Holy cow. I ignored this one for unknown reasons (I heart Longstreth's last two albums) when it came out. I'm guessing it was because something about the gimmick of the thing (supposedly a re-imagining of the Black Flag album Damaged ). Eventually I got around to listening to it and it completely knocked me on my ass. It's neck and neck with the top jockeys after the top of my list. Two female vocalists accompany Dave Longstreth on vocal duties, along with guitar, the occasional flute, and percussion stuff. It sounds nothing like Black Flag, except for a few brutal, Albini sounding moments scattered throughout a couple songs. Longstreth kept many of the same lyrics as well as the song titles (but curiously, not the same order or all of the songs on Damaged), but the new contexts of music and delivery play wonders with the original strings of words.
BTW, Longstreth's voice is one of the most ridiculous in indie. He's a lot more like R. Kelly than you could imagine possible.
I'm not sure if anybody else on here was into this. yeeeaaah!
I've listened to a couple of tracks on their My Space site and listened to 30 second clips of all the songs, and I'm perplexed. Either it's genius or it's crap, and I can't decide which one yet. How much do you think I would need to listen to this album to gain an appreciation for it?
It sounds to me alot like Frog Eyes Tears of a Valedictorian , which is another album that I never gained an appreciation for.
Maybe some of you fans can explain to me why this is an essential album that I should be listening to, because I'm not getting it yet.
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Posts: 1104 | Location: Los Angeles | Registered: 18 December 2006
Originally posted by vitunkrapula: I'm not sure if anybody else on here was into this. yeeeaaah!
Grabblegarrr and I have had it high on our lists for quite a while.
I originally picked it up because I'm a Black Flag fan so I wanted to see what the deal was and there's really no comparing. They're completely different albums.
Originally posted by The Fall Of Troy" I've listened to a couple of tracks on their My Space site and listened to 30 second clips of all the songs, and I'm perplexed. Either it's genius or it's crap, and I can't decide which one yet. How much do you think I would need to listen to this album to gain an appreciation for it?
You have to listen to the album as a whole and it's definitely going to take some listening. I was immediately blown away but I was in the right mood. It all depends on what you're into.
ok cool. I thought I heard good things from here, but forgot where and when. I'm glad to hear there are others.
I don't think this kind of thing could sound like the original and succeed. The power of that gimmick seems to be mainly to distract. But it does provide a base - some kind of structure with a bank of lyrics to choose from in the "reconstruction."
I think Dave Longstreth's voice will be the main turn off for those who don't like it. Kinda like Joanna Newsom, I'm guessing. It grated on me a bit at first, especially when he repeats a small phrase many times over. But the melodies and songwriting are amazingly inventive. There are lots of intricate flute, vocal and guitar arrangements, backed by sparse percussion (for the most part).
I was wondering when this album was going to get its own thread. I didn't take to the album on first listen, but it really grew on me. I get really excited and upbeat whenever I listen to this, which is often now.
After giving it a couple of spins, it's growing on me . . . slowly. It's not quite the crap I initially thought it was. The guitar work sounds a lot like something out of Paul Simon's Graceland. The song structures are interesting and unique.
But, I can tell this is an album that I will admire, but not necessarily like.
________________ The record buying public shouldn't be voting.
Posts: 1104 | Location: Los Angeles | Registered: 18 December 2006
Well shit, I had no idea this was here. Anyway, in regards to the album, I think it's pretty great. I was a bit skeptical, albeit very intrigued, when I found out he was going to do this, but I'm impressed. Most albums like these are only interesting as face value, seldom adding anything new to the original version. I'm glad Longstreth realized those albums were boring and decided to completely forget everything about the original and just make his own album. Just as impressive to me is that he managed to put those loud, high pitched, and annoying girl background singers in almost every track without it bothering me at all.
