Stereolab: Classic or Dud

Really enjoyed this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx0pthgzDWU

As much as I love Tim Gane and Sean O'Hagan, I feel like their music loses something when it doesn't include voocals. Their instrumentals sound like they were written with the intention of adding vocals and they just never got around to it.

Thanks for the head's up, I'm investigating this

Also

http://splicetoday.com/pop-culture/space-age-bachelor-mentalist-muzak

That Teseolab track got mentioned on another 'lab thread, but I'm just listening now. "Hocus Pocus" sample!

this cavern of antimatter thing is sounding very nice, thanks for the heads up, jeff w

Yeah, I really enjoyed my first run-through of that this morning.

Thx for the Richard Harrison info, Austin/Al/Elvis. Does he play bass and drums, I wonder, or did Wiki get that info wrong? Hmm.

Richard Harrison definitely plays bass, he was with Stereolab on their ETK and D&L tours and recorded on D&L. They've just gone through a lot of band members over the years.

Haven't thought about that _Drone Hill_ record in years. Not as good as Alan Lamb, but an acceptable substitute as Mr Lamb isn't exactly churning out the records.

Richard Harrison is the guy playing bass on these clips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdG4WpqIgvM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkaJ5z9QBZQ

yep, that was my favorite line-up for Stereolab

also, is that Sean O'Hagan sitting in with them on keys?

That is Pete Kember/Sonic Boom of the Spacemen 3!

Oh wait, I see who you mean now, I think it is both of them.

Sonic is the first guy that starts the Les Yper Sound sitting up top on the moog. O'Hagan is playing the organ on far stage left.

huh didn't know Sonic ever played with them. agreed that may have been the best lineup.

IIRC Sonic actually toured with them on the ETK tour.

Yeah, IIRC Sonic would just turn up at shows with a lot of old analog gear and improvise stuff while they played. I'm not sure how often they did this post-ETK, but they also had their sound guy filter the entire band through a Moog at one point in the show. Usually at the extended end section of 'Lo Boob Oscillator' I think?

They did something similar with Mouse On Mars around this time too

Just listened to some of the Little Tornados' album. I'm finding it pretty uninteresting and I do not like Thayer's voice at all. Anyone else listen?

I like about three tracks on it, the album on a whole is ok but not great for me. I guess that's better than Laetitia's solo albums, which all have that great Stereolab sound, but haven't connected with me except for a few tracks.

What a fantastic band..I've been playing them for about 48 hours solid.

Also, I miss Dr C and his sudden conversions - " dud - no hang on I get them now"

Prolific yet consistent, accessible yet slightly weird, smooth and pleasant/pleasing.. They really locked into a special sound/vibe

I've even been warming up to their later stuff these days...sound-dust in particular!

i would like to drop a fucking farfisa organ on anyone's head that says dud.

jeez. was asking classic or dud here even necessary???

Greatest band, but the last few albums really drop off imo.

Agreed, but their singles and one-off were consistently interesting and engaging til the very end.

Not sure if there is discussion of the new Cavern if Anti-Matter album elsewhere, but it's pretty good. Getting a heavy Moebius Plank Neumeier vibe here and there.

this is the third Stereolab thread that's been revived due to the COAM album :) I am still digging into it but sounds good so far....

Looking forward to seeing them at the Moth Club on the 29th.

Hope the first album gets a repress.

i dunno, i think Cobra and Phases is pretty good

It's just really long.

It's their best..:after Sound Dust, of course.

It's just really long.

― Austin, Monday, May 16, 2016 9:24 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah it really is

the production feels thin, like the harpsichord is too high in the mix and the midrange is boosted or something, but it's atmospheric as fuck, especially italian shoes continuum and puncture in the radak permutation. sean o'hagan's blippy period is all over this.

I do love the string arrangements on it.

in fact dots & loops/cobra & phases/cold & bouncy/snowbug is probably my favourite album grouping of the '90s xp

The flutes on "Hallucinex" are my favorite lil' flourish

^^

I stumbled across this in spotify the other day:

https://open.spotify.com/album/3XHQrt9v5FXNUN9Zchkscn

I don't usually go for tribute albums, but this is really good! Interesting group of performers and a song selection that dips into a bunch of deep cuts.

is there a treasure trove of Stereolab tabs (specifically bass tabs) that's on a fan site or forum? there's very little on ultimate guitar etc.

ha if you find anything let me know cuz I went through a big period a few years ago where I was trying to find guitar tabs/tuning guides/transcriptions for Stereolab stuff and for the most part couldn't find a fucking thing and just ended up trying to figure stuff out by ear. For a band that sounds like they use a lot of odd tuning and unusual chord voicings that I would think guitar/tech dorks would be into, there was shockingly little out there.

@TheRealYLT
Yes that was "Crest" by Stereolab being played just now at the Grizzlies/ Spurs game

wow, hope they played the whole thing, would that be sufficient to clear out the arena during the offs?

