The Blue Nile: C or D?

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pavement.

; )

RJG (RJG), Monday, 22 December 2003 17:58 (twenty years ago) link

the three times i can remember hearing the Blue Nile on the radio
1. 'tinseltown in the rain' in a chipshop in Maryhill. i'm 15 and its the first time i've heard them. i strain to hear who its by.
2. 'downtown lights'. i'm 20 and driving home after splitting up with someone, it comes on my battered car radio and i finally fall in love with 'hats' (which i hadnt been to impressed with).
3. 'saturday night' in a cafe/bar near the gaudi cathedral in barcelona a couple of years ago. i suddenly feel very homesick.

zappi (joni), Monday, 22 December 2003 18:26 (twenty years ago) link

Maryhill! i live there!

jed (jed_e_3), Monday, 22 December 2003 23:06 (twenty years ago) link

haha point of shame: i followed p4ul buch4nan (de-googlable to protect myself, wince wince) home the other night.

still utterly classic. i only wish someone else would make music this good sometime soon, i thk i might've worn out my copies of hats and rooftops.

cozen (Cozen), Monday, 22 December 2003 23:55 (twenty years ago) link

now that's funny!

jed (jed_e_3), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 00:03 (twenty years ago) link

I only just spotted Cozen's O'Hara pastiche.

the pinefox, Tuesday, 23 December 2003 22:24 (twenty years ago) link

Such a great band, so many bad ideas.

I fell asleep listening to Hats last night and woke up to track 6, 'Seven A.M.,' and thought this must be a precursor to Stereolab's mutation of Neu!'s motorik sound. I'm listening to it again now and not really hearing it. Maybe I was dreaming, or confused. Okay, now it's coming on.

youn, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 02:05 (twenty years ago) link

I thought their 80s albums were great, but they should have kept to that New Romantics influenced sound, as the more organic 90s album was somewhat ill-advised.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 02:07 (twenty years ago) link

Btw. Speaking of Talk Talk, isn't David Sylvian a natural reference too?

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 02:08 (twenty years ago) link

Ooops. I didn't mean it was a bad idea. I thought it was kinda cool. I only wanted to reference Hamish's post cos I didn't think of them as innovators until I read his remark.

youn, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 02:12 (twenty years ago) link

WAART is innovative, edgy, and hard to categorize. Hats sounds like there's a layer of importance missing — like quality.

Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 25 December 2003 08:17 (twenty years ago) link

That said, AMG says this about WATRT (apologies for the incorrect acronym above), which I've never heard:

"The Blue Nile's debut album has a rather fascinating genesis. Scotland's Linn Electronics, makers of the famous LinnDrums rhythm boxes, wanted a demo track to demonstrate the fidelity and versatility of their new digital recording console and tapped a struggling local trio, the Blue Nile, to provide it. Their effort was a deliberately disjunctive song called "A Walk Across the Rooftops." To demonstrate the recording equipment's dynamic range and clarity, the song was arranged most peculiarly, with vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, and full string and horn sections all appearing, but never at the same time. Linn liked the song so much that they formed a record label and bankrolled the recording of this full album."

Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 25 December 2003 08:19 (twenty years ago) link

seven months pass...
Revive! New album (_High_) out 8/31.

Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Friday, 20 August 2004 20:01 (nineteen years ago) link

hasn't this been out for a while already and everyone agreed it was shit?

kyle (akmonday), Friday, 20 August 2004 20:09 (nineteen years ago) link

Promos have been circulating for a while, and there should be samples up on various websites. From the BN Yahoogroups list, I'd say it's been a bell curve of mostly praise. Only a few have said it's shit, though I wouldn't expect a fan list to destroy a new effort.

I'm saving my judgment until I hear it. It'll be hard to top _Hats_ in my book, but I'm not expecting them to set a new watermark. I'm just looking forward to setting up my own vibe with the record, and replaying the earlier albums for contrast & comparison.

Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Friday, 20 August 2004 20:17 (nineteen years ago) link

... the story I most like is Paul being kept awake by people some might say were winos singing on hot summer nights and he went to the kitchen, made them sandwiches, then went to the park, got to know them and and joined in.

-- jean bowman ( ... ), April 23rd, 2003.

That's a great story.

Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Friday, 20 August 2004 20:20 (nineteen years ago) link

4 posts and no Cozen!

As I lately said to JtN, I fear that the Blue Nile may actually be worse than I want them to be.

I blame RJG's car.

the bluefox, Friday, 20 August 2004 20:37 (nineteen years ago) link

Would he not consider that an insult?

Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 20 August 2004 20:39 (nineteen years ago) link

Here's hoping!!

the bellefox, Friday, 20 August 2004 20:45 (nineteen years ago) link

> Scotland's Linn Electronics, makers of the famous LinnDrums
> rhythm boxes

*wince*

Totally incorrect. Linn the hi-fi systems manufacturer has absolutely nothing to do with the long-defunct drum machine manufacturer of the same name. What lazy journalism.

Palomino (Palomino), Friday, 20 August 2004 22:16 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm not sure I'll ever be completely bonkers over The Blue Nile but they do have a real nice soft spot in my heart. Anyone here heard the first single I Love This Life/The Second Act? Or the track they did with trumpet player Chris Botti called "Midnight Without You"? I like these a lot.

