What Are You Listening To?

[Music Head]

from my library (vinyl)



Second album from the Georgia boys. Starting their climb to stardom and a damn lot better than that mess they came out with just last year. Stipe had hair and the band had their punk image. After the debut and moderate sucess of Murmer led to a productive writing spree, Peter Buck wanted to make this a double album, but was convinced by producer Mitch Easter not to go that route. Some friction between the label heads at I.R.S. and Easter, as they were pushing for a commercial sound. They say they resisted. Album was recorded in around 2 weeks. Favorite for me is Rockville, with a slight country feel. Only other love track is South Central Rain. Both of those were released as singles, with the latter a weak #85 and Rockville failing to chart. The album made #27. Three tracks I don't care for at all with Time After Time leading the worst. The best was yet to come.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Time After Time (Annelise)

Best Track - (Don't Go Back To) Rockville

Looking at your watch a third time waiting in the station for the bus
Going to a place that's far, so far away and if that's not enough
Going where nobody says hello, they don't talk to anybody they don't know
You'll wind up in some factory that's full time filth and nowhere left to go
Walk home to an empty house, sit around all by yourself
I know it might sound strange, but I believe
You'll be coming back before too long

Don't go back to Rockville,
Don't go back to Rockville,
Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year

At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend
I don't care that you're not here with me
'Cause it's so much easier to handle
All my problems if I'm too far out to sea
But something better happen soon
Or it's gonna be too late to bring you back

Don't go back to Rockville,
Don't go back to Rockville,
Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year

It's not as though I really need you
If you were here I'd only bleed you
But everybody else in town only wants to bring you down and
That's not how it ought to be
Well I know it might sound strange, but I believe
You'll be coming back before too long

Don't go back to Rockville,
Don't go back to Rockville,
Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year

1) Harborcoat **
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfLrBOAUKCo
2) 7 Chinese Brothers **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSMnNxedQSY
3) So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry) ***
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGiNVZvEnZE
4) Pretty Persuasion **
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPSnD8fQT_0
5) Time After Time (Annelise) *
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EzXYsZfur8
6) Second Guessing **
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQTBfz5FgBA
7) Letter Never Sent *
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utF4Rs1hZX8
8) Camera **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPDB53FnF_s
9) (Don't Go Back To) Rockville ***
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zgh0y9vTgY
10) Little America *
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5twY4C9nGWQ

3's - 2
2's - 5
1's - 3

Grade - 1.9

so many albums, so little time

[CRAZY-HORSE]

one of a few REM albums i dont own...

sounds like im not missing too much either...

[Music Head]

from my library (cd)



A gift from a mate. Third album from this Belgian/Australian and here I thought it was the debut. Basically a one man band in the studio. A few other credits given on the liner notes but most of the contribution goes to Wally de Backer who is known as Gotye. This came out ok but hard pressed to find another Somebody That I Used To Know. One other love track with Smoke & Mirrors, but four I don't care for at all. Those and other parts of the album are a little too manufactured (eletronic) for me. Good example is State Of The Art which would have been a great song had they not computerized everything in it. Yes that's the point of the song, but that's the problem, this is the state of the art of music. Sorry, old skool is hard to demolish. The album does pass the grade, just can't see anything growing. Just watched the SNL performance. The guy did bring a band with him. Nice performance of the hit single and the first single of Eyes Wide Open was done as the second set. Gues that one didn't break them but Somebody That I Used To Know certainly did. The album has fared the best in Australia with a #1, but also a #4 in England, #5 in Canada, and a #9 in the U.S.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Making Mirrors

Best Track - Somebody That I Used To Know

Now and then I think of when we were together
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Told myself that you were right for me
But felt so lonely in your company
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember

You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end
Always the end
So when we found that we could not make sense
Well you said that we would still be friends
But I'll admit that I was glad that it was over

But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened
And that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger
And that feels so rough
You didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records
And then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
But had me believing it was always something that I'd done
And I don't want to live that way
Reading into every word you say
You said that you could let it go
And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know

But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened
And that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger
And that feels so rough
You didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records
And then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

I used to know
That I used to know

Somebody . . .

1) Making Mirrors *
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_fCdmvlsaI
2) Easy Way Out **
video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEpfyBOdKxU
3) Somebody That I Used To Know ***
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO56dYMc0Ps
4) Eyes Wide Open **
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLmrqW1jElo
5) Smoke And Mirrors ***
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwXh8h5jivg
6) I Feel Better *
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlM829iERmA
7) In Your Light **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HwgDDw5350
8) State Of The Art **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H20W5PJJe4
9) Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You *
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gCuoZfZQTc
10) Giving Me A Chance *
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkoDyRJCeRg
11) Save Me **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpV8j8P994U
12) Bronte **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAErNLUT-Sc

3's - 2
2's - 6
1's - 4

Grade - 1.8

so many albums, so little time

[CRAZY-HORSE]

glad you like it MH...shame its nots a glowing review, but thems the breaks i guess...

Easy Way Out has just been released as a single here in Australia, cant see it having the same success as the Somebody song though...

[Music Head]

glad you like it MH...shame its nots a glowing review, but thems the breaks i guess...

Easy Way Out has just been released as a single here in Australia, cant see it having the same success as the Somebody song though...

did you review it?
wth's it at?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

no, havent reviewed it on the site at all...just been praising the single, it looks like its probably another 10 cds away in my pile, so next week for sure....as a guess it'll come in around 2.0, but we'll have to wait and see...

[Music Head]

no, havent reviewed it on the site at all...just been praising the single, it looks like its probably another 10 cds away in my pile, so next week for sure....as a guess it'll come in around 2.0, but we'll have to wait and see...

oh!
I thought you had already listened to it and it got a love
don't hold back your score

[CRAZY-HORSE]

prety sure i just praised the single MH?, i cant find it as a post either but i'll check out my notes to see if i have already done it.

[Music Head]

prety sure i just praised the single MH?, i cant find it as a post either but i'll check out my notes to see if i have already done it.

so you have listened to it then
what do you think about that State Of The Art song
really like the lyrics, they just ruined it with that vocoder thing for me

[CRAZY-HORSE]

have heard the album a few times...as you said "great lyrics"...and the vocorder thing...brings back terrible memories of Neil Young's "trans" album.