Robyn Hitchcock/Soft Boys: Classic or Dud?

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Just picked up the Matador Records re-release of the Soft Boys' celebrated UNDERWATER MOONLIGHT album, appended with outtakes and deleted tracks. I started backwards with this band, becoming a fan of Robyn Hitchcock's solo career of skewed psychedelic pop back in college, only later discovering his earlier, "punkier" band, The Soft Boys. To my ears, the hybrid of Hitchcock's decidedly off-kilter lyrical fixation with all things surreal and his knack for soaring pop harmonies and melody is absolutely the stuff of legend, but I have friends who consider him a unbearable Syd Barrett clone and/or too clever-clever for anyone's aural benefit. What say you?

― Alex in NYC, Monday, 7 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

"Underwater moonlight" is a classic indeed. It's an album that doesent fit in anywhere, its a bit punk, bit power-pop and a bit psychedelic. I havent heard any of his solo stuff so I cant pass any comment on it.

― Michael, Monday, 7 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I love both the Soft Boys and Hitchcock, for slightly different reasons, and have favourites amongst the discographies of both. With the Soft Boys, it's easier to just like it all because there was precious little material, though Underwater Moonlight certainly towers head and shoulder over everything else. With Hitchcock, I find that it's a bit hit and miss. I'm unabashedly a fan of Globe of Frogs, because that was my entry point and has some truly killer songs in "Balloon Man", "Vibrating", Tropical Flesh Mandala" and "Beatle Dennis". That said, I think I almost prefer some of the earlier albums, including I Often Dream of Trains, Fegmania, Element of Light and esp. Gotta Let This Hen Out. The first two I find a bit patchy and anything after Queen Elvis is also patchy. Certainly, Hitchcock's wonko lyrics are an acquired taste, but I'll take the clever surrealism of his lyrics over the stupid cliches that comprise a good chunk of popular music any day.

Short answer: both classic.

― Sean Carruthers, Monday, 7 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Like Alex, I was a fan of Robyn' solo work and then went backwards to the Soft Boys. The Soft Boys are complete CLASSIC. I first picked up A CAN OF BEES and UNDERWATER MOONLIGHT in the early 90s and they totally blew my mind. I couldn't believe that they were so unappreciated in music "history". Even today, people still give you cross looks when you mention the Soft Boys. Not many people know them at all. Hopefully the Matador attention will change that a bit. Their show a few weeks back in Baltimore was attended by about 200 or so folks, which was pretty respectable. Great show. They played "I Wanna Destroy You" so I was satisfied.

As for Robyn's solo stuff, I'd have to say its a mixed bad. In fact, I can't even point to one album that's all classic. But there's so much great stuff scrambled in there that its hard to dismiss any of them totally. Probablly my favorites would be GLOBE OF FROGS, EYE, ELEMENT OF LIGHT, and QUEEN ELVIS. That looks like mostly mid-period Hitchcock to me.

But for a career, I'd give Robyn in his various guises a CLASSIC.

― Tim Baier, Monday, 7 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Ooops, I meant Robyn's solo career is a mixed "bag". Its not "bad", its a "bag" dammit!

― Tim Baier, Monday, 7 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Underwater Moonlight is absolutely wonderful. There seems to be a perfect balance between Robin's unsettling wierdness and killer psych- pop tunes, which all to often tips towards 'being a loony'later on. A Can of Bees is worth having too. The best of Hitchcock's solo career is probably "Gotta Let this Hen Out", but unfortunately IMHO the whimsy overwhelms all else after "Fegmania". The later albums are all but unbearable, although I haven't heard them all. I'd say his best before date was around 1985.

― Dr. C, Monday, 7 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Classic: the title "The Lonesome Death of Ian Penman" (in response to IP's sarky review of _A Can of Bees_)

Dud: Never heard a single solitary note, so I wdn't know. Naturally I hate him.