Bimble (bimble), Friday, 20 August 2004 22:35 (nineteen years ago) link

oh!

RJG (RJG), Friday, 20 August 2004 22:45 (nineteen years ago) link

New Blue Nile Album

scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 21 August 2004 00:19 (nineteen years ago) link

Thanks for the link, Scott. Your words at the bottom of it made the few worries I had disappear.

Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Saturday, 21 August 2004 02:49 (nineteen years ago) link

Linn Records the label had everything to do with Linndrums, though, dude.

Colin Meeder (Mert), Saturday, 21 August 2004 08:53 (nineteen years ago) link

Stylistically, you mean?

Palomino (Palomino), Saturday, 21 August 2004 09:12 (nineteen years ago) link

No, I mean that Roger Linn funded the first Blue Nile Album.

Colin Meeder (Mert), Saturday, 21 August 2004 16:06 (nineteen years ago) link

So we agree then, he had nothing to do with the LinnDrum.

Palomino (Palomino), Saturday, 21 August 2004 22:13 (nineteen years ago) link

Oh.

the bluefox, Sunday, 22 August 2004 10:41 (nineteen years ago) link

Shit, you're right, I'm wrong -- Linn Drum = Linn Electronics = Roger Linn = Southern California; Linn Records is a Scottish company.

Colin Meeder (Mert), Sunday, 22 August 2004 10:50 (nineteen years ago) link

the hi-fis.

RJG (RJG), Sunday, 22 August 2004 10:52 (nineteen years ago) link

Their songs have been covered by a diverse array of talent – Tom Jones, Isaac Hayes, Melanie C, Michael McDonald, Julian Lennon, Zucchero, Joe Cocker, Chris Botti as well as the aforementioned Lennox and Stewart.

wow, what a bizarro compilation that would be. i'm off to soulseek to find out...

zappi (joni), Sunday, 22 August 2004 10:57 (nineteen years ago) link

http://www.psiron.demon.co.uk/discography_covers.htm

rod stewart doing 'downtown lights'!!!

zappi (joni), Sunday, 22 August 2004 11:00 (nineteen years ago) link

I love you, paul buchanan.

RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 16:06 (nineteen years ago) link

me too, paul buchanan.

cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 16:25 (nineteen years ago) link

on my way home from a disappointment, I thought I'd drop in and see a friend and buy the junior boys record, since I have listened to it quite a lot, and I saw the new blue nile single!! I don't know what it's called and it sounds a little guff, on first listen, but it has the A- and B-sides of the first single, on!! two of my favourite ever songs.

I saw those two campish, scottish "interior" "decorators", in a doorway, with a newspaper, near charing cross, earlier, today, and I said something to them and then I had to wait around, so I went into starbucks and gerard kelly and elaine c. smith were in there and so were those guys.

where is paul buchanan and has he got tuberculosis.

RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 17:07 (nineteen years ago) link

that was a question.

RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 17:08 (nineteen years ago) link

paul buchanan is interviewed in the edition of the record with ally c and lucy's pic in, that supplement.

the two interior decorators are called justin and colin and I sat next to them one day, in tribeca, they demanded, no, they asked could their scrambled eggs be done a little more creamy, they were a 'touch' dry last time. they nattered and gossiped. scarlet, it's not her name, from river city did too.

one day jed didn't introduce me to paul buchanan but now you've told me that I'll definitely buy that single. I love this life.

cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 17:12 (nineteen years ago) link

I think they live together.

cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 17:12 (nineteen years ago) link

i would have made more effort in that direction, Cozen, but i thought you would be too feert!

jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 20:13 (nineteen years ago) link

it's ok because now I will buy that single.

cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 20:16 (nineteen years ago) link

i want to know what RJG said to Colin and Justin.

jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 20:26 (nineteen years ago) link

I hope he called them fannies.

cºzen (Cozen), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 20:28 (nineteen years ago) link

or worse.

jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 20:29 (nineteen years ago) link

I was tired.

I saw them and realised it was them, as I passed, and I slowed and I took a step back and the dark haired one looked up, from the newspaper they were reading, and smiled and said "hi...!" and I waggled my finger and said ""yous guys are famous" and I didn't wait for any response and I continued on my way.

it definitely could have sounded like an insult, I promise.


I should have just gone with fanny--it has never let me down, in the past.

RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 21:36 (nineteen years ago) link

FanDans.

jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 21:37 (nineteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...
does anyone else find that they rarely discuss this group with other people in person? i dont think anyone i know knows blue nile, and i couldnt imagine myself saying "i really like this band called the blue nile who make lush, austere ambient pop music with the feeling of late-night cigarettes but to you it will sound like adult contemporary". i dont think i have ever listened to this music with other people present and its hard to imagine doing so.

Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Monday, 13 September 2004 07:36 (nineteen years ago) link

most of the times i have listened to this music i wasn't present. fortunately, i have to say.

alex in mainhattan (alex63), Monday, 13 September 2004 09:36 (nineteen years ago) link

one year passes...
I'm so fucking glad that I have A Walk Across The Rooftops now cause I've wanted that shit for 20 years. I came so close to getting that so many times. Ridiculous.

Bimble.... (Bimble...), Saturday, 22 April 2006 03:16 (eighteen years ago) link

The first two albums are classic. Not too keen on what they made after they started using less synths.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 22 April 2006 07:39 (eighteen years ago) link


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