Simple Sounds Through Awkward Words - Reflective Impressions of 100 Works
 

Hello Music Banter.

For a long time now, I have had the privilege of a sensible family with which I can talk about music. Only recently have I come to appreciate just how important these discussions were. Mind-opening and deeply life-affirming, the collective thoughts and ideas of two people discussing what would appear to be merely sounds are in desperate need of catalogue.

And so, in my current state of solitude, I will loosely do so. My writings will not be reviews, but just thoughts. Unorganized, innocent thoughts. They may come in the form of a dialog, an essay, or simply verbal translations of the impressions felt after a fresh listen. Perhaps I may even use the recording in question as a statement about music itself. It could go anywhere, but it will all start with a conversation, maybe just simple badinage, maybe a full-on argument. We'll see.

In the wise words of writer Will Connolly, "It's not what you're listening to, it's who you're listening with".

That said, enjoy.


Contents: (Will be updated with each subsequent entry)

1. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: L.A.'s Desert Origins - Pavement (Posted 09-24-2009)
2. The Downward Spiral - Nine Inch Nails (Posted 09-28-09)
3. Smiley Smile - The Beach Boys (Posted 10-4-09)
4. The Soft Bulletin - The Flaming Lips (Posted 10-11-09)
5. Discovery - Daft Punk (Posted 11-21-09)
6. You Are the Quarry - Morrissey (Posted 1-5-10)

Nice. Looking forward to it.

Gotta love the summer hols eh :D

Sounds like this'll be another good spin on the old top 100 idea - I like the sound of already. Good luck.

Sounds interesting. Looking forward to this.

Oh hi people from two months ago! I forgot about this thread like you can't believe once school started, and didn't once remember until Bulldog reminded me. Thanks buddy! Anyway, here goes.

Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: L.A.'s Desert Origins

R.E.M. fans stick together. They are a band that plenty of people tolerate, but one that surprisingly few people love. I swear that finding somebody else who loves R.E.M. like my dad and I do is such a great experience and they always become great friends. Thus, imagine my surprise when the hipster band I never really noticed reissued Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain in 2004, with what was perhaps the most clearly R.E.M. influenced album I had ever heard. Malkmus and company effectively brought the R.E.M. sound into the nineties in a way better even than the way R.E.M. themselves did. The latter went in full strings and high production, dabbling in many styles on Out of Time and focusing it on Automatic for the People, but Pavement created a perfect balance between R.E.M.'s folk influenced I.R.S. years work and the newfound hard edged lo-fi sound of the early ninteties.

Instrumentally, the album constantly alludes to staples that R.E.M. helped to create; the mid-tempo countrified electric bit that is "Heaven is a Truck" is instantly reminiscent of the piano based "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" from Reckoning, while the repetitive bass riff on "Hit the Plane Down" sounds remarkably similar to that of "Auctioneer (Another Engine)" from Fables. Even under Malkmus' rough power chords are very present arpeggiated riffs that would fit perfectly on Lifes Rich Pageant.






Yet, while the influence is obvious, Spiral Stairs and company are clearly very humbled by their Idols, paying tribute with their version of "Camera" from Reckoning, which is perhaps one of the best covers ever. Malkmus unleashes so much feeling with his horrible voice on that song than I've ever heard anywhere. No kidding. With no lyrical similarities save the words "...a Camera", Malkmus clearly had trouble understanding whatever the hell Michael Stipe was singing, and decided to write his own words instead. Classic! Later on comes the awesomely funny "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence", in which Malkmus talks about what a great album Reckoning was, and how R.E.M. were "Southern boys just like you and me".

"Time After Time... was my Least Favorite Song! Time After Time was my Least Favorite Song!" he wails, in what might be the best joke about an R.E.M. song ever. Pavement loves R.E.M., and R.E.M. apparently loves them back; (Their 1995 album "Monster" features a heavily Pavement-influenced guitar based sound). This mutualistic nature of the two bands is what makes them both so great; that they can effectively take influence from each other without "ripping [anyone] off". That's music at its best, and that's certainly what Pavement is all about.

Well, I'm officially old.
First of all, when I was young (maybe your dad's age?) I couldn't walk two feet without bumping into a zealous REM lover and I hated it. They were one of the first bands that I petulantly thought of as "overrated". So it's kind of weird to me that you think of REM-love as something rare.
Also, Pavement is very important to me and I think they were generally closer in sound and style to PCP than REM. Still, you bring up a lot of good points about Crooked Rain (my 2nd favorite album of theirs - 3rd if you count the Watery, Domestic EP). CR actually got a lot of criticism from fans when it was released for the "polished" sound and the band responded by saying that they knew it was a pop album and they made a pop album because they like pop music (I guess you can insert REM references here) but that it doesn't mean they are not also (still) huge fans of Jesus Lizard.
Anyway, yours is a good analysis that and I'm just glad that Crooked Rain is popular with the kiddies regardless of why..

This is a great thread but shouldn't it be in the journals section?

Anyways I'm looking forward to reading more

No.


In my circles, they have absolutely zero fan base. Then again, my circles are ****.

Excuse my bluntness here but Jesus Christ....so you are actually more than a troll? :p:

Anyway a firm thumbs up for this thread, it sounds like a great idea and i'm very impressed so far.

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. Expect the next entry this weekend.