Category: 50 Songs to Hear
SONG: She's a Runaway
ARTIST: BoDeansSONGWRITERS: Sam Llanas / Kurt Neumann
ALBUM: Love & Hope & Sex & DreamsYEAR/LABEL: 1986; Slash
When I first heard Sam sing I thought it was an old woman. A very soulful old woman.
(Robbie Robertson)
Amid all the hair bands, synthesizers, and dance music of the mid-1980s came a different kind of "punk" movement: the root rockers. They were far less angry than the Clash or the Sex Pistols had been in rebelling against the disco and pop of the 1970s; and, unlike most punk bands, could actually play their instruments and sing well. These people weren't interested in seeing just how P.O.'ed at the world they could sound or trying to turn everything into a political cause. They just wanted to make good music. And most of the acts that came from that movement (e.g., Marshall Crenshaw, Webb Wilder) did exactly that.
The BoDeans happened along at the right time. They were both roots rockers and from one of the hotbed music scenes in America -- Milwaukee. In the mid-80s bands such as the Violent Femmes (the only act in history to get a platinum album [for their eponymous debut] without ever making the Billboard "top 200" best-sellers chart) and the Spanic Boys (a father-son duo that is the answer to a trivia question: what act was a last-minute music substitute on Saturday Night Live in 1990 when Sinead O'Connor refused to appear because Andrew "Dice" Clay was the host) garnered a good deal of attention from record labels. Most of the acts, unfortunately, never went beyond the Wisconsin border in terms of fame, with the Femmes and the BoDeans being the two notable exceptions.
What set the BoDeans apart, and continues to do so, are the harmonies. Front men Sam Llanas and Kurt Neumann, two high school friends, sing with harmonies that owe a great deal to the Everly Brothers or even the Louvin Brothers from country music. The band received a lot of attention initially because of these harmonies, and more so because of Llanas' voice, which, to say the very least, is unique. Critics began having a field day with descriptors of Llanas' voice. (His personal favorite: "a frog with laryngitis.") The attention, coupled with their stint as the opening act for U2 in the fall of 1987, established the band a solid cult following.
That is good and bad. It is good in the sense that they have a loyal audience, many of whom have been fans dating back to the 1986 debut Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams (a title taken from the opening line of the Rolling Stones' song "Shattered"); however, it is bad because this good, solid band has only made one venture into the top 40 ("Closer to Free," which was used as the theme song to Fox's TV series Party of Five).
Exhibit A as to why the latter is such a shame can be found in the first song from their first album, an incredible story song called "She's a Runaway." The story is not based on anyone from Llanas' life; however, the tale of the battered woman who "got beat up one too many times" rings sadly too true in society. Ditto the consequences: the victim of the story, Mary, decides the only way to solve the problem is by taking matters into her own hands. "Mary stole some money and she got herself a gun, then she shot her man down." The movie Thelma and Louise almost seems to be inspired by the plot of this song.
Trends in music have come and gone since 1986 but the BoDeans remain true to their original sound. Hopefully someday soon the trends will return to the roots rock sound so the BoDeans can enjoy the success they deserve.
OTHER BODEANS MUSIC TO INVESTIGATE:
The entire Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams album -- there's not a bad song on it anywhere. The reissued version includes the incredible "Try and Try," which had previously been relegated to a non-album B side (the flip of their first single, "Fadeaway").
"Forever Young (The Wild Ones)" (from Outside Looking In) -- the sophomore album that suffers from fellow Milwaukee native Jerry Harrison's too-heavy production (the Talking Heads guitarist/keyboardist did the same with the third Violent Femmes album, almost overproducing it into oblivion) still produced some gems. Harrison stepped back and let the BoDeans do what they do best on this song. If you can find any bootlegs from their 1988 tour where Neumann did this song as a ballad (with just a piano backing) it will be well worth the search.
"Small Town Ways" (from The Leftovers, a fan club-only release) -- originally recorded for the 1985 demo that got them the deal with Slash, this rocker traces how a job loss turns the protagonist to a life of crime.
"True Devotion" (from Black and White) -- this beautiful ballad was written after a long drought ("the night it finally rained") and features a wonderful, haunting backing vocal by Neumann.
"Far Far Away From My Heart" (from Home) -- the loneliness of the road poured out in a superb Llanas solo.
"Locked Up in the State of Illinois" (from All the King's Men, various artists) -- using Elvis' backing musicians the BoDeans finally committed to CD one of their old and great live songs.
"Somewhere Down the Crazy River" (Robbie Robertson, from Robbie Robertson, backing vocals by Llanas) -- one of Robbie Robertson's best songs with Sam providing backing vocals that make a haunting song more haunting.
When I first heard Sam sing I thought it was an old woman. A very soulful old woman.
(Robbie Robertson)
Amid all the hair bands, synthesizers, and dance music of the mid-1980s came a different kind of "punk" movement: the root rockers. They were far less angry than the Clash or the Sex Pistols had been in rebelling against the disco and pop of the 1970s; and, unlike most punk bands, could actually play their instruments and sing well. These people weren't interested in seeing just how P.O.'ed at the world they could sound or trying to turn everything into a political cause. They just wanted to make good music. And most of the acts that came from that movement (e.g., Marshall Crenshaw, Webb Wilder) did exactly that.
