View Full Version : I've played this so many times now it seems like part of my DNA
Davey
11-26-2004, 10:46 AM
Happy Thanksgiving!
Belatedly....day after....you know I meant to say it yesterday, don't you?
We all have albums that we just never get tired of hearing, over and over, year after year. The band puts out a new one and we say to everybody that will listen that we love the new one, and sometimes we even go overboard and say something stupid like it's the best thing they've ever done, but sooner or later (and it's usually sooner) we're back listening exclusively to that previous one we know oh so well and still love. What's one of your favorites that continues to stand the test of time?
I've been listening quite a bit recently to the second Luna album from 1994 - after Dean Wareham disbanded Galaxie 500. Bewitched. I've been listening to this one for the last 10 years and like it more now than ever. Songs flow from one to another like honey. Quirky but not undecipherable lyrics. Great guitar playing from Dean and Sean Eden (displaced Canadian living in NYC who was added to the lineup after the first album was recorded) as well as the Velvet Underground's very own rhythm spoil to Lou Reed's drone, Sterling Morrison, guesting on a couple of the songs. And as always, drummer Stan Demeski brings along some of his distinctive Feelies feel, albeit slightly toned down on this one. Ten songs without a duffer in the bunch, opening with the wonderful "California (All The Way)", followed by the very fun "Tiger Lily" and then one of my very favorites in the first guest spot for the distinctive Sterling Morrison, "Friendly Advice", that goes on effortlessly for 6 1/2 minutes with one of the best extended guitar workouts of its time. And when they get to the middle of the album and "This Time Around", with the Hammond Organ and vibes, I'm so there. Very cool listen. Kind of an indie rock classic in my mind, if you can have indie rock from Time Warner.
http://members.mailaka.net/davey/luna.jpg
Swish
11-27-2004, 04:29 AM
What's shakin' Dave? I haven't been checking in much lately due to a hectic schedule, but your Luna post caught my eye this morning (been up since 5:15 AM. Don't ask). Anyway, it's kind of ironic that I saw your post because, during a visit with a good friend of mine last night, we discussed upcoming shows and he mentioned that Luna is coming to Philly soon. They'll be at the TLA on December 17th, not my favorite venue because it's basically SRO with very few seats on one side and on a not-to-fancy balcony in the back, so unless you get there very early, something that I hate doing, you're relagated to standing on the concrete floor all night, a real foot and back killer. I caught them a couple years back at the Trocadero, a pretty decent old theater, and we got very good balcony seats and the show was pretty darned good too.
Anyway, I haven't listended to any Luna for as long as I can remember, so I guess I need to pull Bewitched out of the cd cabinet, along with my other fave, Pup Tent, and perhaps The Days of Our Nights, which isn't too shabby. Have you bought the new one yet? I don't recall seeing anything about it here since its release back in October, but then again, I didn't do a proper search either, so perhaps I missed it. I also don't recall seeing anything about the Dean/Britta record, L'Avventura, that was released back in May. I understand Rendezvous will be the last official Luna record, so I guess I'm going to buy it regardless of any negative comments I may see, but it would be nice to see some responses here if anyone has it yet.
Regards,
Swish
DariusNYC
11-27-2004, 08:46 AM
I thought about this concept that you're talking about and I was having a hard time thinking of an album that fits for me currently. There were definitely albums that were like that during periods of my life. For example, The Smiths' The Queen is Dead or U2's Joshua Tree or Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions . . . during High School or Dylan's Blood on the Tracks or VU's third album or The Pixie's Doolittle in undergrad. But maybe those are something different; maybe forget about these somewhat watershed albums for me and try to think of one that's just so comfortable and repeatedly pleasurable, like the Luna album you mention. Well, jeez, if I didn't discover it so after-the-fact, that album would be a good example for me too in the last couple years. Lucinda Williams' Car Wheels album fulfilled that role for me for at least a couple years after it first came out, and feels very comfortable when I put it on these days, although much less frequently. I see The Strokes second album as becoming something like that for me.
But I'll go back to Neil Young's After the Gold Rush as my final answer, an album that came out before I was born, one that I don't associate with any particular period of my life (except that large period of my life, after the age of 19, when I had the album), but one that's repeatedly given me large portions of pleasure and never faded as a favorite, and as much as I sometimes champion other Neil albums as his best during various periods, I haven't listened to any of them nearly as much as that one, and I've listened to Neil over the years about as much as any other artist. So there you go.
