Review: The Mountain Goats - Beat the Champ
By Eric Perzanowski, Staff Writer
[Merge; 2015]
Rating: 3.5/5
Key Tracks: “The Legend of Chavo Guerrero,” “Stabbed to Death Outside of San Juan,” “Foreign Object”
Beat the Champ, the newest offering in the large discography of folk rock group The Mountain Goats, should go over well with fans of the band and genre.
As could be inferred from the album cover, title and names of some songs, professional wrestling is a big theme on Beat The Champ, which is a rich and largely unexplored motif. For example, “Stabbed to Death Outside of San Juan” is a reference to the murder of Bruiser Brody.
On the surface, many of the lyrics may seem to just be about wrestling, and in turn, this album would just be for fans of The Mountain Goats and all of the smarks out there. However, there is a larger meaning derived from these words that a larger audience can relate to.
Additionally, the lyrics are the strongest part of this release. Even outside of the thematic elements, the structure and diction are well thought out. The professional wrestling aspect seems to have a personal and nostalgic connection to vocalist John Darnielle.
“The Legend of Chavo Guerrero" is about Chavo Guerrero Sr., of the legendary Guerrero family, and how he represented a beacon of justice and hope to (presumably) Darnielle. The song has a seemingly upbeat feel to it, but there is also an underlying expression of despair and cynicism that can be found in the lyrics. For example, the chorus goes, “Look high / It’s my last hope / Chavo Guerrero / Coming off the top rope,” and several lines that particularly stuck out include, “He was my hero back when I was a kid / You let me down but Chavo never once did / You called him names to try to get beneath my skin / Now your ashes are scattered on the wind.”
The biggest knock against Beat The Champ is the material is sometimes dry, which may slightly disconnect an outsider to wrestling. Perhaps such music is more intricate or is something that more knowledgeable fans of The Mountain Goats can appreciate. There aren’t many moments in which this is the case, but it occurs enough to mention.
“Foreign Object” is a campy song with a swinging beat contrasted with lyrics that sound as if they were written by a heel wrestler. In addition, a brass section shows up on this track, and this track only. Had the lyrics been a little more over-the-top, it easily could have been mistakenly identified for an original Weird Al Yankovic tune. Two lines that best exemplify this are “Gonna jab you in the eye with a foreign object / I personally will stab you in the eye with a foreign object.”
Throughout this record, there are many vocal melodies that are subtly catchy. It would not be surprising to catch oneself singing the lines, “Climb the turnbuckle high / Take two falls out of three / Blackout for local TV” from “Southwest Territory,” for example.
Instrumentally, this trio goes several different places. When one thinks of folk rock, it’s easy to just picture a singer-songwriter type with only an acoustic guitar or percussion. However, the keyboard plays a sizable part in The Mountain Goats’ sound, and throughout different tracks, other instruments play a role, such as orchestral instrumentation on “Stabbed to Death Outside of San Juan”
Overall, the latest effort from The Mountain Goats is a solid work with many well-crafted folk rock tunes that take on the universal themes found in professional wrestling. If, for whatever reason, the idea of an album about wrasslin’ is off-putting, cast those doubts aside and give this album a chance.