The BoDeans happened along at the right time. They were both roots rockers and from one of the hotbed music scenes in America -- Milwaukee. In the mid-80s bands such as the Violent Femmes (the only act in history to get a platinum album [for their eponymous debut] without ever making the Billboard "top 200" best-sellers chart) and the Spanic Boys (a father-son duo that is the answer to a trivia question: what act was a last-minute music substitute on Saturday Night Live in 1990 when Sinead O'Connor refused to appear because Andrew "Dice" Clay was the host) garnered a good deal of attention from record labels. Most of the acts, unfortunately, never went beyond the Wisconsin border in terms of fame, with the Femmes and the BoDeans being the two notable exceptions.
What set the BoDeans apart, and continues to do so, are the harmonies. Front men Sam Llanas and Kurt Neumann, two high school friends, sing with harmonies that owe a great deal to the Everly Brothers or even the Louvin Brothers from country music. The band received a lot of attention initially because of these harmonies, and more so because of Llanas' voice, which, to say the very least, is unique. Critics began having a field day with descriptors of Llanas' voice. (His personal favorite: "a frog with laryngitis.") The attention, coupled with their stint as the opening act for U2 in the fall of 1987, established the band a solid cult following.
That is good and bad. It is good in the sense that they have a loyal audience, many of whom have been fans dating back to the 1986 debut Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams (a title taken from the opening line of the Rolling Stones' song "Shattered"); however, it is bad because this good, solid band has only made one venture into the top 40 ("Closer to Free," which was used as the theme song to Fox's TV series Party of Five).
Exhibit A as to why the latter is such a shame can be found in the first song from their first album, an incredible story song called "She's a Runaway." The story is not based on anyone from Llanas' life; however, the tale of the battered woman who "got beat up one too many times" rings sadly too true in society. Ditto the consequences: the victim of the story, Mary, decides the only way to solve the problem is by taking matters into her own hands. "Mary stole some money and she got herself a gun, then she shot her man down." The movie Thelma and Louise almost seems to be inspired by the plot of this song.
Trends in music have come and gone since 1986 but the BoDeans remain true to their original sound. Hopefully someday soon the trends will return to the roots rock sound so the BoDeans can enjoy the success they deserve.
OTHER BODEANS MUSIC TO INVESTIGATE:
The entire Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams album -- there's not a bad song on it anywhere. The reissued version includes the incredible "Try and Try," which had previously been relegated to a non-album B side (the flip of their first single, "Fadeaway").
"Forever Young (The Wild Ones)" (from Outside Looking In) -- the sophomore album that suffers from fellow Milwaukee native Jerry Harrison's too-heavy production (the Talking Heads guitarist/keyboardist did the same with the third Violent Femmes album, almost overproducing it into oblivion) still produced some gems. Harrison stepped back and let the BoDeans do what they do best on this song. If you can find any bootlegs from their 1988 tour where Neumann did this song as a ballad (with just a piano backing) it will be well worth the search.
"Small Town Ways" (from The Leftovers, a fan club-only release) -- originally recorded for the 1985 demo that got them the deal with Slash, this rocker traces how a job loss turns the protagonist to a life of crime.
"True Devotion" (from Black and White) -- this beautiful ballad was written after a long drought ("the night it finally rained") and features a wonderful, haunting backing vocal by Neumann.
"Far Far Away From My Heart" (from Home) -- the loneliness of the road poured out in a superb Llanas solo.
"Locked Up in the State of Illinois" (from All the King's Men, various artists) -- using Elvis' backing musicians the BoDeans finally committed to CD one of their old and great live songs.
"Somewhere Down the Crazy River" (Robbie Robertson, from Robbie Robertson, backing vocals by Llanas) -- one of Robbie Robertson's best songs with Sam providing backing vocals that make a haunting song more haunting.
PREVIOUS SONGS:
(Country)
Old Memories Mean Nothing to Me
Not That I Care
Nobody Eats at Linebaugh's Anymore
My Book of Memories
Lost to a Stranger
A Little Bitty Heart
Life Has Its Little Ups and Downs
Life is Too Short
I Want a Home in Dixie
I Lost Today
Fingerprints
Down to the River to Pray
Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyeballs
A Death in the Family
Dark as a Dungeon
Bottomless Well
(Rock)
Painted Bells
Out to Sea
One More Song
New Delhi Freight Train
Millworker
Long Way Home
Island
Heart of Rome
Harriet Tubman's Gonna Carry Me Home
Entella Hotel
Desperados Under the Eaves
Crossing Muddy Waters
Cliffs of Dooneen
Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow)
Baby Mine
(Country)
Old Memories Mean Nothing to Me
Not That I Care
Nobody Eats at Linebaugh's Anymore
My Book of Memories
Lost to a Stranger
A Little Bitty Heart
Life Has Its Little Ups and Downs
Life is Too Short
I Want a Home in Dixie
I Lost Today
Fingerprints
Down to the River to Pray
Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyeballs
A Death in the Family
Dark as a Dungeon
Bottomless Well
(Rock)
Painted Bells
Out to Sea
One More Song
New Delhi Freight Train
Millworker
Long Way Home
Island
Heart of Rome
Harriet Tubman's Gonna Carry Me Home
Entella Hotel
Desperados Under the Eaves
Crossing Muddy Waters
Cliffs of Dooneen
Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow)
Baby Mine
