Medical History: Physically, subject's health is good; no major or chronic issues, although voice suggests persistent sinusitis. Psychologically, Mr. Hansen shows a history of Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), diagnosed in 1995 and treated intermittently via analysis and hypnosis. Subject's recorded personalities include:
Dust Bowl-era folk singer, prone to wearing flannel, acoustic guitar always present, unable to leave house without harmonica clip (see attached materials, One Foot in the Grave).
Ardent practitioner of "hip-hop," exhibits "word salad" symptomology characteristic of schizophrenics (see Mellow Gold).
Self-described "space cowboy." Similar to personality #1, except with claimed origin in future, rather than past. Also known to dabble in bossa nova. (see Mutations).
Smooth-talking sexaholic, race indeterminate. Causes subject to wear small outfits with big collars. Frequently does "the splits." Earnestness of personality questionable. (see Midnite Vultures).
Depressive, excessively self-reflective middle-aged man. Moves at very slow pace, exhibits fetish for exotic string arrangements, and shows delusional belief that he's Blood on the Tracks-era Bob Dylan. By far his least enjoyable persona; friends report being "really bummed out" in his presence when these traits are dominant (see Sea Change).
Mr. Hansen has experienced one distinct period of personality cohesion, which is widely considered to be his most healthy and agreeable time (see attached materials, Odelay). Since this psychological peak, the patient has experienced pressure to return to this state, wherein all of the above personae peacefully co-exist to create a unique and well-balanced whole. However, Mr. Hansen has appeared unable or unwilling to bend to these outside demands, instead spending periods of 1-2 years at various extremes of the above stated categories.
Current Session: Lately, Mr. Hansen has shown an increased willingness to accept the advice of his peers and doctors, mounting a highly motivated and publicized effort to return to the behavioral cohesion of his Odelay period. Reuniting with his therapists of that era, the Dust Brothers (Drs. M. Simpson and J. King, M.D, Ph.D), he has made a lot of progress towards this goal, exhibiting behavior (see attached media, Guero) that appears to resemble his healthier days. But whether this restoration of character balance is merely superficial, and, furthermore, whether it is the proper attitude for the patient, remains to be determined.
Note the resemblance of Guero opener "E-Pro" to Odelay's "Devil's Haircut", both tracks assembled from guitar-driven riff-loops and Mr. Hansen's drowsy talking-blues delivery. Notice that the twangy-acoustic vs. turntable-scratch paradoxes of "Jackass" are repeated on "Earthquake Weather" and "Farewell Ride". Further antecedent is seen in the quirk collage (sonar blips, harmonica, Christina Ricci) of "Hell Yes", which can be directly traced back to the earlier period's "High 5 (Rock the Catskills)".
That the patient is re-visiting past combinations of his constituent personalities is not in itself a cause for worry; after all, it is what most of his support system has been suggesting for many years. But one wonders whether Mr. Hansen's heart is in the proceedings, as many of the songs appear to be little more than weak echoes of their similar predecessors. Furthermore, stray remnants of individual personality types, particularly the most recently-seen "mope" character, pop up on "Missing" and "Broken Drum," in the form of slow tempos and "Blue Jay Way" strings.
Other areas give indications of new, healthy ways of rectifying the contradictions within Mr. Hansen's torrid mind. "Girl" uses an NES symphony prologue to introduce a Cali-rock pastiche, the sweetness of which overcomes its serial killer lyrics and "Hey Ya" biting. "Black Tambourine" finds the patient stripping down his usual methods, concentrating on foreboding rhythms and gimmick economy, while "Earthquake Weather" is similarly sparse, and sees Mr. Hansen using his falsetto for a purpose other than adding a musical wink to his less serious efforts.
All in all, my assessment of the patient's recent advances is a mixed one. Mr. Hansen has certainly attempted to follow the regimen recommended to him, and has done his best to recapture earlier moments of lucidity and unity, but in many ways the final result feels rote and calculated. It seems likely that what worked for the subject almost ten years ago may not be appropriate at this later stage; in today's landscape, the methods seem a bit obsolete and over-prescribed. Mr. Hansen may have given us what we demanded, but, at this juncture, we should consider that his personalities have drifted so far apart that they are better left that way.