― mark s, Monday, 7 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I saw the re-united soft boys out here in san francisco a few weeks back, and they were quite good...played my favourites, Queen of Eyes and I Wanna Destroy You. Plus they were backed up by the mighty Young Fresh Fellows, so that added lots. I've always liked Underwater Moonlight, especially the Rykodisc Cd reissue of 5 or so years back, which had 5 or so extra tracks, including a good one called Nobody Like You. My favourite Soft Boys, though, would be the very silly Live at the Portland Arms. Mostly sort of acoustic, filled with ad- libs, wit and oddball cover songs. Hitchcock solo I haven't enjoyed as much, as I guess I like the rockier / poppier side of the Soft Boys, albeit partly because of the somewhat odd lyrics...I like some of his LP I Often Dream of Trains. I certainly know some people who can't stand his lyrics, though.

― paulsheridan, Tuesday, 8 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Has made a career flogging a particular brand of stereotypical English weirdness (cf Glen Baxter) - some good tunes on Underwater Moonlight but he leaves a bad taste in the mouth. No connection at all. Dud.

― Tom, Tuesday, 8 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I'm of much the same opinion as Tom...But oddly today I kept finding myself singing to myself a typically anoying solo-career-era song of his. Now I've started fuckin' doing it again. Thanks guys.

― duane zarakov, Wednesday, 9 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

classic - twisted dark humour, a touch of verbosity, snarling and prowling guitars and a dark dark heart. i had very low expectations of "nextdoorland" the new album but it's entirely fantastic. have not heard anything as thrilling as "strings" all year...

― commonswings, Tuesday, 24 September 2002 14:18 (10 years ago) Permalink

He's sooooooooo weird.

― DeRayMi, Tuesday, 24 September 2002 14:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

The Soft Boys are on point rather like a steeple but I just can't get on with Hitchcock's solo stuff. I have a friend who has a catalogue of it but it just doesn't seem to have... the edginess of the Soft Boys. When he's on his own, it's like Rob tries too hard to be a Barrett but he's too sane to make it work. I can't listen to it.

But Underwater Moonlight is somethig else. I Wanna Destroy You is an alltime winner. I also really like He's A Reptile.

― Roger Fascist (Roger Fascist), Tuesday, 24 September 2002 14:31 (10 years ago) Permalink

hehe...once i saw the title of the thread i knew Sean would be all over this as when we met he had a soft boys t-shirt.

haven't heard soft boys myself but will pick it up if i see it.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 24 September 2002 14:49 (10 years ago) Permalink

Soft Boys are definitely classic to me, Hitch more of a mixed bag. I am a bit wary that the Soft Boys new record (out now, as they say in the papers) will do damage to the band's rep; I haven't heard the record yet, but I did hear some of the songs on the reunion tour and they definitely skewed toward the diminishing returns side of Hitch's more recent works.

The Minor Fall, The Major Lift
http://intonation.blogspot.com/

― TMFTML (TMFTML), Tuesday, 24 September 2002 14:53 (10 years ago) Permalink

"Underwater Moonlight" is a great record.

The rest of The Soft Boys and Hitchcock's output is very hit and miss.

The only Hitchcock album that I have heard that is consistent front to back is "Globe of Frogs". I used to have a few others from that time period, but there would generally only be a song or two worth hearing and the rest pretty dull. It has been a long time since I have heard any of this music.

Hitchcock seemed to put out a record every six months for a few years back in the day, which is probably a primary reason why they are kind of spotty.

― earlnash, Tuesday, 24 September 2002 17:07 (10 years ago) Permalink

I gotta pay closer attention to what's going on in the world. I had no clue that Nextdoorland was even on the way. I just picked it up now. It's weird, because I was actually wearing my Soft Boys shirt again the other day, Julio, and I don't think I've put it on since that last time when you saw it. Huh.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Friday, 27 September 2002 22:52 (10 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

"...I don't KNOW WHY
She never gets anywhere
With YOUUUUUUUUUU..."

