Someday This Could All Be Yours - the pAper chAse's apocalyptic anxiety | This Review Kills Fascists
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- čas přidán 30. 09. 2021
- Experimental rock band The pAper chAse specializes in making concept albums about scary, uncomfortable subjects. In 2009, they set their sights on the topic of natural disasters, seemingly in reference to the looming climate crisis, but what they were actually tackling is the root cause of that crisis.
A bonus text review can be read for free here: / 47733249
Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/fiendly
Most of the music discussed in this video can be streamed and purchased at the following links:
thepaperchase.bandcamp.com/
gileadmedia.bandcamp.com/albu...
graveface.bandcamp.com/album/...
johncongletonandthenightynite...
Live performance footage in order of appearance:
Ready, Willing, Cain And Able - • the pAper chAse - read...
We Know Where You Sleep - • the pAper chAse: "We K...
Said The Spider To The Fly (music video) - • the pAper chAse - Said...
I Did A Terrible Thing - • the pAper chAse - "I D...
Dimes In Their Dimples - • The Nighty Nite - "Dim...
Resources:
John's production credits - www.allmusic.com/artist/john-...
Early career interview - web.archive.org/web/201310211...
Sound On Sound article - www.soundonsound.com/people/j...
#thepAperchAse #JohnCongleton #socialism
Just want to state for the record, I whiffed the analysis of what The Lightning was about pretty hard. Not to say it's NOT about what I say in the video, lyrics are always open to interpretation and mean many things, but I failed to recognize the meaning that is referenced in the title of the song, What Should We Do With Your Body?
This element of the lyrics is taken from the perspective of the owning class, looking at the working class and salivating at the potential to exploit and use up their lives ("all of their beautiful bodies") to produce value. Lines like "Oh the views you'll see over cross danglings" and "The willing whore is the hand of the Lord" are propagandistic efforts to convince people to celebrate this exploitation, and the recitation of "God is everywhere" instills an acceptance in this being the natural order of things (echoed later in the album when The Blizzard turjs into "He's got the whole world in his hands").
If you'd like the hear a Congleton song that much more directly talks about how unlikely it can be to find companionship and human connection, check out Put Your Teeth In by The Nighty Nite (a personal favorite of his discography)
Your entire take on TPC is bad!
You are bias to 440hz A4!
You can't understand a song more complicated than the Blitzkrieg Bop!
his music has been an obsession of mine for almost a year now. its taking over my brain its so uncanny and unhinged and blasphemously fearful and alluring and enchanting and i love it i love it i love it
It really makes me sad that so many people miss out on this brilliant freaking band. “These lumbering bodies, that we have to feed, put to bed, take to the bathroom…” his lyrics are incredible.
"The Infidelity of the Body~"
god i cherish john's work, it's so fucking good and i've really never seen anything like it
my personal interpretation of the album was more focused on the mental health related, apocalyptic and nihilistic aspects of the songs but I absolutely love the original message. I find one thing about the pAper chAse's music is that their songs can have SO many different meanings depending on who you are and how you interpret it. congleton is a true lyrical genius, I truly wish there was more video discussions about tpc's music. it's almost impossible to even find articles analyzing their songs. they deserve so much more recognition.
I think the epidemic was my favourite song on this album.
to me the epidemic was about the isolation of being infected, or in an apocalyptic sense, the "zombie." it shows the perspective of the ill person and how they are feared even by those they love. and perhaps it was just metaphoric aggression, but some lyrics made it seem like the sick person wanted to intentionally infect their partner. that could be for many reasons I think, such as making someone who saw you as scary or disgusting become one of you, almost revenge in a way. or being broken by the fact that your loved one fears you because of your sickness, and wanting to infect them so you can be together again.
