For the video, I'm fully convinced the dancers are the Greek Fates. One spins, one weaves, one cuts. Mom's new hobby. Eros and Thanatos. Venus and death. This song's just too good.
@Black(ish) University I got so much to say on this one but haven't had the time. Did you check out Rudyard Kipling's "The Winners"? It adds so much flavor to so many of the metaphors. "Turn around again". One little image I don't think anyone mentioned yet, the "Mine eyes mine teeth", many say, is the lion of the concrete jungle, how a semi would appear head-on in a tunnel to a biker. Another face of death, to the poet on a death-maybe "joy-ride". Nirvana. Connection to anything is a blessing at this point, after such a loss.
"Grab a cabin, get the hell outta dodge" He actually did relocate to a cabin in the woods to live. He talks about it in my favorite Aesop Rock song "Rabies" I hope you get the chance to listen and break that one down some day!
"It seems louder..." I feel that high pitched part is meant to feel like a crescendoing migraine, or similar mental episode, just pure anguish. Riding is the character's Zen, which he normally cannot feel through basic "Maintenance" of his physical body. "Preservation is a doozy", as he says in "Shrunk". The peaceful beat switch is sampled from a time-travel movie called "Primer". Sweet movie for a no-budget film, but he speeds up and loops a little piano sample into its own little feeling of (if only temporary) release and self-reflection. I'm rambling.... but I will again. I put "Maintenance" in quotes, because I just remembered he did an old song called that, and it ties in to this so well, but also references "The Tugboat Complex" (maybe his first "officially" released track- still fire after 20 years), which is pretty straightforward. Old stuff to put on your list, he builds off his own metaphors like Lego brick foundations.
Baseheads, spot on. Definitely a P.E. ref. Chuck D leaves him a motivational message in "Lazy Eye" (the studio version, not the live video, which is superfresh, but doesn't include that little sample). Real know real.
Henry Winkler. Fn legend. Watch the show "Barry". Excited fibres could be nervous tissue, assigning to muscle fibres. Excitement, adreneline rush but opens up so many other meanings.
I was wondering about the visuals 😂 If you need any more proof of the viciousness of this guy's lyricism, please check Dead Pan out. It's fairly straightforward in the message but just listen and read along with the lyrics (which are in the comments).
I'm really struck by your explanation of the story behind the 'praying hands'. Aesop's friend who died was fellow rapper Camu Tao. Camu was a very creative and talented guy but never really saw the success that Aesop and some of his label mates had over the years before passing away at 30 from lung cancer. If that is the reference here, Camu could be seen as the brother who didn't make it out of the mines.
I'm glad to add something interesting to the conversation! Aesop Rock continues to impress me. I just posted Gopher Guts today. I'm really excited to continuing digging into his catalog.
I think Charlie might be the person who gave him the bike. The 30-odd year old gears, the poor and tired condition of the bike but also the fact that it was maintained enough to still run, thank Charlie; earlier he said the Dartmoor was Frankenstein'd poorly and sanctioned by a new yank "Yorkee". I think Charlie is the "Yorkee" who "sanctioned" the bike ie "dubbed it finished" in the sense a mechanic would mean it, like street safe, street legal. I think Aes is thanking Charlie for giving him the perfect bike to fit his devil may care bike ride. For the purposes of going out and not knowing if you'll come back, Charlie had exactly what he needed. A tired bike to match his tired ennui, they come together to make for a thrill ride, a game of chicken with life. A driver who isn't looking on a bike that might stop running, as it were That's like the most basic b interpretation, there could be some reference, but it's the most straight forward thing that occurs to me. He's thanking Charlie for the bike and his Mom's new hobby for the scarf keeping him warm on the ride, 'cuz those are the only two things he wants to "think about" in that they're all that's necessary for the ride ie his attempts to clear his mind and whatnot. Full tank of fuel, broke a$$ bike, scarf from Ma. Like "focusing on the now", he's listing the things that are "his whole world in that moment" or whatever
Someone brought up Vietnam being a major corner of the world motorcycle companies source their parts from. Also, I hear "Cycles to Gehenna" (beyond the Kipling reference) as a classified ad weekly like Auto Trader or JD Byrider. CYCLES TO GEHENNA! $2000 OBO. Serious inquiries only. Call....
For the video, I'm fully convinced the dancers are the Greek Fates. One spins, one weaves, one cuts. Mom's new hobby. Eros and Thanatos. Venus and death. This song's just too good.
The song is awesome.
@Black(ish) University I got so much to say on this one but haven't had the time. Did you check out Rudyard Kipling's "The Winners"? It adds so much flavor to so many of the metaphors. "Turn around again".
One little image I don't think anyone mentioned yet, the "Mine eyes mine teeth", many say, is the lion of the concrete jungle, how a semi would appear head-on in a tunnel to a biker. Another face of death, to the poet on a death-maybe "joy-ride". Nirvana. Connection to anything is a blessing at this point, after such a loss.
