I first heard The Hook on Scott Bunn’s music blog, Recliner Notes. Scott has been running an extensive series on American indie rock musician Stephen Malkmus, and this track caught my attention from the get-go. The Hook is an apt title for a song that does exactly that – it hooks you in. My senses feel almost overloaded when I hear it – and I mean that in the best possible way. It’s got this gnarly, Rolling Stones–esque guitar riff, while Stephen’s vocals channel shades of the late Lou Reed – who, incidentally, passed by this way only two days ago with This Magic Moment. Layer onto that the thoughtful, distinctive cadence reminiscent of Robert Forster from the quintessential Australian indie band The Go-Betweens, and you’ve already got quite a mix. Then, when you stir in the bawdy wit and immersive storytelling of Warren Zevon — think Lawyers, Guns and Money or Mutineer — well folks, you’ve got yourself one pretty darn good track.
I’m going to turn it over to Scott who brought this interesting and talented artist to my attention in the first place:
After 10 years as a singer, songwriter, guitar player and quasi-leader of Pavement, Stephen Malkmus finally released a solo album. The record was self-titled and put out under his name alone, despite Malkmus wanting to call it Swedish Reggae and crediting it to his new band, The Jicks. Graced with cover portraying a mulleted, half-smiling Malkmus during the Hawaiian golden hour, the album contained songs that felt familiar to Pavement fans as well as departures, such as “The Hook”:
“The Hook” begins with the type of cowbell-powered, white funk keyboard-soaked satisfying groove that would make The Rolling Stones and even Joe Walsh envious. Over this roadhouse boogie, Malkmus sings: “At age 19 I was kidnapped by Turkish pirates / Mediterranean thugs.” This opening line thrusts the listener immediately into a story. Yes, Malkmus is telling us a pirate yarn.
– Read the remainder of Scott Bunn’s article here at Recliner Notes
[Verse 1]
At age 19 I was kidnapped by Turkish pirates
Mediterranean thugs
After some torture they considered me their mascot
Cypriotic good luck
I had to taste the deck and many other things
I had to pay the piper with my wedding ring
And I would never see my family again
[Verse 2]
By 25 I was respected as an equal
My art was a knife
On countless raids I was the first one up the lanyard
Yeah I was seeking a fight
There is no time to pray
And there’s no time to beg
And then it’s off with an arm
Or it’s off with a leg
And if I spare your life
It’s because the tide is leaving
Oh yeah
[Guitar solo]
[Verse 3]
By 31 I was the captain of a galleon
I was Poseidon’s new son
The coast of Montenegro was my favorite target
It was ever so fun
We had no wooden legs
Or steel hooks
We had no black eye patches
Or a starving cook
We were just killers with the cold eyes of a sailor
Yeah we were killers with the cold eyes of a sailor
References:
1. Stephen Malkmus Series: “The Hook” – Recliner Notes
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Great song! I think observation about the Stonesy guitar riff and the Lou Reed-reminiscent is spot on. Would you say “Hook” is a good representation of Stephen Malkmus’ music in general? I don’t recall hearing his name before. The caveat is I have a terrible name memory!
Stephen’s music is diverse and spans multiple genres and experimental approaches. For more on Stephen’s music I point you to Scott Bunn’s series in the article. His most recent article contains a fantastic recent song called ‘Xian Man’ (I’ll send it below) which I also added to my collection.
Cool, I’ll check it out, thanks!