Primal Scream's "Vanishing Point": Classic or Dud?

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
I like it. "Kowalski" and "Stuka" are classics. And "Long Life" is fucking awesome.

Grand (grand), Friday, 26 May 2006 20:16 (seventeen years ago) link

superclassic

Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 26 May 2006 20:27 (seventeen years ago) link

Definitely classic.

Z, Friday, 26 May 2006 20:30 (seventeen years ago) link

this is a very good album.

punis (punis), Friday, 26 May 2006 20:37 (seventeen years ago) link

agreed, great album. also: TS: Ecko Dek vs. Vanishing Point

i'd say Echo Dek

biz, Friday, 26 May 2006 20:39 (seventeen years ago) link

countdown to the arrival of the Brits to complain about what a pompous twat Gillespie is or Throbert's haircut or whatever...

Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 26 May 2006 20:42 (seventeen years ago) link

Classic but xtrmntr is even better.

Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 26 May 2006 20:56 (seventeen years ago) link

classic over dud, but not as classic as the film, or its' soundtrack.

nicky lo-fi (nicky lo-fi), Friday, 26 May 2006 20:57 (seventeen years ago) link

Classic. Why is there any doubt about this?

elgolfo (elgolfo), Friday, 26 May 2006 21:09 (seventeen years ago) link

b/c of the singer

Chris Bee (Cee Bee), Friday, 26 May 2006 21:09 (seventeen years ago) link

uh, have you ever seen any of the other threads about Primal Scream? They're mostly streams of unending bile.

Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 26 May 2006 21:10 (seventeen years ago) link

the first couple of songs are classic then a major dropoff after that. why so many primal scream threads? they seem to have more status than i would think they deserve. is it just their politics that endears? they are so timid for an alleged 'extreme' band. maybe it's just gillespie's silly little voice that makes me think that.

keyth (keyth), Friday, 26 May 2006 21:17 (seventeen years ago) link

"Star" = WRST PRML SCRM SNG VR!!

Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Saturday, 27 May 2006 00:33 (seventeen years ago) link

Quite good, even if it is a bit uneven. "Star" is the best thing they have ever done.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 27 May 2006 00:55 (seventeen years ago) link

Star is my least fave song on that album too.

Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Saturday, 27 May 2006 01:01 (seventeen years ago) link

"Star" is pure perfection. A traditonal melodic song structure, combined with a really exciting and imaginative backing track, where a lot happens in the background without ever disturbing the melodicness of the song.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 27 May 2006 01:14 (seventeen years ago) link

Classic. Something I pull out on a regular basis. Many fond memories of this record.

kwhitehead (stephen schmidt), Saturday, 27 May 2006 02:04 (seventeen years ago) link

its their best

splates (splates), Saturday, 27 May 2006 03:12 (seventeen years ago) link

total clssic.

The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Saturday, 27 May 2006 03:25 (seventeen years ago) link

Why does the singing have to be so weetawded

Kowalski, for instance, would be/is a great track,
but why does the guy have to have his voice mixed so prominently into the front whispering some nonsense

Also, are they sampling Can on that track?

Chris Bee (Cee Bee), Saturday, 27 May 2006 04:13 (seventeen years ago) link

I vote classic as well.

BeeOK (boo radley), Saturday, 27 May 2006 05:12 (seventeen years ago) link

megaclassic

Scott Warner (thream), Saturday, 27 May 2006 07:15 (seventeen years ago) link

It's rubbish. The few times it sounds like it's going to lift off and get somewhere, gillespie opens his mouth and drags it back down to the ground again. "Star" is quite possibly the worst single anyone has ever recorded.

Pashmina (Pashmina), Saturday, 27 May 2006 07:19 (seventeen years ago) link

there's a lot of filler. i mean i kind of love(d) this band but i doubt i've bothered listening to 'medication' more than once.

Enrique IX: The Mediator (Enrique), Saturday, 27 May 2006 08:46 (seventeen years ago) link

approaching classic, but a little lacking somehow (compared to XTRMNTR- fully classic...)

gekoppel (Gekoppel), Saturday, 27 May 2006 10:37 (seventeen years ago) link

I've got it on now, probably the first time I've played it since before XTRMNTR came out. It's better than I remember, but the vocals are painfully weak.

Onimo (GerryNemo), Saturday, 27 May 2006 10:40 (seventeen years ago) link

my opinion of 'Star' is exactly halfway between pashmina's and geir's.

Konal Doddz (blueski), Saturday, 27 May 2006 12:20 (seventeen years ago) link

This is the only album of theirs that opens with 'Burning Wheel', which immediately makes it classic.

Hal! Jordan! HAL! JORDAN! (Barima), Saturday, 27 May 2006 14:56 (seventeen years ago) link

"Star" has a far to weedy melodica sound on it, and is totally removed from the death disco/ dub sounds of the rest of the album. It also has really bad singing from a more-than-usually enervated Bobby G, IMO.

Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Saturday, 27 May 2006 15:27 (seventeen years ago) link

The album's pretty classic, though!

Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Saturday, 27 May 2006 15:33 (seventeen years ago) link

Star is pretty cack but at least its not trying to sound like The Stones, which is something...

gekoppel (Gekoppel), Saturday, 27 May 2006 19:44 (seventeen years ago) link

Just ordered this and Echo Dek from Amazon (along with some Isis and Uriah Heep stuff). We'll see.

pdf (Phil Freeman), Saturday, 27 May 2006 19:50 (seventeen years ago) link

Their best work. Ever!

James Wall, Saturday, 27 May 2006 20:59 (seventeen years ago) link

This is their best album I reckon. I listen to it about once or twice a month on my lengthy commute, and it is quite relaxing.

James Weaver, Sunday, 28 May 2006 11:52 (seventeen years ago) link

It has the Scream's best ever opening song in "Burning Wheel" -in fact, one of THE best ever opening shots IMO, but as has been said upthread, it can't keep it up. Having said that, "If They Move, Kill 'Em" is 'Screamadelica'-era dance-tastic and I won't hear a word said against it.

And, haha, sure as night follows day, here I am to say that BG has indeed sadly declined into being a bigoted, ill-informed coke casualty whose mouth moves a few days before his brain.

darren (darren), Sunday, 28 May 2006 14:22 (seventeen years ago) link

It has the Scream's best ever opening song in "Burning Wheel" -in fact, one of THE best ever opening shots IMO

OTM

My favourite Scream album, and really, a minimal amount of filler. Perhaps 'Medication' is the weakest track, given that it's just a rehash of 'Rocks'. 'Star' isn't my favourite track by a long shot, but it's not shit. Haven't heard Echo Dek, due to it being a highly-priced import, but I guess with the internet I could have a stab at finding it cheap.

Any one know if this works: Assuming the Wizard of Oz/Pink Floyd thing works, what other combos would you try? ?

S- (sgh), Monday, 29 May 2006 01:13 (seventeen years ago) link

'If They Move, Kill Em' gets my vote, and you have to have some neck to cover Motorhead.
VP has great songs throughout, but overall it's a bit of a victim of the production - lots of long wobbly intros/outros. A lesser albunm than screamadelica, therefore, but still mighty fine.

dr x o'skeleton, Tuesday, 30 May 2006 12:58 (seventeen years ago) link

sasha I'll burn echo dek for you, I got it out of a bargain bin for $2!

lil' merzbow wow (haitch), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 14:10 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, I was gonna say - isn't this the one with the Hawkwind cover on it?

I love this album, but I don't have a problem with Gillespie, obviously. I wonder if people think it's one of their best because he seems to have the least involvement with it.

If They Move, Kill 'Em is amazing, but the Shields remix on XTRMNTR is even better.

pwdre ser (Welsh for rot of the stars) (kate), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 14:16 (seventeen years ago) link

i was a bit wrong re filler upthread.

'medication' is utter shit, but it's the only properly bad track on the album. 'star' is probably gillespie's lyrical nadir, and i've never been able to get behind it, but ech, i can just about ignore him.

the filler tracks are 'get duffy' and the interminable 'trainspotting'. they are what they are. the main problem i always had with 'trainspotting' was it was 18 months old when the lp came out.

Enrique IX: The Mediator (Enrique), Monday, 5 June 2006 12:00 (seventeen years ago) link

I like Trainspotting. I think it is more terminable here than on the soundtrack album. Frankly it should be 20 minutes long.

I heard some of the new album in a shop earlier on. I am sorry to report that I liked it. There were some twats doing football tricks in Virgin for some kind of publicity stunt, so suddenly weedy songs about junkies seemed like a good idea.

PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Monday, 5 June 2006 12:35 (seventeen years ago) link

yes, that was the other thing that annoyed me -- they'd edited 'trainspotting' by about two minutes, making it less good somehow...

Enrique IX: The Mediator (Enrique), Monday, 5 June 2006 12:42 (seventeen years ago) link

Certainly their best album by far & the one that re-awakened my interest in the band. Get Duffy & Trainspotting are perhaps my favourite tracks - as to the latter being 18 months old, that's kind of a tradition on PS albums. I love the version of Get Duffy on Echo Dek, with the eastern-sounding cornet thing. BG's voice sounds much much better with heavy distortion.

Great music, great visuals (is it done by the same people who do Blood & Fire's artwork?), great production (whatever happened to Brendan Lynch?)

bham (bham), Monday, 5 June 2006 13:29 (seventeen years ago) link

The only word you might want to say against "If they move, kill 'em" is that it's very similar to the Creative Source version of Bill Withers' "Who is he and what is he to you". Still, that's great, so no real problem I suppose.

