The Blue Nile: C or D?

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The Scottish Talk Talk, or pretty pop for Christians who find Low too weird?

― Colin Meeder, Thursday, 17 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

At least three great singles, albums full of filler, and the most shocking mid-performance weeping I've ever heard.

― Colin Meeder, Thursday, 17 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I bought "A Walk Across the Rooftops" when it came out, and I've played it and enjoyed it many times. I never thought to buy the follow-up, "Hats", until a couple months ago. This must stand as the all-time longest I've waited to buy another record by any artist; what, 18 years? This is no reflection on the quality of "A Walk", however, it's really quite good. "Hats" is similar, but a bit more ingratiating, a bit more pop. I still haven't heard the third one, it's got an awful album cover. Still, I do recommend the first. The Talk Talk comparison isn't entirely out of line, but they write catchier melodies, and didn't get as experimental.

― Sean, Thursday, 17 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

'A Walk Across the Rooftops' is one of the most perfectly realised debut records I can think of - twinkling, lush, melancholy and cinematic (some dream collaboration between Bill Forsyth and Leo Carax). The title song in particular suggested a pop that could be 'adult' but effervescent. 'Easter Parade', a sketch of a song that Sinatra might have appreciated, was on every compilation tape I made for ten years. Wonderful.

'Hats' consolidated the debut, practically down to the track listing, but suffered from having Phil Collins' recommendation stickered to the front. 'Saturday night' was an epic transfiguration of the commonplace, a pop Les Parapluis du Cherbourg, and the kind of song Brett Anderson would like to write in his Scott Walker moments if a) he had clue and b) a few thousand years in which to try.

The last lp - Peace at last? - is very disappointing. The cinemascope sheen was replaced with acoustic guitars, the singing had all gone a bit Michael Bolton, and yes the sleeve was terrible. Maybe this is what happens when you go out with Rosanna Arquette. It seemed to bear out all those who'd had them pegged as some MOR monstrosity, a Dire Straits in waiting. A couple of songs - 'Family Life', 'Tomorrow Morning' - might be worth downloading, but the rest of it is a bit bleh.

― Edna Welthorpe, Mrs, Thursday, 17 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I actually like that third album, but then again I don't really rate the first two albums on such a purely evocative/epic level as y'all are doing. They are pretty damn good, though, it's just that my sympathies would still come down with Talk Talk in the end. ;-)

My favorite performance by Mr. Wossname who is the singer is actually his turn on the version of "Let's Go Out Tonight" -- I think that's the song -- on Craig Armstrong's first album.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 17 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

As I've said before, my aunt used to date Paul Joseph Moore. But I know little of the band. We used to have all these free Blue Nile cassettes laying around the house, but as I was young I had little interest in listening.

― Melissa W, Thursday, 17 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

The Talk Talk comparison is interesting. I can sort of see the connection, maybe in the softer moments of The Colour Of Spring, but in most ways they are totally distinct except for their basic mood. I think this comparison must be the result of trying to find one for The Blue Nile and failing to come up with anything that would actually recommend purchase - they really are like an oasis in a desert of MOR-eighties pop.

Recommendations... A Walk Across The Rooftops has "Tinseltown In The Rain" which is one of my favourite love songs ever, but Hats is the better album, with about five perfect songs on it. Amazing how similar they are though, despite the six-year gap (there's your big difference to Talk Talk - these guys stumbled upon a vision of perfection early on and stuck with it).

― Tim, Thursday, 17 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

excellent - the talk talk comparison is spot on - i loved 'a walk' more than 'hats'. The Linn drums and that bass were a big influence. They epitomize that '80s pristine quality - the 'clean lines' i'm always banging on about.

― , Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Clasic. The song's are almost uncoverable as the lyrics are so unaffected that in anyone else they would sound gauche. Do I love you. YES, I love you

Edna's summary is bang OTM. Let's go out tonight is just desperately affecting, you know this relationship is doomed with just the clutter and routine holding it together.

I don't know about stumbling on perfection, I believe they scrapped 3 years of work before starting on Hats properly. Anyway they stumbled out of perfection on the lasr album.