(Wonder why I never posted on this thread before? Been listening to the Rykodisc reissues and the 2-disc overview of Soft Boys stuffage all week.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 21 January 2005 18:23 (8 years ago) Permalink

As I get older, Robyn is becoming my favorite musician. I bought Can of Bees a long time ago and thought it was good... then I finally heard Underwater Moonlight a few years before the Matador reissue came out... and since then, I've become a bit obsessed. He's one of those artists who never seems to put out anything that I don't like, including individual songs. His songwriting is remarkably consistent, but not samey because his lyrics are usually very good if not terrific.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Friday, 21 January 2005 18:29 (8 years ago) Permalink

I love A Can of Bees. I couldn't stop listening to it last fall.

― Trip Maker (Sean Witzman), Friday, 21 January 2005 18:42 (8 years ago) Permalink

Totally classic (with longueurs, of course). How Demme managed to film a dull RH gig...?

Anyone knocked out by the new Gillian Welch collab?

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 21 January 2005 18:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

He's the best. I've loved pretty much all of his records at one time or another. A couple of interesting ones that don't get mentioned too much are that Rykodisc set, Invisible Hitchcock, and the last few, especially Jewls for Sophia and Moss Elixer. Also You and Oblivion which has some of my favorites.

― danh (danh), Friday, 21 January 2005 18:54 (8 years ago) Permalink

As I think is almost required among fans, I have a bootleg of one of his solo acoustic performances, in this case one I taped myself back in 1995 at McCabe's in LA. He previewed a fair amount of Moss Elixir material along with digging up various old faves and random numbers, and of course was his usual dry self on stage. I'm trying to remember if I ever got it converted to digital or not...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 21 January 2005 18:57 (8 years ago) Permalink

Any thoughts on Nextdoorland by the Soft Boys?....it's a bit spotty but I def. think "Mr. Kennedy" is one of my fav SB songs ever....It's totally like onOFFon my Mission of Burma, not disappointing but not a classic, held up by a few genuinely great songs....

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 21 January 2005 19:05 (8 years ago) Permalink

Nextdoorland was my third favorite record of 2002, if memory serves. By contrast, onOFFon did nothing for me.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Friday, 21 January 2005 19:07 (8 years ago) Permalink

Those Nextdoorland songs didn't hold up live when they did that Underwater Moonlight show. I actually never bought it because of that show. They were totally lifeless next to the classics. Pretty, but lifeless.

― danh (danh), Friday, 21 January 2005 19:10 (8 years ago) Permalink

I think "Underwater Moonlight" is about half-classic. The title track is great, "Kingdom of Love" is the all-time best rip of the Hollies' "Long Cool Woman." I give Kimberley Rew credit for it, though--great guitar work, really distinctive. I also like the earlier Soft Boys stuff OK, but I don't think it's all that great.

I guess I like "Element of Light" all right, and there are times I put on "Mossy Liquor" or "Moss Elixor" or whatever that's called depending on whether you have the LP or CD. RH is good, kind of a one-trick drugged pony ride though. I probably still prefer Syd Barrett or John Lennon, though.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Friday, 21 January 2005 19:12 (8 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I found Nextdoorland to be kind've a let down.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 21 January 2005 19:13 (8 years ago) Permalink

Anyone knocked out by the new Gillian Welch collab?

It's kinda strange. I do like it - not necessarily knocked out though. It had this implicit "this is Robyn's grown-up serious record" feeling to it. Almost if it's in reaction to the relatively freewheeling Luxor album.

― Gator Magoon (Chris Barrus), Friday, 21 January 2005 23:43 (8 years ago) Permalink

To clarify, I don't want him to make another crustacean album either.

