“Block of Ice” is a damn good song. No doubts. But we were a bit confused on where the hell it came from?! Thee Oh Sees? The Intelligence? Somewhere else??? So here’s what we know….
John Dwyer has been churning out music as Thee Oh Sees since 1997. Sometime around 2007, the band began including “Block of Ice” in it’s live repertoire.
I don’t want to be destroyed,
I just want to be left on this block of ice.
I am one,
You are two,
We are 3 –
Oh what for? What for?
– “Block of Ice” by Thee Oh Sees, 2008
Although the song comes from Thee Oh Sees, it was Lars Finburg (a fellow mastermind of Dwyer’s, who would later join Thee Oh Sees as a second touring drummer during the Carrion Crawler/The Dream era) and his band The Intelligence who first put the track to wax. With Finburg’s more mechanical stylings (i.e. see A Frames), “Block of Ice” appears on The Intelligence’s album, Deuteronomy, released September 2007 by In The Red Records.
Not until 2008’s The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending The Night In did Thee Oh Sees drop a recording of their version – which takes you from spaced out vibes, and then pummels you into reality.
So that settles it, yeah? Not quite…
My connection, is your connection,
The sun is shining, I see your face.
Turning it over, I see the clover,
The things that I love, dear, are taking the shame.
– “Connection” by CAN, 1969
What screws everything up is a song by the legendary Kraut rockers, CAN, called “Connection.” CAN’s “Connection” was recorded in March 1969, and is buried on the C-side of a double LP compilation which collected all of CAN’s unreleased recordings called “Unlimited Edition” in 1976.
After a quick listen, you notice the second verse in “Block of Ice” is also a verse in “Connection!” Woahhhhhhhh.
Try not not to explode, I think we can all handle this. There may be more to the story of “Block of Ice,” but for now this is what we know. It’s a damn good song, and the origins only add to the depth of enjoyment. Take a listen to all three versions and see for yourself!
(Thee Oh Sees performing “Block of Ice” on May 20, 2007)