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Out of the sleep of mild people
Into the wild, rippling water
After serving in the military during WWII and graduating from the prestigious Vanderbilt University, James Dickey was teaching at the University of Florida in 1956. When the University asked him to read his poetry, his work "The Father's Body" was met with protest by the American Pen's Women's Society. Rather than apologize, Dickey walked. In response, he left the ivory towers of education and became a successful corporate world copywriter. Somehow the world caught up with Dickey as his poems became celebrated during the Sixties, culminating in his selection as the nation's Poet Laureate in 1966.
Reading Dickey's poetry is about tapping into the world of remembrance. Ordinary life eluded those with extraordinary lives - including Dickey. In his verse, Dickey tended to live life again as a young man virile ("Cherrylog Road") and strong ("Looking For The Buckhead Boys.") It is only fitting that his first novel, 1970's "Deliverance," would also exist as poetic and strangely masculine.
"Deliverance" is narrated by Ed Gentry, a mild-mannered but observant graphic artist who wants most to provide for his family as he tells his best friend Lewis Medlocke "Get through the day by sliding." Gentry's path to success must be "anti-friction." (A fantastic way to classify a character as non-confrontational). Dickey gives a brief, beautiful portrayal of Gentry's home life on the morning he has to wake before dawn to join Lewis and two more friends for a trip into Georgia's deepest woods. In the darkness of the early morning, even his last moments at home are not solitary. His wife is there with him, and even his young son Dean is up - hiding behind Ed's stack of camping/hunting equipment to playfully come at him with his knife.
The "attack" by his son is one of a handful of events and conversations where Dickey leads us as readers to develop the suspicion of a bad moon rising. Given the choice of reveal for any of the salient details of the story, this could be so much more obvious. Dickey never flatly states "it's just an ordinary weekend canoe trip" or hints that he is developing a plot that is far more sinister. Instead, Dickey supplies you with detail-after-detail about their everyday lives. The horrors that Ed talks about are not getting the right model for a fertilizer catalog shoot, or even worse, struggling with a real-life child to shoot an approximation of the famous Coppertone ad.
Anytime Ed and Lewis are discussing the trip it takes on more journey into the unknown turn. Fortunately, Dickey (who clearly inhabits Ed) spends a lot of the early chapters developing a rapport and healthy rivalry between Ed and Lewis. In the beginning, Lewis is always one to speak too much. Billed as a "survivalist," Lewis is literally conditioning himself to be able to handle nearly any situation as both calm and collected and shrewdly self-serving. This is not to characterize Lewis as nefarious; it is instead to assure we know his level of preparedness.
The main current of foreshadowing stems from Lewis, as the great planner never quite tells his buddies what they are heading into. At first, this strikes you as slightly off-kilter. Ed is bragging about what a great archer Lewis is. Mentioning how he could compete in state competitions if he wished. In Ed's eyes, Lewis is the ideal late 30s/early 40's male. However, he will not explicitly say that. Dickey winds their relationship around the attention they give to their gear and one crucial conversation between the pair where Lewis espouses his philosophy.
The whole thing is going to be reduced to the human body once and for all…The human race thing. I think the machines are going to fail. The political systems are going to fail. A few men are going to take to the hills and start over.
In short, Lewis' philosophy is "Survival depends on having to survive." As Dickey faithfully describes every facet of their lives in more decorous terms, he is putting you in nature's trance and most careful not to go overboard. They are essentially going to tame this wild river before this sanctuary of nature and past culture becomes a reservoir to provide electric power. On most occasions when the conversation arrives at this impasse, we get the implication of this being a "last chance." Most importantly, nearly every well-reasoned and logical response Lewis maintains is about some old tradition being eradicated for the new. (In one minor detail, the meeting place where all four of the friends begin this trip is marked by the fact "they are building a new shopping center there.")
