11. Drunk Girls- LCD Soundsystem
When LCD Soundsystem recorded 'This Is Happening' in Rick Rubin's 'The Mansion'
Artwork by me: Enrique Seemann
Two years after "Sound of Silver," James Murphy was ready for his next LP. However, he couldn't replicate the formula of the Massachusetts studio where he had recorded the last two albums; it was fully booked. Then came a stroke of genius: recording in Los Angeles at The Mansion, the famous residence/studio of Rick Rubin, which had witnessed the creation of iconic albums like Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Blood Sugar Sex Magic," Maroon 5's "It Won't Be Soon Before Long," and System of a Down's "Mezmerize," among others.
The result of this decision was a masterpiece: "This is Happening." Consisting of long songs that feel short due to their fluid and magnificently crafted nature, each track takes its time to unfold and explode. They seem to communicate with the body, prompting unconscious movement, especially with songs like "Dance Yrself Clean" or "Home" — tunes without which the soundtrack of my adolescence would be incomplete.
Among the album's tracks is "Drunk Girls," which sheds light on their experiences at The Mansion. James elaborates on this in an interview with NME, “It’s not really about girls. I’m not like making fun of anybody or drunk people or drunk girls. When we were in Los Angeles, all the guys in the house mostly dudes, we had this amazing chef, who was a friend of a friend. I was looking for a runner, like someone who lived in LA and had a car that could help us go pickup pizza and then my friend said 'Oh I know this girl, she’s a chef and she could do it. And I was like, I can’t afford a chef. But it turns out this person was a fan of the label, she was a DJ too and liked the band and had given up her apartment for some job that didn’t materialize in some other city, so she just came and moved in to the house and became part of the family and she called us her girls, so we were the girls of the Mansion. So if anything it’s a song about funny genders and people being wasted and people who are drunk trying to relate to one another which I always find deeply hilarious and predictable, even in myself, I like drunk people. Nothing is more fun than drunk people tying to negotiate some sort of like romantic involvement, it’s always pretty funny to watch.”
In the making-of videos, it's evident they had a great time at The Mansion crafting the album, despite James battling his usual anxieties and self-doubt. Yet, he managed, as always, to create a solid and original album that will undoubtedly transcend generations. From my perspective, it's their most cohesive work, showcasing a mature and concise sound.
Fun fact, it is known that “the band brought one of the original pieces of silver fabric to L.A. and hung it artfully in the studio at Rick Rubin’s recording den the Mansion.” LCD Soundsystem's 'Sound of Silver': 10 Things You Didn't Know by: Sophie Harris Rollling Stone (2017)
By the way, the music video for the song was directed by Spike Jonze and is fantastic. It features people dressed as pandas who give off a vibe reminiscent of the villains from "A Clockwork Orange", who disturb the band members—James Murphy, Nancy Whang, and Pat Mahoney—while they perform the song. It's unsettling yet funny and visually artistic.
Shortly after the release of "This Is Happening," rumors swirled about LCD Soundsystem disbanding, something they later confirmed. They organized a series of farewell concerts at Madison Square Garden. These shows were epic, documented in the film "Shut Up and Play the Hits," which follows James Murphy during a 48-hour period, from the day of the band's final gig at Madison Square Garden to the morning after. I highly recommend it. There's also a version of the entire concert that was streamed and an album called "The Long Goodbye (LCD Soundsystem Live at Madison Square Garden)."
It was a grand and impressive farewell for a band that had well-earned recognition and love. But, as we now know, the story didn't end there.
My personal thoughts and other LCD songs I recommend
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