Ned, the Craig Armstrong album is fab also for having one of Liz Frazers few decent performances in the 90's. Liz Frazer working with the Blue Nile now that's an idea...

― Billy Dods, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

What Edna and Billy said. I love Hats. Never bothered with the last album.

― Dr. C, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Billy - the 'stumbling' part refers to the beginning of their career. I get the feeling that Hats took so long because it was so hard to exactly replicate A Walk... and at the same time improve on it. (in this case second album syndrome = not "same but different" but "same but better").

― Tim, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

the blue nile? isnt that a river in egypt? what that got to do with music. i saw michael palin go down it on pole to pole on at chrismas so maybe you should start i love michael palin thread. but i wouldnt be interested because michael palin a ponce.

― XStatic Peace, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

first album is all about the first flush of youth/love/innocence/awe/wonder/etc. eg - 'i am in loooove, i am in loooove with you, ...i walk across the rooftops...' etc etc.

the second is all concerned with the death of love/getting older/etc. eg - 'i'm tired of crying on the staiiiirs...'

it's kind of a godfather/godfather part 2 deal. and all they're bestheard back to back

― piscesboy, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

The Blue Line is just such an underrated band. I find their "Hats" al bum is one of the best pop records of all time - and also a godfather for the sound of pioneer "post-rock" bands like Disco Inferno and, very specially, Bark Psychosis: angst-ridden vocals hanging on a spacious soundscape with electronica drumbeats and ambient samples. Definitely, The Blue Nile are A+.

― Juan M., Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I didn't realise Pet Shop Boys were post-rock.

(okay truthfully I can see the connection at least with Bark Psychosis, but it always seemed to me that The Blue Nile represented the "other half" of BP's source material). Hats multiplied by Spirit Of Eden = Hex.

― Tim, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Boring annoying bullshit. "Hats" is absolutely unlistenable. Especially the singer's voice let's me run up the walls. I guess a kick in the ass would do him well. This does not even qualify for wallpaper music. The only band which is as embarrassing is Sigur Ros.

― alex in mainhattan, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

there was a program on tv the other night that had a drum&bass version of Tinseltown in the Rain as the theme. Such a great band, so many bad ideas. Walk Across the Rooftops is fantastic though.

― hamish, Wednesday, 23 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Simply the most amazing music ever made.

― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 00:16 (10 years ago) Permalink

The third album really is worth the effort, what puts me off listening to it though is all the Christian stuff. Ultimately it is a back-to-the-roots acoustic album with very conservative lyrics all about home, family and church, but contains some moments of raw ecstacy, ie;Tomorrow Morning, Sentimental Man and Soon. As for Michael Bolton, the very first time I listened to 'Over the Hillside' I thought I'd picked up a Richard Marx album by mistake, but despite their MOR tendencies they have produced some really transcendent music.

― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 01:52 (10 years ago) Permalink

Classic. Particularly their two 80s albums.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 11:09 (10 years ago) Permalink

MOLLUSCS ARE HEROES

one) You won’t like them. A Walk Across The Rooftops contains slap bass, trite lyrics on the debris of relationships, pans from (yawn) Coppola’s One From the Heart into (yawn) Paris, Texas, sung by Springsteen impersonating Sinatra. Hats has two white reggae tracks, gated snares, repeated use of the word ‘baby’, yes, is ‘lush’, ‘cinematic’ and MOR. Annie Lennox and Rod Stewart have covered their songs. Phil Collins endorses them.

two) I don’t like American Music Club, John Cale, Talking Heads, Rickie Lee Jones or The Cars either.

three) Men in American books tend to wear hats.

four) Katy (my girlfriend) was in a philosophy class and, as the hush of young students began to stifle and choke, the teacher, by way of gesture, mentioned the best class he ever had occurred when Paul Buchanan, ‘you probably haven’t heard of him’, suggested they talk about love.

five) No-one has registered the scientific unproveability of ‘love’ in song more heart-rendingly than Paul Buchanan: singing “how do I know you feel it?”, just moments from loss, or the frustrated ‘I can only tell you’ of “do I love you? YES I love you!”