The instant the journey begins, Dickey makes the trip to this untouched watering hole circuitous. After a hearty (heavy) breakfast, Ed falls asleep in the station wagon and either hears or has a tenuous conversation with Lewis. The fact that this may/may not have happened already places us as the anonymous fifth traveler on uneven footing. That is further obfuscated by their first encounter off civilization's trail with the Griner Brothers. When they stop to find some (hopefully) cooperative locals to pick up their cars and drive them to the point down river where they will be getting off the Cahulawassee River, tenuous negotiations immediately deviate far away from their plans.
Thank goodness, Dickey can draw beautiful mental images of nature. As they careen in their station wagon down highways and roads that continue to get more and more ancient and primitive, the discovery of trees and sun-baked sense of the beauty of land untouched is enthralling. When they finally skid down a muddy hill and arrive at the site to put their canoes in the river, you finally have the feeling they might never get back.
As they take to their canoes (Lewis and the novice salesman Bobby in one, Ed and the equally mild-mannered but devoted Drew in the other), "Deliverance" puts you on the rapids with them, learning the terrain and learning the craft of handling rocks, rapids and everything the water has the power to do.
“The canoe shifted gears underneath and the water began to throw us. We were pulled into the funnel neck and sucked into the main rapids so suddenly that it felt as if the ordinary river had been snatched from under us.”
Dickey switches his poetic descriptions to well-chosen verbs to capture the action. However, take comfort in their quick mastery of this brief test and the surprising fact that it wakes up the "survivalist" side of Ed. Now, of course, there are events and interactions which follow that are, to say the least - shocking even today. What is also fascinating is how well Dickey develops the relationship of these four individuals as first a group and then sees them descend into a pecking order when they are on their own. That second "primitive" development makes the zero-sum game their decision-making takes even more painful. Suddenly, you went from being along for the ride from the safety of your own chair to being rendered speechless to having to shout your ideas to the pages.
"Deliverance" is quite the novel. While it does tread on the Southern Lit tenet of tradition and the conflict between generations, it is far more Joseph Conrad-esque even as the dialect and fearsome nature of the woods are uniquely Southern. However, it is an adventure that is more than likely universal. For that reason, Dickey's novel was a massive hit, which grew even more with John Boorman's 1972 film adaptation (screenplay adapted by Dickey). The new comfort of fame allowed Dickey to return to his first love, writing poetry.
Mik Davis is the recor d store manager at T-Bones Records & Cafe in Hattiesburg.
J.I.D. - The Forever Story (Dreamville/Interscope)
Apologies to Kendrick, but “The Forever Story” by East Atlanta rhymer J.I.D may be the Hip-Hop album of 2022. Signed by J.Cole (also a brilliant wordsmith,) “The Forever Story” is a blistering showcase for J.I.D’s verbal acumen and uncanny ability to change his flow. Like Southern MF Doom, J.I.D. sometimes swings his rhymes out of nowhere (“Crack Sandwich” is dense with clever bars and lines that turn on themselves.) With a cadre of producers and collaborators, mostly the tracks that Christo has a hand in are the most imaginative. “Raydar” is just the set-up for the twin burner singles but Christo layers it with so many effects and interstitials that boost its character. (On the other hand, the album’s weakest cut “Money” by veteran Khrysis drives an indeed monster hook too hard.)
The content (and blueprint) are very Kendrick and Lil’ Wayne-esque. J.I.D reels in his autobiography at times (“Bruddamen” and “Sistanem” are a powerful pair) and mixes it into his thumbnail sketches of a world is leaving behind (“Can’t Punk Me” featuring the gritty voice of longtime collaborator Earthgang.) When J.I.D. turns himself over to outside influence or other input, he still stands miles above everyone. With its Motown sample and steady groove, “Can’t Make You Change” attempts to unite a slinky R&B radio-ready groove with a hook from Ari Lennox with some very personal lyrics. Unlike the pugilistic wonder “Crack Sandwich” and the poignant ending of “Kody Blu 31,” the fantastic parts just do not raise each other. In addition, the new sign of a powerful rapper is that they dust nearly every feature on the album (“Stars” with BadBadNotGood actually pauses to let Yasiin Bey enter to juxtapose J.I.D’s serpentine patterns with an old-school stentorian verse.)
