Galaxie 500

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Anyone rates GALAXIE 500's fist LP, on Shimmy Disc? and did they ever improve on it.

― Skinny boy, Friday, 12 December 2003 14:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

I love it, but not for the fisting.

Galaxie 500 - Classic or dud?
Taking Sides: Luna vs Galaxie 500

― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 12 December 2003 15:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

I rate it.

It is the only one I have heard.

I did not spot any fisting.

― neil simpson (neil simpson), Friday, 12 December 2003 15:08 (9 years ago) Permalink

It's my favorite of their three studio albums (especially the Ryko reissue with "King of Spain" tacked on at the end). Almost all press/reviews I've read about it say otherwise, though.

― otto, Friday, 12 December 2003 18:33 (9 years ago) Permalink

I've never understood why people rate 'King Of Spain' so highly. I always put it on and then it's over and I've realised I haven't noticed anything about it at all. I don't like 'King Of Spain part II' either much.

― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 12 December 2003 18:36 (9 years ago) Permalink

It is by far my favorite. It has the best sound and the simplest songs.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 12 December 2003 18:41 (9 years ago) Permalink

It's the one that makes me smile the most and the least wooziest (though I love On Fire's shimmery monotony perhaps even more). Strangely, it's the most like Luna, to these ears. Maybe Damon and Naomi had too much subsequent input. The only thing I don't like much is the cover of 'Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste'. This Is Our Music' inspires awe in parts, but then there's the meh tracks to ruin it.

― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 12 December 2003 18:54 (9 years ago) Permalink

"I've never understood why people rate 'King Of Spain' so highly."

(I still don't understand how to italicize on ILM.) "King of Spain"'s loping opening riff gets me every time, and the lyrics are like "Tugboat" pt. II. First he just wants to be your tugboat captain, which angle fails, and so now he's the king of Spain, talking to himself, etc.

― otto, Friday, 12 December 2003 20:54 (9 years ago) Permalink

and I really like the guitar solo on that one. How it echos the vocal melody as if it's the sound of him talking to himself...

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 12 December 2003 20:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste" is one of my favorite tracks of theirs! I just listened to the whole box set again like a month ago.

I'm thinking I might just need to pick up Copenhagen, the live thing. Has anyone heard it? Opinions?

― Broheems (diamond), Friday, 12 December 2003 21:02 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste" is one of my favorite tracks of theirs!

I like it too! It's better than the draggy, uninspired Luna cover of "Fly Into the Mystery" (I heart Luna and I heart Luna doing covers, but not that cover).

― bad jode (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 12 December 2003 21:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

copenhagen is better than all of their studio records put together. finally there's BASS!!!

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 12 December 2003 21:21 (9 years ago) Permalink

Copenhagen is great, get it as well.

To do italics bracket the text with [i] and [/i] but use angle brackets rather than square brackets.

― nickn (nickn), Friday, 12 December 2003 21:22 (9 years ago) Permalink

well, hell, I'm sold!! Also, does it have lots of long wanky acid guitar solos? I love those.

― Broheems (diamond), Friday, 12 December 2003 21:24 (9 years ago) Permalink

Am listening to On Fire (which I'd put on before I'd turned my computer on). Odd, that.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 12 December 2003 21:34 (9 years ago) Permalink

I like their cover of "Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste" because it sounds spectral, but the real reason I'm posting to this thread is because I saw a girl with long straight blonde hair behind the wheel of a sky blue Galaxie today. I was driving behind her for a while. She was leaning, way over on one side: the car seemed so wide, the steering wheel oversized. And I thought of the Duke (of Haringay) and how he might have enjoyed the image. So, uh, no connection.

― youn, Friday, 12 December 2003 22:14 (9 years ago) Permalink

I saw one yesterday morning on La Cienega. It was blue.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 12 December 2003 22:26 (9 years ago) Permalink

The best part was the way she changed lanes.

I figure Dean Wareham is responsible for the genius of "Oblivious" (from the little I know of the music they made after they parted). But then Damon and Naomi have Exact Change.

― youn, Saturday, 13 December 2003 20:47 (9 years ago) Permalink

It's a super-evocative album, for me at least. Even though there's no events or particular times in my life that it's associated with. I listen to 'Parking Lot' and I get this hanging out in late 80s indie USA wistful smile on my face.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 14 December 2003 13:04 (9 years ago) Permalink

not a single song released by Galaxie 500 is anything less than great. i could sing you a medley of everything they did right here and now.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Sunday, 14 December 2003 22:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

oh and the third album is the best one, but it's like choosing between children

― the surface noise (electricsound), Sunday, 14 December 2003 22:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

not a single song released by Galaxie 500 is anything less than great.

