New Music: Green's The Planets

Released more than two decades ago, the first two records by the band Green were masterpieces of high-energy mod pop, blending 60s influences with punk energy and white-boy soul.   With the band's third record (1990's White Soul), group leader Jeff Lescher upped the ante.  The best songwriting of his career was taken in a more cathartic, high-emotion direction (as in the high-velocity, self-loathing opener, "She's Heaven," in which Lescher warns his love: "don't ever give in/ to break your heart on me's a sin").   The record disappeared without a trace, and I've forever felt guilty for a hastily written negative review that I published at the time.   Later in the 90s, Green released a couple mediocre records (and a brilliant White Soul-like three-song EP, Pathetique, in the middle), and Jeff Lescher did a nice side-project with Janet Bean from Freakwater -- a record of Gram Parson's covers.   In 2001, Green reappeared with Eau de Vie, a real return to form, benefiting from strong songs from Clay Tomasek as well as Lescher.  And now, they've got a new record and are doing shows in Chicago at the same time that Spin has ID'ed them as one of the 100 best bands you've never heard. 

How is the new record?   It's decent.  If you share (with me and Jeff L) a love of old Kinks records, you'll be smitten by the understated pop craft of "I Just Can't Remember Your Face," "I Wouldn't Wait Too Long," and "I'm Waiting For The Sun."  What I miss, though, is the energy of those early Green records (you could still hear it in Eau de Vie's "Lot Like You" and "One and Only").  Maybe youthful enthusiasm is just tough to pull off in your 40s.  To his credit, Lescher is more musically adventurous than ever before.  I find some of his turns in the direction of psychedelia and classic rock a little plodding, but "Honey, Hold the Rail" has a great hook and is played with passion.  "Little Superstar," "Be That As It May," and "You Silly Cyborg" are weird but charming.  And my favorite on the record, "Farther and Farther Away," is a gorgeous, Guilded Palace of Sin-style country tune.  So it's a pretty solid effort from an old favorite band, but I just don't see that The Planets is going to earn Green anymore attention than their horribly overlooked earlier records did. 

I still await the day that Green gets its due recognition.  I see it happening when some enterprising filmmaker does for the 80s what American Graffiti did for the 50s and Dazed and Confused did for the 70s.  It will take place in those same Chicago suburbs that John Hughes exploited, but instead of Brit new wave, the musical flavor will be Chicago mod.  The opening sequence will track our protagonist as he hustles through high school hallways, carrying his Fender Strat, with Green's "Gotta Get a Record Out (MP3 here)" blaring away.  It will rekindle my long-awaited renaissance of Green appreciation and all will be right with the world. 

To order The Planets CD send a $17 (U.S.) check to: J. Lescher 416 Stevens St. Geneva, IL 60134.

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