Music Mondays: Death Music

I'm not talking about Death Metal here, but rather real death music, created either after the artist survives a near-death experience or after the artist receives a terminal diagnosis. Sounds dire, sure. But think about it like this. A musician exists to create music. He or she finds inspiration in love, rejection, the weather, whatever. Now all that shit's dandy, but it kinda pales in comparison to the Final Blow. How does the artist respond when faced with something so damn permanent?

The most recent example of this is Spiritualized's "Songs in A&E." When I first heard about this album, I assumed it was a bunch of songs about "American Justice," "Intervention," and other popular A&E shows. but as it turns out, he wasn't talking about TV! You see, England has a little thing called the Accident and Emergency Ward and J Spaceman of Spiritualized (actually J Spaceman kinda IS Spiritualized) spent quite a bit of time in there a couple years back after catching pneumonia and nearly dying. Although most of the songs were written before the experience, nearly all of it was recorded after. And good lord it shows. I had written Spiritualized off after Amazing Grace, a rather mediocre "recorded in our sleep" rocker. But this little album is positively thrilling in its mortality. From the death rattle breathing on the aptly titled "Death take your Fiddle" to the soft chanting of "Funeral Parlour" that closes the album, this whole record is one of the better testaments to survival I've ever heard. It's crisp, both cryptic and bang-you-over-the-head (the Drops of Jupiter sounding "Soul On Fire" ... yes I know Train's smash hit is a guilty pleasure for you too), and easily the most inspired this dude has sounded since 1997. Go get it at your local record store!

For all you other music listeners out there, what's your favorite death music? A few recent example include Laura Nyro's lovely "Angel in the Dark" (fyi, she didn't make it), Warren Zevon's last album (never heard it.. and he didn't make it either), and Neil Young's quite good (but not as good as I first thought) "Prairie Wind" (he fortunately did make it much to James' chagrin).

There's something about Art and Life that I find fascinating. I love it when great masters die right after their main works (aka masterpieces). Sure it's grim, but it's the closest thing we have to actual proof that there's a "meaning of life." Like when August Wilson completed his 10 play mural of 20th century African-American life. 10 plays, 10 decades. Right after the last one, he dies. It's sad yes, but at the same time, it's not. He completed what he set out to do. What's left? Now of course if I ever decide to do a 10 play, 10 decade mural about Jewish life in 20th century America, I'd kinda like to stick around for a bit after it's done. Play golf and what not. But I'm selfish.