Album Description

From this Seattle transplant comes smart bedroom pop, built from an arsenal of keyboards, pianos, drum machines, and a great sense of humor. The catchy beats and melodies have spurred comparisons to The Beach Boys, Grandaddy, Frank Black, The Flaming Lips, and XTC. "Insanely catchy, occasionally sad, consistently intriguing mix of everything...all filtered through a lackadaisical indie pop front and a slightly self-deprecating sense of humor"--Splendid Magazine. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

This is a fun album, but not for 1st time listeners!
When I first heard Ween I thought they were some weird Irish band because the first Ween song I heard was "She Wanted To Leave," (Which is a drunken Irish song). I had to hear a few more songs before I realized that Ween has no definite genre. And I think that's what makes them such a great band. They never get old. This album is NOT the first Ween album you should buy. These are the Ween cds you should buy in order:

1."Quebec" is what most people should get started with. Every song on this one is really great.

2."White Pepper" second (it's the closest thing to modern rock).

3."The Mollusk" has really catchy songs that are very melodic.

4."Chocolate & Cheese" is a mix of what sounds like classic rock.

5."12 Golden Country Greats" is really interesting because I personally hate country music, but I like this cd. I guess it's because the songs are very sarcastic and funny as usual. (With tracks like "Help Me Scrape The Mucus Off My Brain."

6."Pure Guava," "The Pod," "God Ween Satan: The Oneness," all of these albums would sound completely annoying to someone who doesn't understand what Ween is all about. You need to listen to their newer stuff and slowly go backwards down their line of releases to truly enjoy their stuff, in my opinion.

Someone took my copy...
...and now that it is gone, I really miss it. I was more of a casual ween fan before I heard this album. after i heard godweensatan i realized there is no such thing as a casual ween fan. you are either on the poop bus or you are off the poop bus.

i don't think it's the best choice as a first ween disc to buy. go with chocolate and cheese first.

at a first listen [godweensatan] i thought to myself, "now this is really stretching it. really." now that i can't find the album i feel like a wounded soldier who's lost a limb. i still feel it, i knew what it was like to have it, it is still with me, i want the dam*ed thing back.

"don't laugh, i love you" is the best song on the album. the end of it is the best part. the end of it is boognish incarnate, bottom line. i need to hear it again. those of you who have heard it know exactly what i am talking about. at a first listen it sounds downright inexcusable as a song. upon further thought, however, it makes a lot of sense.

;o) enjoy.

A Twisted Masterpiece
This album is the epitome of Ween. For those of you who are unfamiliar with them, they're a couple of guys ("brothers" Gene and Dean Ween - obviously psyeunoms) who make extremely bizarre and downright hilarious music. They typically sing in weird voices (even altering them to sound like they just gulped loads of helium), and worship something named the "Boognish". What sets them apart from someone like Weird Al is that you don't feel like you're listening to a novelty act, because they're extraordinarily talented musicians. "GodWeenSatan: The Oneness" is their first album, comprised of no less than 29 extremely lo-fi recordings. But even in their early days (when the guys were about 20 years old), they're able to showcase a wide diversity in musical styles (this diversity would increase with each subsequent album).

I usually go track-by-track in my reviews, but there's too damn many of them, and it would go over the word limit, so I'll just point out various highlights.

The opening cut, "You F'ed Up", is classic Ween: it's a harsh slice of pure heavy metal, with some of the most offendingly hilarious lyrics ever devised. I won't even try to quote them here. "Common B*tch" is quite similar, and also great.

"Fat Lenny" has Gene (who sings almost all of the songs) spitting out lyrics in a tone of voice eerily similar to Cartman from South Park (despite the fact that it was released in 1990). "I Gots a Weasel" is a faux blues number, while "Squelch the Weasel" is a medieval folk pastiche (also kinda sounds like Simon & Garfunkle)

The two funniest "songs" on the album are "I'm In the Mood To Move" and "Blackjack". Both of them are built upon a very sparse musical backdrop, and feature Gene and Dean "singing" (not really) some bizarre phrases ("Big Black Betty, Little Spanish Eddie.."), obviously inside jokes, yet they're still hilarious. On "Blackjack", they can't even contain their laughter, which makes it all the more funny.

Songs like "Cold & Wet", "Stacey", and "Marble Tulip Juicy Tree" contain guitar solos that further enforce that these guys actually have talent despite their goofyness. They're not exactly Hendrix or Clapton-like guitar solos..but they're good enough to enforce that these guys are musically able. They even casually toss off an absolutely perfect pop song, "Don't Laugh (I Love You)", which features those Chipmunks/Helium like vocals I alluded to earlier.

"Nicole" is another slower song with a two chord reggae beat that goes on and on and on, but it's great. Same with "L.M.L.Y.P" (Let Me Lick Your ___), a blatant Prince sex/funk parody (it even borrows lyrics from a Prince song).

"Birthday Boy" is one of the best songs, and is actually kind of touching (seriously!). It's a slow, electric guitar ballad with some answering machine messages and a few seconds of "Echoes" by Pink Floyd played at the end.

They even delve into jazz ("Never Squeal"), gospel/a cappela ("Up on the Hill"), latin music ("El Camino"), folk (the extremely brief "Old Man Thunder") 60's/70's style hippie rock ("Hippy Smell") and noisy psychadelia ("Licking the Palm for Guava"/"Mushroom Festival in Hell"). The aforementioned "Marble Tulip Juicy Tree" is prog rock-ish, something they'd further explore on later albums like "The Mollusk".

If you've never heard any Ween music before, this album might scare you off. At 70 minutes long, it'll take a good 5 listens before everything starts falling into place..or, not falling into place I guess. "Chocolate & Cheese" is probably the best place to start, as it's a much more polished sound, while still retaining the bizarre humor that makes them great. But if you want to hear Ween at their most twisted and, IMHO, best, give "The Oneness" a shot. You'll be a Boognish worshipper in no time.

Best Songs: Birthday Boy, Marble Tulip Juicy Tree, Nan, Blackjack, Cold & Wet, L.M.L.Y.P, Mushroom Festival In Hell, You F'd Up, Fat Lenny.

Quebec was better, but yea
If any Ween album had the word Beatles on the cover of the CD you know it would be a top 100 album no doubt.

A Review Haiku by Todd Marrone
Really shows their range,
from very hard, fast music
to lovely ballads. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Speaking kindly of Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Dept.
That foul breed, the Indie Purist, who gag at latter day Guided By Voices (mainly for employing good professional musicians and producers) generally lap up Robert Pollard's solo work. Odd, since that it's next to impossible to slip a Rizla paper between this album and GBV. The likes of "Frequent Weaver", "Pop Zeus", "Do Something Real" are just as "pop" as most of GBV's most reviled albums like "Mag Earwhig" and "Do the Collapse" - it's all Pollard after all. Here Bob contributes songs and vocals and GBV guitarist Doug Gillard provides eveything else, proving himself quite the little 4-track multi-instrumental wizard and true star in the vein of Rundgren/ McCartney/ Emitt Rhodes (take your pick). The lyrics are perhaps more mind-scramblingly bizarre, the vocals slightly less polished than on "proper" GBV albums - but this is mostly good stuff. It doesn't all work of course but what's most remarkable is how often it DOES, Is there is no end to this man Pollard's bag of songwriting tricks? Why is the 98 seconds of the ridiculously titled "Soul Train College Policeman" so affecting? And why does the closing "And My Unit Moves" MOVE. Only Mr. Pollard knows for sure.

