Sunday, July 05, 2015

Toadies - 'Away'

Toadies came in like a lion and went out like a lamb during the mid-nineties.  Dominating alt-fm radio play in 1995, the Texas band's marquee single, 'Possum Kingdom,' proved to be its Tour de Force.  The band never replicated the commercial success it enjoyed as a result of that track, even though the song's iconic call-to-action--"SO HELP ME JESUS"--remains embedded in the minds of even the most casual listener of rock radio today.

Despite the epic reach of 'Possum Kingdom,' Rubberneck nevertheless featured several other really solid punk and grunge laced anthems.  Of course 'Tyler' comes to mind, an absolutely great song which slowly builds as it relays a story set in Tyler, Texas.  And 'Backslider' was one of  Rubberneck's more punk-based of tunes.

But there is a track which is one of the band's more overlooked deep cuts:  'Away.'  Similar to 'Possum Kingdom,' 'Away' liberally borrows from the Pixies, implementing a loud-quiet-loud-quiet song structure that drives toward the ultimate pleading choral hook:  WHEN I'M AWAY , I KNOW IN MY HEART THERE IS A HEAVEEENNNN!!

Relive the greatness of this track by watching 'Away' by Toadies in the video player below:

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