Well, there is that version of "Blue Thunder" that is horribly marred by the presence of a tunelessly parping saxophone.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 14 December 2003 23:40 (9 years ago) Permalink

aaaahhh i love that! i sing along to it! bwayayayayaa bwayoooooo

― the surface noise (electricsound), Sunday, 14 December 2003 23:41 (9 years ago) Permalink

yeah, that song almost grants a reprieve to saxophones. it and 'heads of dead surfers' and 'shine a light'.

― keith m (keithmcl), Monday, 15 December 2003 00:15 (9 years ago) Permalink

the only other sax song i like is "eternally yours" by laughing clowns

― the surface noise (electricsound), Monday, 15 December 2003 00:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

I sheepishly admit to liking the sax in Foreigner's "Urgent" and Romeo Void's "Never Say Never". Beyond that, I'm not the greatest fan of the instrument.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 15 December 2003 00:28 (9 years ago) Permalink

oh yeah 'never say never' - make that three then

― the surface noise (electricsound), Monday, 15 December 2003 00:28 (9 years ago) Permalink

Actually, the sax solo in the Cure's (!!!!) "A Night Like This" is a thing of wonder. Also in The The's "Sweet Bird of Truth". I guess I don't mind it that much after all.....but it's horrible in that version of "Blue Thunder".

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 15 December 2003 00:29 (9 years ago) Permalink

I have it on some kind of authority that Dean Wareham and some Spacemen want to plan a Galaxie 3/Spacemen 100 tour.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Monday, 15 December 2003 08:21 (9 years ago) Permalink

youn OTM about exact change.

― joan vich (joan vich), Monday, 15 December 2003 15:59 (9 years ago) Permalink

I like it the best of everything they did, but I have to mention that the band never recorded anything nearly as good as they were live. They were a fucking awesome live band.

I saw Galaxie a bunch and put on a show or two by them as well (which isn't something I've done very much because it isn't very fun) -- one with B.A.L.L. and Sonic Youth to benefit See Hear after the basement flooded at CB's and another with the Go Team and Mecca Normal at Jiva Mukti.

I love the first seven-inch, but then there's tremendous foggy-eyed sentimental value applied to it for me so I can't say's I'm very "critical" regarding it. [It's one of those singles that I got sent a review copy of, and couldn't stop playing, so contacted the band immediately, and etc. -- same with the first Pavement single, the Alpaca Bros EP, that first Cannanes 7" K released, the double Polvo 7", and a lot of other ye olde indie shit no one cares about anymore!!!]

― yetimike (McGonigal), Monday, 15 December 2003 16:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

4 years pass...

at the risk of sounding like bimble i have decided that the saxophone part in the single version of blue thunder is the greatest sax ever committed to tape and in my drunken state there's little that sounds better right now

― electricsound, Sunday, 20 April 2008 11:02 (5 years ago) Permalink

Awww, bless, Jim. You read Dean's memoir, Black Postcards, yet?

― etc, Sunday, 20 April 2008 11:47 (5 years ago) Permalink

no no i can't wait to.. haven't found it locally yet

i have an email from the man himself somewhere <3

― electricsound, Sunday, 20 April 2008 11:48 (5 years ago) Permalink

You should be able to - I got a copy from the local library. A++, I'd actually first encountered him years ago when a flatmate showed me his liner notes to the G500 box, then later for the Luna best-of ... so sublimely deadpan.
Matos' review of it

― etc, Sunday, 20 April 2008 12:00 (5 years ago) Permalink

I like Ralph Carney but I have always thought that is the worst and most pointless and arbitrary sax solo ever. Perhaps therein lies its genius?

I don't know, but thank heaven the other version exists.

15 minutes in Borders was all I needed with that book.

― Saxby D. Elder, Monday, 21 April 2008 21:24 (5 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

Great oral history in pfork today by Mike McGonigal. Think people can stop writing about them after this one -- seems pretty much definitive.

― tylerw, Monday, 3 May 2010 15:04 (3 years ago) Permalink

Thanks for flagging that up. Great piece indeed. Incredible to think that Damon K and Dean W haven't spoken or met in almost 20 years.