More GBV than GBV
The most common complaint I hear from hardcore, old-days GBV fans -- the ones who, say, have "Forever Since Breakfast" on LP -- is that Mag Earwhig!, Do the Collapse and Isolation Drills sound too good. They're too well-produced. The songs' arrangements are too polished and conventional. I know what they mean, even though I love DTC and ID for what they are. I've the feeling Bob Pollard knows, too, so the solution: The Fading Captain Series, of which Speak Kindly ... might be the analogue to Bee Thousand or Alien Lanes.

It has the feel of early-to-mid-'90s GBV, and that amazing quality Pollard seems to have mastered: the ability to craft an album that sounds better every time you hear it. I wasn't that crazy about Speak Kindly ... the first time I heard it (just like Bee Thousand). Then I started to LISTEN. Frequent Weaver stuck its claws into me (just like Echoes Myron). Then Soul Train College Policeman and Pop Zeus (Electric Newspaper Boy!) and I Don't (So Now I Do) and Tight Globes, just like Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory and Hot Freaks and Gold Star for Robot Boy and I Am a Scientist ...

And on and on it goes. Certainly, Bob can dash off a throwaway song and put it on record beside a great one, but I don't care. Long may he write (on or off the can) and prosper. Oh, yeah, you might want to go ahead and buy this.

He is a Pop Zeus
This album still gets high rotation in my cd player. Doug Gillard shines on all instruments and Bob Pollard's lyrics excel without question. This is my favorite non-GBV Bob solo project. So many of these songs have been featured by GBV live they're all old hat to GBV fans by now:

Frequent Weaver Who Burns- Steals the descending riff from "Gold Heart Mtn. Top Queen Directory" to new effect. Great playing by Doug Gillard on all instruments here. Check out his drums on the fade out! ****

Soul Train College Policeman- Always a live favorite! ****

"Pop Zeus" rocks like vintage Mag Earwig material. What the hell does "Electric Newspaper Boy" mean? And how does he make it sound as rocking as anything the Who did? *****

Slick as Snails- This mid-tempo anthem seems to fit the mold for a lot of the Isolation Drills material. My favorite line: "The imprint where you sat, dig the ripples caused by that, I can ride them out." This is some of the finest solo guitar work Gillard has ever done. Gives me chills and a smile every time. *****

Port Authority- An introspective piece with liquid keyboards and a feel that might be borrowed from Bob's love of early Genesis? Good song nonetheless. ****

Soft Smoke/Same Things- Nice short pieces. ***

And I Don't (So Now I Do)- Great piece of pop that probably would have been a 30 second song in the days before Do the Collapse and Ric Ocasek. ****

Tight Globes- Lyrics obscurely tell a tale of a young blonde woman cutting off Bob on the Freeway. Rocks like a classic Who song. A song that gets a shot in the arm live. *****

I Get Rid of You- Dark and mysterious. *** (Can you tell I like the "up" material better?)

Life is Beautiful- I love how this one sounds like they're playing guitar in a small room. Bob touts the wonders of living and it ends with some nice atmospheric baubles and backing vocals. *****

Messiahs- A rocker in 5/4 reminiscent of Camper Van Beethoven with those space cowboy guitars.***

And My Unit Moves- Okay, what "Unit" Bob speaks of. But this stately piano and vocal dirge works surprisingly well. ****

Pollard IS my "Pop Zeus"...
Like most GBV/Pollard fans, my budget is much smaller than the available catalogue of their material, so I only just bought this album the other day, though I've known of it for years...

Well worth the wait for me! If you're a Pollard fan already, but haven't heard this album, then you're probably aware that words cannot possibly convey what awaits you until you actually hear it. I was very familiar with "Tight Globes" before I bought this and, believe me, if you liked that one, the rest of the album won't dissapoint you. It stands a lot stronger and is more cohesive than his other solo efforts but, if you're a true Pollard fan, weak and missmatched might be to your taste as well. Just consider this to be on the opposite spectrum of Kid Marine- stylistically speaking.

If you've never heard Pollard before but have had his work recommended to you- well, preparation is rather futile gesture. Suffice it to say that I don't give 5 stars to every work by an artist of which I'm a fan, but Pollard and Gillard earn every star of this album and, on my honor, it's worth a blind leap of faith. If you've never heard this type of songwriting before, you'll either be confused, or feel like you've found something missing in your life. If you're one of the later, it's worth the risk...

The best non-GBV GBV record, period!
If you are the proto-typical casual Guided By Voices fan, and are afraid to dip your toe into the pool of abundant side-projects, not only are you are lost to a wealth of wonderful music but you are missing the slow and facinating evolution of Robert Pollard as a maturing songwriter. The annual Guided by Voices records, while great in their own right, probably don't make as much musical sense standing alone, without witnessing the often bizzare but consistantly provocative Fading Captain series releases in the intervening months. Now I know what your thinking...'I don't have a million dollars to spend on every Pollard project nor the will to go back and collect and listen to this breadth of material'. Well, that's why I'm writing this review! "Volunteer Fire Department" is your one-stop shopping for everything wonderful about Pollard's solo work. From top to bottom, this record is full of tunes that will never leave your head and heart and is easily up there with the greatest of GBV. Pollard himself has said that he regrets not releasing this record as a GBV record, it's that good. (the distinctions between GBV records and solo stuff is dubious at best, considering that Bob Pollard created GBV and is the only primary songwriter of the group) And the best songs from the record have become staples of their amazing live show, including 'Pop Zeus' (a full-out rock classic), 'Do Something Real', 'And I Don't' and, of course, 'Tight Globes' (about a outer-space race, I think, with the most mind-blowing rock guitar riff that I can think of!). This album surely rocks, and rocks hard, but the quieter moments are some of Pollard's best including the psychedelic and creepy 'Port Authority' and the heart-wrenching 'Larger Massachusetts; And the most amazing thing about "Speak Kindly" is that all the songs, though written by Pollard, are played brilliantly by Doug Gillard, awesome lead guitar player for GBV, but here playing bass and drums and everything else, with a clean power and understated majesty rarely heard. The combination of Pollard's beautious melodies and Gillard's spirited musicianship is on full display and shines like a pure white light. 'Speak Kindly' is a great rock record, and is one of the few I've written a full review for. Please don't hesitate to buy this cd and then tell a friend about this buried classic! Excelsior! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Set in a shadowy netherworld, Twilight reasserts the Handsome Family's position as modern-day descendants of the ancient country-folk surrealists gathered on Harry Smith's celebrated Anthology of American Folk Music. Rennie Sparks's songs are filled with animals ("Birds You Cannot See" and "White Dog") and natural images that are both carefree ("Peace in the Valley Once Again") and unnerving ("Snow White Diner"). The lyrics masterfully blend compassionate insight and a real sense of drama and tragedy with an eye for detail and humorous asides. Brett's vocal croon and his background in both experimental avant-garde and Texas rockabilly insures that the duo's music continues to grow far beyond its country roots. The Handsome Family happily flout convention but their stark beauty still shines through--these are some of the strangest and most compelling songs in the warped but wonderful world of alternative country. --Gavin Martin ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Zippy says yippie!
I didn't like this the first time I listened to it. Now I can't stop. Each time it gets better. There are few songs anywhere that uses a theramin to such perfection as does "Gravity". "Birds You Cannot See" , what lyrics, I have known about these birds since my childhood, I am glad someone else knows about them, now I feel better. "Cold, Cold, Cold", great winter driving through the mountains tune. My kids hate "country music" not that this is, and they usually comment on what i play, but when I put "Twilight" on they become real quiet, I mean really quiet. Maybe they think I finally went around the bend. I even hear my youngest mumbling along with this CD. Must be onto something.