― Gator Magoon (Chris Barrus), Friday, 21 January 2005 23:44 (8 years ago) Permalink

The new one's excellent; the first and last tracks steal it, but so much else is great; "English Girl", who else would reference Merle Haggard and Ronald Searle? Even better was seeing him live a few months ago, in a nicely small (if difficult to find) venue in Newcastle, the Cluny...

― Tom May (Tom May), Friday, 21 January 2005 23:52 (8 years ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

Classic. Underwater Moonlight will be all over my Top 100 80's lists whenever we do it.

― Cunga (Cunga), Wednesday, 6 July 2005 23:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm very fond of I Often Dream of Trains.

― Ian Riese-Moraine has been xeroxed into a conduit! (Eastern Mantra), Thursday, 7 July 2005 00:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

I still defend Perspex Island.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 7 July 2005 00:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

soft boys--classic
robyn hitchcock--classic

i'd say that the best way to experience robyn these days is to see him live--he's got such a wealth of great songs at this stage in his career. And usually, the more recent songs sound better in person than they do on record. there are a few live shows on archive.org's live music database if you're curious.

also worth seeking out is the soft boys' live at portland arms LP (some of which is on the ryko overview). hilarious and unplugged.

and ned, it sounds as though we were probably at the same mccabes show in 1995--i think my friend and i were the only teenagers in the house. if you ever digitize your tape, i'd love to relive it.

― tylerw, Thursday, 7 July 2005 01:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

also, in the middle of one of those 1995 mccabes shows, i realized that i was sitting next to none other than adam duritz. true story.

― tylerw, Thursday, 7 July 2005 01:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

No mention of Old Pervert or Insanely Jealous?

― Jamey Lewis (Jameys Burning), Thursday, 7 July 2005 02:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

insanely jealous old pervert?

― chief of chaff (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 7 July 2005 02:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

Robyn was a streak of genuine weirdness on the alt pop charts in the eighties, his records definitely helped get through high school back then. The live shows were incredible, the improvised stories he'd spin between songs always made sense.

He's one of two people I ever asked for an autograph. Philip Glass was not in a good mood when I walked up, 15 years old & nervous, having spotted him in the lobby during the intermission to the Knee Plays... can't blame him for scowling at me. Robyn on the other hand was impossibly cool about the awkward situation, saying while signing my copy of Trains "well y'know it's no good having heroes, especially once you get to know them and realize they have all the same problems..." I assured him that was the point.

― milton parker (Jon L), Thursday, 7 July 2005 06:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

I noticed the similarities between the Left Banke's I Haven't Got the Nerve tune and I Wanna Destroy You a few weeks ago. Who knows? It's a good tune either way but thought someone might appreciate it.

http://s25.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1VM7K048PQ0GF268VGEO0NXEHR

― Cunga (Cunga), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 08:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Underwater Moonlight is one of the best records ever made.

― zeus, Tuesday, 30 August 2005 08:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

9 months pass...

The Soft Boys (esp. Can of Bees, Underwater Moonlight and Invisible Hits, the cream of the crop) are absolute classic. No doubt about it. Nextdoorland is really good as well, esp. Mrs. Kennedy.

As for Robyn Hitchcock, his first album, Black Snake Diamond Role continued the Soft Boys course honorably - "Acid Bird" especially is classic. Also, his third, I Often Dreamt of Trains is excellent too. Hilarious (and very British) songs like "Uncorrected Personality Traits" and "Sometimes I Wish I Were a Pretty Girl" (..so I could ---- myself in the shower..) sit next to absolutely gorgeous quiet and sad songs. His 80s and 90s stuff gets a bit too slick for my tastes, losing its classic edge - some good moments though. Haven't heard his most recent stuff...mixed bag, as other said.

