fange
god
Listening to long jazz tracks
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Post by fange on Apr 9, 2021 13:42:54 GMT
Pretty much a PERFECT pop song.
The pulsing rhythms, the shimmering synths, the little musical bits and bobs in the arrangement, and all captured in a beautiful sound that's warm, intimate, yet also widescreen and dreamy. Kerr's lyrics are largely nonsensical to me but his vocals still add to the mix, little images here or a rhyme there, part of the grand sonic palette presented.
Like the album itself, a masterpiece.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2021 13:52:34 GMT
It was Life in a day that I heard first. The debut was alright and still is in my book. Then when the off misnamed Real to Real Cacophony album was released that got me all excited.
They were almost unrecognisable from the first album and they made the kind of record that would have had most labels apocalyptic with rage and permanently shelved. The opener real to real is close to the first album but Kerr sounds more assured on the vocals, Naked Eye knocks you of balance and Citizen and Carnival give you the often referenced European feel brought to it's zenith on the stunning Empires and Dance album. Side one for me has been a constant and much loved companion over the years. As for side two it is sequenced beautifully even though there is no real attempt at coherence. I am unaware of Radiohead ever acknowledging it as influential to them but they ought to acknowledge that Kerr and the boys were unfortunate not to receive the praise from the public that they have enjoyed.
Empires and dance as I said was the jewel in their catalogue but real to real is a fascinating snapshot of a bands development normally only found in outtakes in other bands catalogues.
I have stated my case about New gold and the later bombastic arena friendly sound. Fange has been pretty spot on with his posts.
You should all give it another spin it really is a cracking listen.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2021 13:55:26 GMT
Pretty much a PERFECT pop song. The pulsing rhythms, the shimmering synths, the little musical bits and bobs in the arrangement, and all captured in a beautiful sound that's warm, intimate, yet also widescreen and dreamy. Kerr's lyrics are largely nonsensical to me but his vocals still add to the mix, little images here or a rhyme there, part of the grand sonic palette presented. Like the album itself, a masterpiece. I was just praising you and then you post this bouffant hair Calvin Klein Ripped jeans appeaser of eighties drivel , tut. I despise it. |
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Post by Half Machine Lipschitz on Apr 9, 2021 13:57:29 GMT
^^ which song is it? It's not showing up here.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2021 14:02:50 GMT
Actually I think 'Promised..' was by far the weakest single from NGD. Whereas "Someone, Somewhere' and "Glittering Prize" were full of shimmering textures and layered chiming instrumentation (listen to the bell like guitar intro of "Somewhere..", it's just beautiful), "Promised.." just kept banging you over the head with that cumbersome chorus. It pointed the way to their stadium rock years.
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fange
god
Listening to long jazz tracks
Posts: 4,886
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Post by fange on Apr 9, 2021 14:51:45 GMT
I can never make everyone happy!  All the singles from NGD are excellent for mine, and the whole album is brilliant. 'Promised You' is a proper song, like 'Glittering Prize', and i can't but love the fact that they were writing and making these great SONGS, not just great sounding records like Empires and Dance. 'I Travel', 'Changeling', 'Theme For Great Cities' - all still sound amazing to this day, but NGD was the album where they matured to the point where the songs were as good as the sound. |
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fange
god
Listening to long jazz tracks
Posts: 4,886
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Post by fange on Apr 9, 2021 14:53:22 GMT
^^ which song is it? It's not showing up here. Promised You A Miracle |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2021 14:53:41 GMT
I can never make everyone happy! All the singles from NGD are excellent for mine, and the whole album is brilliant. 'Promised You' is a proper song, like 'Glittering Prize', and i can't but love the fact that they were writing and making these great SONGS, not just great sounding records like Empires and Dance. 'I Travel', 'Changeling', 'Theme For Great Cities' - all still sound amazing to this day, but NGD was the album where they matured to the point where the songs were as good as the sound. My antipathy to "Promised.." aside, I would agree with that. |
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fange
god
Listening to long jazz tracks
Posts: 4,886
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Post by fange on Apr 9, 2021 14:57:02 GMT
It all sounds like a cheesier version of The Danse Society, with a much more annoying vocalist. Some vaguely interesting moments, but a lot of it just makes my spine curdle. What do you make of this fishy? |
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Post by DarknessFish on Apr 10, 2021 13:03:09 GMT
It all sounds like a cheesier version of The Danse Society, with a much more annoying vocalist. Some vaguely interesting moments, but a lot of it just makes my spine curdle. What do you make of this fishy? Sounds like a bit of pissing about in the studio, not that that's necessarily a bad thing. Very Residents-y. It's not cheesy, for sure. |
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fange
god
Listening to long jazz tracks
Posts: 4,886
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Post by fange on Feb 15, 2023 10:39:11 GMT
Came up in a shuffle today and just made my afternoon. Pretty much a perfect song for me.
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Post by harrylemon on Feb 15, 2023 12:21:13 GMT
First 5 albums range from worthwhile to majestic. It was great to see a localish band that were into the same kind of stuff as me, making it on the big stage.
And then empty bombast and self importance reared it's head and it was all gone.
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fange
god
Listening to long jazz tracks
Posts: 4,886
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Post by fange on Sept 18, 2024 7:41:38 GMT
There's a doco out on YT that I've just started, will post my thoughts after i finish it...
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Post by Stacy Heydon on Sept 18, 2024 9:44:10 GMT
If you go to 6.10 that tower block was where I stayed when I went to Glasgow in 84/85. They all called it 'The Scheme'. Jim's family were still living there and I remember a whole load of us went to se Jim's younger brother's band play King Tut Tuts. Don't know what happened to them.
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fange
god
Listening to long jazz tracks
Posts: 4,886
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Post by fange on Sept 18, 2024 12:39:36 GMT
I found the first hour was quite interesting, from setting the scene about a group of friends who met amongst the tower blocks of Glasgow who went on to become a huge global act, but the last 20 mins. or so did drag a bit, as much as i'm happy they are still feeling the spirit and playing music.
There were a LOT of guest talking heads though, and quite incongruous ones to me (Dave Gahan, really?), which is fine I guess to a point, but I am very disappointed that they couldn't get/didn't want to have Derek Forbes, Mick MacNeil or Brian McGee to be in it. Yeah, I get it, it was and always will be the Jim and Charlie Show deep down, but a little time hearing from the actual band members who, to a lot of core fans, are still synonymous with the band's best years, would have been a lot more enjoyable than listening to Trevor Horn or Sharleen Spiteri. Bob Geldof was a bit of a laugh though, hoary old bastard.
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