Eastbound & Sound

by Luke Hopping

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Throughout its three-season run, I was consistently amazed by the resistance I encountered trying to turn my friends onto HBO’s Eastbound & Down. Some dismissed it as too dark, others too stupid. Their points had salience, I suppose, but comparing fans of Kenny Powers’s oafish misadventures to the proverbial gawkers unable to look away from a train wreck ignores all the heart this series had to offer. After all, when a train comes off the tracks, it stops. Kenny Powers does not. In spite of himself, Kenny doggedly refuses to give up hope that his overweight, middle-aged ass will one day return to its natural habitat on a Major League dugout bench. Ill informed (and proud of it), arrogant (and rightfully so), and, above all, determined, Kenny is practically the poster boy for American exceptionalism.

But what really cemented my emotional investment in Kenny’s journey was not the show’s unique brand of free-form Will Ferrellism, but its soundtrack. My faith that this insensitive redneck had any redeeming qualities whatsoever was inextricably linked to creators Jody Hill, Danny McBride, and Ben Best’s dazzlingly deployment of pop music. Those of you who have actually seen the show understand that eliciting sympathy for Kenny Powers this no small feat. Mad Men, Six Feet Under, and other series with more critically acclaimed soundtracks select music that is a bit too self-conscious for my taste. A song with a cheeky title that also conveniently summarizes a character’s dilemmas that episode? Clever! Their soundtracks add layers to be pored over with academic detachment, but fail to conjure much personal involvement. Eastbound’s music reinforces its characters’ most visceral and fleeting emotions. Whether it’s the accompaniment of Lee Hazlewood’s wry heartland-psychedelia during a somber jet skiing scene, or the use of the Ying Yang Twins’ millennial club banger “Wait (The Whisper Song),” to reignite the dormant relationship between Kenny and his baby mama, Eastbound challenges its fans to think outside the box when it comes to AV.

Acknowledging their own irreproachable taste, the creators released a two-disc compilation of the show’s music via Fat Possum Records shortly after the series concluded in April. While the album does some justice to Kenny’s exploits, the tracklist focuses exclusively on the show’s first two seasons. With summer fast approaching, and all of us in need of a new top-down, speakers-up playlist to bump, I’ve compiled a list of ten of the show’s stronger inclusions. While I’ve given up proselytizing the series for now, I holdout hope that its soundtrack will someday find the broader audience it deserves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_ONyukSLqA
Going Down — Freddie King

Eastbound’s soundtrack is nothing if not eclectic, which is why its familiar intro theme can feel so comforting. Each episode begins the same way: an anti-social outburst cut short by the title credits in bold, 70s baseball font and the roar of blues legend Freddie King’s “Going Down.” Here, for the truly devoted, is every Eastbound & Down intro ever aired.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyjuN6AIbpE
My Love for You — ESG

This one was in the third season premiere, so it didn’t make the official compilation. ESG is/was (they’ve broken up and patched things up a couple times) an ensemble from the South Bronx that resists easy categorization. At various points in their career, they flirted with disco, funk, and post-punk. If you’re interested in the full extent of their musical range, contrast this track with the video above. Also, I implore you to checkout how the song was used in context.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O6ZxmQMqaA
Pour Man — Lee Hazlewood

All told, Lee Hazlewood’s music made three appearances in the series, once per season. Best known for his collaborations with Nancy Sinatra, the Eastbound boys were only interested in Hazlewood’s solo work, much of which is currently out of print. A lot of that, however, is a reflection of the music industry’s poor judgement and in no way a diminishment of the Psychedelic Cowboy’s considerable talent. Each of his contributions added a level of sigh-inducing, world weariness known only to those those whose greatness goes unrecognized. Perhaps the show’s writers sensed a bond, there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fM8llpDvOw
A Fifth of Beethoven — DJ Daddy Ray Z

I think the song’s title, as well as the artist’s moniker, speak volumes, but, in case that isn’t enough, here’s a clip of how this track was employed to create one of the show’s more memorable scenes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtS5Uajsf2o&feature;=related
Lady Luck — Richard Swift

Eastbound’s music department specialized in two things: making jet skiing appear introspective and placing the fate of mankind in Kenny’s mitt each time he took the mound (both executed in slo mo, naturally). Richard Swift’s “Lady Luck” sets the mood for one of our protagonist’s most momentous pitches. Take a listen; the recording quality had me convinced this was a real oldie, but apparently its author is a former member of the Shins.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MSesnyJuYk
Without You — Rainbow Arabia

Another stakes-raising windup song, another great example of the show’s musical versatility.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjYDWWd0zqc
Let’s Go Everywhere — Medeski Martin & Wood

Medeski Martin & Wood were an oddball jazz trio before releasing their children’s album Let’s Go Everywhere in 2008. Like pretty much all music in the series, this track initially seemed like an odd choice. Then again, if there’s a better way to reunite a walkout father with his equally degenerate son on an ATV course in rural Mexico without playing a children’s parody of “I’ve Been Everywhere,” I certainly haven’t thought of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MimmTdn9314
Walk Like an Egyptian — The Bangles

The show’s debt to 80s pop culture cannot be stressed enough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6ryWeZRWQE
He’s Alright — Kurt Vile

These are the moments when the show’s soundtrack is able to redeem Kenny’s otherwise reckless behavior. Say what you will about the show being juvenile or whatever (it’s kind of the point), this scene packs a punch and much of that is thanks to the contribution of Kurt Vile’s hair-raising “He’s Alright.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69zvFnVa03g
Sky Pilot — Eric Burdon & the Animals

Transforming a Vietnam protest song into an anthem of optimism and exuberance takes guts, but that’s exactly what Jody Hill, et al. did in the season one finale. Watch as Kenny’s personal assistant/sidekick/friend-slave Stevie (played by Steve Little) practically bursts with boyish glee, all to the tune of 1968’s “Sky Pilot,” a song about a cowardly chaplain. It’s a perfect example of how the show ignores lyrical content and goes straight for the raw emotion its music exudes.

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