Beat Happening - You Turn Me On

Beat Happening – You Turn Me On

K Records, 1992

Acquired: Reckless Records, Chicago, Used, 2007

Price: $8

This was a nice find! I got really excited, and that was before I was even a huge Beat Happening fan. I just really loved the title track and the photo on the back. I really want the Kite Tails to do a promo photograph like that, where I’d be Calvin, standing with my back to the camera holding my wrist, Jen would be Heather, and Danny would be Bret.

It would be so great. I’ve actually been listening to this record a lot lately. I sort of fell head over heels in love for “Tiger Trap” after watching the Shield Around the K documentary where Rose Melberg tells the story about how Calvin thought Tiger Trap had broken up and pilfered the name from the flotsam of the supposedly fallen band. But he was wrong! But it’s a great song, and I always think it goes by way too fast and have to start it over…and the song is SEVEN MINUTES LONG. It’s that good. I started out only listening to my faves: “Tiger Trap,” “Teenage Caveman,” “Sleepy Head,” and “You Turn Me On” but as I’ve been listening to it I’ve been giving extra attention to the ones I skipped. “Noise” is an awesome little song that Heather sings and would go on any Beat Happening mix CD I made for my car. She also sings the nearly ten-minute “Godsend” which also feels a lot shorter than it actually is. When I listen to this record, I really want the Kite Tails to go in this direction. Longer songs mixed with shorter pop ditties, pushing at the borders of what twee pop is and re-defining it while not losing any of the original charm. And the Am-D-G-Em chord progression of “Teenage Caveman” is my most recent default chord progression every time I sit down and try to write a song. And “Sleepy Head,” oh my god. Yeah, this is one of my favorite records. I might even say it’s my favorite Beat Happening record, usurping the longstanding Jamboree! And I want to write a song like “Godsend.” So good. GODDAMNIT THIS RECORD IS SO GOOD.