― Nick Wilson, Friday, 2 June 2006 05:54 (6 years ago) Permalink

I absolutely like his later stuff too. He does pop after all, and pop may well benefit from a slick production (that being said, the rawer sound of "Underwater Moonlight" doesn't make that album any less excellent, partly because the songs he wrote for that album are better than any songs he has been able to write since)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 2 June 2006 09:20 (6 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

i was overcome with the need to listen to robyn hitchcock's "i often dream of trains" this evening, but alas, i am unable to find my copy of it anywhere. i'm feeling rather distraught about all this. i haven't ripped and ipodified that one yet and now i'm terrifically disappointed that i didn't.

anyway: classic. i heard solo hitchcock first, and have always had a preference for the early stuff, though i did snag a copy of "spooked" and found it quite entertaining. the 90's stuff often bores me, though certainly "moss elixir" has it moments. but "trains" and "fegmania!" are my favorites.

soft boys, also classic. picked up the matador rerelease of "underwater moonlight" when it came out and loved it. played that this evening in lieu of "i often dream of trains".

― Emily B (Emily B), Friday, 15 September 2006 05:00 (6 years ago) Permalink

Listened to "Fegmania" the other day and it is absolutely ace. Particularly "The Man With The Lightbulb Head" and "My Wife And My Dead Wife".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 September 2006 18:39 (6 years ago) Permalink

New Robyn Hitchcock w/band album coming out soon on Yep Rock. The track I've heard (something about a Rocketship) sounded promising.

― dlp9001 (dlp9001), Friday, 15 September 2006 20:35 (6 years ago) Permalink

i've always had mixed feelings, I loved it all but kinda grew out of some of the wackier stuff. Now I look at something like Trains and the stuff that's a bit "silly" I have to skip over, but the other stuff is some of the most beautiful music ever.

He played at Oberlin when I was there to a small crowd and encored with Autumn is Your Last Chance.

I also have a severe soft-spot for Queen Elvis.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Friday, 15 September 2006 20:58 (6 years ago) Permalink

A Can of Bees and the comp "76-81" is all you need in my opinion. Underwater Moonlight just doesn't do it for me really and Robyn's solo stuff has never been my cup of tea.

― Randall Weeber (yoyoweb), Saturday, 16 September 2006 01:22 (6 years ago) Permalink

I've heard that Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 on Yep Yoc -- it's the guys from the Minus 5 backing him up. Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey and the other guy (forget his name). It's pretty good, very power pop.

― mcd (mcd), Saturday, 16 September 2006 03:00 (6 years ago) Permalink

A Can of Bees is a much more uneven affair than Underater Moonlight. 'Anglepoise Lamp' is one of Hitchcocks's best song though, strange, that nobody mentioned that in the thread.

― zeus (zeus), Saturday, 16 September 2006 10:39 (6 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 321 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

yeah maybe -- REM is such a weird band in that there's really no superstar in the group. obviously stipe comes close, but i don't think anyone is clamoring for a stipe solo album? and it's pretty difficult to imagine any of them playing REM tunes in a solo setting.

― tylerw, Thursday, 21 February 2013 18:33 (3 months ago) Permalink

But I could see Hitch hopping on stage w/him to maybe give one or two of them a try.

― kwhitehead, Thursday, 21 February 2013 19:01 (3 months ago) Permalink

yeah i think i've heard hitchcock doing electrolite with buck, berry, mills?

― tylerw, Thursday, 21 February 2013 20:12 (3 months ago) Permalink

or maybe not berry

kind of a cruddy vid, but hey

― tylerw, Thursday, 21 February 2013 20:16 (3 months ago) Permalink

listening to him on the bbc NOW. "pink dress" (i think?) sounded awesome, kinda element of light-y.

― tylerw, Thursday, 21 February 2013 21:29 (3 months ago) Permalink

Went to the 60th birthday show last night - very good! Mostly reverse-chronological, lots of guests, ended up banging through Where Are The Prawns?/Kingdom of Love/Pigworker/Give it to the Soft Boys with Morris/Kimberley/Paul Noble. Also played Heaven with Green Gartside on backing vocals, Clean Steve with Nick Lowe etc etc.