Quit reading this and buy it...
I mean it. Load up your cart with Handsome discs and checkout. NOW.

Surreal optimism?
I don't know how anybody could mistake songs like The Snow White Diner or Dark Eye as remotely "optimistic". These are classic gloomy and twisted Handsome Family odes to the dark side...and they're great! This is another fine release by the Handsome's... ..if you like the other Handsome's discs, buy this one. It's classic dark and twisted stuff, just the way we like it.

Jawdropping Beautiful Record
The Handsome Family has succeeded again in improving on their enchanted craft. Rennie Sparks pens gorgeous poems filled with characters and situations as real and lonely as I've ever known. Husband Brett Sparks sings them with a warm, deep, baritone voice that would make George Jones blush. The beautiful irony of this warm/cold complement lingers with me long, long after each listen. The instrumentation on this record is spare and (again) warm, with precious little departure from their past triumphs.

I suppose these words could be said of truly ANY Handsome Family record. As one who's familiar with them all I can say, with total astonishment, that this is a new height.

Twilight Time
The Handsome Family consists of the husband and wife team of Brett and Rennie Sparks. Brett composes simple 'On Top Of Old Smokey-ish' music to go with Rennie's dark, often macabre poetry/lyrics. The result is startlingly original, but familiar-sounding at the same time--much more than the sum of its parts.

Twilight, their 5th release, continues along the same vein, but takes more chances musically, expanding on the basic Handsome Family theme, with very good results. 'I Know You Are There' and 'Birds You Cannot See' are almost hymn-like in their majesty. Those two songs, plus 'No One Fell Asleep Alone' and 'Passenger Pigeons' take the formula to new levels of sophistication--they are quite astonishing. Brett's warm baritone is as smooth as ever.

What keeps this release from being as satisfying as HF's previous effort, In The Air, is an air of normalcy on several songs that are rather weak. Not that the Sparks are selling out, but the piano-based 'There Is A Sound' is quite mainstream, not really a country balled at all, while 'All The TVs in Town' and 'So Long' don't quite measure up to the 4 songs mentioned above. The production, if anything, is almost too clean. Rennie's lyrics seem to have lost some of their menace as well, quirky--almost precious--for no apparent reason other than to be quirky. Non-sensical liner notes (An example: Send dead birds and chocolates to...) lead me to believe that perhaps the Sparks are not to be taken seriously, after all.

Still, a fine release, one that will no doubt be on my 10 best of the year list. ... Read more

Album Description

1992 compilation featuring solo work alongside tracks with The Teardrop Explodes. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A few great tunes, but generally disappointing....
I bought this CD after hearing three of the songs that appear on it ("World Shut Your Mouth," "Trampolene," and "Charlotte Anne"), thinking that Julian Cope must be a true musical genius to have penned and recorded such inspired pieces--and thus concluding that his greatest hits CD must overflow with more of the same. Unfortunately, the three aforementioned tunes are the clear highlight of the collection, and, to my ear, only two or three of the remaining cuts even come close to them. The early material from The Teardrop Explodes is pretty forgettable for anyone who doesn't associate it with the time and place whence it arose, and my pop sensibilities, so satisfied by the three aforementioned tunes, make the later material somewhat unpalatable.

He comes from another planet, baby
I pity the poor kids these days, the music lovers of that generation! Tens of albums (yeah, yeah, cd's...) going out every day... every 18 years old got a music label in his parents' garage, making sounds that no one will ever hear. 10 years ago, when I bought my music (yeah, yeah, vinyl albums) there was limited access, so we got the good and the bad, but most important, we got the good! I checked out Julian Cope' Floored Genius, because I forgot the name of one of the songs... and I was amazed and ashamed to discover that it only has 1-2 reviews! So I'm doing it for the sake of my generation, telling you, asking you to check this one out. I know how hard is to go 10-20 years back in time and trace those marbles, but you can't afford to miss this one: I'll try to make a long story short: Julian Cope was born in England, where he still lives today, and in 1979, he formed a group name teardrop Explodes, the band did well in the post punk era in England at that time, and put out some of the best songs and records of that genre. If you want, the teardrop explodes were the important link between the Sex Pistols and the Smiths. Later on, Cope moved on and continued in a career of his own, producing unbelievable albums, one at the time. When I think of it, I can't really think of one album by the teardrop explodes, or as solo artist that doesn't contain at least 50% of great songs. The album "Floored Genius" is a very good collection of those years, as a group and as a solo artist. There are not enough words that I can use to tell you how good this collection is nor can I point its highlights, because it's all-good! For those of you who are interested in something more than Blink 182, who want to know where is it all comes from: Do yourself a favor, buy this one and change your life!

An outstanding overview of a brilliant career
I bought this on a whim several years after hearing & loving the fabulous "Charlotte Anne." At first I was a bit disappointed, since little of the record bears much resemblence to that song. After a few listens however I was hooked. Five years later, I'm still hooked.

The music is very diverse, but consistently outstanding, and the chronological arrangement shows his evolution as an artist from the late 70s with The Teardrop Explodes to to the very early 90s. Highly recommended.

Julian Cope Discussioon List
If you're a Julian Cope fan, check out The Culture Bunker by emailing the above address! END ... Read more

Reviews (55)

a great place to start for the uninitiated
The late Wesley Willis was an artist of a rare caliber. As everything written about him has pointed out, the man overcame a severe impairment (chronic schizophrenia) to create his music. Willis's focus as a lyricist is rather eclectic, which should be expected as he was one of the most prolific songwriters of the past decade, but his observations, whether humorous fantasies ("I Whupped Batman's Ass," "Rock 'N' Roll McDonalds") or serious recountings of crimes ("Richard Speck," "Larry Nevers/Walter Budzyn") are short, to the point and packed with facts and observations that few other songwriters would bother with. Although this record doesn't have one of his biggest "hits" ("Cut the Mullet,") it's well worth the price of admission.

R.I.P. Wes.

A Genius?
Wesley Willis may be a genius, but I wouldn't say his music makes him one. Possibly pushing himself from the depths of homelessness and mental illness to semi-stardom may qualify him as one, although he probably didn't do it on his own. Listening to such "breakthrough" music such as "Rock & Roll McDonalds" and the whiny ballad "I wupped Batman's ass" may get a few good laughs, though listening to his songs for over 20 minutes will make any real song sound like a masterpiece. Wprth a listen or two, but too much listening could cause damage to your psyche.