I like Vanishing Point, but I guess I don't really want to listen to it, though I listened to Trainspotting the other week. I still love Screamadelica.

I've just fought my way through the latest album. I find it such a pity, because they'd so much like to be a great rock band, and I'd like to hear a great rock album, but they just don't seem to be able to make one. I'm afraid this might just about be their worst record.

KeefW (kmw), Monday, 5 June 2006 14:24 (seventeen years ago) link

Funnily enough, it's just struck me as odd that the other thing I bought today was the Stones' Sympathy for the Devil film, which has just been released on DVD. I saw this when at University and it's basically just about 12 different versions of Sympathy for the Devil, so just like Screamdelica then...

KeefW (kmw), Monday, 5 June 2006 14:41 (seventeen years ago) link

as to the latter being 18 months old, that's kind of a tradition on PS albums

haha otm

Funnily enough, it's just struck me as odd that the other thing I bought today was the Stones' Sympathy for the Devil film, which has just been released on DVD. I saw this when at University and it's basically just about 12 different versions of Sympathy for the Devil, so just like Screamdelica then...
-- KeefW (m...), June 5th, 2006.

1) no
2) no
3) wot a shit film!
4) no

Enrique IX: The Mediator (Enrique), Monday, 5 June 2006 14:44 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm really not all that enamoured with Primal Scream outside of Screamadelica (and yes I used to have Sonic Flower Groove, too) but I know just enough about Vanishing Point to know that I need to give it a proper chance.

Has-been Hash Brown (Bimble...), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 03:22 (seventeen years ago) link

Is it really not self-evident to anyone and everyone that XTRMNTR is their best record by far?

Ignoring the PRML SCRM Live in Japan thing...

Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 07:04 (seventeen years ago) link

Of course you're right about XTRMNTR, tss. Haven't heard the live thing, I gather I should?

I have a soft spot for Evil Heat, it feels relaxed and when I need that it's great to play it loud.

on-topic: I like Vanishing Point. Nothing more, nothing less.

willem -- (willem), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 07:15 (seventeen years ago) link

PRML SCRM Live in Japan is import only from Japan. I had to get mine sent from the States via Amazon sellers and Caiman. It's easy enough to find. I paid £15. Worth it. Much better than Evil Heat and the new one, and Vanishing Point too.

Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 07:30 (seventeen years ago) link

I loved XTRMNTR when it came out, but VP is the one I come back to. X feels too overblown compared to the lowkey vibe of VP, as if it took all the good things from VP & blew them out of proportion. VP has subtlety & (almost) charm - 2 things not normally associated with PS.
XTR is chrome-plated & shiny, whereas VP is scuffed & grimy.

bham (bham), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 07:34 (seventeen years ago) link

I did love XTRMNTR when it came out too, but I really haven't felt compelled to listen to it much since then. I occassionally listen to Accelerator and the MBV one, but not much else. I'm trying to develop a soft spot for Evil Heat.

KeefW (kmw), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 07:41 (seventeen years ago) link

Is it really not self-evident to anyone and everyone that XTRMNTR is their best record by far?

no. or not by far anyway (+ i no likey live albums). bham's characterization is good.

burning wheel > kill all hippes
accelerator > get duffy
kowalski > everything! (for sentimental reasons)
star = swastika eyes
if they move > pills
blood money = out of the void
stuka > keep your dreams
insect royalty > medication
mbv arkestra > motorhead (really like motorhead though)
swastika eyes = Trainspotting
how do i shot speed kill light > long life

i really like 'vanishing point', i've decided.

Enrique IX: The Mediator (Enrique), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 07:50 (seventeen years ago) link

I don't like live albums as a rule. I like PRML SCRM Live in Japan a LOT.

Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 07:52 (seventeen years ago) link

i saw them live at the end of 2000, and they were kind of armour-plated, but eccch, i dunno, they weren't very present (+ fucked off out of it toot sweet).

Enrique IX: The Mediator (Enrique), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 07:57 (seventeen years ago) link

five years pass...

Surprised by how much love there is on this thread. I like the record too, it's just very...Un-ILX

Patrice Leclerc Delacroix Poussin (admrl), Monday, 8 August 2011 01:40 (twelve years ago) link

Why'd you say that? I rate it higher than Screamadelica and XTRMNTR.

Why'd You Wanna Tweet Me So Bad? (dog latin), Monday, 8 August 2011 09:05 (twelve years ago) link

five years pass...

CLASSIC!!!

It's tough for me to choose between this album and XTRMNTR, but some days I think this is the superior record.