Kimberley Rew's hair is a bit scary these days though:

― toby, Friday, 1 March 2013 08:19 (2 months ago) Permalink

Jealous!

― EZ Snappin, Friday, 1 March 2013 13:59 (2 months ago) Permalink

On first listen the new record didn't grab me much. There are a few songs that intrigue and a few that seem like clunkers, so I'll have to see where it settles. Weirdly dated in places too.

― EZ Snappin, Friday, 1 March 2013 14:51 (2 months ago) Permalink

he started with Be Still last night, which didn't do much for me, but the final encore of End of Time was surprisingly good. Haven't listened to the record yet though.

― toby, Friday, 1 March 2013 14:57 (2 months ago) Permalink

I couldn't wait for my disc to arrive in the mail so acquired it early. "End Of Time" is definitely one of the highlights. I like "Be Still" better on the record than on the live rehearsal video he put out so I'm not too surprised it was a bit of a damp squib live.

― EZ Snappin, Friday, 1 March 2013 15:00 (2 months ago) Permalink

Wow Kim has abandoned his muppet 'do! It's been decades! I'm not so sure about this new jeepers creepers look. I'm sure he's still the king of body vibrato though.

― multi instru mentat list (Jon Lewis), Friday, 1 March 2013 17:05 (2 months ago) Permalink

Happy 60th, Mr. Hitchcock.

― EZ Snappin, Sunday, 3 March 2013 17:44 (2 months ago) Permalink

He was on Weekend Edition this morning, with good excerpts from the new album; comments incl. other, all w with that wry suave Brit male thang (declares he wrote songs for ten years before they were any good)Can download it too:
http://www.npr.org/2013/03/03/173317537/robyn-hitchcock-rock-n-roll-is-an-old-mans-game-now Scroll down to the bottom of this page for another download: his and Joe Boyd's Tiny Desk Concert (23 minutes and change). Boyd reads from his UK folk-rock memoir, RH plays "songs from and inspired by the era." Or if you wanna go directly to that 'un:
http://www.npr.org/event/music/137702245/joe-boyd-and-robyn-hitchcock-tiny-desk-concert

― dow, Sunday, 3 March 2013 19:33 (2 months ago) Permalink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcTlxQOYDYI

― tylerw, Sunday, 3 March 2013 21:17 (2 months ago) Permalink

nice!

― EZ Snappin, Sunday, 3 March 2013 21:26 (2 months ago) Permalink

set list

"Side 1": Jenny, Paul & Stephen on all tracks unless otherwise stated:

BE STILL Jen & Lucy – vocals + a few others?
OLD MAN WEATHER Jen & Lucy - vocals
ORDINARY MILLIONAIRE as above + Terry - horn
GOODNIGHT OSLO as above + Kimberley - guitar
MUSEUM OF SEX as above + Terry - other horn
SOMETIMES A BLONDE
AMERICA Jenny, Paul, Stephen, + Terry on trumpet
NO I DON'T REMEMBER GUILDFORD Jenny, Paul, Stephen, Kim + Tim on guitar + Jen & Lucy - vocals
BEAUTIFUL QUEEN as above
WRECK OF THE ARTHUR LEE as above minus Kim & Tim
SO YOU THINK YOU'RE IN LOVE Nick Lowe – acoustic, harmonies, Morris - harmonies & percussion, RH - acoustic
CLEAN STEVE as above + Mark Ellen acoustic, harmonies (Note: Mark Ellen is mentioned in the lyrics - H.L.)

