|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
I once got this magazine called Mojo that was mostly about UK punk. That might have had something to do with it.
|
This one from NumberNineDream...
Witthüser & Westrupp - Trips Und Träume http://www.musicline.de/cover/Witth%...0204747429.jpg Lovely cover there, I'm sure you'll agree. One which fits the music within quite well too (coming from someone whose grip of German is rusty at best). It's basically a kind of psychedelic folk-ish spin on krautrock and one that has this strangely cosy vibe, which is all very nice as I've looking out my window now at about 5-10 centimetres of snow (it's quite something for this country, believe me). So, while analogies and generic labels are all very well, what do they actually mean? To put it in proper, black and white terms, it's an album that revolves around a very distinct acoustic guitar (sometimes 12-string) sound with the odd, sparse use of brass, flute and mellotron to back it all up as the Germanic vocals work their magic in building up that said cosy and, in that sense, wintry sonic picture with the added spice of a twisted kind of psychedelic vibe. It's an album that hasn't really got a thing wrong with it. Not quite one of the best things I've ever heard but, proportionately, not a lot of music is! As I say, there's nothing wrong with it, and I really do like what I'm listening to for the second time through as I type this. Each song is really quite evocative in one way or the other, and a few of the highlights are works of art when all's said and done (the freak-out that is Orienta, Illusion 1 and Trippa Nova being my personal favourites). Hasn't exactly blown me away just yet, but I'd imagine that this is an album with an impact that gets stronger with time. So, yeah, top stuff. Thanks :thumb: I'll be getting on to the other album I got as soon as I can too... |
Bulldog sent me -
Donald Fagen - The Nightfly http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L1e8nf7arN...+nightfly.jpeg "What a beautiful world this will be, what a glorious time to be free..." Look at the cover. Fagen, the lead singer and primary songwriter of Steely Dan sits in a swivel chair in a radio studio, nonchalantly smoking Chesterfield Kings while spinning a Sonny Rollins. He sits, sleeves rolled up and tie loosened, as the epitome of New York night-life cool. So why does his record, entitled The Nightly, fail to meet the expectations set by the cover? The problem with Donald Fagen's solo debut is not a conceptual issue. The Nightly chronicles the dreams of a young Fagen, who wants things greater than his current situation as a middle class New York rebel allows (for one, to "Move up to Manhattan and fill the place with friends" - Maxine ). This works for The Nightfly, and the lyrics, while verging on cheese at times ("The key word is survival on the new frontier" - New Frontier) are adequately interesting from a story-telling perspective. It's no Born To Run lyrically, but it gets the job done. The problem lies in the music itself. Donald Fagen's idea of soul is righteous, but his execution of it on The Nightfly is patchy at best. An American, the Steely Dan singer could not best the blue eyed soul of the U.K. at that time. The year following the release of this album, Paul Weller's soul duo "The Style Council" released their debut album, the vocals of which, while not better in the classical sense than Fagen's, are filled with more soul than it seems Fagen can materialize. The two records are similar, but the difference in quality is clear. This is testament to the musical truth that just a very fine line divides musical brilliance and failure. 5.7/10 Sorry Bulldog! |
No worries, at least it's not a 5.6 ;) Never really seen the vocals as that much of a drawback - not the most soulful, I'll agree (though he's still one of my favourite singers), but that jazzy swing of his backing band's what does this good in my books. Each to their own anyway.
Still haven't got round to your album just yet, so I'll set a bit of time aside for that very soon! |
I know, it's way too good to be a 5.6 :rolleyes:
Also if anyone is wondering, for what it was, that is, a bunch of cheesy 80s jazz-ish synths and drum machines, the production is INCREDIBLE |
Sent by Bulldog.
Not my style of cover artwork but still pretty cool. As for the album itself: I was kind of disappointed at first, regarding the extreme change of style from the previous works, specially in the lyrical content. After searching the story behind this album, seems that is the first album after Nick Cave's drug rehabilitation, so having so many optimistic loving lyrics was kind of expected. However, getting more into the songs the whole lyrics, at a time annoying, just vanished for the music. Throughout the album, you can just imagine Nick Cave singing in front of his piano, and maybe that alone could've made this album work. His voice mixed with the piano's is so powerful, you naturally forget everything else and get immersed in this whole atmosphere. Listening to that album, I always feel outside, in the middle of the night with the chilly breeze playing in my hair. It was a good experience. It does need some time to cope with the change, but as a whole, this album succeeds in sucking you in completely. Top stuff also Bulldog and I LOVED the couple of extra songs you sent with the album :thumb: thanks. |
I got this from...gotjuice:
Well I gotta say, this work that juice hooked me up with, Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde, gobbled me in with great haste before I even realized it. The black metal haze makes the sound seem oceanic, as if its swimming. Beautiful voices lost in this great density work in contrast to the music at play, but when a contrast is done this well its simply remarkable and my descriptive ability is beside itself with inadequacy. There's a floating darkness about this album, yet at the same time the songs are brimming with sunlight that blinds the senses at certain breathtaking moments. Hence, I can say this a wonderful album and that I will certainly be checking out more of Alcest and their ilk's output in the very near future. Thanks!! 10/10. |
Quote:
|
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:10 AM. |
© 2003-2024 Advameg, Inc.