Richard Davies, Cardinal, The Moles?

[Slosh]

Telegraph or Barbarian? Which is the best album to start with IYO.

Anyone have any opinions on his earlier work with Cardinal and/or The Moles. Any recs?

Does anyone even know what the hell I'm asking about? ;)

[Davey]

Telegraph or Barbarian? Which is the best album to start with IYO.

Anyone have any opinions on his earlier work with Cardinal and/or The Moles. Any recs?

Does anyone even know what the hell I'm asking about? ;)
Mark and I have talked fondly in the past about the excellent Telegraph, especially the 180gm vinyl version. Beautiful album and recording on Flydaddy that lends itself to repeat play. That's the one to get if you can still find it, although I've read that the CD sounds great too. The Barbarian album isn't as good, but it still does have some excellence and I suppose is the one that inspired the question since I included that song on the Electric Lights comp you mentioned recently. BTW, the Telegraph vinyl additionally comes with a 45 containing two cuts not on the CD, at least it did at the time I got mine. I also have the one before that called There's Never Been a Crowd Like This but really haven't listened in so long that I don't know if I would rec it or not. AMG seems to like it just as much but I kind of remember the next one being a substantial step up in both songwriting and production. But the first one was obviously good enough to make me wanna come back for a second helping, so....... :)

As you have probably already gleaned from your research, he and Eric Matthews formed Cardinal and only put out one acclaimed album (which I haven't heard) before separating. I do have the two Eric Matthews CDs which followed and both are good but of a more orchestrated pop sound, more Burt Bacharach in his stuff. Davies is closer to someone like Elliot Smith, especially XO (speaking mainly for the benefit of others since you've heard some of his stuff already) although not as morose. I never have checked out his Mole stuff.

[Davey]

BTW, just remembered that I had a copy of an old Tracking Angle with a Mikey Fremer review of Telegraph. Might give you a better idea of what that album sounds like.....although he does tend to get a little wrapped up in himself at times :)

http://members.mailaka.net/davey/telegraph.jpg

[Slosh]

Now that's a reply :)

I'll definitely have to track down the LP. I was listening to some old comps from Rae and Stone and Troy today which have some songs that I have on LP and was a bit surprised by just how much better the LPs sound (even my CD-R copies of vinyl reveal a night-and-day difference). Funny thing is that some of these I don't think are particularly well-recorded but never-the-less...

Anyway, thanks for the detailed opinion :)

NP: The Shins - Oh, Inverted World

[Davey]

Anyway, thanks for the detailed opinion :)
No problemo, it's fun to talk about someone like Davies. Telegraph is just such a great, overlooked album. BTW, Mark included a song from it, Eye Camera, on his very nice The Sound of Dreams comp. Great comp. Just dug up the link and it looks like you have a copy of that. Also a nice little mini-review by that same Mark. Sounds like you might already be sold on it, though :)

http://forums14.consumerreview.com/crforum?14@66.U3xma2ctmbv.6@.ef95565
http://forums14.consumerreview.com/crforum?13@66.U3xma2ctmbv.3@.ef623a4/1

[jack70]

Don't have any of Richard Davies solo stuff, but I do have Cardinal, Moles and 2 Eric Matthews discs.

I have those 4 CDs on a shelf next to Duncan Sheik and Elliot Smith, so they're all in the same-style ballpark (that's the way I organize my discs & LPs). But understand, I consider E. Smith a step above all but a few 90's artists... even his early bare-bones stuff was special IMO.

The Moles Instinct (94) (really a Richard Davie's album) is a little too arty for me. It has too many flourishes that remind me of why I disliked a lot of 80's Brit-pop bands. Also sounds more like an artist in search of a style there. ("lets go in the studio and play all this sh_t, and maybe we'll hit gold" ....or something). But there are many on this board that like that style... (Bauhous, New Order, Cure, Rough Trade type stuff...) but it's all too gloomy and without much melodic intelligence for my tastes. There is a cut or 2 there that's not bad, but the lyrics are generally 2'nd rate IMO. Grade:C-

Cardinal is similar to Eric Matthew's stuff, but adds strings, harpsichord and beatlesque horns on some cuts. I thought the best cuts on it were the ones written by Matthews (alone), which is why I never sought out the Davies solo discs. Grade:B-

Haven't played Matthew's 95 SubPop disc (It's Heavy In Here) in a dog's age. But his 97 disc (The Lateness of the Hour) is one of that year's better albums (an altogether great year for music too). More guitar and upbeat 80's-like introspective Brit pop sounds, a style I generally don't go for (so you know it's gotta be "above the norm" for me to like it). Eric sounds a little like Bowie in his more somber/quiet style. Grade:A-

Davey, I also remember seeing that Tracking Angle review of Davie's album. Alas, just not enough time (or $) to get everything I'd like to, so I never heard it. It's very possible he grew musically since the early stuff I heard of him.

BTW, there's an Eric Mathews cut on my very first timemasheen comp (vol-3) (made before v1 or 2, go figure). So those of you who don't know what we're talking about // Slosh: "Does anyone even know what the hell I'm asking about?" // can get a sample of the style of all these discs there, if you have that comp. (most are, no doubt, in land-fills by now...LOL).

I'd recommend Eric Mathews disc as the best of the 4 mentioned above, but understand I live in my own elliptical orbit.

[Slosh]

...since even by Rave Recs standards you tend to favor obscure stuff. :) I'm not home now so later tonight I'll have to see if I have TMv3. If The Moles sound anything like New Order I'll keep my distance! Thanks for the warning.

The one Davies song I know ("Amsterdam") doesn't sound anything like that however. It's a simple, catchy acoustic number that doesn't do any injustice to his surname ;) And thanks for the Cardinal comments. Interesting description and I definitely need to hear me some of that now!


...but understand I live in my own elliptical orbit.

Don't we all?

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Now that's a reply :)

I'll definitely have to track down the LP.

If you have trouble finding the LP, let me know. I have a CD-R copy of the vinyl (and bonus 45rpm), that I could easily dupe and drop in the mail.

I can't talk about any comparisons as I don't have any other R.Davies' music, in any of its forms, but Telegraph is one of my favorite albums of the last few years. The Fremer review capturtes the feel of the album very well.

Mark

[Slosh]

If you have trouble finding the LP, let me know. I have a CD-R copy of the vinyl (and bonus 45rpm), that I could easily dupe and drop it in the mail

Mark

Thanks. I may have to take you up on that offer but first I'll poke around the local record stores. Found Sound Of Dreams this morning and spun it on my way to and at work. Nice comp. I definitely need to revisit a big ole stack of old(ish) comps 'cause I too often forget what's stashed away in there.

NP: Chris Whitley - Din Of Ecstasy