The Best of The Waitresses
The Waitresses
1990: Polydor 847 249-2
And to think I only learned about how wonderful The Waitresses were because I decided one winter to get something with “Christmas Wrapping” on it so I could see whether the song still sounded so kicky after all those years. This is really a wonderful CD, and the lyrics are on the whole superb. In fact the only thing wrong with most Waitresses songs is that Patty Donohue seems to be completely clueless about what the lyrics she’s singing mean or even how they’re to be delivered (in terms of sentence flow and emphasis).
The greatest surprise in discovering The Waitresses, for me, has been the introduction to Chris Butler’s songwriting: that man had (has? I’m not up to speed on his career) an exceptionally fine knack for song structure, lyrical twists, tempo shifts, and harmonic power. His lyrics are sharp and clever on their own, but when they’re part of the composition, even when just sprinkled negligently over the music as Donohue delivers them, they astound me. My favorite track in this regard is “The Smartest Person I Know,” which has as part of its chorus the excellently profound line “big wheels move real slow.” Listen to it in context to appreciate it, and then marvel at how much more he embroidered into so many of these songs that initially come across as throwaway tracks because of the offhand delivery with which the vocalist spun them.
“Bread and Butter,” is an outstanding piece of work...I even hunted down a 12" vinyl single of it for the long mix because its various musical elements were individually compelling (those dirty sax clusters!! the deep electric guitar statement of the melody!! that sneaky electric-organ work!!) regardless of the overall message, which itself is all too near at hand, all those Reagan-era lies we’re going to see reprised under Bush II Part II…. And MERCY is this track a knockdown when played at seriously high volume! When you can feel the attitude thump right on through your angled shoulders…lovely, just stellar….
Held back
Biting my tongue
With great expectations
I learned your language
Now I
Know how to curse
Threats that keep me in line
Lie or lose my bread and butter
And then there’s “Go Make The Weather,” a track that really did suffer from being put through the sneering-girl-singer formula of The Waitresses when it was a fine song on its own merits. What resulted was a mishmash of melody and anarchy that simply collapsed under its inherent contradictions. You can hear the validity of the piece under the performances, but the vocal smacks it flat left and right and never imbues the actual lyric with the essence it carried in its original composition.
Incidentally, if anyone ever gets around to making a film about The Waitresses, Sigourney Weaver is exactly who must play Patty. Chris, do you agree?
Comments © 2005 Mark Ellis Walker, except as noted, and no claim is made to the images and quoted lyrics.