Rest in peace, Wesley! Rock on, Chicago!
Wesley Willis was a chronic schizophrenic from the streets of Chicago. In addition to being an artist (drawing almost exclusively buses and skyscrapers), he was a self-proclaimed "rock star". Using programmed melodies on a keyboard (all of which sound very similar), he recorded literally hundreds of songs. Almost all of his songs followed a formula of four spoken lines, the title sung four times, four more spoken lines, the title sung four times, four more spoken lines, the title sung four times. Oh, and he would add a tag of "Rock over London! Rock on, Chicago!" and a commercial slogan. While this may sound repetetive, and it is, I find it quite entertaining. It may not be right to laugh at the handicapped, but Wesley's music is very funny to me. This CD is a very well selected sampler of Wesley's music, chosen so that it doesn't get too repetitive, as some of his albums tend to do. It even includes three songs with Wesley singing with a live band, which sounds quite different than his solo work. I highly recommend this CD as the first Wesley Willis CD you should get, if you want to sample his work.

Rock over, London!
Rock on, Chicago!
CD Now! Never miss a beat!

This isn't music, but it's unquestionably art.
Well, I suppose that, yes, these 3-minute performances are music, but only in the most literal sense. What Wesley Willis brought to us all was not the beauty of a Beethoven symphony, but the beauty of a man willing to share with the world the workings of his innermost mind. Such painful honesty can only be described as courageous, and while his works are amusing and sometimes even insightful when heard one at a time, the true value of Wesley's art can be seen when it is viewed as a whole.

The schizophrenic delusions and his battles with those inner demons, his struggles with his weight problem, his deep love for his friends, his personal opinions - all of these are laid out for the listener in the most intimate way. Yes, the repetitive music is terrible, but that very repetition is descriptive of the way a schizophrenic mind functions. Yes, some of his lyrics are unbelievably vulgar, but even that has a beauty in its honesty; the songs are not meant to shock, but to siphon off some of the darker emotions and thoughts brought about by his mental condition. Some of his musical elements are undecipherable, such as his reasoning behind using a corporate slogan as the outro for each of his tunes. But like any true work of art, that paradox is revealing in terms of what thoughts it evokes in the listener. In particular, I marvel at the pervasiveness of advertising in our culture that in his dozens of albums, Wesley never ran out of so many catch phrases, most of which I already knew.

Wesley's music can be fun, and it can be offensive. It is at one appalling and endearing. But above all, remember that his is not necessarily music to be enjoyed, but art to be experienced.

How many actually like his music? Not many, I'd guess...
OK, so I came across Willis a while ago when I had a huge thing for this guy in high school. He mentioned liking Wesley Willis, so of course I said I did too. I immediately went out and bought the CD - and hated it. Of course, being the true-to-myself individual that most high school girls are, I claimed to love it, and did genuinely enjoy being able to "get" the inside-joke references to "Rock 'n Roll McDonalds," "I whupped Batman's ass," "Rock on (whoever)," and so on. It served perfectly as the conversation piece for which I bought it. Of course, six years later, and after the realization that this guy wasn't worth this or a number of other efforts, I now just think it sucks. But my point is this - I think a lot of you like Willis for the same reason - he's a good conversation piece, it's an insider thing, and it's fun to like someone who conventional wisdom sees as, well, sucky. It's all part of the cult phenomenon. That, plus the entertainment factor of seeing exactly how much he does suck - which, as one reviewer pointed out, can be genuinely entertaining. Which is fine - all of this is fine, and I wouldn't criticize anyone for buying his CD, be it for kitschy reasons, to impress someone, start conversations, be different, or in the unfortunate case that your taste is so skewed you actually regard this as music. But even in the last case - hey, to each his or her own ... I myself like some artists whom I'm fully aware are lame beyond reproach. Like I said, it's all good. But please, please, don't pretend he's some sort of musical genius (or "genious," as I've seen it). He's not "the absolute best," he's not "the urban muse of the '90s," and he certainly didn't "take music to a new frontier." (Thank heaven on that last one; that would be quite a scary frontier.) If you can stand to listen to him more than once, more power to you. But face it - he sucks. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Think of Morrissey fronting Prefab Sprout by way of the Go-Betweens, and you're in the game with New Zealander Stephen Jones. His six-year bedsit gestation period, neatly documented in recent months via three Handsome Boy reissues, suggested a pop maestro in the raw. Here he takes wing with a trio of supple, lyrically ripe U.K. hits ("You're Gorgeous," "Goodnight," "Candy Girl"), plus some sharp remakes of older material ("Dead Bird Sings," the uncanny Blue Nile imitation, "Bad Shave"). Tunefully addictive stuff from a pop original. --Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Gorgeous
I first heard You're Gorgeous on the radio in the office. As soon as I heard the first line of the first verse I grabbed my pen and waited for the DJ to tell me who it was. My immediate reaction was Echo and The Bunnymen meets U2 with a splash catchy infection to top it off. Once I had Baby Bird scrawled on my memo pad I rushed out to HMV and bought the album.

Every song was great. The highly addictive riff of Candy Girl underlined the U2 - Edge influence which was a positive thing. I fell in love with the oboe on Deadbird Sings, laughed my head off at Jesus Is My Girlfriend and drowned happily in 45 And Fat. Of course, You're Gorgeous stayed infectious and still is to this day despite all the TV advertising overkill - they are seriously using it for baby's nappies now!!! Oh ek!

Somethings Going On was in the same league without the splash of catchy. Back Together is truely amazing. I havent heard any of the low-fi stuff (except Shop Girl - hilarious) but am wondering whether its worth splashing out on the box set.

I'd love to see him play live and eagerly await some new material.

cheers

Ugly Beautiful Says It All
There is some very distasteful and disquieting stuff here -- start with the insert cover which may be a toe-tagged corpse, follow that with the blasphemous-to-some Jesus Is My Girlfriend and Bad Shave, and then I Didn't Want to Wake You Up (not that he could have because the object of the song is quite dead, thank you).You get the idea.A couple other cuts miss; Atomic Soda in particular seems endless.I just hit the skip button for them and doing so still leaves eight or nine wonderful pop songs, twisted pop in a couple cases (Candy Girl and You're Gorgeous) but tuneful hooks and singable choruses abound.The CD closes with two wonderful bittersweet love songs, July and Baby Bird, pushing you out of this odd CD with a lingering taste of sweetness and, yes, innocence.

sexy & creepy & just plain good pop
babybird is amazing.excellent songwriting, excellent voice.it's, as i said, sexy & creepy, but also bouyant & uplifting."45 & fat" will get stuck in your head for weeks.

Ugly Is Beautiful
More of a greatest hits than an album proper, Ugly Beautiful pulls songs from several of BB's indie releases for his major labor debut. It's fairly out there, some in England thought that I Didn't Want to Wake You Up was about murder or necrophilia (though I don't). BB has been compared to Echo and The Bunnymen, Robyn Hitchcock and The Smiths. He's mournful and a little low key. Still, I recommend it highly.

Another One Out of the Ordinary
These songs, especially "You're Gorgeous" and "Candy Girl" have a great nostalgic value to me, yet that is only possible because they are good enough to be remembered for a long time.

When Ifirst got my "Ugly Beautiful" CD, it was disturbing to see allthat blood and grime on the sleeve, but it's what's inside that counts,isn't it? Aside from the aforementioned two tracks, the rest of the albumis a little less appropriate for mainstream charts, but that's probablygood -- you see what those lads are really all about.