six) What do you say when three years into a relationship the only things holding you together is the fear of breaking the ties you’ve built in the outside world as a unit? When an offer of tea is the only lull in the silence? “Let’s go out tonight”, one last time, meet up with the ghost of your happiness, it can be the same again, you will dance, for one night, oh to bed the same different woman every night, and leave the relationship strafed with cigarette burns and headaches in, alone.

seven) Such compassionate pop. During Hats, the band’s lives were fragmenting and none of them felt they had any support around them, it would have been so easy to become insular and dismissive of others in such a situation.

eight) Below a peat sky, her hair is scraped through with coral orange and tickles of grey, and a smell of moist pollen sewn into the webs of her fingers. Scotland’s inability to say Carl strains a last laugh out from her, smoke knuckles through our hair, as the aftertaste of other men places her lips and her eyes’ slow moulder.

nine) You will like them. A Walk Across the Rooftops is a deeply emotional water, Buchanan a child lost in the weave of a Frank O’Hara poem. Hats refuses Don Paterson’s cycnicism of romance and insists on the transcendental of the ordinary and of the journey, the pressure difference.

!) I think romanticism suggests this sense of wilfully not having it all, leaving that one bit back, the whole, the mysterious ‘last’ that can never be reached, romanticism is the journey to try and attain that that you’re purposefully denying yourself. I have never listened to their third record, I most probably never will.

― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 15:30 (10 years ago) Permalink

Nice one, Coz!

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 15:40 (10 years ago) Permalink

By the way: one of the things that justifies file-sharing for all time is that I was finally able to get hold of a copy of their first (?) ever song 'I love this life'. And it's turned out to be my favourite song of theirs.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 15:45 (10 years ago) Permalink

Cozen! Yes!

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 15:50 (10 years ago) Permalink

Cozen that was just lovely, thank you.

― Sean (Sean), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 15:59 (10 years ago) Permalink

nice one. it reminds me of pinefox's post on the joyce thread.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 16:05 (10 years ago) Permalink

(Haha, Julio, that's where I nicked my structure, but I guess it was alright cos I think he nicked the turn from the X Y Zedd post on the 'What if Punk Never Happened?' thread).

― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 18:01 (10 years ago) Permalink

I think Daniel Bedingfield is as close as modern pop gets to The Blue Nile. I get the feeling that he's a stubborn perfectionist too, answering only to his standards, steeped in integrity and honesty. Imagine if he took 5 years to write and record his follow up. It'd be amazing.

― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 18:10 (10 years ago) Permalink

''Imagine if he took 5 years to write and record his follow up. It'd be amazing.''

or it could be a disaster too i suppose.

''(Haha, Julio, that's where I nicked my structure, but I guess it was alright cos I think he nicked the turn from the X Y Zedd post on the 'What if Punk Never Happened?' thread).''

I just thought i had seen something like that. but yr post is triffic in its own way.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 18:45 (10 years ago) Permalink

(Aw shucks, thanks you guys! Actually, I realised today that every thing I've ever written has, in some way, been to make someone fall in love with me or notice me and that post was specifically written to make Dr C notice me (and to make him happy, too) after I'd written my little heart into All of My Heart last week without him popping up; it was also written as an accompinament (god, spelling) to a Blue Nile 'best of...' I'm making up for a friend.)

― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 18:50 (10 years ago) Permalink

"I think Daniel Bedingfield is as close as modern pop gets to The Blue Nile."

Yes! "If You're Not The One" works in exactly the same way as the peerless "Tinseltown In The Rain" ie. a "generic" love song rendered strange and fascinating by the force and peculiarity of its emotional over-investment.

Although Cozen you should really check out that there new Coloma album which is almost self-consciously an update of The Blue Nile for the post-glitch generation. As with The Blue Nile it's svelte literary studio-pop that feels like all the sound-politics have been surgically removed (eg. this is click-pop only because, well, why not if it sounds good? cf. Schneider TM's "The Light 3000") so I imagine that in a decade or so it'll have that same lovely timeless-datedness as TBN's first two albums have. It's very much like A Walk Across The Rooftops in particular. Much better than their first album.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 26 March 2003 03:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

did you realise that daniel bedingfield is a born again christian?