I love both far, far more than Screamadelica too, which I don't think has actually aged all that well.

the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Monday, 29 August 2016 23:08 (seven years ago) link

it's not as aggro as XTRMNTR

Οὖτις, Monday, 29 August 2016 23:17 (seven years ago) link

Vanishing point ans xtrmntr sucha great pair of records, with echo dek wonderful in between. Shame it all went downhill after that.

I hear from this arsehole again, he's going in the river (James Morrison), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 09:45 (seven years ago) link

so, what did ever happen to Brendan Lynch? His Wiki page lacks detail, to say the least: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_Lynch_(music_producer)

mahb, Tuesday, 30 August 2016 12:13 (seven years ago) link

Agreed, two great albums, agreed, never able to get into Screamadelica. Evil Heat has some really good shit on it, too ('The Lord Is My Shotgun' is a super hot track).

Our Meals Are Hot And Fresh! (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 12:52 (seven years ago) link

Oh, yeah, Echo Dek was good, too!

My first exposure was seeing 'Rocks Off' on 120 Minutes and wondering, who are these clowns? I kinda couldn't believe it was the same band when I heard the Trainspotting soundtrack.

Our Meals Are Hot And Fresh! (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 12:55 (seven years ago) link

Oh, I just pretend the whole Give Out But Don't Give Up period never existed.

so, what did ever happen to Brendan Lynch? His Wiki page lacks detail, to say the least: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_Lynch_(music_producer)

― mahb, Tuesday, August 30, 2016 12:13 PM (seven hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

No idea, I remember he worked on XTRMNTR and Paul Weller's Heliocentric, both of which came out in 2000, and then I can't bring to mind anything that he's done after that, which is a huge shame because I really liked his production style.

the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 19:48 (seven years ago) link

Clicked on thread but then decided I don't really want to know if you are lonely why it is near top of New Answers. k thx bye.

Oh, I just pretend the whole Give Out But Don't Give Up period never existed.

this album really is a miss but there are a couple bright spots - I like some of the single remixes.

Οὖτις, Tuesday, 30 August 2016 20:24 (seven years ago) link

Medication is the best, they just love being the stones

Dr X O'Skeleton, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 18:30 (seven years ago) link

so, what did ever happen to Brendan Lynch?

seem to recall dj food crafting a mix out of the best stuff by BL as he had a definite sound.

ah ha ..

https://www.discogs.com/Strictly-Kev-Lynch-Party-Mix-Part-1/release/3501486

mark e, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 19:06 (seven years ago) link

available online

https://soundcloud.com/ninja-tune/solid-steel-radio-show-10-6

mark e, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 19:09 (seven years ago) link

Society are 24-year-old singer Jamie Girdler and producer Brendan Lynch

http://www.thebeatjuice.com/trax/2015/10/27/13377/take-a-first-listen-to-societys-the-fear-the-hate/

just sayin, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 21:06 (seven years ago) link

Vanishing Point is my favorite PS album, but Echo Dek is in a close 2nd. I may even prefer Echo Dek, but I haven't played either in a little bit.

brotherlovesdub, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 22:20 (seven years ago) link

I may even prefer Echo Dek

tis a brilliant remix/redux album ..

welcome to the world of on-u sound.

mark e, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 22:26 (seven years ago) link

just to say that following this thread bump, i grabbed that dj food mix of BL productions and its rather bloody good.

(kev told me he was going to do one, but i forgot all about it !)

mark e, Thursday, 1 September 2016 13:18 (seven years ago) link

The band were pretty great sounding live around 97 and for the next couple of years. A really dub like sound in the mix.
I still find Bobby's voice really thin. But still hoping for more live sets from that era to appear.

I was surprised to read Alan McGee saying that he thought Bobby was a natural singer in the Creation Stories book. Never thought of it as a very strong point for him.

Stevolende, Thursday, 1 September 2016 13:33 (seven years ago) link

He's a fucking awful singer. Good frontman / figurehead / focus of attention, I guess. But thin, reedy, asthmatic singer.

Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, 1 September 2016 13:48 (seven years ago) link

I don't think he's anywhere near a good singer either, but then I don't listen to Primal Scream for the singing.

the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:16 (seven years ago) link

as long as Gillespie sticks to his role of looking cool and occasionally yelping things he's fine but as a singer qua singer yeah his voice is p weak and who listens to these records for the singing

Οὖτις, Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:21 (seven years ago) link

My favourite tracks of theirs are often instrumentals!

the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:25 (seven years ago) link

That McGee should be praising Gillespie in any way, no matter how WTF, shouldn't really come as any huge shock... those guys have been great friends for decades.

the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:27 (seven years ago) link

which is one reason why Echo Dek is in the running for their best album.

brotherlovesdub, Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:38 (seven years ago) link

^^^ otm.

mark e, Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:44 (seven years ago) link


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.