Like all great Hip-Hoppers, J.I.D’s rhymes are alive with cultural references to his idols. Lil’ Wayne even shows up to slice-and-dice the Dirty South rumble of “Just in Time.” However, this show is all J.I.D. The single “Dance Now” should be in every sync and top the charts soon. Its structure AND beat are irresistible even after multiple listens. While the improbably deep bass of “Surround Sound” is like the three-ring circus all good Hip-Hop singles should be flipping its sample of Aretha with a flashy verse from 21 Savage and a sweet-sour double-tracked hook from Baby Tate.
With the exception of the beginning and end of “Mr.Morale,” we are unlikely to find another Hip-Hop album that not only ticks all the boxes, summons emotion, and paints a vivid picture of the life of its protagonist. While the internet pushes hype levels to AOTY nearly every week (and shoots others down with hilarious accuracy,) “The Forever Story” just gets better with every listen. These are the new rules and (again highly likely) the new ruler.
MEGADETH - The Sick, The Dying...and The Dead
[LP/DLX LP/CD](UME)
While the drama of lockdown and the pandemic would be enough for a new record from the mighty Megadeth, "The Sick" is rooted in that paranoia and Mustaine's issues with throat cancer and rebuilding his band. "Soldier On!" is remarkably positive for them as Mustaine reels off a litany of tragedies and then urges himself (and us all) to follow the song's title. "Night Stalkers" is a speed demon revisitation of Thrash with guest star Ice-T. While "We'll Be Back" shows Megadeth continues to push the needle well into the red on their 16th album with no signs of letting up.
MELTING PALMS - Noise Between The Shades
[LP](La Pochette Surprise UK)
This German group harkens back to the days when Shoegazer Rock actually came with a punch. Over the course of their twelve songs, melodies appear and reappear but the main ebb and flow come from the steamy undercurrent of riffs expanding ("Ark,") and compounding upon each other. "Crimson Eye" is like a Nineties version of The Chameleons joining together the swooping romantic lead line with punchy bass and drums. "Noise Between The Shades" is a reminder that bands can still sound monolithic and not just parts being traded back and forth.
THOU - A Primer of Holy Words
[LP/CD](Sacred Bones/Secretly/AMPED)
We have never talked much about Sludge Metal. For all the squeals and thundering, slow, trodding beasts of The Melvins or New Orleans bands like Eyehategod and Crowbar keeping the mantle going for all these years, Baton Rouge's slashing Thou has been the latest standard bearer for this blistering branch of Metal. Their own recordings are often winding, squelchy, noise-drenched affairs that can leave you feeling unsure about what you just experienced. So, what better way to dive into the Sludge pit than with an album full of covers. This 2020 release is finally on wax and promises you a gravel-throat howling, hard-driving good time. Pearl Jam's "Spin The Black Circle" gets the royal treatment morphing into a Hardcore song with massive detuned riffs. Alice In Chains' "No Excuses" is swirling chaos, and Soundgarden's "Fourth of July" manages to somehow get slower and more abrasive. They managed to replace the quartet of Black Sabbath covers with Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Maps," and Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down" just for this vinyl pressing.
MINISTRY - (Everyday Is) Halloween
While Ministry is most famous for its abrasive, metallic, post-Industrial noise albums, Al Jourgensen actually started the group with more dark SynthPop in mind. Signed to Arista as Clive Davis' "next Joy Division," Ministry's "With Sympathy" is one of the missing links between British SynthPop and its American offshoot. "Halloween" predates the stormy Goth dance music craze by nearly two years. Jourgensen's alteration of commercial sounds to more bracing established Wax Trax! in Chicago and put that beat-heavy, loud stamp on the city's dance music for years to come.
The two remixes on here are remarkably timeless. The booming drum machines and dubby plays with vocals and synth strikes are the architecture of the Wax Trax! sound. "Halloween" was the first giant step toward Jourgensen getting what he wanted from a label deal. When Sire expressed an interest, a stipulation was their ongoing support of his record company. Without Jourgensen and Wax Trax!, we would likely have no KMFDM, Underworld, or Nine Inch Nails.
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