THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 27, 1995 TAG: 9510270077
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICKEY WRIGHT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Check out the dance-friendly beats, the hooky rhythm-guitar parts, and front and center, singer Alanis Morissette's whine.
``I don't want to be a bandage if the wound is not mine.''
``Worry not about the cars that go by.''
``You scream, you learn.''
Morissette isn't the only rocker with a chip on her shoulder. Making a righteously irked noise is a natural function of rock 'n' roll. Critic Greil Marcus once half-jokingly suggested that perhaps a better term for rock protest would be complaint songs. From Chuck Berry to Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, sniveling is a fine tradition.
Morissette's ``You Oughta Know'' is a fun, four-minute-long spew of invective. Unfortunately, the rest of the new superstar's album, ``Jagged Little Pill,'' taps into what some call the Culture of Complaint. In her case, it sounds more like the Great White Whine.
This 22-year-old former cast member of Nickelodeon's ``You Can't Do That on Television'' fancies herself wise beyond her years: ``I recommend getting your heart trampled on to any one.'' And when she does fall in love again, she kvetches: ``It's all your fault.'' Guess that's her idea of a laugh.
She comes off more like a wimp. So does Natalie Merchant, whose whining is often offstage. The former 10,000 Maniacs singer's recent solo debut, ``Tigerlily,'' has been panned by critics as ridiculously mournful. So Merchant responds by whining to the press: Oh, no one understaaaands meeeee.
And what of Live's Ed Kowalczyk? The shaven-headed MTV guru comes off as alternative-rock's cranky baby, repeating ``I alone love you'' 37 times in a single song.
Michael Jackson hasn't met a subject he can't let out a great big moan about, whether it's his detractors in the tabloids and elsewhere (``They don't really care about us''), or the environment (``What about elephants? . . . Have we lost their trust?'') And when you're scoring his excesses on this front, don't forget ``Ben.''
Whining at high volume and dervish-like tempos: Trent Reznor. He's egged on by ``fans'' who cheer the death of his dog in hopes that he'll write even unhappier songs.
Or take Smashing Pumpkins. Their ``Siamese Dream'' is a great, exciting album, but leader Billy Corgan just can't stop himself from, well, mewling once in a while.
Cobain himself got kinda screechy. Witness the yowling ``Scentless Apprentice'': ``GO AWAY GO AWAY GO AWAY.''
Even Joey Ramone, the least whiny rocker, was caught weeping into his cornflakes on the latest Ramones album. Something about a girl who talks to rainbows, but won't talk to him. Sheesh.
Chris Isaak yells about his broken heart. Doesn't whine. ``Look at all you happy people. . . wish I could be like you.'' The message isn't a new one, but the singer gives it guts by shouting it out.
There are a million distinctions to be drawn. John Lennon entered primal-scream therapy in 1970, and emerged with ``John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band,'' his leanest, truest work ever. Tears for Fears went through the same treatment in the '80s, and got over with ``Shout.''
If Morissette or Merchant ever put themselves through the scream ordeal, watch out.
Anger's cool. Anger's a great vent. And anger sells. Just remember: The Clash never whined. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Lisa Johnson
Color photo by Kate Garner
Graphic
The Top 10 of rock music complaints
For complete list, see microfilm
by CNB