"Side 2": Kim, Morris & Paul on all tracks unless otherwise indicated:

FREEZE
UNSETTLED
AIRSCAPE
MR. KENNEDY
HEAVEN - Morris & Green harmonies, RH acoustic
FURRY GREEN ATOM BOWL - Green, Jen, Lucy, Terry, Tim, RH + Adam Buxton vocals
BRENDA'S IRON SLEDGE - Kim, Morris, Paul + Jen & Lucy
KINGDOM OF LOVE - Kim, Morris & Paul
THE PIGWORKER - as above
WHERE ARE THE PRAWNS - as above
GIVE IT TO THE SOFT BOYS - as above + Jen & Lucy vocals + Jenny, Tim, Terry
Encore:
VICTORIAN SQUID - RH solo
THE END OF TIME - Jenny, Paul, Stephen + cast

― tylerw, Sunday, 3 March 2013 22:27 (2 months ago) Permalink

Ah, happy 60th. We're all getting older and as the man said to NPR, "when you think about how much time you've got left you just want to get on with it"!

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Monday, 4 March 2013 02:36 (2 months ago) Permalink

Much better B side than A side. I'm feeling everything from 'Strawberries Dress' onward.

― multi instru mentat list (Jon Lewis), Friday, 8 March 2013 19:40 (2 months ago) Permalink

I just got myself a hard copy today so I'll see if that changes my initial thoughts. I agree that the record ends well.

By the way, his cover of Nick Cave's "Parasite" which is streaming at Stereogum might be the best thing he's put out in some time.

http://stereogum.com/1283782/robyn-hitchcock-parasite-nick-drake-cover/mp3s/

― EZ Snappin, Friday, 8 March 2013 23:38 (2 months ago) Permalink

By the way, why the hell would Yep Roc put in a download code in the CD case for a 192kbps copy of the album? I thought it might be bonus tracks or something but no, just a copy of the album you could easily rip for yourself in higher quality. Weird.

― EZ Snappin, Saturday, 9 March 2013 17:52 (2 months ago) Permalink

I guess if you have MacBook Air and can't rip CDs?

― multi instru mentat list (Jon Lewis), Saturday, 9 March 2013 19:28 (2 months ago) Permalink

Good show from a week ago for free downloading or streaming:

https://archive.org/details/robynhitchcock2013-03-09.Pike1957-16bit-flac

― a church not made with ham (Jon Lewis), Monday, 18 March 2013 18:04 (2 months ago) Permalink

checkin' it out!
guess he's doing another b-day thing in LA this coming may. the dreaded amanda palmer is making an appearance! ick! otherwise, probably a good time.

― tylerw, Wednesday, 20 March 2013 19:50 (2 months ago) Permalink

Oh well, we had to suffer through his associations with the Presidents and the Decembrists, we'll live...

― Jeff "Skink" Baxter (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 20 March 2013 19:59 (2 months ago) Permalink

The production on the new LP is dreadful, esp. the dated sounding drum machine. Hard to believe Robyn couldn't find a proper drummer. There are some great songs on here but I fopund myself mostly distracted by how sterile it sounds.

― kwhitehead, Wednesday, 27 March 2013 13:57 (1 month ago) Permalink

I hear you loud and clear. I went on at length over here so I'll link instead of pasting it in:

http://lightbulbhead.tumblr.com/post/45857127871/robyn-hitchcock-love-from-london-ive-been

― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 27 March 2013 14:05 (1 month ago) Permalink

Really nice 35 minute SXSW solo set:

― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 14:30 (1 month ago) Permalink

cool, thanks! yeah, haven't given the new one enough attention, but the production isn't super appealing. seems to have kind of drowned out a lot of robyn's guitar? which is one the main things, you know? have a feeling i'll probably like live versions of these songs more than the the studio versions.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 14:33 (1 month ago) Permalink

"Be Still" is almost redeemed by the solo version in that set. Almost, but not quite.

― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 14:52 (1 month ago) Permalink

Thanks for that link EZ. This is great so far. Gonna rip it to my computer later. Unless it turns up at archive.org first...

