my Cobra "review", circa spring 2003

[George_Savage]

          I found this tonight - an excerpt of what I wrote and gave to the band in the late spring of 2003.   I called it "Ridiculosity on Parade" - it basically chronicled my travels to MMJ shows in the fall of 2002/spring 2003.   I "reviewed"
all of the Chocolate and Ice EP and gave them copies of it.
I saw this thread about Cobra today on the forum and I thought I'd send this along.  Here's the Cobra 'review' - I don't know if it's too long or not; guess I'll find out directly.
Based on the lyrical guesses that I read today, you can tell that my listening skills aren't what they used to be (or ever were!)   I probably misheard a few lyrics.

Low Dog


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Cobra might as well be called Enigma because that's what it is.   I read an article on the official (Riny's) website a few months back and Jim explained Cobra and what he was trying to do at various parts of the song.    There are so many little parts to it.  Drum beats here, stray vocals here.   I remember debating Mr Clem about My Morning Jacket's potential mass appeal and he brought up Cobra - "Yeh, they're putting out stuff like Cobra and the mainstream public is going to eat it up, Gammy Lee!"     I wish I had printed off that article because whatever Jim said made total sense!
 He *nailed* the description/explanation of Cobra in
my estimation!    I guess that's a drum machine in parts but he's also playing drums in different part...he has to be!
I love the bass line in 'segment one' - he's singing about the cobra here.
                I can't figure out many words.   I remembere a guy from Holland who almost had a meltdown last year by stating "What's  he singing in Cobra?  I HAVE to know!"    It's a mystery, I guess..there's lots of things that I can't find!     I love the backing  vocal that seemingly calls out from the bottom of a well, "oohh"  It's a nice touch, and just one little element among many that adds to the song.
            I would say that the first segment ends at about 5:20
or 5:30.    The second segment is similar but there's no vocal.   I don't know if it's fuzz or wah-wah but this guitar is just so Funky!    What it really reminds me of is the background music played to 1970s porn movies.    My friend Jon has been on a  big Michael Bloomfield kick.    Jon's a Collector.   His fanaticism either surpasses or rivals mine but especially when it comes to guitarists.   Michael Bloomfield died of a heroin overdose in 1980 but while he was alive he was great.    Jon told me recently that during his later years Bloomfield played background for porno films!   Sad but true.
            The third segment starts at about 7:19 and it's basically  free form guitar.   He jams!   I don't know who to compare it  to, but it's something that you might hear in a 1970s rock and roll film.   The guitar stops around 9:32 but the segment continues on and these sounds remind me of early Pink Floyd, maybe something off Umma Gumma or Saucerful of Secrets.   Let's just say that it reminds me of my psychedelic days.
            The fourth segment starts at about 11:02 (are those
maracas?!?) and I love the bass line here.   There are some
vocals here....four on the floor and four in the air?    As usual,
I'm at a loss to figure them out!    It's sort of similar to segment 1 with the vocals rolling along and that funky bass and percussion causing one's head to "do that chicken thing" as my old friend Rainer "Waylon" Bantau once said on the air.
           The fifth segment starts at 13:35 with the aforementioned drum beat.   It sounds like something off Daniel Boone or The  High Chapparal or F Troop from the late 1960's.   The emphasis is on the first of four beats and it's repeated maybe five or six times.   Boomp bomp bomp bomp Boomp bomp bomp bomp Boomp bomp bomp bomp, etc.    The keyboards take over  here and it's some mellow stuff, man.   This is also a little bit reminiscent of  Pink Floyd.   Although I haven't heard it in years,
Pink Floyd's Meddle has one song on Side Two and there's a lot of this electronic floating spacey in-a-trance mellowness happening.  It's gotta be some of the greatest sleeping music, especially if there's a slow, soeaking rain outside of your window
            Segment six starts at around 19:12 when the keyboards increase in volume and intensity and then the glorious and underrated banjo makes its auspicious entrance!    Then he sings something indecipherable-to-these imperfect ears!   Why do my toes also feel so cold?   How many times must I state that part of the magic here is "just the way that he sings"?    It's so much a part of their appeal, at least in my mind, that it can't be emphasized
enough - unless I'm drunk and in your face...then it's ugly and it's emphasized way too much!     The backing vocals here are also great: "I know, I know..oh!"    The keyboards are great, banjo, vocals, drums, bass...it's all Great.    In short, "thank you for all these things", Jim!!!
            I call this last segment the Tyson segment.   It starts off with Jim (apparently singing at least two parts, maybe more) this kind of doo-wop line: bop-bop-bop-bop..bah..bah-da-da over and over.  Then he starts giving props to all his homies.   The Tyson segment starts with some claves (I think that's what this is, anyway) banging together and a big bass drum beat.   It's kind of a thud and in my mind I can kind of see a mushroom cloud rising above a landscape
somewhere.   It's got that kind of effect, like a bomb's been dropped.   If you listen very closely you can also hear a banjo riff in here.   Some of what I can make out is "I'd like to give a shout-out to all y'all"...he might say "my fans" or "my friends" here, too.   "I guess we've finally reached the end"
  It sounds like he's says "Dallas",  and then all the way down to San Antone"   Next is the part that makes me call it the Tyson segment:   he sounds just like Mike Tyson
when he says "it's a real good feelin', you know what I'm sayin'?"    "Like to give a shout-out, etc" and "I'll be rakin' out by the pool everyday, you know what I'm sayin'?" and "looks like we've finally reached the end....we out!"     It's the perfect way to end a 24 minute masterpiece!
              To merely speculate that Cobra will ever be played live is almost foolish!    Of course, anything could happen.   Did I really believe that when I called out from my car in Knoxville that I'd be hearing Chills less than an hour later?!?   Not only 'no' but 'Hell no!" as Yak says.    So I guess never say 'never', right?    Part of their appeal live is Jim's sense of humor.   This has been touched on.
They're all funny but since he's got the mike we naturally hear more from him during the live shows.    Cobra was actually requested by
a couple of guys in Athens on Sept 5, 2002.   Jim said that later they'd be dpomg am "exclusive Cobra tour"   As Ceasar would say, "you art to!"