Built to spill

小

被纽约时报赞赏为做音乐如同吉米罕醉克斯和艾力克莱普顿一样具影响力的Doug Martsch领军倍受推崇的Indie Rock乐团，每位团员如同音乐顽童般，制造出时而简约自然、时而喧嚣狂噪、时而有趣生动、时而加长篇幅的玩弄音乐变化可能性，Built To Spill从让你发噱的内页合成图片开始，已紧紧扣住你的注意力，想要一窥内文究竟！ 组成于美国西雅图的The Treepeople在发行多张专辑后，仍无法激起亮眼销售纪录，其中团员Doug Martsch选择脱队与贝斯手Brett Nelson、鼓手Ralf Youtz三人另组起Built To Spill。1993年首张独立厂牌发行之「Ultimate Alternative Wavers」作品，贝斯手Scott 及鼓手Ralf 轮番出走，换上Brett Nelson及Andy Capps顶替。 1995年签入华纳音乐集团，不同于其它签约艺人，Built To Spill有绝对专辑操控权，Doug同为整体操盘要角，团员仍经过小幅动荡，接连1997-2001年问世「Perfect From Now On」、「Keep It Like A Secret」、「Ancient Melodies Of The Future」等三张专辑，全数打入美国流行榜单中，随后多才多艺的Doug单飞不解散拱出个人专辑「Now You Know」，以蓝调及民谣基调为主轴，加宽乐迷对Doug认知的音乐视野。 2006年以Doug、Brett与鼓手Scott Plouf、吉他手Jim Roth四人新组合再出发，「You In Reverse」大碟仍以Doug为中心点，加上所有团员的齐力制作，邀来昔日队友Brett Netson注入精湛吉他功力，曾任Indie Rock乐团Heatmiser以及Quasi的Sam Coomes负责风琴部分，前卫迷幻乐团Davis Redford Triad中领导人物Steven Wray Lobdell精采献出多方演奏才能于专辑当中。长达近九分钟的”Goin’ Against Your Mind”，导入前卫迷幻/Space Rock色彩，Doug渲染力够的嗓音，一再导入乐曲新格局，更有着层次分明精采演绎，是首让人大呼过瘾的称职开场曲；轻愉新民谣式动人之作”Liar”，流露顺畅节奏以及简单易吸收的旋律铺陈；大肆展现团员间乐器演奏技能与默契搭配，吉他伴随人声的和谐度，”Where You Go”中像似每组音乐桥段，反以乐器调和之气流呈现一次次的强烈情绪反应；首波主攻”Conventional Wisdom”虽与前曲相同皆为六分余钟长篇幅之大作，却大量反透其中更为明亮鼓动耐人聆听之乐曲编入，与开场曲有着前后呼应之感；”The Wait”迷人到不行的优质小品，原本以为可舒舒服服听到最后，但在曲末却以低传真喧噪方式作结尾，大大令人吃惊之余，也佩服Built To Spill实验融合之精神。

by Steve Huey

Built to Spill was one of the most popular indie rock acts of the 90s, finding the middle ground between postmodern, Pavement-style pop and the loose, spacious jamming of Neil Young. From the outset, the band was a vehicle for singer/songwriter/guitarist Doug Martsch, who revived the concept of the indie guitar hero just as Dinosaur Jr.s J Mascis — another important influence — was beginning to fade from the limelight. On record, Martsch the arranger crafted intricate, artfully knotted tangles of guitar; in concert, his rough-edged soloing heroics earned Built to Spill a reputation as an exciting and unpredictable live act. Much like Pavement, Martschs compositions were filled with fractured song structures and melodies, often veering abruptly into new sections with little attention to continuity or traditional form. (In fact, the difficulty of Martschs songs helped force him to abandon his original intention of working with many different lineups, since the twists and turns were difficult to master.) His lyrics had all the loopy wit and pop culture references of many a 90s slacker icon, but Martsch changed things up with a genuine wistfulness borrowed from Mascis and Youngs more introspective moments. Unlike Pavement, Built to Spill was never hailed as rocks next great hope; they were neither as revolutionary nor as eclectic, and their music — with its winding instrumental passages and less immediate construction — required more effort to absorb. Instead, they remained even more firmly underground, where their unorthodox approach enjoyed tremendous support from the indie faithful.