The vocals arememorable, and the tunes will stick in your head. That's probably all youneed to know. ... Read more

Album Description

1999 and first new material in four years by Stephin Merrit 's main band (his side projects include Future Bible Heroes, Gothic Archies and The 6ths).Disc two of a three CD set featuring more wonderful, yet cynically skewed, pop songs as only Merritt (and a midi) can do 'em! 23 tracks. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

If you dont cry, then you just dont feel it deep enough...
Um. Im not sure if the kid who gave this disc 3 stars really ever listened to it. Im thinking not because THIS IS THE BEST DISC OF THE SET. Case closed. Pencils down.

Stephin Merritt gives you 23 amazingly haunting and beautiful nuggets of pop wisdom on this disc. Starting with 'ROSES' which could easily be a Dorthy Parker poem, and finishing up with 'I SHATTER' which is like a Kate Bush song sung by froggy from the Little Rascals tv program. Cute!

Between these two soon to be classics, you will find a mass of Wilde wit and pure pop sugar to keep your head buzzing for days. There are some tunes on here that would be perfect for a 'breaking up with you' mix tape. Check out my personal faves; No One Will Ever Love You, If You Don't Cry, Epitaph For My Heart, and (Crazy for you)But Not That Crazy.

To prove that the world is not all about sadness and pain, Stephin also includes some of the most beautiful love songs you will ever hear. Songs like; Asleep and Dreaming, Papa Was A Rodeo, Washington DC, and Kiss Me Like You Mean It.

This Disc goes from faux Beat Poetry to 1980's New Wave to Corny Country to 1960's girl group super power pop and makes every stop between.

I would suggest getting the boxed set of all 69 songs but if your mom said you could only get one disc, this is the one I would most strongly suggest. If you dig the magnetic fields, you will love this disc.

merritt doesn't let up
if you're considering buying vol.2 please don't be hindered by negative reviews found herein. if you like what you've heard on vol 1 and/or 3 make no mistake these songs have much to offer. although the styles are widely varied, merritt's fantastic melodies and clever lyrics still flow second to none one after the other. i feel blessed that this recording caught my attention because hours of blissful songwriting are to be had. of course the box set is the best bang for your buck but if you must buy only one or two, volume 2 has material which easily equalls that of the others. check out "(crazy for you) but not that crazy" and "when my boy walks down the street" to satisfy your indie/retro rock urges while the other tunes may encourage to investigate other music styles; merritt is a master of simple, catchy yet deep songwriting craft.

some fall in love -- i shatter
Although others here have said that it is impossible to like one volume of "69 Love Songs" over any other, I fear that it is. This is, currently, my favorite volume.

There are just too many good songs on here -- "Roses," "When My Boy Walks Down the Street," "Time Enough For Rocking When We're Old," "Very Funny," "Grand Canyon," etc, etc. And "Papa Was a Rodeo," "Epitaph for My Heart" and "Asleep and Dreaming" are some of Merritt's best compositions, lyrically and musically.

Sure, it sort of drags a little bit in the middle ("Washington, D.C." and "Kiss Me Like You Mean It" come to mind), but all three volumes have their share of somewhat mediocre songs.

It also has the best opening and closing tracks of the three volumes (although "Absolutely Cuckoo" is pretty amazing) -- "Roses" is a lovingly sung thirty second song that defies catagorization (there's no music, just a beautiful voice); and "I Shatter" also defies catagorization with it's Laurie Anderson-like vocals (anyone remember that oddity "O Superman"?).

Regardless, you should not just buy one or two volumes -- buy the box set. There are some songs ("Absolutely Cuckoo," "A Chicken with Its Head Cut Off," "Busby Berkeley Dreams," "The Death of Ferdinand de Saussure," and many, many more) that are not available on volume two. But, if you must buy one, I guess I'll be one of the few to say "pick volume 2."

Not as good as V1 & V3
To my ears this one is the runt of the litter. I set my CD player up to leave off about 10 songs. The problem is that there are too many uninspired synthesizer songs, and too many songs about dancing (it seems like a crutch when he couldn't think up something better). Still, there are some good songs on this one, I just recommend picking it up last.

QAF led me to this fantastic CD!!
...The song was "When My Boy Walks Down the
Street", and I ordered the CD for it. Well, it was so
good, I hardly ever listen to When My Boy, because I love
the other ones so much!! Papa Was A Rodeo is excellent,
a short little ditty called Washington DC makes me want
to get up and cheer:)Stuffed with good things, I'm telling
everyone I know about it. And now, I must get the other discs
in the set. BUY BUY BUY!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Intelligent Lyrics... No Airplay
The Mountain Goats have created a wonderful song-cycle with "Nine Black Poppies." The brilliant "Cubs in Five" starts this EP rattling off a list of impossible occurrences( such as "The Canterbury Tales" staying on the bestseller list for 27 weeks, finding intelligent life on the moon, and as the title suggests- the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series in five games) and then blasts into the chorus with- "...And I will love you again..." (another impossible occurrence). "Cubs in Five" is the most literate kiss-off breakup song ever recorded. My favorite song on this EP is "Cubs in Five," but the other songs are all excellent. In "cheshire County," over a lazy acoustic guitar rhythm the words begin- "When the sun came up, I got up 'cause you were saying my name backward in your sleep again..." As with most of the songs, the intro draws in the listener who can't help but be intrigued and anxious to find where the song will lead. Musically, this EP is mainly acoustic guitar and voice with the occasional bass or drum machine thrown in. Though this EP never got within six blocks of the radio station in my town(or yours probably), it deserves to be heard and will reward with each listen. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Amazing Compilation
This is the second of a series of three TMG comps. These three comps (also Protein source of the Future Now and Ghana) comprise many seven inches, cassette tapes and other hard to acquire TMG material. THis is my favorite of the three and I reccomend getting all three of them, because it is a good starter kit for new TMG listeners. Some highlights are Noche Del Guajolte, Sail On, Rain Song, Alpha Double Negative: Going to Catalina, and a cover of Ace of Bases "the Sign". All in all a great compilation by John Darnielle. Peace.Love. ... Read more

Album Description

His bass playing was Weezer's heart, & his falsetto their soul. A founding memeber/co-songwriter of Weezer, and mastermind behind MTV "Buzzclip Act" The Rentals, Matt Sharp's mark on pop won't be forgotten. With his debut EP, Puckett's Versus the Country Boy, a new chapter began. Sharp has left pop behind - preferring a spiritual tone of lap steel, piano, and acoustic guitars. With the help of former Cake guitarist Greg Brown and Rentals touring member Josh Hagar, the tone is set with ghostly sounds, sparse arrangements, & a contemplative, almost haunting mood. Brown's guitar brings a rustic, melodic sense;an authentic American voice. Coinciding with Geffen's release of Weezer's deluxe Blue Album CD/DVD colletion (an album that Sharp palys a pivotal role in), Matt Sharp is sure to impress. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

acoustic masterpiece!!
First of all I don't see why people keep saying "If you are a major weezer fan, you should buy this" becuase this is nothing like weezer or the rentals, and I'm sure Matt still doesn't like to be compared to them. You can tell from the song "Goodbye West Coast"

Ok this is the review:

This album makes me want to become a musician. Matts voice gives it a nice folk feeling to it along with the acoustic. This album sohlud be apart of your collection of cds!!!

