Last year, Mike Doughty of Soul Coughing published a memoir called The Book Of Drugs, because he took a lot of them, and had a lot of drug stories, many of which he told in the book. He also told a lot of stories about screwing and being screwed in both the biblical and music industry sense. I think I read it in one sitting, wincing and laughing by turns. Favorite revelation: He was the author of the New York Press’s Dirty Sanchez column, which I used to read every week.
And then, of course, he had to go on a book tour, and read his stories out loud. That, in turn, led to him first revisiting the songs at the center of the narrative – the work he did with Soul Coughing – and then, eventually, to him completely reworking and re-imagining some of the tunes.
He has just released the product of that work as a record entitled Circles Super Bon Bon Sleepless How Many Cans? True Dreams of Wichita Monster Man Mr. Bitterness Maybe I’ll Come Down St. Louise Is Listening I Miss the Girl Unmarked Helicopters The Idiot Kings So Far I Have Not Found the Science.
He’s also made a new video for Super Bon Bon, which originally appeared on Irresistible Bliss (1996) and I’m pretty sure was played at every single frat party I attended for at least a year afterwards. This is the original official video, made at a time when raves were a big thing, and people wore goggles when they to a rave, to protect their eyes from whatever was in the smoke and/or foam.
This is the new video. Saying “it is very strange” is both true and does not even begin to do it justice. I think it might be a visual representation of what would happen if the Internet went to a rave. There are a lot of cookies, multiple inexplicable hams, guest stars (MC Frontalot!) and also some small dogs. All I could manage after I watched it the first time was a flat what. I’ve watched it a few more times, and while I’m still confused, I’m also entertained.
Want more? Check out the music and videos at Doughty’s website.