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 27 March 2003 00:14 (10 years ago) Permalink

He was born somewhere really (relatively) 'weird', like Hawaii or something. I can't remember, I'll look it out.

― Cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 27 March 2003 00:19 (10 years ago) Permalink

he has a high speaking voice.

I saw him on 'today with des & mel'.

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 27 March 2003 00:47 (10 years ago) Permalink

Yesterday I bought Rooftops for a dollar! :-)

― Keith McD (Keith McD), Thursday, 27 March 2003 04:14 (10 years ago) Permalink

I've jotted down some more thoughts on The Blue Nile and Coloma at Skykicking.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 04:13 (10 years ago) Permalink

Think you meant Skykicking.

― hamish (hamish), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 04:29 (10 years ago) Permalink

Just listened to A Walk Across the Rooftops today for the first time in a long while. Really sounds distinctly uneighties in the end, doesn't it. The Talk Talk comparisons now finally do make sense.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 04:50 (10 years ago) Permalink

Record Review of the Year, Tim. Just beautiful. Better than my Morgenstern one (did you my last e-mail?) by a good country mile, and there was me really happy with it and you show everyone how it's really done. Rat bastard. ;)

I figured out why I like Daniel Bedingfield earlier. Or one aspect. I remembered something Frank Kogan said to me about how he really liked the way that I wasn't scared to be overwrought when the usual rock-crit approach is to come across all Ed Casual (hehe, what's Frank's e-mail address again?). I suppose I see a lot of myself in Daniel. All thing considered, a juxtaposition of poets might be in order:

Everywhere he saw his own image, -
his perfect face...

When he rode out of the city, the people
gathered to admire him: a ribbon
of faces, fixed on this one face
and haunted by its indifference. They said:
'as beautiful as a painting', and we
feel a chill cast across these years
for we know there is another painting
that does not hang in any gallery

- John Ash

I like you so much I'm acting stupid
I can't play the game I'm all intense and alive
I'm losing control of my heart
I'm not supposed to be this nervous
I should play my hand all cool and calm
I can't breathe
I'm losing control of my heart

- Daniel Bedingfield

― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 16:49 (10 years ago) Permalink

Finney I mean Finery is indeed EXCELLENT.

― Andy K (Andy K), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 17:06 (10 years ago) Permalink

Sadly, I probably won't be able to get it here in Glasgow. And I'm internet-shopping averse. If I get it, I'll make a copy and give it to Paul Buchanan, I see him quite often, coming out of the local Safeways.

― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 17:08 (10 years ago) Permalink

("I can't breathe"!!!)

― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 17:13 (10 years ago) Permalink

I was thinking about why "Peace at Last" never appealed to me, and I reckon it's because it cuts the (admittedly tenuous) connection with disco. I love every single moment of "Tinseltown In The Rain", but the point where it really blows me away is the final string-riff loops where the disco beat suddenly gets more pronounced, and the whole song takes on this aura of bittersweet triumph. I could well imagine the song being the inspiration for Luomo's "The Present Lover". Actually Luomo could do a lot with a remix of The Blue Nile.

I was trying to think of more music from the eighties that fits into this area of explicitly emotional quasi-dance pop, but I couldn't get far beyond The Hounds of Love. Any ideas?

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 10 April 2003 00:44 (10 years ago) Permalink

I have Hats, and that's definitely a Classic.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 10 April 2003 01:09 (10 years ago) Permalink

was trying to think of more music from the eighties that fits into this area of explicitly emotional quasi-dance pop, but I couldn't get far beyond The Hounds of Love. Any ideas?

Associates surely fit this description.