In the chorus he's referencing the look of the oncoming truck lights and grill.
Mine eyes mine teeth. A semi being the king of the concrete Jungle Book, in a tunnel.
"Grab a cabin, get the hell outta dodge"
He actually did relocate to a cabin in the woods to live. He talks about it in my favorite Aesop Rock song "Rabies"
I hope you get the chance to listen and break that one down some day!
in my opinion, this is one of the best rap songs ever recorded
"It seems louder..." I feel that high pitched part is meant to feel like a crescendoing migraine, or similar mental episode, just pure anguish. Riding is the character's Zen, which he normally cannot feel through basic "Maintenance" of his physical body. "Preservation is a doozy", as he says in "Shrunk".
The peaceful beat switch is sampled from a time-travel movie called "Primer". Sweet movie for a no-budget film, but he speeds up and loops a little piano sample into its own little feeling of (if only temporary) release and self-reflection.
I'm rambling.... but I will again. I put "Maintenance" in quotes, because I just remembered he did an old song called that, and it ties in to this so well, but also references "The Tugboat Complex" (maybe his first "officially" released track- still fire after 20 years), which is pretty straightforward. Old stuff to put on your list, he builds off his own metaphors like Lego brick foundations.
Amazing break down as usual. I highly recommend Gopher guts next.
The video was taken down for copyright, I had to add my own visuals to cover up the official video. 😤 I'm glad you like it!
@@BlackishUniversity I was wondering what had happened haha
Baseheads, spot on. Definitely a P.E. ref. Chuck D leaves him a motivational message in "Lazy Eye" (the studio version, not the live video, which is superfresh, but doesn't include that little sample). Real know real.
Coast Contra - rare freestyle
Henry Winkler. Fn legend. Watch the show "Barry". Excited fibres could be nervous tissue, assigning to muscle fibres. Excitement, adreneline rush but opens up so many other meanings.
Please react to The Weathermen- Report of a Possible Kidnapping
I was wondering about the visuals 😂
If you need any more proof of the viciousness of this guy's lyricism, please check Dead Pan out. It's fairly straightforward in the message but just listen and read along with the lyrics (which are in the comments).
I'm really struck by your explanation of the story behind the 'praying hands'. Aesop's friend who died was fellow rapper Camu Tao. Camu was a very creative and talented guy but never really saw the success that Aesop and some of his label mates had over the years before passing away at 30 from lung cancer. If that is the reference here, Camu could be seen as the brother who didn't make it out of the mines.
I'm glad to add something interesting to the conversation! Aesop Rock continues to impress me. I just posted Gopher Guts today. I'm really excited to continuing digging into his catalog.
I'm 99 percent sure he knew the background to that painting. I didn't, and i have it hanging in my house.
Umm, I think I saw a different video to go with this song.
Ha ha sorry just read your reply for that.
Yeah, I had a copyright issue and had to take the video down and add visuals.
I think Charlie might be the person who gave him the bike. The 30-odd year old gears, the poor and tired condition of the bike but also the fact that it was maintained enough to still run, thank Charlie; earlier he said the Dartmoor was Frankenstein'd poorly and sanctioned by a new yank "Yorkee". I think Charlie is the "Yorkee" who "sanctioned" the bike ie "dubbed it finished" in the sense a mechanic would mean it, like street safe, street legal. I think Aes is thanking Charlie for giving him the perfect bike to fit his devil may care bike ride. For the purposes of going out and not knowing if you'll come back, Charlie had exactly what he needed. A tired bike to match his tired ennui, they come together to make for a thrill ride, a game of chicken with life. A driver who isn't looking on a bike that might stop running, as it were
That's like the most basic b interpretation, there could be some reference, but it's the most straight forward thing that occurs to me. He's thanking Charlie for the bike and his Mom's new hobby for the scarf keeping him warm on the ride, 'cuz those are the only two things he wants to "think about" in that they're all that's necessary for the ride ie his attempts to clear his mind and whatnot. Full tank of fuel, broke a$$ bike, scarf from Ma. Like "focusing on the now", he's listing the things that are "his whole world in that moment" or whatever
I like this one, I should have probably reviewed more cycles and this one at the same time. I'm excited to dive into his older work.
Someone brought up Vietnam being a major corner of the world motorcycle companies source their parts from. Also, I hear "Cycles to Gehenna" (beyond the Kipling reference) as a classified ad weekly like Auto Trader or JD Byrider.
CYCLES TO GEHENNA!
$2000 OBO. Serious inquiries only. Call....
I'm in a mood to suggest his heavier stuff like Water n Gopher Guts n Water Tower
Gopher Guts is coming up next! I'm with the little ones, so I won't get to record until Monday morning.
@@BlackishUniversity I've only ever kind of been able to put my finger on why, but the three "chorus" bits just...... hit different