Limp Bizkit: Behind Blue Eyes / Break Stuff
When ‘hard underground’ goes mainstream, Behind Blue Eyes is Limp Bizkit’s offering - the track in her discography that passed the granny-test and featured poignantly in Halle Berry's Gothika. Surprisingly, Durst’s rendition is mellower than Townshend's original that evolves from a harmonical strain into a slamming riff towards the end and then winds down to the initial theme. Time ensures the ‘hard’ eventually winds down to the ‘initial theme’ and Behind Blue Eyes has proved to be a distinct Bizkit milestone.
Another milestone is the abusive Break Stuff where the hook instantly turns on the crowd. A simple two-note grunt from Borland’s Yamaha and Durst lets it rip. The vulgarity is docile but the deliverance brutal and ‘deadly’. The simplicity of the hook that jabs at you intermittently is brilliant. Valid reasons for lyrical expletives (a) entertainment (b) lack of suitable synonyms (c) insanity. If vulgarity is the entertainment operative of the genre, then insanity is out of the equation because synonyms for ‘bullshit’ and ‘motherfucker’ are simply non-existent in the server’s thesaurus.
On the subject of demise, the Break Stuff cuboid is a rare kodak by Andrzej Liguz who snapped it at Australia’s Big Day Out where a teenager was crushed to her death in the moshpit. Liguz captures the moment where a security personnel is seen with arms outstretched begging Fred Durst to stop the show for authorities to sort out the melee but, as the cuboid illustrates, he was ignored by the Bizkit frenzy.
Limp Bizkit is a working structure that works, even when a creative element is on sojourn. Borland’s sabbaticals were bridged with group effort and fans generally did not miss the masked guitarist. Ironically, Bizkit would have been banned in a typical Muslim stable but Borland appeared unmasked in Malaysia on a promotion stint for the maker of his CV820WB. Incidentally, Wes Borland is back with the impending release of Gold Cobra where, bearing of time, the ‘hard’ are beginning to wind down to the ‘initial theme’.
Incidentally - Civil War is Gun’s & Roses mainstream.
Words, Videography – Tommy Peters
(The clip was made on a Mac with CoverVersion’s Cuboid and Screenflow)
Cool write up Tommy. Ever considered opening
ReplyDeletea mini exhibition for your unique collection
of bicycles?
You are far beyond the average Joe's understanding
of music and all things cool. Keep it up Bro.
Danny.
Encouraging words Danny, thanks. Matter of fact I was invited by Stark & Bare to display a unit at the gallery. I am thinking of placing the red Cannondale at an obscure corner at the opening. I'll keep you informed.
ReplyDeleteMusically, everyone has an opinion of the genre they prefer but the unprofessional and unbiased seat of the pants appraisal is most refreshing. I learn a lot from the younger set who seem to have ‘internalized the grammar’ for me to take notice.
Speaking as a fan, I would have to strongly disagree with your view that Borland was not missed by us and I have a sneaking suspicion that the absence of his creative input was the main reason behind what many a fan believed was the beginning of the band's slow demise into obscurity. A Borland-less LimpBizkit is very much like sushi without wasabi; palatable but lacking "OOMPH".
ReplyDeleteP.s: Check out LB's cover of Metallica's Sanitarium. Raw energy at it's best IMHO.