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002KD9.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Davey
11-27-2004, 09:42 AM
I thought about this concept that you're talking about and I was having a hard time thinking of an album that fits for me currently. There were definitely albums that were like that during periods of my life.....
Yeah, I know what you mean. When I was your age my favorites were linked to times in my life as well. But as we get older, we're afforded the opportunity to appreciate music without so many boundaries, either self-imposed or societal. Dean Wareham was just one of those people that I connected with in the late 80s and followed ever since. That first Luna album with the silly superscript added to the name very quickly grew into the soundtrack of my life in the early 90s, and I even remember giving it as a gift to a couple friends (something I still very rarely do) because it sounded so unique. It's still probably my favorite since it is the one most like Galaxie 500, but I do like the fuller sound on Bewitched and Penthouse. In my ongoing relocation which began at the end of July with my escape from Arizona, I only brought about 40 of my favorite CDs - and the only Luna representation in those is Bewitched.
And to answer Swish, I don't have the new Luna CD or the Dean/Britta project (I think Dean said there is another one on the horizon). Romantica really grew on me though. Took about a year of irregular listening but it finally won me over. So fluffy, though :)
And about After The Gold Rush. You may remember Darius that I've mentioned before that was one of my first album purchases as a kid, outside of my parent's record club. Always will love that one. I once described what I had to go through in the mid 90s to find anoher copy that matched the sonics on my totally mangled original which had been played with some decidedly non-audiophile vinyl gougers. But my expensive moving coil cartridge rode in a different enough part of the groove that I was still able to hear the magic amidst the noise and distortion, and I wasn't hearing that magic on the other used copy I picked up, even though it appeared to be a very early pressing and was in excellent condition. My thrashed original still had a lot of magic that the newer one was missing. It came through in those chiming Crazy Horse guitars, and Neil's whiny vocals, and without it the album just wasn't quite the same because it didn't quite conjur the same childhood memories.
So I bought another copy and the same thing and another and slowly realized that, while some were better than others, I needed one from the same pressing and stamper run. So I wrote down the details and whenever I was in a used record store checked the copies they had until finally I found a copy with one side identical and the other side a different stamper. And it was great on the side with the same stamper but not as good on the side with the different stamper. Damn! But soon after I found one that was not identical on both sides but sounded as good as my original and was in perfect shape. The magic was there without all the ticks and pops and groove distortion and I was a happy boy again. So....does anybody need about 6 extra (very good) copies of After The Gold Rush? :)
Still don't have it on CD, though. Those 24/96 tracks on the new DVD probably sound pretty nice but I bet they don't have the magic either.
KEXPMF
11-27-2004, 01:30 PM
for me that album would be the Beastie Boys "Paul's Boutique". I even put it on and say, "I can't believe I'm not sick of this yet." I'm supposed to be listening to demo cds from new artists but it's like that's my homework and listening to the Beastie Boys or one of my other favorite albums (like any Radiohead), is like playing a video game and avoiding my homework. :)
I've never gotten into an entire Luna album but I LOVE that band and have seen them MANY times. Favorite Luna song is "23 Minutes to Brussels"
Your posts are making me want to revisit Luna and Galaxie 500.
Davey
11-27-2004, 02:05 PM
Favorite Luna song is "23 Minutes to Brussels"
Your posts are making me want to revisit Luna and Galaxie 500.
Nice pick (actually "23 Minutes In Brussels" ;)). That's one of my favorites too, in no small part because I'm such a huge Tom Verlaine fan, and that one has his signature guitar all over it. Funny how two of my very favorite Luna songs are the ones they did with two of my favorite guitarists in Stering Morrison and Tom Verlaine. Dean and company do have a very empathetic ear for covers and I guess that extends to who they play with. Don't know if you recognize it since it was way before your time, but that song is a tribute to the very influential band Suicide and their "23 Minutes Over Brussels". Saw them once open for another band but can't for the life of me remember who the headliner was now. The crowd was restless and Suicide was very, very confrontational and didn't make many fans that day, but I thought they were also very interesting. Guess Wareham must've been a fan at one point and it's easy to imagine Tom Verlaine knowing them too since they both played a lot at CBGB's back in the day.
But then again, maybe it's also a tribute to that great Pere Ubu song "30 Minutes Over Tokyo"?
-Jar-
11-27-2004, 09:14 PM
Your posts are making me want to revisit Luna and Galaxie 500.