But Tim is OTM regarding Tinseltown being a lost dance classic, I certainly remember hearing it in clubs in Dundee in the mid-80's. Apparently they had some of their work from Hats remixed by Oakenfold (or some other name remixer), but they nixed it on hearing it. Now that I'd like to hear.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 10 April 2003 07:32 (10 years ago) Permalink

My other half was Paul's telephone answering service[flatmate]all through the writing and release of the first record.He says there was definately a whole bunch of up and happy songs right after rooftops.I met Paul once and he can do charm.Happy Easter everybody.

― jean bowman, Sunday, 20 April 2003 09:51 (10 years ago) Permalink

Happy Easter Jean.

Where did the up and happy songs go, then? Left to rot as demos?

― Cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 20 April 2003 10:11 (10 years ago) Permalink

Ta for the greetings. Re demos there must be millyens of them . If you see Paul ask him. I hear that Heatwave had five minutes of birds and boats before the music and even that was cut down from a long session outdoors. Regards to the West End, it must be great this time of year.

― jean bowman, Sunday, 20 April 2003 19:05 (10 years ago) Permalink

It is, it's lovely.

I don't think I'd have the bare-faced gall to actually talk to the man though.

It feels a bit criminal to actually listen to the Blue Nile at this time of year though, like I'm going to shatter the mood.

― Cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 20 April 2003 19:12 (10 years ago) Permalink

Interesting thread.

1. The only track I know is 'I Love This Life', which the Nipper gave me. The Nipper is right about it.

2. Cozen's big post above is indeed good, and indeed structurally resembles one of mine. But no, I didn't take my own structure from anyone else.

3. Whether or not the Bedingfield link is apt, I don't think 'emotional overinvolvement' etc is necessarily the key to 'If You're Not The One': what woke me up to that track was simply the rare quality of its tune.

― the pinefox, Monday, 21 April 2003 09:20 (10 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 184 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

His album is actually number 8 in today's midweeks. I guess that means everybody in Scotland bought it.

― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Wednesday, 23 May 2012 16:52 (1 year ago) Permalink

does anyone have any, uh, tips for how to get the Birthday Cards & Silent Music compilation?

― Euler, Wednesday, 23 May 2012 16:57 (1 year ago) Permalink

i will never understand the appeal of this music. he seems to sing always the same, never starting and never ending, mediocre ballad. somehow the harmlessness and tediousness of it still makes me aggressive, very bizarre.

― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 23 May 2012 19:02 (1 year ago) Permalink

Euler, sent you a PM.

― doug watson, Wednesday, 23 May 2012 23:18 (1 year ago) Permalink

Spotify cruelly listing this as "not available in your country".

― Fas Ro Duh (Gukbe), Wednesday, 23 May 2012 23:19 (1 year ago) Permalink

That comp doesn't have the great ones "I Love This Life" and "Saint Catherine's Day"

― Iago Galdston, Wednesday, 23 May 2012 23:23 (1 year ago) Permalink

thanks a million, doug watson!

― Euler, Thursday, 24 May 2012 15:43 (11 months ago) Permalink

Doug watson, may I have a PM pls? 0_0

― but he go's to a resturang and then die in a toilet (Jon Lewis), Friday, 25 May 2012 17:36 (11 months ago) Permalink

The record cover makes me think of when I was a kid, and me and a friend would go to the top of a 6-story parking garage, tie together a bunch of old clothes, scream at the top of our lungs and throw them over the edge. Looked just like a jumper.

― henry s, Friday, 25 May 2012 21:08 (11 months ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Finally listened to Mid Air, completely agree it's the best thing he's done since Hats. Really stunning album all the way through.

― Kitchen Person, Monday, 11 June 2012 18:39 (11 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

http://thequietus.com/articles/09375-paul-buchanan-blue-nile-interview

― piscesx, Monday, 23 July 2012 16:28 (10 months ago) Permalink

album is stunning

― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 23 July 2012 20:13 (10 months ago) Permalink

I'll add my voice to the chorus of "best thing since Hats". Anyone get the deluxe version?

Would someone compile "High" and "Peace At Last" for me, please. I was disappointed by both but I'd like to give the best bits another go.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 24 July 2012 02:13 (9 months ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

reissues!

http://thebluenile.org/

― Mansplains Drifter (Gukbe), Wednesday, 24 October 2012 23:38 (6 months ago) Permalink

ooh, is this the 1st CD issue of I Love This Life etc?

