hiya. (this is long, if you have the while)
ok, i began writing the stuff below on wednesday of last week, but i now get
around to finishing this letter (disclaimer: before you throw stones at me,
i think this album will grow on me, which is a good thing, but i still think
it's overproduced-- and then, otherwise, a huge step away from their
previous style, except that it's the Mouse-- great stuff relatively) :
--------<begin>--------
first, i bought the album yesterday, of course. and i finally listened to it
twice today at work--
and I am of the same opinion as star for the most part. For one, the songs
that were on the Japanese-only EP (minus 'wild packs of family dogs')--
especially 'dark center of the universe' is overproduced (tamer, if you can
catch where I'm going) than what is on the EP... 'dark center of the
universe' was such a dancable piece with more noticable drums on the EP. and
then there are some songs on the EP where I don't understand AT ALL why they
were not brought onto this album ("night on the sun"-- yes, i know it's on
an EP BUT...). Also, the drumming in general doesn't seem representative of
Jeremiah-- his great ability-- where a song like 'Truckers Atlas' is nicely
introduced/driven by his creative beat (i refer to it as an "around the
world" beat).
This album may grow on me-- and I'm not saying that I hate it, but the music
seems somewhat uninspired (and the lyrics fit, I suppose, but not as
intuitive- lack of the one-liners but are still good), MAYBE after the
production. I have a problem with some of the production-- and I miss the
aspect of long, meandering songs on this album, as opposed to Long Drive and
LCW.
On another note, 'paper thin walls' is a favorite thus far-- it reminds me a
lot of a song by the Talking Heads (). I think I read somewhere that MM
were/are inspired by the talking heads. There are some great sounds imbedded
throughout, though. for instance, similar sounds (a track playing
backwards?) to that of "the fruit that ate itself".
---------<end>--------
I like it better now-- just not a favorite. and when I'm critical of this
album as a work of art/music, i am just expressing my opinion-- i.e. don't
badger me cuz i'm not indie enough (just a precaution), or i'm that much
less of a mouse fan for not loving it.
in some instances, i can't identify with it-- for instance, the first song
where isaac's chorus involves "the art of fucking people over"-- i need to
analyze the lyrics a little beyond what i'm catching among an earful of
music, but i've become too karmatic lately to where, ya know, fuck people
over-- because I fear the shit coming back my way somehow, some other time.
maybe that's not what isaac means, but...
also, i never did mention/review the show i saw in denton, TX in
mid-march... ok, so I LOVED the show. my friend johnny made a comment to the
effect of isaac "finally learning how to play guitar-- good". we actually
left before the show ended (sorry, please don't bash me). they played over 2
hours-- all great stuff, and then a lot of unrecognizable stuff. we left due
to the fact that (a) our backs hurt from standing so long, (b) the venue was
packed and really quite small, (c) the venue was packed with an abundance of
ASSHOLES... now people, if you're at a show such as this, please refrain
from shoving your fucking way through innocent people trying to enjoy the
show, just as much as you are, when you know you can't get much further than
the people you just so rudely shoved aside... and if you're horribly drunk,
be polite or just stay the fuck out! i swear i wanted to chop off somebody's
head at that show-- ya know, the next person that stands right in front of
me or shoves me aside is gonna find a spark glistening atop the flaming
head... (d) we never got a good view of the stage, isaac, especially
jeremiah-- we saw eric, i did anyway, most of the show.
but a great show in their presence. people you can really identify with
on-stage but not down below in shitsville-- missed the nice, indie kids i
thought'd be consuming the place.
on a side note, have the mouse ever done any/many covers by bands they were
influenced by? or otherwise? cuz ya know, i'd greatly love to hear isaac
belt out the "Fa, feh-feh fa fa" chorus in the Talking Heads song "psycho
killer"... or the Pixies "where is my mind?"-- something along those
lines... something they'd enjoy covering.
i think i'm done now. sorry i rambled, but i rarely post to this list-- but
the flaming lips list, love it! they got an FTP and all...
if anyone is to reply to this letter, please "Cc:" me a copy, since I will
often delete the digest because they fill up my inbox (somedays like up to 5
a day, rambling on about hockey, or some other THING... sorry, I've never
been to a hockey game-- quite repressed living in Oklahoma. it doesn't
bother me (misc. posts)-- i'll read it if i feel like it, but ... i'm
committed elsewhere-- real life, a promising summer)
take care
oh, and someone mentioned the flaming lips (my favorite band of the moment!)
and their stint of popularity and 90210: come on, if a band has the chance
to be seen by millions of viewers, why give up the chance to gain some
otherwise careless channel surfers/consumers and turn them into quality
people/fans-- not that you aren't if you don't like them, but... the nice
people will come forward-- their shows, i've been to 3 now, have always had
mostly appreciative fans present-- past and present)
Ok, I've said too much.
-- Jacob
"... and a million PEEE-OPLE.. can.. be.. wrong"-- wayne coyne/ 'Lips'
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