the dismemberment plan, "following through" (2001)

Posted on March 16th, 2009 by Scraps.
Categories: Music, Songs.

Song Project #19

The Dismemberment Plan was my favorite band from their third album (1999, where I became aware of them) to their fourth album (2002, whereupon they broke up). They were probably my most obscure favorite band. (My favorite bands? In chronological order: the Beatles, the Spinners, Talking Heads, R.E.M., Throwing Muses, Pixies, Throwing Muses again, Blur, the Dismemberment Plan, Café Tacvba, Belle and Sebastian, Sleater-Kinney, Meshuggah, Of Montreal.)

Velma, too, became a fan, and we reacted with dismay when the announcement came that the Plan were no more. We bought two tickets for both of their farewell shows, and were gratified when almost none crossed over; one repeat song, their perennial favorite “Okay Jokes Over”, otherwise no overlap: 49 lovely songs. I can’t tell you how much joy was contained in those two nights, and how much sorrow.

The third album, Emergency & I, was perfect. The fourth album, Change, was nearly perfect, stretching out and sometimes missing, but even the wrong parts were interesting. The four songs that closed it were fabulous; four songs fit to end a career. The first song was “Following Through”.

(Listen to "Following Through")

Six things I like about “Following Through”:

1. The fast start, following the drum fill at the beginning all the way to forty seconds from the end.

2. The end, still as fast but quiet, first solo guitar, then joined by another guitar, then bass, and finally drums.

3. The drums, steady yet changeable throughout.

4. The bass, which doesn’t cut in till the A part has been by once. Then four notes, silence, four notes, silence, four notes, silence, five notes. Then after the chorus, the silences are filled: four notes, four notes, etc.

5. The chorus. The way one note is held for half the chorus; the way that “following through” sounds different from the rest. And my favorite part: The vocals, lead and harmony, are an octave lower the second time.

6. The way that the chorus is led into the second time: “I’m quite, oh, kay, with, losing that fight!”

Not a promise nor a threat nor an ultimatum though I can do those too. Yeah.

7 comments.

ethan

Comment on March 17th, 2009.

I was listening to Doris Day until I took the needle off the record to listen to this. Quite a change.

The first time I heard of the Dismemberment Plan, if I remember correctly, was when I encountered a girl at my college who was, in retrospect, a groupie. So her wild endorsements didn't exactly predispose me to like them, but what I've heard I've always liked. I've never gotten around to listening to them in any kind of depth, I think mostly because there's something about Travis Morrison's voice that puts me off for reasons that I couldn't explain and would never expect anyone else to share.

I'm glad you pointed out the bassline in this song--I wouldn't have noticed it, and it is indeed very cool.

ethan

Comment on March 17th, 2009.

Awesome, by the way, to see you continuing the song project. It'd been too long even before all the silly unpleasantness. Not that I'm by any means trying to tell you what to write or when. I just like the song project.

Richard

Comment on March 17th, 2009.

Ah, very nice to see you posting, and the Song Project, too!

I first learned of the Dismemberment Plan through Pitchfork's inclusion of Emergency & I on their original best of the 90s list, from 1999, I think. They were fairly rabid about the record. I snapped it up and grew to love it, too. Somehow, could never get into Change, though. And now I want to hear it again, but I'm afraid I may have discarded it in the big purge. Sigh.

Jane Hawkins

Comment on March 17th, 2009.

From the guy who introduced me to R.E.M., that was one helluva treat. Spare but complex. One of the change ups raised hair on my arms. Thanks.

nyctaper

Comment on March 23rd, 2009.

I have an old live recording of the Dismemberment Plan from 1999 at the Knitting Factory on DAT. I am going to try to extract it and post it at my site in celebration of the improvement of your health, scraps, and the fact that you're writing again.

travis morrison

Comment on March 25th, 2009.

Hi, this is Travis from the Plan... I hear you had a stroke. and I read the post about it... keep on keeping on dude... I can't imagine how hard it must be, reconstructing reading and memory and stuff like that... good luck and thanks

Scraps

Comment on March 25th, 2009.

That makes my day. Thank you.

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