― ざっぴ (zappi), Wednesday, 24 October 2012 23:50 (6 months ago) Permalink

incidently i got an email the other day from my brother part of which was this - "Two weeks ago it looked like Mr Blue Nile Paul Buchanan was waving at me while I was waiting at some traffic lights. After much confusion on my part, turned out it was for an actual cab rigghhttt behind me. Strange moment." haha!

― ざっぴ (zappi), Wednesday, 24 October 2012 23:56 (6 months ago) Permalink

"I Love Thos Life" and its b-side were on the "I Would Never" CD single in 2004, which i think was a first appearance on CD but will ni longer be in print.

Inevitably the re-issues will be bought. Have always found my CD of '...Rooftops' incredibly quiet.

― michaellambert, Thursday, 25 October 2012 00:05 (6 months ago) Permalink

Unfortunately, as seems to be the case these days (*stink eye at Peter Gabriel*), they've left out some b-sides:

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/the-blue-nile-deluxe-reissues/#comment-13765

Mostly remixes and instrumentals, but it looks like there's plenty of room on the bonus discs for all of it.

― Hideous Lump, Thursday, 25 October 2012 04:00 (6 months ago) Permalink

I'm guessing some intrepid blogger will post a comp of the missing stuff.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 25 October 2012 16:15 (6 months ago) Permalink

is this website new? looks awfully fancy. you don't think it means a new album and tour on the way, do you? (hoping against hope!)

― Iago Galdston, Thursday, 25 October 2012 16:17 (6 months ago) Permalink

fave b-side right now is oh lolita

― Iago Galdston, Friday, 26 October 2012 01:49 (6 months ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

the use of "let's go out tonight" in six feet under is really brilliant. the exact sort of band i'd expect in that show.

― Heterocyclic ring ring (LocalGarda), Wednesday, 14 November 2012 10:24 (6 months ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

I played this at record club last week...

http://devonrecordclub.wordpress.com/2013/02/04/the-blue-nile-hats-round-45-toms-selection/

― yugi ex, Monday, 4 February 2013 21:14 (3 months ago) Permalink

i still can't stand them. and i have tried. and tried. and tried. the music is quite ok actually but the singer simply sucks. i am not sure if i should envy all you people who love their music or if i should pity you. maybe i should just accept the fact that tastes are different...

― it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Monday, 4 February 2013 21:46 (3 months ago) Permalink

Liking or disliking a voice is such a personal thing and very hard to see past - my Achilles Heel as far as voices go is Daniel Rossen from Grizzly Bear. Pretty innocuous but sets my teeth on edge.

Do you feel similarly about Peter Gabriel's voice as Paul Buchanan's is not that dissimilar?

― yugi ex, Monday, 4 February 2013 22:48 (3 months ago) Permalink

i have always loved peter gabriel's voice. trespass was one of my first albums. i don't think their voices are similar at all. buchanan's voice to me sounds sleepy and bored. whereas gabriel just sounds perfect, his voice is vivacious and astute.

― it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Monday, 4 February 2013 23:02 (3 months ago) Permalink

I played this at record club last week...
http://devonrecordclub.wordpress.com/2013/02/04/the-blue-nile-hats-round-45-toms-selection/
― yugi ex, Monday, February 4, 2013 4:14 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

did you write that, yugi? really excellent...blue nile and edward hopper have become so intertwined in my mind that i can't see or hear one without thinking of the other-i work in a museum that has several great hoppers and my dream concert would be blue nile playing in a room full of hoppers

― Iago Galdston, Tuesday, 5 February 2013 01:03 (3 months ago) Permalink

Cheers. You're spot on with the Hopper reference, although I always pictured a Scottish city - US cities are just not wet enough!

― yugi ex, Tuesday, 5 February 2013 18:40 (3 months ago) Permalink

are they from glasgow or edinburgh? i love blue nile enough to add scotland to list of places to visit (although i'm sure it's a great place anyway!)

