Top 40 '90s albums, #40: Silver Jews — American Water (1998)

I didn’t start listening to Silver Jews until I was well into college. I don’t remember what album I started with, but it certainly wasn’t American Water. Realistically, it was probably Tanglewood Numbers, given its acclaim, or Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea. I missed out on his prime, but I think I found Silver Jews and David Berman when I was ready.

I knew the name David Berman from the indie rock scene, especially with Stephen Malkmus’ involvement with the band, and certainly to this record0. But it wasn't until his last album as Silver Jews, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea, that I really started going back in the band's catalog. It took finding a few of his albums released for me to give them real, honest listens. I waited too long to do that, certainly, but it's always better late than never.

The opener, “Random Rules,” is as strong an opener as any of his records holds, and that opening line — “In 1984, I was hospitalized for approaching perfection” — delivered against a sole guitar is a perfect invitation to the album. This really is a standout, and it’s the lowest on this list in part because of the relative lack of familiarity I have with it. "Honk If You're Lonely" is another particular standout, and it foreshadows that alt-country sound nicely.

It’s funny. Growing up in southwest Utah, there were two major modes of talking about music. The first was “I love country,” and it was very common. The second was “I hate country,” and that’s the camp I fell into, for better or worse. (For worse, really. It cut out a lot of very interesting music for me, and I somewhat regret that. Not deeply — I don’t think that’s healthy.)

This album being tinged with that alt-country probably would not have resonated with me when it was released, even though it’s not truly an alt-country album. (Look at later Silver Jews for that, especially 2001’s Bright Flight.) I mean, I was also 12 in 1998, and there’s a real melancholy to all of Berman’s catalog that just didn’t fit with my limited world view at the time. It's fair to say that my view is at least somewhat different now, though I haven't really gone head-first into the genre just yet. I think it's probably just a matter of time, at this point.

Listening to it again is a reminder that Berman has a great catalog of work, and perhaps listening is a meaningful way to celebrate his life and his artistry.

Next up: a post-rock classic

I started this project after a former coworker of mine started posting his top 50 albums of the 1990s. I thought it was a really interesting thing — and this is certainly taking a very different form than my list. I was also having a bit of trouble reaching 50 (not without adding some albums I didn't love, at least), so I decided I'd just stick to 40, what with my having turned 40 all-too recently.