#321: That Crush on Avril (RSTs Mk II: Getting More Tale)

NEW SERIES

Welcome to the first of my new continuing series; the “Post-Record Store Tales” I’ve been talking about.  Here are the RECORD STORE TALES MkII:  Getting More Tale.  Featuring my Simon Pegg action figure as the new “Mini-LeBrain”! Title suggested by Aaron!

To quote David St. Hubbins, “Hope you like our new direction!”

LEBRAIN AND AVRIL

RECORD STORE TALES Mk II:  Getting More Tale

#321:  That Crush on Avril

One of those lingering points left after the conclusion of Record Store Tales was this: my unexplained, unusually large Avril Lavigne CD collection.  This is that tale.

When Avril’s first album arrived in 2002, I was encouraged to listen to it by a new hire at the Record Store.  “I hear that this album has some of the best pop songwriting that has come out in years,” he said.  “From a technical point of view.  I read that the album is just mathematically perfect, from a songwriting perspective.  Mind if we listen to it?”

“Sure,” I said.  “Throw it on.”  I scanned the credits.  Each song was co-written by big name mega-writers with more gold records than I have socks.  There were big name producers on every song, and some familiar names from my metal collection:  Josh Freese might be best known as the drummer in the Vandals (among many others) but I first heard his name in regards to Guns N’ Roses who he was with for a short time.  Another guy, Alessandro Elena, was the drummer in Bruce Dickinson’s Skunkworks.  (He’s the subject of their song, “I’m In a Band with an Italian Drummer.”)

I know that the album was mostly pre-fab, but I didn’t mind it.  Since I was limited in what I could usually listen to in-store, and Avril was fairly safe, I played it a lot.  I always recommended it to customers who were looking for new music for their kids, who thought Britney was getting too skanky.  As a bonus, punk kids seemed to hate her.  Eventually I bought a copy myself.

I probably annoyed the shit out of my co-workers.

AVRILAvril released her heavier second album (Under My Skin) in 2004, and this is where my crush really began. Avril had a new image and a new sound.  I don’t like thinking about that crush anymore; I have been mocked enough.  Hell, Craig Fee mocked me for it on the air just this past Wednesday!  It is true that I had a crush on Avril.  The new grown-up Avril had gothed out and turned up on the cover of Maxim.  Maxim agreed with me, just look at that headline!

Today, the thoughts of “Chavril”, that unholy union between Avril and Horse-man, makes me feel ill.  It’s like finding out your ex-girlfriend is now seeing that jock in school you just fucking hated.  We recently heard that Chavril was splitting.  If so, I say good for her!

So anyway, the second album: It had more names from my metal shelves.  In addition to Josh Freese, the legendary Kenny Aranoff and the astounding Brooks Wackerman played drums.  Phil X of Bon Jovi and Triumph was on axe.  Finally the Canadian duo of Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida were playing and co-writing on most songs too.  This is accompanied by an overall darker and harder approach.

I liked the album a lot in 2004.  Will I like it in 2014?  Let’s find out tomorrow, for a full review.

To be continued…

AVRIL_0003

39 comments

      2. I know … that just doubles my shame. I will buy Cds if there is no other option and there wasn’t at the time.

        I had no idea who/what she was, I heard the track on a radio in a clothes shop, loved it and went and grabbed it.

        It currently lives in a big plastic tub somewhere under my stairs.

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        3. That’s the track that ended it all for me. Third album. Now that one I have only played once. I don’t want to review it, but I admit it would be interesting.

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  5. Haha! This is marvellous. I’m looking forward to reading the review. Personally, though, I just can’t take her seriously. Regardless of who was on-board for her albums. Mostly cause my sister played the first album to death … and she likes terrible music* (think Robbie Williams and Westlife and the likes).

    *I use that description very loosely, y’know.

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        1. Incidentally I re-discovered an old Avril live EP that has her covering Green Day and Metallica. And that reminded me, Avril played at the Metallica MTV Legends thing about 10 years ago, covering “Fuel”. And I think Lars said, “That sounds weird with a chick singing!” It’s not bad. Her live band isn’t perfectly tight on it but neither are Metallica…

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        2. Seriously? I must inform a good friend of mine of this news (Metallica being one of his absolute favourite bands). I’ll also need to search the ol’ YouTube …

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        5. One thing I remember about this…Avril was just a kid…there was a little bit of shock about her keeping the “Fuck ’em man” line in. I don’t think she’d ever sung the word “fuck” before at that time.

          Also, Snoop Dogg performed Sad But True!!!

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  6. I don’t have that second record, but I had the first one for a little while. I don’t think it’s here anymore. The word ‘heavier’ when discussing the second one bodes well but I’d have to hear it to decide. I only played the first record a couple of times.

    As for her marriages, it’s her business.

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    1. Thanks bud! And this is hopefully kicking off a series of posts about musical embarrassment. I have a girl willing to show off the Spice Girls collection she kept from when she was a kid, so that should be good for a chuckle.

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