_one nation underground_ and _balaklava_ are both genius, and the warner albums, though offering diminished returns, are still pretty good - even the final one, _beautiful lies you could live in_ has some really excellent songs on it ("snow queen" leaps immediately to mind).
i've seen tom rapp live twice now - once at a small club in philly, once at terrastock 5 - and both times were amazing for entirely different reasons.
― your null fame (yournullfame), Saturday, 22 March 2003 23:14 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Saturday, 22 March 2003 23:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
It's worth noting that his solo albums are EXTREMELY underrated, especially Stadancer, which is one of my favorites. These Things Too is a good Pearls album too, just got that on ebay (one of a few records I've managed to replace after a recent fire).
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:10 (twenty-one years ago) link
― tigerclawskank, Monday, 24 March 2003 10:48 (twenty-one years ago) link
After this I'll probably listen to Beautiful Lies You Could Live In, which I also haven't listened to in ages. I think some of the country/western type tunes on that one bugged me. I'll get back to you.
― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 24 January 2004 09:59 (twenty years ago) link
And if ya don't have the first volume, get all three ppd for $25!
― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 31 January 2004 22:25 (twenty years ago) link
― Broheems (diamond), Saturday, 31 January 2004 22:39 (twenty years ago) link
― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 31 January 2004 22:51 (twenty years ago) link
"Yesterday you threw the pieces of your broken heart at me Tears are thicker than water but you wouldn't let it be Sweet and bleeding Jesus Came to me in a song But I still don't think I understand Where he means for me to belong And I'm going to take a walk on Grace Street Before I'm dead and gone
...
But I woke up this morning And my mouth was full of blood And I'm going to take a walk on Grace Street And look at where I was"
― Ian John50n (orion), Monday, 1 November 2004 22:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― Trip Maker (Sean Witzman), Monday, 1 November 2004 22:06 (nineteen years ago) link
Incidentally, they were the first psych/folk group I got into as well. At the tender age of thirteen my uncle played me Balaklava; he's got all of their records, was a huge fan back in the day, etc.
Also, "Grace Street" is available in a different version on the Familiar Songs LP, which I notice at the store but don't really want to spend $15 on. Oh well. Great, beautiful song. The liner notes of Wizard of Is express Tom Rapp's desire to have a gospel choir in there--wow.
― Ian John50n (orion), Monday, 1 November 2004 22:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― Beta (abeta), Monday, 1 November 2004 22:43 (nineteen years ago) link
"In 1972, a church in Vermont rand its bell once each minute for each American killed in Vietnam. It rang for forty days and forty nights. Is that biblical, or what? That's why, when you hold a seashell to your ear, you can hear Nixon screaming in hell. I hate it when songs like this become relevant again. It's dedicated to George W. Bush who is continuing Nixon's work of writing messages in the blood of others."
― Ian John50n (orion), Monday, 1 November 2004 23:25 (nineteen years ago) link
I ate mushrooms last winter in my loft (which was stupid) and began to freak out cuz there was no weed to smoke and my apartment/roommates at the time made me really anxious. I listened to this album, then I didn't listen to it for a long time. But yeah. Good stuff. Nay, great stuff.
― Ian John50n (orion), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 12:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― mcd (mcd), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 13:06 (eighteen years ago) link
― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 13:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ian John50n (orion), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 13:10 (eighteen years ago) link
i'm not into the fugs that much. belle on avenue a is supposed to be one of the better ones, right?
― Ian John50n (orion), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 13:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 5 April 2006 15:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tripmaker (SDWitzm), Wednesday, 5 April 2006 15:27 (eighteen years ago) link
the lack of pearls footage on youtube is truly disappointing! mr. rapp's been in heavy rotation around my house these past few weeks. must be that time of the year.
― ian, Monday, 30 November 2009 17:05 (fourteen years ago) link
slight wtf moment watching fassbinder's rio das mortes for the first time yesterday: opening scene soundtracked by 'morning song' complete with bosch poster from the lp up on the schygulla character's apartment wall
― no lime tangier, Wednesday, 20 January 2016 11:57 (eight years ago) link
Pearls before swine, feelin' fine. Swine before pearls, gives me the hurls.
― on entre O.K. on sort K.O. (man alive), Wednesday, 20 January 2016 16:56 (eight years ago) link
(xp) I mentioned this before, but not on this thread it seems, fuck knows where then.
― The Return of the Thin White Pope (Tom D.), Wednesday, 20 January 2016 18:15 (eight years ago) link
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/616gQ5RMOdL.jpg
noticed this recent(ish) addition to the pbs corpus: anyone heard?
― no lime tangier, Friday, 14 April 2017 00:41 (seven years ago) link
Sad news from Damon Krukowski
We have lost the great singer, songwriter and human being Tom Rapp...— Damon K (@dada_drummer) February 12, 2018
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 12 February 2018 16:47 (six years ago) link
oh, fuck
― Simon H., Monday, 12 February 2018 16:49 (six years ago) link
damn, RIP. was just playing one nation underground last week ...
― tylerw, Monday, 12 February 2018 17:21 (six years ago) link
Lovely post from his daughter in law.
Tom, my husband's dad, passed away yesterday. Seeing how much he meant to people and how much they loved his work is really a light in our lives during a dark time, thank you. https://t.co/ntI9zxnpUl— Kristen Bonardi Rapp (@kristenrapp) February 12, 2018
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 12 February 2018 17:37 (six years ago) link
Oh no, not Tom Rapp now. Loved that guy + band. RIP Tom.
― Video reach stereo bog (Tom D.), Monday, 12 February 2018 17:54 (six years ago) link
Goodnight Tom Rapp and thank you sincerely for your music
― faust apes (NickB), Monday, 12 February 2018 20:25 (six years ago) link
Crazy that Tom's career was over in his mid-twenties - some people don't even get started till then - and he's put out NINE albums by then...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRKmkRzQUMM
― Video reach stereo bog (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 February 2018 00:34 (six years ago) link
rip :-(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEp5ko51RC8
― no lime tangier, Tuesday, 13 February 2018 01:00 (six years ago) link
Happy 4th of July!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjLdKXChh2M
― The Fields o' Fat Henry (Tom D.), Saturday, 4 July 2020 14:19 (three years ago) link