EXCELENT ALBUM!!!!!!!!!!!!
This disk is pact full of mellow tunes with catchy melodys. Its a great album to fall asleep to, and thats not a bad thing. Its full of beutifully written songs. Ive been a fan of Matts since his last project The Rentals "Seven More Minutes." This is just what i was expecting from Matt. Good buy all arround, will not dissapoint.

a must for anyone who calls themselves a weezer fan
This album is amazing. That's all that really has to be said. It's amazing. Matt sharp has and always will be my favorite bassist/member in general of weezer, and i have been buying all of his solo stuff(and other weezer side projetcs) over the past year. I started with Return of the Rentals, then got Seven More Minutes, then I hunted down Puckets when it first came out. Puckets was hard to get, but well worth the wait. It was amazing, i didnt mind spending 13 bucks for four or five songs, because they were that good, and ever since then I have been patiently waiting for a full album like that, and here it is. It is 10 new songs in the puckets style, plus a reworked Goodbye West Coast. I have never heard anything remotely like this before, and i hope i never do, because noone could possible do it better then Matt. If your looking for some weezer side projects, I'd reccomend this and the Return of the Rentals, then work your way on to the rest, but if your just lookin for great music, youve found it right here. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Light Green Leaves
This is one of my favorite all time CD's. I will never miss a Little Wings show in my town, and will buy every CD, forever: because of this album. Light Green Leaves reminds to see beauty in everything, and to experience the world in awe and wonder... without being cheesy. Absolutely beautiful, and fun too!

Will Oldham on Prozac
Light Green Leaves is definitely more of a Will Oldham sound and Wonderue does have a Flaming Lips likeness at points, but Kyle has a style all his own. I find his songwriting much more quick-witted than Will or Wayne. I'm not saying he's a better writer than Will, but he definitely packs more of a kick with his lyrics. Especially on "Next Time". He'll having you laughing before you can figure out what the hell he's singing about. I highly recommend this album for anyone who digs Will Oldham, Songs:Ohia, Flaming Lips, Destroyer or M.Ward.

"...feel the tangle come undone"-lw
take off your shoes. climb a tree. give a butterfly kiss. smile. eat an orange. fall in love. all is well.

honesty and simplicity are sometimes the most powerful tools in music. little wings knows this. if you like to take er' easy and explore the beauty of life, this album may help confirm that your on the right path. extremely grounded lyrics on a planet with no gravity. folky goodness with big heart and beautiful melody. what more can you ask for?

Organic Minimalism
Take away all the artificial operations, observe the trees, the light, the strength. Pure, organic, futuristic utopia. This album is very low-key yet tinged with subtle power. Great listening for the Fall, Spring, Summer, and even in the Winter when you need an extra dose of organic sunshine. Listen to this, eat a bunch of veggies n' organic food and feel all awesome. hope in music is neat

A great pick
this cd is off da hook! ... no seriously this is a rad cd and kyle is definately the man
get it today!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Since so much three-chord punk has gotten stale, this Portland, Oregon trio often strips down to just two chords--which makes those moments when they do splurge on that third precious bundle of notes staggeringly climactic. The Thermals have just one basic melody, but it's a great one, and like the finest bluesmen, their brilliance is in the variations they work over these standard changes. Except these variations aren't solos—they're gradations of emotional tone and feedback burst and Hutch Harris' clearly enunciated rants. There's a political underpinning to this all--the lyrics on the elliptical yet scathing "God and Country" ("Pray for a new state/ Pray for assassination") draws the line pretty clearly. But even here, Harris chooses not to rail against the powers that be, but instead to express solidarity with a likeminded constituency, declaring "History will show our progress is slow/ When we win in inches." --Keith Harris ... Read more

Reviews (5)

I don't understand!
I first heard the thermals when they opened for quasi at the crystal ballroom. I couldn't believe how bad they were. After a few songs that sounded the same i didn't want to be there. it almost ruined the show for me. I'm not a fan of garage rock but even considering the simplisaty of garage these guys are horrible. I read reviews that call the thermals "genius." I wouldn't call three chord, 4/4 songs genius. I'm sorry but i think this band is horrible.

the best band since the pixies...maybe even better
even though i do prefer the first album slightly more this is still a 5 star album and is the second best album of the new millennium with only "more parts per million" surpassing it. once you see them play the new songs live they become every bit as infectious as the earlier songs. listening to this album i swear to God i was able to drive from new work to Los Angeles in 28 minutes since "the thermals music enables you to travel faster then the speed of sound." (Albert Einstein) that 28 minute drive even included being pulled over once by an officer of the law who thought i was having an epileptic seizure as my body fought the G-force coming from my speaker. if they played this album in factories productivity would increase at least 200% because you absolutely cannot stay still when listening to it. it's like audio crack. highly recommended for people who are always tapping a foot or shaking a leg....and if you haven't already check out their first album as it surpasses the brilliance of this one. and when you come down check out hutch and kathy's releases on K records...nice and folksy

Better production than MPPM
The first CD was fun; this one is better, basically because the production values are better. "End to Begin" rocks and is my favorite cut, and there's even a couple political songs. My only bitch, and it's big enough to deny this CD 5 stars, is that the CD is only 28 minutes long, despite having 12 songs. Saw them in Denver last year, can't wait to see them in Dallas this year.

second LP, a litte less rowdy, more cousin It with a job
Hey, I sweat the thermals hardcore, my friends know this, my sister knows this, my girlfriend, my OBGYN and my proctologist...The second LP is not as abrasive, a factor that makes "more pts per mill" so friggin good, like chewing on a ham and cheese sandwich with bacon bits between the slices of processed pig. Does not mean this album does not rawk, it does, it has grown on me, and I think fans will agree. Start with "more pts.." then get this one, and go see the thermals live, and uncensored. Drrty like a good boy/girl should.

seriously, it is a very good rocking punk album. worth the price tag.

late.

worth owning
i would have to say i enjoy the theremals' previous release "more parts per million" more than this. although this is still good its not quite up to par. this is a little more raw and in general i didnt find the vocals as captivating. its a good disc and is still lots of fun, but you should probably check out MMPM over this one. even better, go see them live!
overall, i'd have to say the thermals rule and this is probably worth owning. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

I'm not easily impressed, but this album is VERY good.
I knew nothing about Blinker The Star until reading a very positive review in the Detroit News/Free Press. I bought the disc after listening to Amazon's on-line samples and I wasn't disappointed. Out of the 12 tracks, there are only two that I don't really care for.....10 out of 12 listenable tracks is a rare find these days. Below The Sliding Doors, Pretty Pictures and The Star Behind The Star are all tracks you'll find yourself repeating. I hear touches of old Steely Dan, Jellyfish like tunes or orchestral backgrounds like some of Jason Falkner's solo cuts. If you're a hard rocker, this is not for you, but if you like a progressive pop sound with intelligent arrangements then I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

So this is where The Beach Boys went...
When I first heard a song from this album (Sliding Doors) I was driving on I-5, on my way to Pasadena. I pulled off and bought the CD. I give it half a star over the 4 rating, and it would it be worth 5 if the boys had axed "Right Kind of Girl". There is something painful about the 'siamese cat' line. Probably I just don't get it. "Your Big Night" is Steely Dan adeptly finessed into the 90s. "Star Behind" may have been inspired by The Moody Blues or the Hale-Bopp cult troop, I dunno, but I like the pulsating yet dreamy arrangement. My fave track is "All Dreamed Out". It is a Satin Doombox.