I can't say I've ever gotten the buzz from Luna that I got from Galaxie 500. The irony is that I didn't get to catch G500, the only time I knew of them playing was their last tour with Cocteau Twins, they played in Columbus, not Cleveland, and I didn't have a car.
Luna are nice enough, I've even seen 'em twice (opening for Lou Reed even).. and yes, they're great, but I don't get that thing that I get when I listen to G500. Maybe it's because I've elevated G500 to such stellar altitudes in my mind.. I don't know. I remember when I first heard G500 and they totally blew me away. I had never really heard anything like that before. I wasn't even all that familiar with the Velvets, so maybe that's why they shook me up so much. But anyway, I just don't get nearly the same satisfaction from Luna that I got from G500. Same thing happened with me and Husker Du and Sugar... though I've come to enjoy Sugar much more than I did back when they were actually together, but they just can't even hold a candle.
I've never really enjoyed any of Paul Westerberg's solo material either for that matter.
It's nice and all that. But come on, he was in the 'Mats.
I guess I'm a meany for not giving guys a chance after their bands break up :)
There are exceptions.. I do love fIREHOSE almost as much as the Minutemen.
what can I say, I'm weird.
-jar
Ex Lion Tamer
11-29-2004, 05:37 AM
There are a few I could list that would fall into the "part of my DNA" category, the first few that came to mind ...
Dylan's Highway '61, The Feelies The Good Earth, The Velvets 3rd album, Lou Reed's Coney Island Baby, Echo & The Bunnymen's first album, but I think the first one that came to mind was this one:
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf600/f608/f60808qv18p.jpg
I absolutely loved this album from first spin and played it incessantly. And it continues to hold an allure that few albums ever have for me. Paul Weller was at the top of his song writing game on this album; from the mini epics like Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, and "A" Bomb in Wardor Street, to straight ahead Kinks-style rockers like Billy Hunt, to the gorgeous ballad English Rose and punctuated by the classic British AYM act on Mr. Clean, a theme that runs throughout the album. I could not imagine not having this album on my turntable for anything more than a few months.
In more recent years one that comes to mind is Richard Davies' classic Telegraph album, one that I return to again and again and seem never to tire of hearing.
nobody
11-29-2004, 08:39 AM
Great choice on the All Mod Cons record. That thing is about perfect.
I'm torn between two records that I could pick one just as easily as the other. I really wanna go with the Clash, either London Calling or Sandinista, both of which I picked up close to the same time, and both of which I've listened to tons. London Calling was with me more in my younger years, but as I get older, Sandinista never seems to get far from my turntable.
However, I'm gonna go with one other band that's always had a place in my heart since I first heard them, and that'll have to be the <b>Minutemen: Double Nickels on the Dime</b>.<br>
<img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000000LZV.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg"><br>
It's a masterpiece in my estimation which is frantic, yet still has calmer moments. It's rough, yet retains a high level of musicianship. It's risky, yet very listenable. It showed just how diverse "punk rock' could be. In many ways, it shares a lot with the two Clash records I mentioned. Personally, I loved it on the first listen and still get blown away when I pull it out. Rough, yet sophisticated, the Minutemen represent so much breadth musically that I imagine this one will continue to hold some pull for me long into the future. The masterpiece from one of my all-time favorite and most-listened to bands.
Ask me on another day, and I'd probably pick something else, but I'll never be caught dead badmouthing any of those I mentioned above.
mad rhetorik
11-29-2004, 09:22 AM
Hmm...tough to settle on just one, since I have many albums that I can't ever seem to get tired of. Neil Young's <b>On The Beach</b>, <b>OK Computer</b>, <b>A Love Supreme</b>, <b>Meat Puppets II</b>, <b>Blonde On Blonde</b>, <b>Highway 61 Revisited</b>, <b>Quadrophenia</b>, <b>Superunknown</b>, <b>Ride The Lightning/Master Of Puppets</b>, <b>Fun House</b>, <b>Relationship Of Command</b>, <b>Animals</b>, <b>Pink Flag</b>, debuts by The Clash, Ramones..... all of these albums get a good deal of rotation in my player, all of them I'd consider classics on some level or another.
Since I've gotten deeper into metal, The Dillinger Escape Plan's <b>Calculating Infinity</b> has been getting nearly constant play, and I've yet to burn myself out on it. Same goes for Opeth's <b>Morningrise</b>, and I can see Mastodon's <b>Leviathon</b> also attaining that status soon. Slint's <b>Spiderland</b>, Modest Mouse's <b>The Moon And Antarctica</b>, McLusky's <b>Do Dallas</b>, and Wilco's <b>Yankee Hotel Foxtrot</b>, all more recent additions to my collection are also way up there for replay value.