― Iago Galdston, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 01:24 (3 months ago) Permalink

glasgow. trying to get my head around PB sounding like he is "sleepy and bored". and failing.

― ( X '____' )/ (zappi), Wednesday, 6 February 2013 01:28 (3 months ago) Permalink

yeah, they obv haven't heard Over the Hillside!

― Iago Galdston, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 02:06 (3 months ago) Permalink

I get world-weary from Paul Buchannan's singing but not sleepy and bored...

― yugi ex, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 21:32 (3 months ago) Permalink

I'm surprised there hasn't been any reviews of the remasters in American outlets. At least that I know of.

― Moreno, Thursday, 7 February 2013 15:56 (3 months ago) Permalink

OK, I finally have Mid Air! First listen in progress now; I'm five tracks in. This is pretty radical stuff! We are almost in Mark Hollis / Richard Youngs territory here!

― try a little crowleymass (Jon Lewis), Monday, 11 February 2013 18:17 (3 months ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Cozen's posts halfway up the thread are some of the greatest I've ever read on here.

EASILY some of the most amazing music ever made.

"Let's WALK In The COOL EVENING NIGHT..."

― Master of Treacle, Sunday, 3 March 2013 06:04 (2 months ago) Permalink

...er, light. even so.

― Master of Treacle, Sunday, 3 March 2013 06:05 (2 months ago) Permalink

Has there ever been an album more fitting (in every sense) of a Q 5-star review than Hats?

I am trying to avoid hyperbole but this album contains some of the incredibily fucking stunningly beautiful music I have ever heard.

― Master of Treacle, Sunday, 3 March 2013 06:11 (2 months ago) Permalink

I was flicking through a recent copy of Uncut in an airport the other day. They had an article on these guys and graded their albums.

A Walk Across The Rooftops 10
Hats 10
Peace at Last 7
High 8
Mid Air 9

I actually think they got the ratings spot on.

― Kitchen Person, Sunday, 3 March 2013 07:44 (2 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

it's blue nile weather

― love's secret borad (clouds), Saturday, 20 April 2013 12:53 (1 month ago) Permalink

we're laughing, isn't it good to feel this way

― love's secret borad (clouds), Saturday, 20 April 2013 12:59 (1 month ago) Permalink

That song just came up on shuffle earlier today, I have no problem putting it in my top ten songs of all time.

― Kitchen Person, Saturday, 20 April 2013 21:50 (1 month ago) Permalink

WHY IS IT ROLLING DOWN UPON THE YOUNG AND THE FOOLISH

― not feeling those lighters (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Saturday, 20 April 2013 22:45 (1 month ago) Permalink

~~THE~~

― not feeling those lighters (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Saturday, 20 April 2013 23:07 (1 month ago) Permalink

aero OTM

― Tim F, Sunday, 21 April 2013 00:35 (1 month ago) Permalink

upon the young and foolish

― just sayin, Sunday, 21 April 2013 01:15 (1 month ago) Permalink

― just sayin, Sunday, 21 April 2013 01:16 (1 month ago) Permalink

Your profile name is very appropriate right now.

― Tim F, Sunday, 21 April 2013 01:24 (1 month ago) Permalink

why hasn't a country singer covered "Because of Toledo" yet?

― Heez, Sunday, 21 April 2013 01:32 (1 month ago) Permalink

Has someone at least identified all the missing tracks from the "deluxe" reissues?

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Monday, 29 April 2013 23:59 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

Don't know if this is comprehensive, but here, from the Super Deluxe Edition website:

- the instrumental version of Heatwave
- Saddle The Horses, the instrumental version of Automobile Noise, which came in a standard and an extended version
- the extended single remix of Stay
- Halfway To Paradise, from The Downtown Lights single
- the Clearmountain mix of Headlights On The Parade
- Headlights On The Parade with Rickie Lee Jones
- Our Lives, from the Saturday Night single
- the live version of Seven AM, from the Saturday Night single

― Hideous Lump, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 04:06 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

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