THE DAMAGE IS DONE

The Features
“Serious”
Mahaffey Sessions (2000)

You guys, this is the only Mahaffey Sessions song I haven’t posted yet. Now it’s complete! All of the Mahaffey Sessions (that I know of, you can prove me wrong internet!) tracks are now on Damage Is Done!

Enjoy this jam!

A VERSION APPEARS ON:
Blow It Out, UK single release (2005)

OTHER VERSIONS

The Features
“Serious”
Live @ The Boro
January 29th, 2000

I gotta say, I’m still fascinated by this bootleg. I guess I had never listened to it, or really paid attention to it, before yesterday. So here’s a version of “Serious” from early 2000, not too long after I assume Rollum joined and not too long before a definitive version of this was recorded for the Mahaffey Sessions. This song raises another Features query: when does Matt Pelham decide to graft old lyrics onto new songs? Just seven months prior to this, elements of what would become the lyrics of “Serious” were present in the super obscure “Down You Go.”

OTHER VERSIONS

A VERSION APPEARS ON:
Blow It Out, UK single release (2005)

Today’s request comes from Nicole.

The Features
“Serious”
Live @ Blue Cat’s
March 8th, 2003

With it’s jackhammer opening riff and a first verse spent reminiscing about childhood adventuring, it’s obvious that “Serious” is just a little bit different than other Features songs. Matt Pelham’s lyrics are delightfully kooky here (“I was once a sailor back in 1982/Sailed around the world inside a fiberglass canoe”), which made this one song that fans loved singing along to whenever it was played.

The real highlight of the song, for me, is the angular and psychedlically peculiar guitar solo and breakdown in the middle. That’s why this version of the song was chosen. The words might be a bit muffled but that solo is in full effect.

“Serious” wasn’t the first song to reference a fiberglass canoe. That honor goes to “Down You Go” which was an early creation by the band’s new lineup in 1999 and debuted on May 9th, 1999 at a concert for Lightning 100. As far as similarities go, though, that’s about it. “Serious” was first recorded during the Mahaffey sessions and was one of a few from that batch of songs that wasn’t first demoed during the preceding recording sessions with Brent Rawlings. “Serious” became a favorite amongst the fans, despite (or perhaps due to) it rarely being played at shows. The song seems to have fallen out of regular rotation around Spring 2003 was last played at the all-request show in November 2003.

Special thanks to Matt Peach for help with this entry.

A VERSION APPEARS ON:
Blow It Out, UK single release (2005)

LINEAGE:
Was “Down You Go” (1999; shares half a verse)