However, if I had to settle on just <i>one</i>, then it would have to be this:
Joy Division's <b>Unknown Pleasures</b>
Mr MidFi
11-29-2004, 01:53 PM
I tend to play stuff to death when I really like it. The ones that can stand up to repeated listens after years and years and still make me come back for more...yeah, you could say they are a part of my DNA. In fact, that's a really good way of expressing it (nice job, Davey).
The first few REM releases are all like that for me, as is U2's Unforgettable Fire. Lou Reed's Rock 'n Roll Animal. Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane. The Replacements' Tim. Or Starfish by The Church. Or Joe Jackson's first one, or The Pretenders s/t.
My choice: Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band. The fact that it evokes such depth of emotion, time after time, says something about it. And about me, I guess. It's the sound of a man swinging for the fences, and betting every penny he has on a feeling...and turning the resulting heartbreak of his defeat into triumph.
audiobill
11-29-2004, 04:45 PM
Okay, folks.
How do I get a picture of the album I'd like to talk about in this thread?
I've gone to Google Images. I've saved the image "as". Also, I've tried copying and pasting.
Alas, I still cannot get the image onto the "message" part of this window that I'm typing in.
Any suggestions??
Help.
Bill
Stone
11-29-2004, 07:03 PM
Okay, folks.
How do I get a picture of the album I'd like to talk about in this thread?
I've gone to Google Images. I've saved the image "as". Also, I've tried copying and pasting.
Alas, I still cannot get the image onto the "message" part of this window that I'm typing in.
Any suggestions??
Help.
Bill
Just use img and /img code with the URL of the picture in between.
For instance, <a>http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc400/c474/c474280fqb2.jpg</a> results in this:
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc400/c474/c474280fqb2.jpg
If you don't know the URL of the pic, left click on it and go to properties. Then just cut and paste it in.
J*E*Cole
11-29-2004, 08:59 PM
I seen Pink Floyd in '94 and bought their album "Division Bell" right after, and have not given it a rest yet. It is and remains my favorite album of all time. That 5 minute solo at the end of "High Hopes" is worth the cost of the album by itself.
audiobill
11-30-2004, 08:16 AM
Just use img and /img code with the URL of the picture in between.
For instance, <a>http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc400/c474/c474280fqb2.jpg</a> results in this:
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc400/c474/c474280fqb2.jpg
If you don't know the URL of the pic, left click on it and go to properties. Then just cut and paste it in.
Dylan's "Desire" is the album that I return to again and again and again.
orad.dent.kyushu-u.ac.jp/ dylan/20DESIRE.html
desire_s.jpg
http://orad.dent.kyushu-u.ac.jp/dylan/img/desire_s.jpg
Hurricane
Isis
Mozambique
One More Cup Of Coffee
Oh, Sister
Joey
Romance In Durango
Black Diamond Bay
Sara
It's like one layered journey, whereby the listener travels from one magically surreal location to the next -- always taking pause -- always noting something new -- with each listen.
I must say, however, that the movie on Hurricane Carter a few years ago, almost killed the song for me, as it was overexposed in all of the advertisements for the movie. But, I'm over that now.
Indeed, "Desire" is like one old comfortable sweater that I go to when things get rather damp and chilly.
Cheers,
Bill
Now let's see if I have an image to show.
Dusty Chalk
11-30-2004, 09:58 AM
Bill -- go to google images. You don't need to save the image, just get the full URL (depending on your browser, it might be something like right-click->copy image address. Then put that between the two open and close image tags that you've already been shown.
(I post instead of PM JIC anyone else is having trouble.)
Mine: Pink Floyd, Animals -- dogs, pigs, sheep, I can relate.
audiobill
11-30-2004, 11:16 AM
Bill -- go to google images. You don't need to save the image, just get the full URL (depending on your browser, it might be something like right-click->copy image address. Then put that between the two open and close image tags that you've already been shown.
(I post instead of PM JIC anyone else is having trouble.)
Mine: Pink Floyd, Animals -- dogs, pigs, sheep, I can relate.
Peter: Thanks-a-ton. Between you and Stone....I've learned a useful skill today.
