James Iha
Let It Come Down (Virgin)
by Jamie Kiffel
Given my choice between Simon and Garfunkel’s “Feelin’ Groovy” and Alice in Chains’ “Godsmack,” I generally aim for the more pathological of the two (allow me to clarify: I choose “Godsmack,” although I recognize that both would be acceptable responses if this were Trivial Pursuit and not my life that we’re talking about. I may have pathologies, but they aren’t that serious). In any case, in spite of this preference, I do enjoy some gentle music from time to time. I admit to occasionally belting out the line, “WHISKERS ON KITTENS” while otherwise placidly viewing a late-night showing of The Sound of Music. Incidentally, I love cats, and cats appreciate gentleness. I’ve read that you can significantly lower your blood pressure and ultimately extend your life expectancy by just sitting calmly with a purring cat on your lap. I’ve also seen certain souls who claim to be “cat people” widening their eyes, stooping low, and slowly skulking toward my cat while emitting a series of sounds that closely resemble piercing electronic feedback, only to be emotionally (and occasionally, mortally) wounded when my cat leaps at their face in an attempt to reconfigure it. As I said, I love cats.