Since the seminal Los Angeles punk band X stopped creating new material (though it does occasional “reunion” tours) in the mid-90s, John Doe has put out a series of somewhat erratic solo albums, sometimes under his own name, sometimes as the John Doe Thing. With a few exceptions, they’ve had a tendency to be overproduced and, to my taste, overwrought affairs, a bit like X’s last couple of studio releases.Forever Hasn’t Happened Yet is about the fifth by my tally, and notable on several accounts. It was recorded mostly live in the studio, with minimal overdubs. And it pairs Doe in duets with several female singers. They don’t necessarily stand in for his former wife and co-singer Exene Cervenka, but they do provide good foils for his smooth, smoky voice.
I’m a big fan of Neko Case, so I expected that her duet with Doe on “Hwy. 5,” which John and Exene co-wrote, would be my favorite, because she and Exene have a similar range and equally powerful pipes. It is fun to listen to, this bleak portrait of urban So-Cal life, as Neko really nails Exene’s part with gusto. But Cindy Lee Berryhill gets my vote for best guest vocalist, for her work on two of the quieter tracks, “Your Parade” and the closer, “Repeat Performance.” The former is a languid love song with X drummer D.J. Bonebrake on vibes and Jamie Muhoberak on keys; the latter a poignant portrait of the isolated life of a performer, with more vibes and Muhoberak on melodica.
Former Throwing Muses singer Kristin Hersh hits all the right notes too, on the most punk-like track, a tribute to musicians lost to drugs and hard living titled “Ready.” It has some of Doe’s most direct and bleak lyrics ever, including the chorus: “Johnny died and I know why / stuck a needle in his eye / Johnny died and I couldn’t cry / ‘cuz Johnny always seemed … ready.” It’s an apt observation about so many young, self-destructive artists.
Doe is also joined by his daughter, Veronica Jane, on a loping X-like punkabilly romp titled “Mama Don’t.” Grammy-winner Dave Alvin, a former bandmate in both X and the side-project country band The Knitters, supplies guitar licks on that track, as well as on the bluesy “The Losing Kind” and “Heartless.” He’s also joined by former grungester Grant Lee Phillips on three tracks, particularly the touching mostly acoustic ballad “Twin Brother.” This one’s a love song of sorts, a dialogue between two teenagers, the boy longing to rescue the girl from a less-than-ideal household. Forever is the bluesiest of Doe’s solo outings; in addition to “Losing Kind” and “Heartless,” there’s a deep acoustic blues, “There’s a Black Horse” with Smokey Hormel on guitar, and the love song “Worried Brow,” with Doe on lightly plucked electric guitar and Stuart Johnson on brushed snare and cymbal.
Forever is a short album, its 11 tracks averaging three minutes or less. With plenty of variety in styles as well as backing vocalists, it’ll leave you ready for more.
(Yep Roc, 2005)