So here's where the Beach Boys went...
When I first heard a song from this album (Sliding Doors) I was driving on I-5, on my way to Pasadena. I pulled off and bought the CD. I give it half a star over the 4 rating, and it would it be worth 5 if the boys had axed "Right Kind of Girl". There is something painful about the 'siamese cat' line. Probably I just don't get it. "Your Big Night" is Steely Dan adeptly finessed into the 90s. "Star Behind" may have been inspired by The Moody Blues or the Hale-Bopp cult troop, I dunno, but I like the pulsating yet dreamy arrangement. My fave track is "All Dreamed Out". It is a Satin Doombox.

Just wanted to point out something
About the comment that the cover shouts "Amateur Hour," I wanted to note that the art is done by Storm Thorgerson, most well known for his work with Pink Floyd. The cover art isn't his best work ever, but I doubt it deserves the "amateur" label.

August Anytime
Great record. An effortlessly original sound bounds out of every song. Good CD to pop in anytime with the kind of hooky modern rock sound that actually puts you in a better mood. The vocals are mesmerizing and production quality is superb(thanks to Ken Andrews of FAILURE and ON). Yet another overlooked effort that really shines when compared to lesser talented acts in the 'pop-rock' world. I recommend keeping 'August Everywhere' in your car for it makes an excellent driving listen. Overall excellent CD. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

No longer content to mumble low-fi and lovelorn, Bill "Smog"Callahan has taken it upon himself to construct actual songs. Ofcourse, he hasn't lost his darkly sardonic edge. On "Dress Sexy for MyFuneral", he instructs a lover (with his oddly compelling deadpandelivery) to add some spice to his wake. Elsewhere, Callahan busieshimself examining the wreck-strewn intersection of Sex Avenue and DeathStreet. Someone else's problems were never this interesting!--S. Duda ... Read more

Reviews (9)

so what if it is better produced?
as a fan of old and new smog, i think this record hasn't been done justice. sure it is a little longer than past smog efforts, but it's not like the songs are over-indulgent jams or anything. they are still sparse and plaintive and smog. once people learn not to judge a record by its first single and catchiest track (dress sexy - which when i saw him play last year, had to be requested - he didn't even think to play his 'radio-friendly hit', if you could ever call a smog song a hit...well maybe cold blooded old times)the world will be a better place.
tortoise fans won't recognise the backing of jeff parker and john mcentire on most of the songs because they are playing in 4/4 with a lo-fi troubador instead of bitney, mccombs and machine. they provide a wonderful backing (the velvet underground chugalug never sounded so fresh - see cold discovery).
the melodies themselves are very appealing. if red apple falls was his well...red (very o'rourke) record, and knock knock was his teenage record, then this is his love record. his dry wit has never been so sharp.
the various producers don't mess the songs up and it end with a beautiful melody complete with 'oh god's' and a twinkly piano.
and if you thought the little kids on no dancing and hit the ground running were out of place (but not at all) then cop an earful of the dongettes on bloodflow.
i liked it and you will too. you will want to listen to it more than 5 or 6 times.

The album Smog Fans were afraid would be made (brilliant).
Dongs is not what fans of Smog's early work will be looking for. It is loaded with songs that nuzzle up to popular song styles, with decent production (compared to the 4 track stuff on most of the old albums).

That said, Dongs is a brilliant record. Its bound to build Smog (Bill Calahan) a much wider audience, which could upset some long time fans. Still, this album isn't selling the staunchly DIY Calahan out. Quite the contrary. The songs are still insightful and slightly weird. For example, Dress Sexy At My Funeral, the albums second cut. Strange title, hilariously dry song. And that's just the beginning.

Dongs is a lot brighter than Red Apple Falls, almost giddy by comparison. I would reccomend this as a starting point for anyone curious about Smog. The early stuff is a bit challenging. This album is just fun.

ehhhh
There are a couple of very good songs on this album, but it's incredibly inconsistant.

I'd like to say it's missing Diamond Jim O'Rourke's golden touch, but I don't know if that's the problem. If O'Rourke was back as the producer, would he have made an album laden with horns and steel guitars just like previously? If so, it probably would've been hard to stomach, not that I don't love O'Rourke or those previous Smog albums, in fact, I think he had the potential to make this a very great Smog album had he decided to experiment a little more in the studios, perhaps with some of the more electronics-based work he's been somewhat involved in.

Callahan is in decent form, and the best tracks on the album are very good. In particular the much-noted, "Dress Sexy at My Funeral" and "Bloodflow" with the Cheerleader back up vocals. But most of the album is very bland, and I've only managed to listen to it 5 or 6 times since I purchcased it. The lyrics are strong, it's just that there's a few too many conventional rock songs here to make it something special.

solid smog
You have to give 'ol Bill Callahan kudos for versitility. While to the casual Smog listener it may sound like same old same old, those who have delved deep into Smog's back cataolgue will be able to appreciate what a departure this is from some of his previous work. Dongs of Sevotion is worlds away from his last LP Knock Knock, which is a shame in a way, because that record contained some of the most memorable Smog songs ever (I'm thinking of Teenage Spaceship and River Guard here). This new record somewhat reminds me of Wild Love, it has the same kind of irreverent eclecticism of that release. Dongs of Sevotion is good, but didn't really touch me the same way previous Smog records have, perhaps it's length (about an hour long) is a factor in this. The last song however, Permanent Smile, with its Phil Spectoresque wall of sound, hints at greater things ahead.

If this is Bill happy, I'd hate to see him sad
Another year, another Bill Callaghan CD. The main man of Smog, he's written some really not very happy records in his time. Last year's Knock Knock was deemed to be his "teen record" though for some reason it failed to challenge Britney Spears for chart position. And his new one, Dongs of Sevotion (stop it! My sides are splitting!) is unlikely to, either. Which is a tragedy. Put simply, music isn't there just for the nice things in life, it's for the sad, odd, slightly deranged bits too. In this LP, Happy Bill sings songs about [well, sort of about, you're never entirely sure] Rwanda in Bloodflow "No time for a tete-a-tete, can I borrow your machete", rape on Cold Discovery "I can hold a woman down on a hardwood floor", and lightens up considerably on Dress Sexy At My Funeral, in which he tells his wife to make a speech at his funeral telling the congregation the numerous public places they had sex. There's always a dry humour alongside the melancholy, stopping Smog from becoming a miseryfest, though it takes a few listens. Put simply, don't play this to your new lover...fantastic stuff.

I wonder if Ricky Martin will do a cover of "Strayed"? ... Read more

Reviews (4)

haha wait
someone above me said "The first time I heard this was at a party." I just want to say that must have been the worst party EVER. otherwise, if you're like me and spend your time alone, so alone, then this is the best cd to have a party with yourself to. a death party that is, suicide punch + weird phone calls to your close friends at 3:30am.

sweet tunes make me want to cuddle
This album is so awesome. The first time I heard it I was at a friend's party. The next day I thought to myself I need to hear Hayden. I asked my friend if I could borrow his CD for a while. Needless to say I didn't return it for approximately two months. I must say that I enjoyed sitting on my porch sipping a cold drink and hearing his ear pleasing tunes echoing throughout the house. His lyrics come from the heart and let us see the gentleness that is behind the mask this curly-haired man wears. Hayden is even more moving in concert. Everyone should purchase this disk!