I also feel like the "sickness" discussed could also apply to other sorts of illnesses such as mental health issues, personality disorders, physical disabilities, etc. it is extremely common for mentally ill people to be seen as dangerous or disgusting because of their issues, even though such things aren't contagious in any way, I've seen some people act that way. I feel that the lines of "so would you sleep where I sleep?" and "are you afraid of me?" could also relate to how ones loved ones may fear them, perhaps as they watch you descent into madness or as disease takes over your body.
though the song doesn't relate heavily to the main topic of the album, I think it fits wonderfully with the apocalyptic and nihilistic themes the album carries. and just the song sounds amazing. this album is a true masterpiece in my eyes.
Now You are One of Us becomes a totally different album depending on what particular dominate fear or anxiety I was experiencing at the time. Originally it hit my fear of the bad side of people you are close too. Sometime later, the subtle oppression and unintentional pain couples inflict on each other with stagnating relationships running on inertia. Then in 2021 my house started to feel like an expensive pretty prison trapping me at a job I hated in a town I discovered I didn't like. Curious what I might pull from it during another different type of stess in the future.
Sold the house for more modest living and left that job BTW. Not because of the album but it was definitely one of the nudges. Parts of me are much happier after getting rid of that thing.
i am so upset we never got the part 2 to this album that john talked about. though maybe the lack of a vol 2 wound up being a presage in and of itself, johns commentary being what it is.
also god damn the album is so extremely catchy. i have had every track pop into my head at some point as an earworm.
Another thematic note for The Tornado is the callback in the second round of all-together-nows: "The whistling, winding trees, the buzz of a billion bees." This could refer to the disaster of climate change causing mass colony collapse, but I like to think that it is also a rallying cry for the Bees being fleeced by capitalism. The revolutionary buzz of a billion bees could make this Earth be ours. Also, beekeeper note : traditional beekeeping is actually a great coöperative deal for both bees and humans! When the keeper removes excess honey during peak nectar flow season, it doesn't take away any food from baby or adult bees, who will be eating fresh regurgitated nectar and processed pollen known delightfully as pollen-cakes or bee-bread, and instead lightens the hive to help the colony stay where it is without prompting the instinctual swarming and colony split that happens after excess honey accumulation. However, the rise of modern monoculture farming practices has threatened this beneficial lifestyle for both bees and humans. Corporate farm owners force apiarists and their hives to travel by truck between monoculture fields, resulting in less varied nutrition for the bees as well as all the frightening bustle which resembles an animal attack that a car ride would entail. It is in the best interests of humans and our bee FRIENDS, our bee COWORKERS, to topple the corporate interests that are harming us! Congleton wisdom indeed.
Just reading this comment more than a month after it was posted, but it made my day. I love bees (and arthropods in general) and even I didn't know the parallels between beekeeping and the struggles against capitalism ran so deep. Thank you for the information!
what da john congleton doin
nvm i don't wanna know what da john congleton doin' :(
Johngleton
I'm BEYOND excited to see someone else talking about this band. I've been enamored with them since early high school, and the sense of anxiety in the music has always really spoken with me. God Bless Your Black Heart in particular really struck a chord with me after leaving an abusive relationship. (Said The Spider To The Fly was, unironically, instrumental in me realizing what I went through. "And all those times you thought that you were wrong, well you were right.")
Lately, with global fascism on the rise, I've revisited TPC & JCatNN, particularly Someday This Could All Be Yours and Until The Horror Goes (which, in my opinion, is the spiritual successor to STCANBY.) I'd *love* to see another review/analysis of his work like this, the editing and writing is fantastic!! You've earned a sub :)
My only criticism, really, is that I respectfully disagree with your position on his usage of rape as a metaphor being 'tasteless'. As a survivor myself, his bluntness when handling the subject is very cathartic for me. Granted, one of my other favorite artists of all time is Lingua Ignota, whose music covers subjects such as rape, domestic violence, and trauma with brutal honesty, so my capacity for handling heavy subjects is, admittedly, skewed. Of course, your mileage may vary, and I can absolutely understand why someone would choose to skip TPC songs that include the subject, but I don't think the usage of it as a metaphor is, in and of itself, tasteless; He isn't making light of sexual assault (in my opinion) but rather using what is, to most people, an EXTREMELY shocking crime in order to provoke a visceral response of disgust towards the song's subject (capitalism, abuse, etc) in the listener.
