A Pop Rock Masterpiece: “II” by The Presidents of the United States of America
I recently dug through my old CDs to find something to listen to in my car. I pulled this album. I thought this one would be good for a one-time trip down nostalgia lane. What I didn’t expect was… I couldn’t stop listening to it. It dawned on me that this album might just be a pop rock masterpiece.
I think “Pop Rock” is a dirty word. Blink-182. Green Day. Red Hot Chili Peppers. All sounds that magically transport me to the sights and smells of West 49. But before you smash this tab closed because “All the Small Things” is a sacred piece of teenage nostalgia for you… I will admit thought that there’s always a nugget of something that makes a genre worthwhile to listen to.
What separates “II” from other pop rock of its day is that the Presidents made zero attempts at being cool. They sing songs about frogs, volcanos and golf clubs. So… no new artistic insights into the human condition. These guys were more concerned about having fun. And, man, did they know how to craft a pop song. Not only can they write a catchy hook and chorus, but its all the little details you up end looking forward to. Like on “Lunatic to Love” how they slow the song right down and drop an acrobatic tongue twister
When I rescue you from those concrete rooms Where they keep you tied up to your bed Giving you shots of electricity every morning at 7 am It’s enough to drive a sane person crazy Baby let me tell you how I feel about ya
Or on “Volcano” when the electric keys on the second verse make it subtly more relaxing than the exploding first verse.
Or on “Mach 5″ when they make you feel badass about crashing matchbox cars in the sandbox, proudly declaring ”Hell I blew the roof right off my car!”
Or the irony of how huge a song “Bug City” is considering it’s subject matter (I’m also now convinced this song was the inspiration for Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life”, released two years later in 1998).
Or before ripping into a guitar solo on “Toob Amplifier”, there’s the small vocal aside of “300 yards.. Hit a big one!” in reference to a Big Bertha Driver.
And of course the vivid little stories, like on “Bath of Fire” you won’t find anywhere else:
Razor fanged rattlesnake only tryin’ to protect itself I had to haul off and blow it’s little head away Sucked out the venom, kept the little skin and Meat found it’s way onto my plate.
The other thing that stands out to me is how savoury all the arrangements are. The Presidents were clearly well educated in the tropes of rock, and they lifted them with a knowing wink to their listener (ex. the overly dramatic end of “Froggie”). They took the best parts of pop rock in the 90s, and left out the parts that didn’t end up aging so well. I found myself looking forward to every little spoken aside, guitar lick and organ fill. Unlike a lot of pop rock, there’s not a second that the vocals, distortion or drums are grating. Like the title of their following album, it’s all pure frosting.
Sure “II” doesn’t reach the peachy lumpy heights of their debut album. The President’s haven’t gotten close since. As an overall album, “II” sounds much more cohesive and doesn’t leave you feeling that you should get your teeth checked for cavities. And I don’t think missing the heights of their first album bothered the Presidents that much. I found this quote from guitarist Dave Dederer in retrospect about their career:
“We didn’t care and decided that we would live by the sword and die by the sword. We weren’t going to pose or play the game. Did it all on our own terms.”
Unfortunately I don’t think a lot of people really appreciated that those terms were, actually, pretty great.
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