The (In)Essential Uncle Bonsai!
Uncle Bonsai
1992: Yellow Tail Records YT-10002
“Enterprising Young Man,” which originally was one of the tracks on the cassette release of Myn Ynd Wymyn, is easily my favorite track here…but it really belongs on Myn Ynd Wymyn and not among this grab-bag of Bonsai Greats (Alternate Recordings). I appreciate that its inclusion here suggests that at least Andrew Ratshin felt it merited being enshrined as a Great, and I certainly wouldn’t discount it—it’s gloriously beautiful on multiple levels—but I just wish it had been included on the CD release of the other album too.
What moves me most about the song isn’t its lyrics’ sentiment but rather its arrangement and overall sound, a combination which to me precisely captures a moment, specifically the early 1990s, in both my life and Seattle’s cultural evolution (and possibly even a larger moment of musical time-stamping). Collectively those imbue this sublime track with depth and an edge that perhaps resonate more with me than with most of its listeners, but, as with “Womb for Rent” on the original cassette release, it’s probably the dazzlingly multifaceted combination of Ratshin’s guitar and voice arrangements that create such a mesmerizing and enchanting sonic experience. I really am moved almost to tears every time I play this track, and often the weeping comes just because of its beauty…but sometimes it’s because I’m painfully reminded that this moment is past. So be thankful that we have audio recordings.
Comments © 2019 Mark Ellis Walker, except as noted, and no claim is made to the images and quoted lyrics.