So What If All Our Heros Are The Losing Kind?

Ever heard an album that made you so proud you nearly cried? This has happened for me only twice: Billy Joel’s, “The Stranger,” and more recently, Lucero’s, “1372 Overton Park.”

I’ve posted about this band before (see: http://www.jdclements.com/blog/2008/06/25/lucero-creepy-crawl-stl/), and I thought that that was it. They are a great band and that show was amazing; it was perfect. There would be no need to retread that ground.

You see, I’m a jaded guy. I’ve tried to recreate perfection and it always falls short. Once something works perfectly, I nary return to the scene; I can’t tolerate the disappointment. For example, I’ll never see the Black Crowes in concert again: the Pageant 2001 was supreme – it would be impossible to surpass. I also refuse to pay the ticket price to see a near geriatric Springsteen (Oh Heavenly Father please forgive my blasphemy).

Fear and jadedness.

I just want to remember them as they were when their greatness was 100%; anything less would be soul crushing.

Regarding Lucero, I was certain of three things:

1. They might play larger establishments in the future, but their steady diet of exhaust, whiskey and roadhouses meant that the odds were against them.
2. They probably had new music in them, but it would probably be more of the same (which…who could complain?), or it would fall short.
3. They would simmer away into indie music myth, beloved by an ardent but withering fan base. Best case scenario, they could survive like the SuperSuckers: Respected, getting paid and still having fun.

I was wrong on all three points. Thank you almighty God of Rock n Roll. You gave us another for the ages. Check out Lucero’s new album: “1372 Overton Park.”