Mild Mannered
From The Extended Group
Contents |
Band Members
Because of tension within the band, the lineup was never static, making it is difficult to pin down precisely who played what and when. Nevertheless:
- Jason - (Bass)
- Jeremy - (Drums/Vocals/Songwriter)
- Nathan - (Lead Guitar/Rhythm Guitar/Bass/Occasional Drums)
- Owen - (Lead Guitar/Vocals/Songwriter)
- Rama - (Rhythm Guitar/Bass/Backup Vocals)
- Stuart - (Keyboard)
History
Among the group bands, none had more internal strife and tension than Mild Mannered. In fact, it has been suggested that much of the growing animosity among the group at the time could be derived directly from band infighting.
Inception
Mild Mannered grew partly out of the ashes of Shoenar, drawing from it two of its original members (Jeremy and Stuart). Prior to the official establishment of the band's lineup, Rama and Owen would meet and compose songs together. Most of the tunes, such as Girl in the White Coat, Indian Movie, and Grendel were never attempted by Mild Mannered (The Calculus Song being a notable exception). Around the same time, Nathan and Jeremy were practicing under the informal name Farm Factor. Soon thereafter, the two groups met with Stuart in tow, and official band practice commenced.
The Name
Choosing the band name would end up causing detrimental harm to band chemistry. Practices were devoted to poring over children's textbooks, newspaper articles, dictionaries, and anything else that would provide inspiration. A spreadsheet containing over a hundred names was manufactured and voting commenced without success. Several band members became apathetic and irritated by the process and finally Mild Mannered was chosen by default.
Early Practices
Practice was located in Mrs. Reddy's daycare after Rama's insistance, an unusual setting that perhaps exemplifies Rama Being Rama. Intitially, practices ran smoothly, perhaps due to the sheer novelty of being in a new band. The first signs of trouble appeared when it became clear that no one wanted to play the bass. Eventually, that duty was relegated to Nathan, which would merely postpone this conflict to a later date.
Conflict and the Octopus Incident
Tension reached a head for two primary reasons: 1) Some were dissatisfied with Stuart's keyboard lines; and 2) The aforementioned bass problem. The second problem became apparent when Nathan, in quiet rebellion, picked up a rubber octopus that was lying around, and began strumming his bass with it. This immediately put a halt to band practice and an intense discussion quickly took over, resulting in Nathan quitting the band.
The Jason Era
Jason arrived to fill the void left by Nathan on bass. His trademark style of playing, which involved quick slides up and down the bass, immediately won over the band. While tensions quelled drastically upon his arrival, they never fully evaporated. Conflict again reached a boiling point when Jason, with typical Jason exhuberance, began playing Rama's guitar lines on his bass. Nevertheless, the band survived long enough to play one show and break up.
Songs
The Calculus Song
Background
The Calculus Song was written primarily by Owen. It marked the first appearance of Jeremy's disco beat, which would inevitably bring to light his general lack of endurance. When performed live, the song has a penchant for sounding either pretty decent or god awful (typically the latter). It still remains the only Mild Mannered song to be later picked up by Sgt. Air Raid. The song was played during a failed audition to perform at graduation.
Key Lyrics
- "I think I need to know, it'll lose my thoughts not very slow."
The Life I Knew
Background
The Life I Knew was written by Jeremy. Featuring a prominent keyboard line and minimal guitar, the song roughly details the growing notion of obsoleteness following the King Cho era. The song was performed only once, and resulted in Jeremy shrieking at the most inoportune moment.
Key Lyrics
- "I could never ask her, in my washed-up stature."
Beginning and End
Background
Known to many as "the song Nathan hates" or "butt-rock", Beginning and End was a Jeremy composition that never fully caught on with the band or its audience. Centered around a repetitive metal riff, the song was remarkably heavier and more dissonant than most written during the Mild Mannered era. Needless to say, it will never be performed again.
Key Lyrics
- "I would if I could, but I can't so I won't."
I Can't Talk to Women
Background
The interweaving keyboard line throughout this Owen composition was considered by most in the band to be Stuart's best. Front and center of this tune was Jason's trademark bass-sliding. Ironically, the song was dedicated to Jamie by Owen during its only live performance.
Key Lyrics
- "Am I just 1 out of 5 or am I next in line?"
My Intentions
Background
Based around a sparse guitar line, this Owen tune showed more restraint than all the other Mild Mannered songs combined. The song was recorded with overwrought backup vocals by Jeremy and Stuart, in a style described by Owen as a "fucking campfire singalong".
Key Lyrics
- "I tried to tell you/but you just didn't get the message."
Home For the Holidays
Background
Written by Jeremy, this unabashed pop-tune was played so much that it eventually wore out its welcome (see also Weezer). Featuring only three chords (as typical of a Jeremy composition of this era), this song traded lyrical profundity for a superficial melody which intrigued and infuritated those who heard it (usually in that order). During its live performance, Jeremy remarked that the song was about college, which was immediately met with boos from the audience. The song, with new lyrics, was also used in a physics presentation by Nathan, unbenownst to Jeremy.
Key Lyrics
- "If you're not coming home for the holidays, just let me know ooh whoa ohh ohh..."
