Berry blue

Nobody in the lane, and nothing, nothing but blackberries,
Blackberries on either side, though on the right mainly,
A blackberry alley, going down in hooks, and a sea
Somewhere at the end of it, heaving. Blackberries
Big as the ball of my thumb, and dumb as eyes
Ebon in the hedges, fat
With blue-red juices. These they squander on my fingers.
I had not asked for such a blood sisterhood; they must love me.
They accommodate themselves to my milkbottle, flattening their sides...
- Sylvia Plath, "Blackberrying"

I climbed into my car with a small plastic bowl filled with organic blueberries. It sits by me now, with signficantly fewer berries than when I began the trek back. I've never been a particularly avid fan of this particular fruit, having accepted the bowl more out of courtesy than enthusiasm. But I believe these to be on an entirely different plane of existance then their supermarket bretheren.

As I drove, the same as as I type, I reached into the bowl, pulled out a small number of the little blue berries and popped them into my mouth one at a time. Some are sweet, some have the tart kick I always prefer. But I let the juice ooze onto my tongue, preferring to squeeze them open than the quick bite.

They may be the best blueberries I've ever tasted, and as I consume this unexpected mid-afternoon snack, I relish the fruits of summer and all that come with them - the sunglasses perched atop my head, the denim skirt and sandals I'm wearing and the air conditioning that instantly cooled me as I stepped out of the sunshine and into the building.

I have to hope that August stretches out in front of my as languidly as I wish it to.
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I staggered into my apartment late yesterday afternoon to find a small cardboard box waiting on my laptop keys. Even in my exhausted state, I had to find the energy to chuckle.

"Mr. A-Z." I ate a quick dinner, changed into pajamas and curled up beneath a comforter to feel the fan on my face, listen to the music and close my eyes. Whether I slept or not (I didn't - not really, anyway) didn't matter. I just didn't want to have to think or function for awhile. I thought listening to the album in such a state might change my mind about its components.

I thought last night that it didn't, but I'm starting to think that it did. It's not that I enjoy the album, it's not that I don't (although admittedly, it's much closer to the latter). Therein lies the problem. I love many of the songs included in the tracklisting. Because I've enjoyed the live renditions of those songs (in some cases) and live recordings of others (in many cases), I was eagerly anticipating the album.

And then it came out.

And I sat there, listening with a look of disappointment on my face. It didn't sound like a Jason album. Was it presumptuous of me to make that assessment? Of course. But when has that stopped me before?

I now look at it as a resource for some of the songs I enjoy. I can look at the tracklisting and pick out of the mix which ones I will listen to in "Mr. A-Z" form and which will be listened to in other formats.

1. Life is Wonderful - Curbside Tour recordings or the album (on rare occasion).
2. Wordplay - Live (I don't know why, but I felt so much better about this song after Saturday. It still irks me, but it's grown on me a great deal.)
3. Geek in the Pink - Live (hate the album version)
4. Did You Get My Message? - Album.
5. Mr. Curiosity - Album (with a grimace at the opera bit, but I prefer the slower treatment on the album over the peppier live).
6. Clockwatching - Album (it's alright, I suppose, but not a big fan of the song).
7. Bella Luna - N/A (Don't like it, won't go out of my way to listen to it)
8. Plane - Any way I can hear this song, I will. I adore this song. Curbside recordings are great, and I love the studio treatment.
9. O. Lover - Live, I suppose. Don't dig the studio version and that's the only way I've heard it.
10. Please Don't Tell Her - See "Plane."
11. Forecast - Live.
12. Song For a Friend - Live. Curbside recordings.

The thing I've always enjoyed about Jason's music is that he doesn't try to come off sounding like anything else. And when this album is at its worst, it sounds like a cheesy take on various styles. "Geek" has an inherent funk to it - there's no need to add the beatbox style.

But when it's just showcasing the band and Jason's vocals (try listening to the end of "Plane" and not be impressed), it impresses me.

There's just too much other crap thrown into the mix to mess it all up.

Which is why I'm already looking forward to the fall tour. It will be great to hear the songs again, without producers' polish all over them.