“Sucked Out” – Superdrag
(Words/music: John Davis, available on Regretfully Yours, Elektra 1996)
Sitting there right next to the not-so-subtle critique of the mainstream music hype cycle (and think of how much quicker it’s become since then!) is a self-conscious awareness. Superdrag never matched the popularity of “Sucked Out” yet seemed to know their fate from the song’s first line. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any other one-hit-wonder about being a one-hit-wonder, but here’s Superdrag asking what would become of them after their fifteen minutes ticked away (for the record: they made a few more albums (only one more on a major label) and John Davis became born again).
And in there, with the overt commentary and acute self-awareness, is a moment of sheer joy. When it comes time for the hook, the rest of the band backs off and Davis unleashes the song’s signature line in a visceral scream. Even if the question gets to the heart of his complaint – the industry lacks soul, essentially – and hits a little close to home for a band who would exit the spotlight as quickly as they entered it, it’s a moment of unbridled joy. Just take it for a ride; when it gets to the hook, sing along at the top of your lungs. When done right, it’s neither self-conscious nor cynical (and yes, it garners odd looks from the people in the next lane, especially in the summer when the windows are open). Ultimately, this is why the song still sounds fun – not because it’s still prescient, not because it’s self-aware, but because for a few seconds, it reduces otherwise sane people into screaming messes.More on Superdrag: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm
Oh my god I do love Superdrag. I made an excited blog post about them last year, the day of their show at the 930 Club in DC, which was my first time seeing them. The post linked to an 8 song Superdrag mix, which is still available for your listening/downloading pleasure, as well as some commentary about those songs and Superdrag’s career in general—speaking of which, I’m thinking based on something said in the post I’m reblogging that somesongsconsidered might not know that they’re back together in their original lineup, and that they released a new album last year. But anyway, the part of my post last year that is pertinent to this post is the part where I talked about “Sucked Out:”
I know a lot of people probably only know who Superdrag are because of their late-90s one-hit wonder, though. I’ve certainly mentioned them over the years to a wide variety of people, many of whom have responded by saying, “That ‘who sucked out the feeling’ band? They’re actually good?” This is a shame, if you ask me. Granted, I think “Sucked Out” is a pretty decent song. That said, I think it’s one of the worst songs on the album, Regretfully Yours, from which it is taken. In fact, it’s only on that album due to label pressure. Superdrag turned in a 12-song debut LP to their label, and were told that the label “didn’t hear a single,” and needed them to write one. So they wrote a song about being told they needed to write a marketable single, and about how soulless the whole endeavor seemed. “Who sucked out the feeling?” screamed singer John Davis on the song’s chorus, and somehow it captured the hearts of middle America, probably riding in on the tail end of that whole buzzbin era. The song’s ironic lyrics make the entire affair amusing, but the best part of it all is that Superdrag were able to make some really great albums over the next few years. For a while, at least, their career was secured.
It’s true: the reason they wrote a single about being a one-hit wonder is because their label forced them to write it. Hence the wonderfully meta lyrics. After the followup single, “Destination Ursa Major” (in my opinion one of their best songs, far better than “Sucked Out”), was a flop, the label gave the band a generous budget for a followup, with the admonition that they’d better produce some more hits like “Sucked Out.” Instead, they came up with the ambitious Head Trip In Every Key, a difficult but rewarding listen with plenty of lush soundscapes that made good use of the high budget they were given, but no hit singles. And so their major-label career ended, and they were unfortunately remembered as a one-hit wonder. But if you’re willing to dig a little deeper, there are many gems in their catalog. The mix in the post I linked to barely even scratches the surface. Go listen to it. And then keep digging.