Hayden's talent is obvious on this, his second album.
Hayden writes and sings sweet, sad, insightful songs about simple everyday things or events that really make the listener think about them in a different, more meaningful way. He also uses a variety of instruments on this album such as the steel guitar and a beautiful piano/cello combination on "Nights Like These" to make his music more flavorful. Hayden is my favorite male singer, and I highly recommend both of his albums.

HAYDEN- Better then it is
When I first went into the music store I couldn't remember what the Hayden cd's title I wanted was. I saw two cd's there. One titled " Everything I long for" and the other " The Closer I get". I ended up buying " The closer I get". When I got it home and listened to it I found that the song that I liked was not on the cd. I thought about taking it back and exchanging for the one I wanted. But after I heard the cd, I found that I wanted to keep that one and buy all the Hayden cd's. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Though it's not widely known, guys like Bill "Smog" Callahan (and Beck, and Lou Barlow, and Daniel Johnston) who've made an art out of sitting in their basements and cranking out song after song fragment on a four-track tape recorder, have an unlikely patron saint, someone who represents everything they'd want to be if they had prolific creativity, the stamina of a perfectionist, and access to big time home studio equipment. His name used to be Prince, and he's the monarch of do-it-yourself recording.

That's what makes "Prince Alone in the Studio," from Smog's new record Wild Love, an indie classic of epic proportions. Typically Smog-like in its dark humor, with psychedelic effects and cello, the majestic dirge sums up the passion that drives helpless low-fi heads to tape themselves relentlessly, its lyrics conveying the loneliness, grueling discipline, and magical satisfaction of artistic creation as well as any song in memory can. If Prince is royalty, Callahan is his court poet.

While "Prince Alone" stands as Wild Love's triumph, the rest of Smog's folksy krautrock stays in step with the concise "Bathroom Floor" and "Sweet Smog Children," which end at the first sign of tiring, and with the sardonic, melodic "Be Hit" and "Goldfish Bowl." Wild Love is Callahan at his bleakest, and the no-longer-low-fi Smog at it's most accessible. It's also Drag City (home to similarly minded bands like Silver Jews, Gastr del Sol, and Red Krayola) at its best. --Roni Sarig

... Read more

Reviews (5)

Pretty Cool Band....Pretty Laid Back Singer
I was sitting in a small bar, in Kitchener, Ontario Canada one night, when all of a sudden...in rolls SMOG! They had been on a tour and were just heading back to the U.S.A The bar owner didn't really know who they were, but he let them set up their instruments...and they played...and played...and PLAYED, all night long, while I sipped beer, sitting only a few feet away from the lead singer.

The band was currently promoting thier new "Knock,Knock" album but also sang most of WILD LOVE. I liked their sound so much, I bought this album in the bar, and got Bill to sign it!

SMOG is like a strange hint of Pink Floyd...and a familiar touch of Beck. A very similar flow and writing style....BUT still a very unique band. "Bathysphere" is just great!... like a hypnotic breeze, blowing ever so softly. I can listen to it over and over again. The lead singer is a very laid back guy, and I think the music reflects just how laid back he is.

I spoke to him for a few minutes while they were packing their instruments up. He seemed pretty mellow! I'll never forget that night and I'll always dig thier songs. check out Wild Love, for some very good and mellow music!

Brilliant
This album is very beautiful and very depressing. It will take you a while to appreciate this album, but once you get what Bill is trying to say on this album you will be blown away. The album is full of synth and string lines with hauntingly dead pan lyrics. I read a Jim O'Rourke interview once where he said that his favorite thing about Bill is his ability to say something deep that he is feeling in the simplest language. I agree.

It's not enough to be shot with arrows
Sometimes Smog uses the hemlock-----and sometimes the anti-venom------these songs of abandon------and impossibility-- of any but emphemeral satisfaction--unless you can supply some artifice, ------smell good enough to resign yourself to not bothering yourself much with the fruit falling on your head----and jumping with worms --the stains in your denim tuxedo compliment your dates inability to speak the language of small space, and restless devotion----even beaten up wood in the rain smells good--- Pa---Ma------and where is our sister Smog? In Wild Love-------we find the shutter rising and falling at a speed that invites open hearted understanding of something dressed up with pain--with too many places to go----if your sleepy---have gills---or can't swim until you turn 70-----the albums a super plus.

Terrific masterpiece
Mister Callahan is a strange kind of fellow, if you ask me, but when he makes albums like Wild love, you almost feel the urge to encourage him in his strangeness. Wow, what a masterpiece! It's a mix of all kinds of music and the lyrics don't make any sense at all at first notice. But after a while you think you understand it. You THINK! Then you give up trying and just go with the flow of the songs. Terrific!

"folksy krautrock?" What a load.
I don't know what the official reviewer was thinking (or actually listening to).. but this is no boy in the basement with a 4 track. It's much more lush and clear. My housemate and I like to have 'Bathysphere' dance parties. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

when music is sometimes good
I only have one problem, really, will Robert Pollard. He needs to be more selective on the songs he chooses to release! You can't just release every single song you write! Even John Lennon couldn't get away with that. Some of the songs on Not in My Airforce are really good, for instance, "Maggots Turn to Flies" which has a grunge guitar riff and a mechanical drum track. Other songs are so short it's not ever funny. Why would you make a song 1:23? Is anybody really going to get what you're trying to do in that short of a song? Not me! At least Tobin Sprout makes his songs three minutes long. With some better editing and a little more effort on the recording process I could of given this album four stars! I would recommend Alien Lanes to the new collector.

ALBUM OF THE DECADE
Robert Pollard is a genius. Plain and simple. We don't run into too many in a generation. Embrace him.
Not in My Airforce, Waved Out, Kid Marine, Motel of Fools.
Listen. and Listen. and Listen. and Listen. and Listen.

Some Great Songs in Rough Sketches
I'm all for the lo-fi early GBV sound (Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes are masterpieces), but many of the tracks here sound slap-dash, thrown together just to get them down on tape, with little thought for the listener, and thusly, are largely unlistenable. Thank god for the GBV live band, who can resurrect these tracks in the fullly fleshed-out versions Bob always envisioned.

Bob seems to believe that instead of keeping all this stuff on tapes around the basement until he gets the chance to record them properly, he may as well just release everything. That's fine for many fans, but for me, I listen to much of these tunes and cringe at how minimal the effort is, and yearn to hear what could have been, with even the lo-fi work put into other GBV albums recorded around this same time (see above). Considering the great arrangements and recordings on other "solo" albums, like Waved Out and Speak Kindly of your Volunteer Fire Department, it's clear that when he wants to, Bob can do much better.

I truly hope Bob takes the time to-record some of these songs in the future, and give them the respect they so magnificently deserve.

a guided by voices record by any other name
a good collection of robert pollard songs recorded in the prime of guided by voices career. includes great songs like 'girl named captain' and 'chance to buy an island', but after song #15, 'psychic pilot clocks out', bob just slaps togather a bunch of throw-away songs that, had they been sequenced between the stronger tracks, would have made for a pleasant listening experience. as it is, the album just sort of stalls in second for the last couple of songs.

if you want to know if you'd like the monster four-cd box set 'suitcase' before you lay down the cash, try 'not in my airforce'. they are both similair in composition, though suitcase has better sequencing.

haunting, driving rock, pop, punk, psychedellic
so packed with energy and imagination. this is essential! up with the best of Guided by Voices. blow your mind, jump up and down, who would guess that anything could be so truely catchy and absolutely non-ironic or derivative? ... Read more