Cheers,
Bill
Mr MidFi
12-01-2004, 06:46 AM
I keep coming back to this one, too:
http://www.connollyco.com/discography/genesis/trick.jpg
It changed me from a music listener to a music FAN.
foolsandkings
02-05-2005, 03:42 PM
I tend to play stuff to death when I really like it. The ones that can stand up to repeated listens after years and years and still make me come back for more...yeah, you could say they are a part of my DNA. In fact, that's a really good way of expressing it (nice job, Davey).
The first few REM releases are all like that for me, as is U2's Unforgettable Fire. Lou Reed's Rock 'n Roll Animal. Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane. The Replacements' Tim. Or Starfish by The Church. Or Joe Jackson's first one, or The Pretenders s/t.
My choice: Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band. The fact that it evokes such depth of emotion, time after time, says something about it. And about me, I guess. It's the sound of a man swinging for the fences, and betting every penny he has on a feeling...and turning the resulting heartbreak of his defeat into triumph.
I'm with you: Born to Run.
This one works for me I just loved it first time I heard it and still do, great chugging bass lines, and fuzz guitar with clever lyrics. The funny thing is I didn't care too much for The Sophtware Slump when it came out but now I love that almost as much.
Cheers
Mike
ps Thanks for the tip on the img code
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00009EIQB.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
Mr MidFi
02-07-2005, 09:35 AM
You know, I feel touched and honored that the first-ever post by foolsandkings was in reply to my post. Welcome aboard, F&K!
Davey
08-29-2007, 12:07 PM
My threads never die! At least not without a fight!
Hey, just read a nice little interview (http://www.adequacy.net/interview.php?InterviewID=102) with Dean Wareham about his days with Galaxie 500, and Luna, and what he and wife Britta are up to these days, and seemed appropo to throw on my favorite Luna disc and resurrect some Bewitched love. Anyone with me here? California all the way!
:)
3-LockBox
08-29-2007, 01:33 PM
My threads never die! At least not without a fight!
:)
At least its a good way to add to your post count ;)
Slosh
08-29-2007, 04:48 PM
Excuse me while I go smash my face into the desk.
unleasHell
08-29-2007, 07:02 PM
Hmm...
However, if I had to settle on just <i>one</i>, then it would have to be this:
Joy Division's <b>Unknown Pleasures</b>
AGREEE!!!!
they can play that at my funeral...
Davey
08-30-2007, 08:00 AM
I've seen this thread so many times now it seems like part of my DNA
Excuse me while I go smash my face into the desk.
Boy, you are cranky lately. I thought it was kind of an interesting little interview with Dean, inspired me to play Bewitched, and this old thread popped up when I did a Luna search, so just thought I'd use it instead of making a new one. Fun to read some of the old responses from a few years ago. Tough crowd. Whatever happened to foolsandkings? One post, gone. Wonder what else they like besides Born To Run?
Swish
08-30-2007, 08:26 AM
Boy, you are cranky lately. I thought it was kind of an interesting little interview with Dean, inspired me to play Bewitched, and this old thread popped up when I did a Luna search, so just thought I'd use it instead of making a new one. Fun to read some of the old responses from a few years ago. Tough crowd. Whatever happened to foolsandkings? One post, gone. Wonder what else they like besides Born To Run?
Yeah, I guess F and K was another in a long line of hit-and-run visitors. Oh well.
Say, did you get a chance to see the Luna DVD that was filmed during their final tour? I think it's called 'Tell Me You'll Miss Me", although I haven't watched it for awhile. Good stuff about the demise of a great band.
Swish
Davey
08-30-2007, 08:59 AM
Say, did you get a chance to see the Luna DVD that was filmed during their final tour? I think it's called 'Tell Me You'll Miss Me", although I haven't watched it for awhile. Good stuff about the demise of a great band.
No, never saw it. That sure was a nice looking set of songs on the best of Rhino put out last year. Hope they made some money on that. Like the way they mix it up, although I know it always bugs some people when a best of isn't in chrono order. Not me. Opening with Moon Palace and closing with 23 Minutes In Brussels, cool trip, kind of like a weird party. Yea, I could do a Luna party, that would be fun. Kind of low key, though. Might wind up kind of alone too :)
I hadn't realized that Britta and Dean got married until reading that interview.
Mr MidFi
08-30-2007, 12:50 PM
You know, I no longer feel so touched, nor honored, to have F&K's only post be a reply to mine. But The Stones' Let It Bleed is now playing, and it's fairly DNA-ish to me. So I thought I'd mention it.
The knife-sharpened tippie-toe...
Just the shoot em dead, brainbell jangler
You know, the one you never seen before
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