eh, its ok. i understand the whole sentimentality about all that glam rock stuff, but i think musically this album is fairly generic and boring. i hear some chuck berry, some beatles, a lot of david bowie. the music seems like its supposed to be sexy, but really, its boring, even though i did enjoy it.
i remember reading somewhere that this is glam rock. does that mean that i need to go see a bunch of crazy images of the men dressed fancily before listening? like, is that considered integral to the experience of the music?
I liked Mambo Sun and Rip Off. The rest of the album sounds like Bang a Gong on repeat. Nice, chill music. Good grooves. Fat guitar licks. It doesn't strike me as being particularly innovative, but I'm sure the country-infused grunge rock was super interesting at the time. I feel like this album could come out today and still be received well.
I don't get you guys. I thought this was gong-bangingly good stuff! I don't know, it seemed just so raw and sexy, more than any album we've listened to I could imagine myself sitting in a musty bedroom on top of filthy shag pile listening to this stuff through huge, rubber-eared gray plastic headphones with metal rails and a curved cord.
I think what I'm really coming to appreciate what this album -- as well as so many others that we've done and have yet to do -- is the lack of polish. I remember dainty saying over and over back in Brooklyn that the guitars in my favorite songs were far too perfect and precisely-engineered. I literally could not understand that sentiment as a criticism. How could you possibly not want your guitars to be perfectly intoned? How could you find fault with strumming microscopically on the beat?
Well, now I get it, or at least I'm at the beginning of getting it, and looking forward to getting more of it soon. There so much ridiculously sloppy playing and producing across this album, it forces you to make an assessment of this level of finish. You cannot disdain sloppy playing and simultaneously enjoy this album. The fact that I was enjoying it meant that I had apparently come to appreciate bullshit guitar work! and if that isn't a gong-banger, I don't know what is.
I especially loved the dancing song... "I danced myself out of the womb... is that strange to dance so soon?" Come onnnnn ... that is truly fabulous!
hah interesting. the album sounds too clean and polished to me! i didnt realize until now that it would greatly help if i were to get stoned before listening, esp due to the slow pace and marc bolan's silky smooth vox. and this stuff is def the slowest, folksiest glam rock that i've ever heard. the new york dolls beat the living crap outta these guys music-wise. mainly their self titled album from 73. mathematically, they were sex drugs and rock and roll to the sex drugs and rock and roll power, but unfortunately they're not on the picthfork list. they had everything you'd want in a glam rock band - platform shoes, tons of make up, heroin, and a distinctly simplified, energized rolling stones-y sound. as usual, pitchfork can suck it.
pitchfork's top 100 of the 70's + top 100 of the 80's, considered, scrutinized, explored, assailed, defended, appreciated and deprecated, fussed over, held up high, kicked to the curb and held back up again. education by fire and a middle finger to disdain. tea, anyone?
eh, its ok. i understand the whole sentimentality about all that glam rock stuff, but i think musically this album is fairly generic and boring. i hear some chuck berry, some beatles, a lot of david bowie. the music seems like its supposed to be sexy, but really, its boring, even though i did enjoy it.
ReplyDeletei remember reading somewhere that this is glam rock. does that mean that i need to go see a bunch of crazy images of the men dressed fancily before listening? like, is that considered integral to the experience of the music?
ReplyDeletenah just post the next album...
ReplyDeleteI liked Mambo Sun and Rip Off. The rest of the album sounds like Bang a Gong on repeat. Nice, chill music. Good grooves. Fat guitar licks. It doesn't strike me as being particularly innovative, but I'm sure the country-infused grunge rock was super interesting at the time. I feel like this album could come out today and still be received well.
ReplyDeleteedited version :D
ReplyDeleteI don't get you guys. I thought this was gong-bangingly good stuff! I don't know, it seemed just so raw and sexy, more than any album we've listened to I could imagine myself sitting in a musty bedroom on top of filthy shag pile listening to this stuff through huge, rubber-eared gray plastic headphones with metal rails and a curved cord.
I think what I'm really coming to appreciate what this album -- as well as so many others that we've done and have yet to do -- is the lack of polish. I remember dainty saying over and over back in Brooklyn that the guitars in my favorite songs were far too perfect and precisely-engineered. I literally could not understand that sentiment as a criticism. How could you possibly not want your guitars to be perfectly intoned? How could you find fault with strumming microscopically on the beat?
Well, now I get it, or at least I'm at the beginning of getting it, and looking forward to getting more of it soon. There so much ridiculously sloppy playing and producing across this album, it forces you to make an assessment of this level of finish. You cannot disdain sloppy playing and simultaneously enjoy this album. The fact that I was enjoying it meant that I had apparently come to appreciate bullshit guitar work! and if that isn't a gong-banger, I don't know what is.
I especially loved the dancing song... "I danced myself out of the womb... is that strange to dance so soon?" Come onnnnn ... that is truly fabulous!
hah interesting. the album sounds too clean and polished to me! i didnt realize until now that it would greatly help if i were to get stoned before listening, esp due to the slow pace and marc bolan's silky smooth vox. and this stuff is def the slowest, folksiest glam rock that i've ever heard.
ReplyDeletethe new york dolls beat the living crap outta these guys music-wise. mainly their self titled album from 73. mathematically, they were sex drugs and rock and roll to the sex drugs and rock and roll power, but unfortunately they're not on the picthfork list. they had everything you'd want in a glam rock band - platform shoes, tons of make up, heroin, and a distinctly simplified, energized rolling stones-y sound. as usual, pitchfork can suck it.