Review Summary: Acting Happy in the Face of Death
Some artists seem haunted by the spectre of death their entire careers. In the case of the late Vic Chesnutt it was hardly surprising that he'd have this fixation; he was aged just 18 when he was involved in a near-fatal car accident that left him a quadriplegic from the neck down. Incredibly, despite being unable to walk and having hardly any feeling in most of his body he was still able to play the guitar, though only to a far more rudimentary degree than beforehand. It wasn't until he moved to Athens in Georgia to further his music career that Vic was finally the beneficiary of some overdue good luck; he was spotted by Michael Stipe of R.E.M and the two became close friends, an encounter that would have a hugely positive impact on his career.
Stipe went on to produce Chesnutt's first two albums before reuniting with him here on 'Is the Actor Happy?', his fourth and arguably most consistent set of songs. While it would take the release of the following year's charity compilation 'Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation' (a set of Chesnutt covers recorded by established indie rock royalty, notably the Smashing Pumpkins) for Vic to make any sort of commercial dent it was still clear that by this point he'd long earned the respect of his peers. One artist for whom this was certainly the case was Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse fame, another close friend of Chesnutt's and a musical kindred spirit; along with R.E.M these are the two closest artistic reference points for the musical approach of 'Is the Actor Happy?'. Indeed it can easily be argued that this release occupies the exact middle-ground between late 80's/early 90's R.E.M and mid 90's Sparklehorse.
The album is home to three songs of such high quality they bare comparison to the very best material released by either of these two aforementioned acts. 'Sad Peter Pan' is gentle, plaintive and the most intimate moment here. The song almost plays out like a blueprint for Mark Linkous' entire career; the skeletal guitar lines, soft spoken vocals with quirky inflections and most of all the lyrics that speak of 'electric rabbits' and 'magnificent ghost's can't help but recall Sparklehorse classics like 'Spirit Ditch' or 'Saint Mary'. The more upbeat 'Onion Soup' takes similar ingredients but conjures an entirely different mood; this song is pure sunshine, Vic treating every lyric like a juicy treat to savour as he mangles his vowels and extends words to the point of ridiculousness. Album closer 'Guilty By Association' sees Stipe emerge from behind the console to provide some typically enigmatic backing vocals to a song Chesnutt wrote directly for, and about, his good friend. Vic knows Michael well, providing lyrics that play to his strengths; the rhyme of 'loonies' with 'boonies' could not be more perfect for Stipe's voice.
The remaining material sees a drop off from this outstanding quality but what's surprising is how gentle this decline is and just how well balanced the track list remains. These songs generally fall into three categories; firstly you have more idiosyncratic numbers like 'Doubting Woman' with its references to 'painterly nipples' and 'Betty Lonely', a puzzling character sketch of a woman who 'sunk her past out in the surrounding salt flats'; secondly you have some straightforward grunge dynamic 'quiet verse/loud chorus' country rockers like 'Gravity of the Situation' and 'Thailand' that most obviously signpost the involvement of Stipe who'd recently explored similar territory on R.E.M's 1994 release 'Monster'; and finally there are the two longest pieces 'Free of Hope' and 'Thumbtrack' that include extended Neil Young-esque guitar wig-outs that add an air of pained frustration to the album. As much as these latter two songs are effective in transmitting Chesnutt's mental and physical discomforts neither ever reach the point of real catharsis and so end up becoming something of an equal trial for the listener. A necessary evil, these tracks are both an essential ingredient and also the reason this release dips a shade below the level of perfection.
You get the feeling Chesnutt would have been relieved to have avoided such a label as 'perfect' as that was never his deal anyway. This was a man who despite being an inspirational figure in so many respects was never recognised by society as such and was instead left suffering in pain and debt, tragically unable to financially support his own healthcare. He understood just how unforgiving this world could be and that death was something that would be hovering close to his side all his adult life; inevitably Vic would die young, aged just 47, after overdosing on his medication. Though he never achieved the same level of commercial success as Stipe, nor garnered the same degree of cult acclaim as Linkous, it's hard to argue that in purely artistic terms Chesnutt didn't deserve to stand shoulder to shoulder with his friends. 'Is the Actor Happy?' can even be counted as the last classic album Stipe would feature on such is its quality; quite an achievement considering R.E.M would go on to record a further six albums before disbanding in 2011. Chesnutt would prove to be even more prolific, recording new material right up to his death in 2009, though he never again sounded quite so perfectly in command of his talents as he did on this his 1995 masterpiece.