― Duke, Monday, 3 May 2010 17:52 (3 years ago) Permalink

yeah, no kidding! time to have a bbq and chill, guys.

― tylerw, Monday, 3 May 2010 17:53 (3 years ago) Permalink

liked the little bit with sax guy ralph carney asking what key "Blue Thunder" is in, but Kramer not telling him. "You'll know." jesus, why doesn't Kramer make more records?

― tylerw, Monday, 3 May 2010 17:54 (3 years ago) Permalink

he is active again, isn't he.

http://www.secondshimmy.com/

― Duke, Monday, 3 May 2010 18:04 (3 years ago) Permalink

oh, nice. hadn't seen that.

― tylerw, Monday, 3 May 2010 18:06 (3 years ago) Permalink

Depressing.

― Spencer Chow, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 01:21 (3 years ago) Permalink

the article or second shimmy's website?

heaps of aussie bands have been working with the krameister lately for some reason

― naked on the vag (electricsound), Tuesday, 4 May 2010 01:23 (3 years ago) Permalink

fantastic article

never heard of this terry tolkin fella before but he comes across as a bit of a cockmunch

― naked on the vag (electricsound), Tuesday, 4 May 2010 02:26 (3 years ago) Permalink

The article is depressing.

― Spencer Chow, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 23:44 (3 years ago) Permalink

yes thanks for flagging. good article.

ON FI-YAH!

― calstars, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 03:23 (3 years ago) Permalink

Terry Tolkin def. comes off very badly.

― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 03:48 (3 years ago) Permalink

haven't read this article yet...hadn't heard of Tolkin till I read the Dean book a few weeks ago. Pretty crazy life.

― dan selzer, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 04:46 (3 years ago) Permalink

Curious as to how anyone would find this thing depressing? I got really good feeedback on it from all participants.

Is it 'cause of how things ended? They were a really solid band who made some great music together, and then they had a weird breakup. But haven't we all had weird breakups?

― Mike McGooney-gal, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 07:34 (3 years ago) Permalink

This story is very obviously depressing to me, for the exact reasons you just stated. The breakup just seems so petty now in the face of what they accomplished and what they might have continued to accomplish. Also, to know that This is Our Music is actually inferior because they weren't getting along is a pity. The descent into jealousy and selfishness just seems so inevitable. This clearly isn't just some breakup for them - it's a breakup between creative soulmates and I don't know how anyone could not be depressed by it.

― Spencer Chow, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 07:59 (3 years ago) Permalink

I mean, not speaking to your best friend for 20 years??? How is that not depressing to some degree?

― Spencer Chow, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 08:01 (3 years ago) Permalink

Also, not a criticism of the piece by any means...

― Spencer Chow, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 08:02 (3 years ago) Permalink

Thanks a lot for your prompt reply, Spencer.

I personally was really glad that everyone was just really honest.

And while I did find it a bit weird that the rifts do not seem to have healed, that's just the way it is sometimes, you know?

― Mike McGooney-gal, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 08:44 (3 years ago) Permalink

i find the idea of 'this is our music' being inferior quite crazy

that it could be better is a bit difficult for me to imagine

― hell and the handbaskets (electricsound), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 08:56 (3 years ago) Permalink

i don't find the story all that depressing -- the broken relationships are a bit of a bummer, but I like the fact that despite the sour way things ended, all three members of the band remain (rightfully!) proud of the music they made together. They're Galaxie 500 fans! I think that's kind of cool.

And I don't know if this was Mike's experience, but when I interviewed them a few years back (when the DVD thing came out) they didn't seem super pissed off still or anything -- far from it. Most of the reminiscing was funny and fond, for the most part. Don't know if that comes across necessarily on the printed page (or computer screen).

Anyhoo, like I said, great article, Mike.

― tylerw, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 14:44 (3 years ago) Permalink

hey, did you ask D&N if they'd read Dean's book?

― tylerw, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 14:46 (3 years ago) Permalink

Damon and Naomi are the nicest 'rock stars' i've ever met. For a few years (from Luna Park to Pup Tent) I loved Luna. Reading this shit about Dean (also check D&N's website for further tales of Dean being a dick), i'm not sure i'll hear Luna's music in the same way. I am interested in getting the lyrics for More Sad Hits and seeing what relates to their relationship with Dean. I really can't imagine D&N ganging up on Dean and forcing him to do things he didn't want to do. The whole couple vs. one person scenario sounds like an excuse after the fact to me.