Really glad you enjoyed the video! I'm especially proud of this one, so even though the view counts are low, the engagement means a ton to me. I'd love to be able to review more of Congleton's work, there's so much to say about all of it, maybe someday I'll be able to find the excuse.
"Tasteless" may not have been the best choice of words, John definitely isn't making light of anything. I just had a bit of a knee-jerk negative reaction due to all the poorly considered sexual assault metaphors I've seen on the internet for decades. Still not a favorite song of mine personally, but it's as considered and meaningful as anything else he's written, it's not going for any sort of cheap shock value.
@@ThisReviewKillsFascists Hey, that's an understandable reaction! When I first started listening to his work, I'd skip a lot of songs which used those themes for similar reasons. You deserve a lot more recognition, your takes are really well-thought-out and I look forward to more in the future :)
Fuck me I love The Paper Chase. I saw them live as an opener I had never heard of. It might have been because it was so unexpected at an “Explosions in the Sky” show, but I’ve been to literally hundreds of live shows and that performance sticks out as one of the most memorable.
Great video! It gave some different perspectives to songs I've been listening to for over a decade. I felt like the pAper chAse was so prophetic ever since the release of Now You Are One of Us on 6/6/06.
Video essay about my fucking favorite band fuck yes
awesome vid!!! its weird how hard it is to find people talking about TPC online (i found the band through a friend lol, not anything big)
the paper chase was one of the first bands i really loved (before that i uh. just listened to random vocaloid songs on youtube), so it was cool finding such a great review and analysis:-D
great video for a great band and even learned some new things out of this too!
the pAper chAse and an Invader Zim cameo? My middle school years just reached through the screen to smack me haha. Still listening to them and still loving it! I especially appreciated the socialist analysis of Someday This Could All Be Yours. I suppose it was a vibe I always got but never really thought that hard about since the album came out back when those themes simply went over my head. This album is so quotable it's a shame it's so unknown. "All shepherds eat their herds" is such a raw line.
Their music sounds like the noise in my head when i can't sleep at night. Its comforting in a strange way
Oh man I'm so happy to see video exists. the pAper chAse deserves more attention. Spotify threw them at me in 2019. They didn't' click with me right away but when it did it hit me in ways no music ever has before in my 30+ yrs of life. I also fully understand it's an acquired taste. I only listen to them in the car or with headphones after I noticed the music noticeably unsettled my dogs. They are not a comfortable listen. Like having your brain cleansed through madness. It's cathartic for some and a disjointed mess to others.
And boy the Someday This Could All Be Yours album is upsettingly prophetic. You could probably make a whole rock opera film to that album only using footage found on the news and line up the video and lyrics near perfectly. The pAper chAse definitely helped me process my particular line of insanity during the worst of the pandemic. I hope after everything the world collectively went through more people find and appreciate the madness that is the pAper chAse.
This is great. This is a great video and the fact that you don't have more likes and subscribers is a crime.
Amazing band.
Great video
John is so talented. He actually messaged me on Instagram!! I cherish that!!
@@Bowler6611 That's amazing!! I still have a personal email from him from many years ago when he replied to me :D
I used to have him as a friend on Facebook but he deleted that, so I'm guessing he only uses Instagram now.
the Paper Chase is one of the best rock n roll bands ever
Also you did a great job describing their sound. It’s a beautiful cacophony.
I love the paper chase. My favorite song of theirs is “you will never take me alive”.
What movie does the unopened email to god sample?
The sample is from a movie called The Empty Mirror from 1996, and the character who speaks those lines is Hitler. Full credit to Remember_A_Day on Reddit for finding that source