I don't look a thing like Jesus either

But nobody writes any songs about it.


I've never really talked about The Killers. Mainly because I think they're lame. If you're really into the 80's revival, I have two suggestions.

1. Buy an album from the 1980's. (Don't worry. It won't hurt. And you'll actually be listening to better music than most of the hacks today are trying to emulate.
2. If you have to listen to a band today doing the 80's revival, I like Interpol. Especially their album Turn On the Bright Lights. But I like Joy Division so that's probably why.

But anyway, back to The Killers. I hated Mr. Brightside the first time I heard it. And it just kept playing. And playing. And playing. And then Jeb killed everyone who works at Clear Channel. And it played a few more times. But then The Killers did something a little crazy for their second album, Sam's Town. They suddenly went for the 1980s Americana of Springsteen and U2. Now I haven't listened to the album (although I'd be interested in doing so. But I'm not paying full price for an album that I'll probably laugh at a few times and then trade to the pawn shop), but I posted the video from their first single "When You Were Young". I had never really listened to this song in-depth before, but for some reason I checked it out last night. I was stunned how they really are trying to emulate the aforementioned artists. My brother pointed out how the bridge in the middle seems cribbed from a U2 song. And consider this lyric...

We're burning down the highway skyline/on the back of a hurricane

I don't think anybody could have wrote that line and pulled it off except Bruce Springsteen. Unfortunately he didn't write it. And he didn't sing it either. Even in the ending chorus, listen closely at the string section and the bells and chimes. I swear it's like the E Street Band walked in and said "Hey guys need some help?" Even the chord progression sounds like something off Born To Run!! There's a few other parts of the song I'm not sure of such as the annoying vibrato used by Brandon Flowers. And there's a synth part that I'm sure is from an 80's band but I can't figure out which one.

I can't really criticize for trying but this song is fascinating to me because it has all the qualities of a train wreck. All the homages ring hollow, the lyrics veering from the religious imagery of Bono to the "we're gonna get out of this town before our dreams die" of Springsteen are a messy hodgepodge. I just hope the rest of the album is like this, because I can't wait to listen to the whole thing. Here's the good closing on All Music Guide's review of the album.

"But even if the music doesn't really work, it's hard not to listen to it in slack-jawed wonderment, since there's never been a record quite like it -- it's nothing but wrong-headed dreams, it's all pomp but no glamour, it's clichés sung as if they were myths. Every time it tries to get real, it only winds up sounding fake, which means it's the quintessential Vegas rock album from the quintessential Vegas rock band."

Oh and I'm making my first Grammy prediction. I've made a call, Will is my witness, and he agress with me. This actually came about because I was listening to the video and making jokes abotu how it could have been made better with Max Weinberg on drums, a sax solo in the middle and closing with Bruce Springsteen and his wife on stage finishing the closing vocals. Here is my prediction...

The Killers will perform "When You Were Young" at the Grammys. During the final part, Bruce Springsteen will walk out and do the closing chorus duet with Brandon Flowers in his gruff voice.

I'm putting the odds of this actually happening at 70%

One last thing and then I promise to try to never speak of The Killers again (unless the scenario above takes place and I'll be watching with my running diary!), what is with the video? My brother asked if it's from a movie. I don't think it is, but he's right, it sure looks like it. It's got all the ingredients/cliches of a video for a song that's used in a movie. The band basically just stands around and plays while they keep cutting to different clips that look pulled right from a film. And the clips seem so cinematic in scale. That's probably done intentionally to add to the grandiosity of the song and album because apparently that's what The Killers are shooting for. However, as with "When You Were Young" I think they missed the target and blew off their foot in the process.