I posted this on the JO thread:

Jenny Ondioline - POO minute

Tim is in an Asus2 modal tuning for Jenny Ondioline.

xp yeah Shakey it's maddening - the chords for 'Cybele's Reverie' are pretty good, and that Cmaj7 chord sounds especially Stereolab-y, so I've been messing around with maj7 chords with other songs and trying to figure stuff out by ear. Metronomic Underground and Outer Bongolia were really easy to figure out on bass, gonna figure out Come and Play in the Milky Night later today. i've never made any tabs ever, i feel like i should start giving back and contributing to a site like ultimate guitar that has given me so much.

tons of maj7ths and sus chords, yeah

the chords for "Fuses" remain a mystery - that's the one I really want to figure out.

Chords? You can't even find proper lyrics.

There used to be loads of guitar tabs on Web 1.0 fan sites but those geocities have all gradually been eroded by the sands of time. Found this on the groop official forum though, in case any use to you. Mostly the older, funny ones.

Stereolab Tabs
Special note : I’ve written these tabs on the english way. Some tabs can be modified, this is just the way I’ve interpreted the songs. I presume you do know the rhythm of these songs, so just follow the music! Finally, I’m a French guy, so be nice at my English :D

- Super-Electric
Verse : A – D
Chorus : A – C – D – C

- Changer
Verse : Alternate “C-G” and “G-C”. main : “C-G”
Chorus : C-G ( -D or D7 ) – G  play twice

- Golden Ball
All song : Ex3-D

- The way will be opening
Verse : D ( -A ) – G ( -A )
Chorus : F-C-G-D, end on D-G
Last chorus : end on D-G-D

- Doubt
Main : G-F#m
“Chorus” : A-G-G-F#m
End of the song : ( G-D ) x 4 , G

- The light that will cease to fail
Main : A-D-A
“Chorus” : F#m – A – D – A

- Contact
Intro : A – D
Main : D – C ( - D ) – C ( or G ) – D, A ( - G# ) - A

- High Expectation
Repeat and alternate : D – C
Sometimes, “G – D – C “ pops up
End : ( F – C – D ) x2, F – C – G – D – F – C - D

- John Cage Bubblegum
All song : D – F – C – G

- Eloge d’Eros
Verse : A – G – A (or Ax3 – G – A )
Chorus : D – G – A
End : A – G – A (end on A)

- Mellotron/Harmonium
Main : D
Chorus : Em

- Farfisa
Main : A
Chorus : D

- Lo Boob Oscilator
Main 1st Part : E –A – B
Main 2nd Part : E

- Pack Yr Romantic Mind
Main 1 (intro) : C – F#m – D – G
Main 2 (Before the “chorus”) : C – F#m – D
“Chorus” : B – C – B – Em

- Brittle
Verse : B – E
Chorus : B – E – A - E

- French Disko
Verse : Cm – Bb – G#
Chorus : Cm – Bb (repeat as necessary)

- Tone Burst
Verse : G –F
“Chorus” : Eb – D

- Tone Burst (Country)
Verse : A – G
Chorus : F – E

- The Seeming and The Meaning
I use Capo fret 4
Verse : E – A
Chorus : E – G – A – G

- The Groop Played Chord X
Capo fret 2
All song : ( D – E – G ) x3 – E – G – A

- I’m Going Out of My Way
Main : C – G
Verse : Am – Bm

- Peng 33
Intro & Chorus : F# - B – G#m –B
Verse : F# - G#m – Bbm – B

- Jenny Ondioline

Part1 : Capo fret 1
Intro : C – Bb – G – Am – G – F
Verse : F x2 – G – F
Before chorus : ( C – Bb )
Chorus : F – Bb

Part 2 : ( Without Capo )
Intro & “Chorus” : E – F#m – D – Bm
Verse : E x2 – F#m – E – D – Bm

- The brush descends the length
All song : Ex2-C-F

- Spark Plug
Verse : Am – D
Chorus : D – E – C – G

- Pinball
Verse : A – C#m – D – F
“Chorus” : A-D-C#m-F

- Allures
Classic : E-C-D-F
My version : E-C-D-C#m

- Freestyle Dumpling
Verse : G – A
Chorus : Bb – C
Note : The chorus appears at the end of the verse and before it begins (the chorus)

- Escape Pod ( From The World of Medical Observations )
All song : C – Bb

- Baby Lulu
Capo fret 3
Intro : ( Em – F ) x2 – G – Am  three times
Chorus : Em – F – G – F or Am – Em – F – G – Em
Verse : Em x3 – F – G – F – Em - ( Bb – G ) x2 – F
Bridge : Dm – G – Dm –A – C – A – C – C – Bb – G# - G  twice
End of the song : Bb – G – Bb – G – Bb – F – G

- Margerine Rock
Verse : B – A – B
Chorus : D –G – A – B – F# - E – A – B

- Neon Beanbag
Intro : ( Bb – G# - Gm – Fm ) x2 , ( Fm – Bb – Gm – G# ) play this twice
Verse : ( G# - Gm – G# - Bb ) x2
“Chorus” : ( Fm – G# - G# - Gm ) x2
Bridge : ( Fm – Bb – Gm – G# ) x2
Final : G# - Cm – Gm – Cm

sweet, thanks so much! i figured there were some hiding out on dead webpages.