Superlatives
A Vulture series in which artists judge the best and worst of their own careers.
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Close your eyes and imagine aSpoonGreatest Hitsalbum.
What do you see?
Is it all nine of Spoons albums rubber-banded together with a Post-it on top that says Spoons Greatest Hits?
Yes, correct; thats also what I see.
Spoon had another idea for theirGreatest Hits, however: a slightly tighter 13-track collection titledEverything Hits at Once.
WhileEverything Hits at Onceis missing, indeed, over 100 of Spoons greatest hits (!
), the album includes superlative tracks spanning much of the bands 26-year career.
Best Spoon song
Best in terms of songwriting?
Maybe I Summon You.
I dont really have an absolute favorite Spoon song, though.
Most of them are great.
I usually love them or hate them, but most of them I really love.
Worst Spoon song
The Infinite Pet.
It was definitely filler, and this is from a band thats supposed to not have any filler.
For whatever reason,Gimme Fictionwas a hard record to write songs for.
We wanted to put a record out fast, like we did withGirls Can TellandKill the Moonlight.
It was our design to do that again.
Eventually we got them, but it took a while.
We were still searching for songs that we loved, and The Infinite Pet made it on there.
It doesnt stand on its own two feet too well.
It probably couldve been better done.
Maybe its the recording.
My mom likes it; she told me she loves that one.
Well … shes wrong.
We played it once in Atlanta, or something, right after that record came out.
But we just never could play it so good.
We tried it at so many rehearsals, I remember, or so many sound checks.
But we just couldnt pull it off.
It was hard to pull off in a way that felt as powerful as it does on the record.
Then it started pouring, and then they put us back onstage while it was pouring.
But the cool thing is, we then slayed.
It was like the crowd was rooting for us.
But I just remember being drenched, and I was wearing all white.
Im sure my nipples were showing.
I dont know if thats the most exciting achievement, but thats probably the biggest.
But there was a time when someone gave me this Donald Duck DVD, and I love Donald Duck.
I love how he gets so angry.
It just makes my day to see him blow his top.
Donald Duck played Radio City Music Hall and were playing there next week, and we sold it out!
For some reason that was really exciting for me, to be able to play where he played.
And Im sure that cartoon was made in, what, the 40s?
It felt very epic to me, very grand.
He didnt do the first version, but then he helped us do the second.
The earlier version didnt have Everything Hits at Once, 10:20 AM, or Believing Is Art.
And it had different versions of Anything You Want and Take a Walk.
And it had the Laffitte songs on it.
But that might have been the low point.
I was definitely destitute.
New York summertime working temp jobs sucked.
And nobody was digging this record that I knew was the best thing wed ever done.
I thought it should have a four-on-the-floor sort of dance beat … notunh tssbut justunh unh unh unh.
Like all those great dance songs do.
And he didnt want to do it that way; he wanted it more rock.
And I was like, well, maybe well just do it some other time.
And eventually we did.
But it wasnt untilThey Want My Soul.
It [ended up being] a combo.
It does use some of that kick-drum pattern and some rock.
So we thought those were just going to be throwaway songs.
But I love that EP.
Its still one of my favorite things weve ever put out.
But Mountain to Sound, for instance, we did that in an afternoon.
And we did it with Jim not really even knowing the song.
Like, he can hear that he didnt know what he was doing.
Maybe thats why it sounds so fuckin good.
And we well, Jim had a job, so he wasnt destitute.
But I was destitute, working as a substitute teacher when I could be, and working temp jobs.
And we had just been dropped, so it was a tough period.
And the record took a long time to make.
So time-wise it took a long time to make, but it was also just emotionally difficult.
And I think you’ve got the option to hear it in the songs, too.
Its maybe the most vulnerable.
Most surprising success
I guess in a wayTransferencewas a surprise.
Its a pretty ugly record, and when it came out it was big it was the No.
4 album in the country.
But, you know.
Ive fallen off of the stage before.
Its not fun when that happens.
But none of it is bad.
I banged my head a little bit.
Then you have it in your mind that you fucked up.
You have to learn pretty early on not to fall victim to that.
Most memorable outfit
Our press photos forTransference, I remember, were denied by our publicist.
And he was like, No, you just look like youre wearing grandpa pants.
Like, you look like you have Depends on under there, and its the way youre sitting.
Everything looks bunched up; everything looks fucked up.
I remember that outfit.
Favorite Spoon lyric
I have a couple.
I like bringing about the apocalypse is not considered cool [from My Mathematical Mind].
Least Favorite Spoon Lyric
Probably something from The Infinite Pet.
Actually, the Infinite Pet lyrics arent that bad.Telephonohad some bad lyrics.
Maybe all the negatives have been destroyed, thats a pretty bad one.
Im gonna go with that.