Built to Spill was formed in Boise, ID, in 1993, shortly after Martsch had departed the Boise-rooted, Seattle-based Treepeople. Martsch had grown up in Twin Falls, ID, where he formed his first band, Farm Days, with bassist Brett Nelson and drummer Andy Capps while in high school during the mid-80s. After moving to Boise, Martsch hooked up with former members of the local hardcore punk band State of Confusion to form Treepeople, which relocated to Seattle in 1988. There they signed with the local indie C/Z and issued several albums and EPs that offered a distinctive take on early Northwestern grunge. Eventually tiring of the bands far-ranging touring commitments, Martsch departed after 1993s Just Kidding album, and despite the continuing boom of the Seattle scene, he returned to Boise to refresh himself.

Martsch formed the first incarnation of Built to Spill with bassist/guitarist Brett Netson (also a member of Boise scenesters Caustic Resin) and drummer Ralf Youtz. Initially maintaining a relationship with C/Z, Built to Spill debuted on record in 1993 with Ultimate Alternative Wavers, on which Martsch billed himself as Dug. Afterward, Martsch moved the band over to another Seattle indie, Up Records, and revamped the rhythm section, in keeping with his plan to make Built to Spill a loose aggregation that would allow him to work with a variety of musicians. This time, he was joined by bassist Brett Nelson (not Netson, but his old cohort from Farm Days) and drummer Andy Capps (also from Farm Days, whod joined Nelson in a group called Butterfly Train).

Accompanied by cellist John McMahon and guest spots from several ex-Treepeople, Built to Spill scored a creative breakthrough with 1994s acclaimed Theres Nothing Wrong with Love. With the help of producer/engineer Phil Ek, who would become the bands regular collaborator, Martschs fragmentary songwriting aesthetic and detailed arrangements really hit their stride, resulting in a minor gem of quirky indie guitar pop. The same year, Martsch formed a side project with Beat Happening frontman and K Records honcho Calvin Johnson, and they recorded the first of three albums as the Halo Benders. Martsch formed a new lineup of Built to Spill with former Lync rhythm section James Bertram (bass) and Dave Schneider (drums), but this incarnation existed only for a series of live gigs in America and Europe during 1995, which included a stint on the second stage of that summers Lollapalooza tour.

The positive response to Theres Nothing Wrong with Love — coupled with the increased exposure of Lollapalooza — helped create a buzz around Built to Spill, and before 1995 was out, Martsch inked a deal with Warner Brothers that promised a good amount of creative control. In the meantime, he and Brett Nelson reunited with Brett Netson and several other members of Caustic Resin for a collaborative (not split) EP on Up, titled Built to Spill Caustic Resin. In early 1996, K Records issued a compilation of rarities and outtakes, The Normal Years, that spanned 1993-1995 and featured work by most of the bands lineups. Martsch then turned his attention to recording Built to Spills major-label debut. At first, he started working with drummer Peter Lansdowne and no bassist, but found that the chemistry was wrong for the more expansive songs he was trying to write. He brought back Brett Nelson and recruited former Spinanes drummer Scott Plouf, and re-recorded most of the album, only to have the master tapes damaged. The third re-recording was the charm, and featured guest guitar work by Brett Netson to boot. Finally released in 1997, Perfect from Now On was a set of longer, moodier songs that once again earned positive reviews, and substantially expanded the bands growing fan base.

Tired of continually reteaching the bands repertoire, Martsch subsequently made Nelson and Plouf permanent members of Built to Spill. Material for their next album was, for the first time, worked out through collaborative effort — mostly full-band jam sessions. Despite those origins, Keep It Like a Secret emerged as the tightest batch of songs on any Built to Spill record yet, and was greeted with some of their most enthusiastic reviews to date when it appeared in 1999; it also became their first to reach the pop charts. New supporting cast member Sam Coomes — also of Quasi, formerly of Heatmiser — contributed keyboard work. In response to demand from fans, the Live album was culled from the supporting tour, featuring additional guitar work from Brett Netson and longtime band cohort Jim Roth; assembled from three different gigs by Ek, it was released in 2000. The proper studio follow-up to Keep It Like a Secret arrived with 2001s Ancient Melodies of the Future; critical responses ranged from enthusiasm to indifference. The following year, Martsch took a breather to release Now You Know, a solo album on which he delved into more traditional folk and blues. After a long break from releasing records, the revamped group (now a quartet comprised of Martsch, Nelson, Plouf, and Roth with additional help from the guitar-playing Brett Netson) stormed back with one of the finest records of their career, 2006s You in Reverse.