― Jopy's on a vacation far away (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 17:58 (1 month ago) Permalink

I just got the vinyl box of Luminous Groove from my local record store, which I had been openly coveting for more than a year. wow, these records are great. I had only heard Gotta Let This Hen Out and some of Fegmania, the Element Of Light stuff and the giant bunch of demos/outtakes/live extras is totally new to me. just like the first box, this demands total immersion, you can just swim around in the profusion of material for weeks.

― the world's most impertinent web designer (sleeve), Thursday, 4 April 2013 04:23 (1 month ago) Permalink

I envy you. Helluva thing to delve into with fresh ears.

― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 4 April 2013 04:28 (1 month ago) Permalink

"The Crawling" is rocking my world right now!

― the world's most impertinent web designer (sleeve), Thursday, 4 April 2013 04:34 (1 month ago) Permalink

Nice!

― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 4 April 2013 04:40 (1 month ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

I just got the Record Store Day album, "There Goes The Ice", which collects his Phantom 45s plus 2 new tracks and these odds and sods are way better than "Love From London"! I hope this is made available elsewhere down the road.

"LfL" is half-good, but way down towards the bottom of his albums for me.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Sunday, 21 April 2013 02:29 (1 month ago) Permalink

My local was sold out but a text to a friend in Maine got me one. Will be a long time before I can hear it because I still have no record player.

― EZ Snappin, Sunday, 21 April 2013 03:18 (1 month ago) Permalink

Included download codes are your friend.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Sunday, 21 April 2013 04:19 (1 month ago) Permalink

sweet find

― Cunga, Sunday, 21 April 2013 08:13 (1 month ago) Permalink

cool.

― EZ Snappin, Sunday, 21 April 2013 09:09 (1 month ago) Permalink

solid recent show here: http://archive.org/details/robynhitchcock2013-04-27.aud.flac.16
the love from london tracks are mostly improved upon by the venus 3.

― tylerw, Friday, 3 May 2013 18:15 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

Cool. I've been depressed about having to miss the NYC show so I was hoping archive would come through.

― Moron Tabernacle Chior (Jon Lewis), Friday, 3 May 2013 18:56 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

x-post-- Hey, I was at that Washington D.C. gig. Was worried a bit beforehand that Buck might diminish Hitchcock's set due to Buck's inebriation, but it all worked out fine -- As I noted on a Peter Buck thread -- Near the end of his (Buck's) opening set he said: "Bad news for you, I still have another song to do; good news- I'm drunk." Buck sang with an annoying affected voice on blues-rock and garage rock numbers, and joked about Fleetwood Mac twice. With Robyn Hitchcock though he was more subdued and playing the proper sideman role.

The Velvets, Beatles, & Byrds encores were great. I think some of it is on youtube.

― curmudgeon, Friday, 3 May 2013 19:34 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

haha, peter buck! yeah the vocal stuff i've heard from him has been pretty dullsville. hopefully he's enjoying himself.

― tylerw, Friday, 3 May 2013 19:43 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

maybe him and johnny marr can do a joint tour?

― tylerw, Friday, 3 May 2013 19:43 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

And r Lloyd

― Moron Tabernacle Chior (Jon Lewis), Friday, 3 May 2013 19:44 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

Golden voices

― Moron Tabernacle Chior (Jon Lewis), Friday, 3 May 2013 19:44 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

Wait, Richard Lloyd's vocals are pretty solid compared to Buck and Marr. My comment when listening to Buck's show was, "Sounds like he's aping Captain Beefheart fronting a blues-rock bar band. Zzzzzzz..."

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 3 May 2013 21:48 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

haha, yeah, lloyd is arguably a "better" singer than verlaine. not that i *prefer* his vocals, mind you. i actually have managed to avoid hearing marr sing so far. should i continue to do so?

― tylerw, Friday, 3 May 2013 21:53 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

it would've been awesome if buck turned out to be some amazing singer and he had just been holding out on everyone. Peter Buck-ley.

― tylerw, Friday, 3 May 2013 21:54 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

groan...now drummer adds a roll

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 7 May 2013 15:10 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

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