SPIN IT BACK -- KING'S X: EAR CANDY

By: Philip Sayblack

​This year is a special moment for King’s X.  That is because it marks the 30th anniversary of the release of what is one of the band’s most important albums, Ear Candy.  Released in May 1996 through Atlantic Records, the album was not an immediate hit for the band but as time has passed audiences and critics alike have agreed that the album has become a pivotal part of the veteran rock act’s catalog, which currently spans 13 albums between 1988 and 2023.  Interestingly enough, it would appear that there has been no plan (at least so far) by the band – Ty Tabor, Doug Pinnick, and Jerry Gaskill -- this year to mark the anniversary with any re-issue. Considering all the bands and acts out there whose records are constantly being re-issued by comparison, it makes a look back at this record all the more important.  This especially as it has not received any other reissues in year past, either.
The very first thing that makes King’s X’s Ear Candy of note is its musical arrangements.  The arrangements featured here are of import because they were such a stark stylistic departure for the band. Up until this record was released, the band’s sound had largely been something of a rock/grunge style presentation.  This does have to be explained in order for newer audiences to fully understand and appreciate what  Ear Candy offers audiences, musically speaking. ‘Out of the Silent Planet,’ which opens the band’s 1989 album, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska, is that noted grunge style work.  What is interesting here is that King’s X was doing this even before grunge was a thing.  While Alice in Chains’ fame was still some years away, the overall approach taken here (including the distinct vocal delivery) is easily comparable to that of said band.  One can only wonder if perhaps it played into how Alice in Chains approached its work.  ‘Shot of Love,’ featured in the band’s 1988 debut album under the King’s X name, has more of a bluesy rock edge.  ‘Black The Sky,’ included in the band’s 1994 album, Dogman has more of the blues rock lean but also some grunge comparison, too.  One could even argue, to a point, that there is a bit of nu-metal here, hearing the song’s breakdown.
Those tracks and so many others included in those albums (and in the band’s 1990 album, Faith Hope Love and its follow-up, the band’s 1992 self-titled album) are completely unlike what audiences get from Ear Candy.  Right from the album’s outset, ‘The Train’ the band still maintains its hard rock edge but also moves in more of a classic rock-influenced approach.  The balancing act here makes the song a great first impression herein.  From there, the band goes in a wholly different direction in ‘(Thinking and Wondering) What I’m Gonna Do.’  This acoustic composition is the polar opposite of the album’s opener with its far more subdued nature.  Producer Arnold Lanni (Finger Eleven, Ourt Lady Peace, Simple Plan) aced it with drummer Jerry Gaskill’s drums, giving the toms such a rich tone alongside his snare while balancing just as well, Pinnick’s vocal delivery and Tabor’s work on the guitar.  The end result is another great example of how much the band had changed in this record.  This is just one of so many songs featured herein that really put the album’s change (and the band’s growth) on full display.  Songs, such as ‘)Thinking and Wondering) What I’m Gonna Do,’ ‘Mississippi Moon,’ ‘Lies in the Sand,’ and ‘Fathers’ clearly showed the band’s ability to entertain and engage audiences even as it grew and changed so clearly.  They are just some of the songs that showed the noted change, too.  There are so many other great works in this record that do much that same.
At the same time that the band had clearly changed direction on Ear Candy, there was also a certain amount of the trio’s familiar grunge leanings up to that point.  From ‘Sometime’ to ‘67’ to ‘Run’ and even to a slightly lesser degree, ‘Looking for Love,’ Pinnick, Gaskill and Tabor clearly were making sure that they did not entirely alienate their established audiences here while also growing the sound that made them such a fan favorite up to that point.  Simply put, what makes Ear Candy so great in hindsight is that willingness by the band to try something new for the first time in nearly a decade since releasing its debut record as King’s X, Out of the Silent Planet, and the success that stemmed from that willingness to take that risk.
Another item that makes Ear Candy stand out as one of King’s X’s most important albums is the lyrical content that accompanies that musical material.  Looking at the album’s overall lyrical picture, audiences get a range of content.  In ‘Looking for Love’ and ‘Lies in the Sand’ for instance, audiences get some clearly socially conscious content.  In the case of ‘Looking for Love,’ the song is not about love.  Rather, its lyrics can pretty easily be inferred to be a discussion on organized religion and its role on society.  ‘Lies in the Sand’ meanwhile seems to hint through its story, of a man who refuses to just accept blind faith and following of any kind.  To that end, the song could just as easily be considered another commentary on organized religion while also being a political commentary; an allegory about following one’s own mind rather than just following even political leaders blindly.  Considering everything happening in the world today, it makes this song even more relevant and resonant.
On another end, the band offers more “personal” content in songs, such as ‘Sometime,’ ‘The Train’ and ‘Life Going Back.’  All three seemingly address matters of personal relationships but not in the standard romance and relationship avenue that far too many bands out there take.  Take for instance, ‘The Train.’  This song seems to hint at a theme of personal growth.  This as Pinnick sings, “Last time aboard the train/That goes around the world/You leave us all behind/You start to feel the pain/Don’t try to take the ride/Sit back and let it rain.’  The very concept of the train is a metaphor for going on a person journey, not necessarily a train ride.  It is talking about taking that chance to move forward even while feeling a certain way about all who may “be left behind” in that personal journey.”  It is a really smart way of addressing such a personal item.  To that end it makes the theme another fully relevant and resonant statement that audiences will appreciate.
By relation, ‘Life Going Back’ and even ‘A Box’ center on the matter of personal growth in their own unique was.  In the case of ‘Life Going Back,’ the theme is addressed with Pinnick musing on looking back on the bad and the good in life, trying to come to terms with those experiences in whole.  ‘A Box’ meanwhile centers on mental health struggles and trying to overcome those struggles as part of that journey already noted in ‘The Train.’  In other words, there is a certain connectivity (so to speaking) between these songs, ‘Sometime’ and even ‘(Thinking and Wondering) What I’m Gonna Do.’  To that end, the range of content and how it is approached throughout the album adds a whole extra layer of engagement and entertainment to Ear Candy; a layer that when paired with the album’s musical body, makes the whole of this record that much more enjoyable.
Putting the last point to Ear Candy is the album’s production.  From beginning to end, the album’s production is solid, balancing expertly, the trio’s performances.  The vocals compliment the instrumental performances and vice versa from one song to the next, the whole making each arrangement such a rich presentation.  The result is a solid general effect that gives audiences just as much to appreciate here as in the album’s content.  All things considered they make Ear Candy a great musical “treat” for fans of King’s X and for rock fans in general.
Ear Candy is available now.  More information on the record is available along with all of King’s X’s latest news at:
Website: https://kingsxrocks.com
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