― brotherlovesdub, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 15:37 (3 years ago) Permalink

oh i dunno -- even if D&N weren't ganging up on him maliciously, Dean could still feel like he didn't have an equal say in the band. they're going to agree on everything, most likely. (but yeah, they are super nice people it seems)

― tylerw, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 15:41 (3 years ago) Permalink

The long-ago Ptolemaic Terrascope interview with D&N is the first I ever read about the behind-the-scenes hoohah -- I seem to remember a key example being both of them being surprised one night when Dean got a literal spotlight moment out of nowhere when they were opening for the Cocteau Twins.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 15:43 (3 years ago) Permalink

^^^yep oft cited as the "beginning of the end"

― the sound of a norwegian guy being wrong (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 16:06 (3 years ago) Permalink

was in Los Angeles iirc

― the sound of a norwegian guy being wrong (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 16:06 (3 years ago) Permalink

I kind of hesitate to say this, and don't really have the full story obviously, but I keep thinking there are parallels between the way he broke up the band and the way he broke up his marraige... Yuck.

― dlp9001, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 16:35 (3 years ago) Permalink

He had Terry Tolkin do it for him?

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 16:56 (3 years ago) Permalink

he had an affair w/ the chills' bassist? damn.

― tylerw, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 16:58 (3 years ago) Permalink

Dean talks about that spotlight moment in his book, a lot. He claims it wasn't something he planned. Having not read the PT interview and having just read Black Postcards, it's easier for me to see Dean's side of things. For what it's worth, even in his own book, even when he's defending his actions, he still comes across as a non-confrontational and immature individual and acknowledges that, implying "well I suppose the best way to handle that situation may have been to this, but I didn't and so be it."

― dan selzer, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 17:00 (3 years ago) Permalink

the PT is on D&N's website: http://www.damonandnaomi.com/interviews/ptinterview.html

I find myself agreeing with this:

― Duke, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 18:35 (3 years ago) Permalink

I suppose if you read that interview and haven't read Black Postcards, it's worth looking at both sides of the story.

― dan selzer, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 19:02 (3 years ago) Permalink

Did we ever have a Luna vs. Damon & Naomi poll?

― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 19:13 (3 years ago) Permalink

"Melt Away" is the perfect soundtrack to coming home from a truly terrible day and needing a nap.

― Cunga, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 23:53 (3 years ago) Permalink

His explanation for breaking up Galaxie 500 is totally convincing. If I had to make a living, be creative and spend weeks on end in a van with some couples we know, I'd lose my mind.

― john. a resident of chicago., Thursday, 6 May 2010 00:10 (3 years ago) Permalink

I'm with Spencer on this. Great piece, Mike! I think Chemical Imbalance is what turned me on to G500 in the first place. Didn't you interview them around "On Fire"?

― Bow Before Zeezrom!!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Thursday, 6 May 2010 00:44 (3 years ago) Permalink

So glad people like this thing; I really enjoy using the 'Working'/ 'Please Kill Me' format. It was a bit of work but was really fun to assemble, once the interviews were done/ transcribed.

I never interviewed Galaxie, myself. I rarely did interview people I was friends with for C.I., more just people I was a fanboy about (not that one can't be both of course.)

I printed an article some friend of label owner Marc Alghini's wrote -- that issue's not handy, sorry I forget who it was. The piece did compare them to the Swell Maps which I found oddly astute at the time. And it just seems a bit odd now. The piece came out fairly early in their timeline, around the time of the first album, I think anyway.

It's hard to remember that far back -- the '80s, I keep trying to forget it!

― Mike McGooney-gal, Friday, 7 May 2010 07:27 (3 years ago) Permalink

just echoing others--excellent job mike!

― call all destroyer, Friday, 7 May 2010 11:06 (3 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

I don't recall seeing this link on any of the other G500 threads so here it is via my Tumblr:

http://mysterydriver.tumblr.com/post/876209786/deandoesgalaxie

Sounds great but I miss Damon's crashing cymbals.

― Zooster vs. The Slapp (Capitaine Jay Vee), Saturday, 31 July 2010 15:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

coming out this fall. guess it's an expanded version of the p-fork thing mike did a few years ago.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 22:28 (9 months ago) Permalink

this guy totally reminds me of Galaxie

― it's like the Grateful Dead work up a little half-chub (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 14 August 2012 23:18 (9 months ago) Permalink

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