Husband of Aimee Mann, brother of Chris and Sean, talented singer-songwriter Michael Penn… now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time.
To be fair, Penn did show up on a couple of Random Weekends about five years ago, so I’ve at least encountered him more recently than the others I’ve featured this week. But here’s a guy I used to listen to religiously, somebody with a sound and perspective that really hit home for me.
Unlike the artists I’ve written about who have continued recording since I lost track of them, Penn hasn’t released a new album since 2005. He has stayed busy composing music for films and TV shows.
I’ve read that that’s a more lucrative way to make a living for a musician who isn’t exactly flying up the charts. I wonder if we’d have gotten five or six albums of smart pop music over the past two decades if Penn was more popular. Or maybe it’s an artistic decision.
Either way, I wish Penn had some more songs in him. His debut, 1989’s March, and its follow-up, 1992’s Free-For-All, are particular favorites, but I’ve enjoyed all five of his albums immensely.
I’m so impressed
I am now seen unclean
Wash me up mama
And give me a suit of gabardine
I had a suit
By the look on my face
Maybe it’s plain to see
That that never stopped what was troubling me
Like once, it was Monday out
And dry?
Man, it was a drought
But all that is slipping my mind
Cracked like a whip
Like a brick coming down
And hit me between the eyes
Another occasion I’ve yet to forget
Was I unwise?
Should I remind you that this is the end
Of Camels
And masking tape
And this demonstration of tripping with grace
And if I need you
I’m intentionally wasting your time
Hey, everything’s slipping my mind
Now copper and nickel
Are heads in my hand
I’ll bet you your sparest change
That this time tomorrow you’ll be miles away
With all trace of Monday out
With deserts to think about
And all of this slippin’ my mind
Meet Me In Montauk 
I’ve actually heard a couple of Penn’s songs on TV shows. His sound and voice are immediately recognizable.
What is he saying in the interlude between the lines, “Hey Everything’s slipping my mind” and “Now copper and nickel”? He repeats it at the very end of the album, after almost 1 minute of silence at the end of “Now We’re Even.” I can’t understand the words and wonder if it’s significant or just some extra icing on the cake. Anyone know?