive the 8-10 mile stretch of Boulder Highway from southern Henderson to Sam's Town. I did this while staying in Henderson this last January. And I see Sam's Town. I did the drive in the early afternoon where I was exposed to a fascinating milieu of junky beater cars, burned out individuals slowly making their way down the dusty sidewalks, car lots, storage facilities and rundown, dusty, ugly, barebones, 24 Our Vde Pker ad Cnos as far as the eye can see. The best part of the drive is when Boulder Highway begins to descend and you get a beautiful shot of the Valley looking Northwest towards the strip and everything between you and the Bellagio is covered in a thick disgusting layer of brown filth hovering 100 yards above the street. It's quite an experience. I can only imagine what the feeling would be like in 110 degree heat. I must do this drive when everything is melting. Of course, every now and then you place a casino all glittery and nice like Sam's Town or Boulder Station, and you notice that the parking lots are full...at 1:00 PM. Just a weird place.

After this experience, I listened to Sam's Town by the Killers. I've heard plenty of negative things about it from the press but all my brother-in-laws like it, the one I mentioned earlier likes it enough to write a whole piece about the record being a real postmodern record representing the postmodern city in America. Now, the allmusic.com people took this same tack, but criticized the Killers instead of praising them for the album that looks nice but has nothing inside. I went into the listen with mixed feelings. Would I like it? Would I think it vapid? As I listened I thought that Flowers was quite earnest. I thought that the lyrics were a little odd and made little sense. I thought, this music is really trying to be epic. And at the moment that I thought, "I dunno, it all seems awesome...too awesome...too earnest....too stupid...?" some lyrics drifted through my hand from another earnest songwriter...

Well you stole it 'cause I needed the cash
And you killed it 'cause I wanted revenge
Well you lied to me 'cause I asked you to
Baby, can we still be friends?

And then...

I know a girl a girl named Party
Party Girl
I know she wants more than a party
Party girl
And she won't tell me her name, oh no, not me

And finally

Some days are dry, some days are leaky
Some days come clean, other days are sneaky

And I thought, These lyrics are no stupider than the lyrics of a man who now has people writing articles in academic journals about his brilliant lyrics. Let's face it. If someone told Bono to perform the Bananas to Pajamas theme song in 1985, he would do it with solemnity. If Bono can get away with great music and on occasion idiotic and obtuse-trying-to-be-arty-but failing lyrics, then I think we should give a pass to Brandon Flowers. Why should we be so critical when the music's so good and the lyrics so trying-to-be-good? C'mon, it's better then him singing about self-loathing, chicks, rock 'n roll, etc. This is a real attempt to write an awesome record. And maybe, 15 years from now, people will look back and say, "That's when the Killers turned the corner and became a band that MEANT something, taking on the cause of the beaten down people of Vegas" who by the way, are incomparable to the dockworkers and manufacturers championed by Bruce Springsteen. Little different class. As an aside, another criticism of this album is that Flowers doesn't have good range for what he's trying. Um, has anyone listened to Born in the USA lately? Uh, the Boss's voice...um...I guess you can call it "gritty" or "off-key". And Bono ain't Mr. Awesome Singer either. What makes them cool is the power and the passion. This is why A-ha failed.

I guess what I'm saying is that the criticisms levelled at the Killers for trying to be a band that MATTERS is overblown. They tried hard, the music is awesome, epic andwhydoescoldplaygetafreepasswhenalltheydoissingaboutlove? Huh? I'm not ragging on Coldplay but Chris Martin never really steps out lyrically. Why? Because critics punish those who do. Sam's Town: Great album.