The Stereolab Albums Poll

run tell dat

I've always kinda found the love for Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements - I remember the band considering it something of a failure, had issues with the production, felt some of its experiments were not successful, etc. MAQ and ETK seem much more focused imho.

found the love odd, that should say

decided today that i really, really hate cobra and phases group

ETK is fantastic and deserves its place here. MAQ is half pop and half drone, so for me it doesn't flow as an album. TRNB has good moments but is a pretty niche experience.

xp Cobra & Phases is horribly engineered, all thin and reedy. It works for the atmosphere but there's a whole bottom end missing imo.

CHALLOPS

I want to know who the other four Cobra voters are.

i had them killed

fucking hell - three! I was a proud part of the four.

xp Transient is clearly, surely not a 'pretty niche experience'. I think its win here confirms that it's the Stereolab album that lots of different groups of listeners have affection for. And it's also possibly their tightest wall-to-wall full-length listen.

I wouldn't define the sum total of ilx as 'lots of different groups'

Not me, but I could've been. Cobra is Stereolab at its proudest free-jazziest moment and it's sublime.

xp

I can see how it's 'niche' in the wider scheme of all music released ever, sure. But I wouldn't characterise it as niche within their catalogue, no way. I think it's so widely beloved because it's as good (or better) a rock album as a pure pop one.

also it was my first (used, from the late b&d records of springdale, pennsylvania)

xp fair point

also it was my first

this is what I attribute the RTNBWA love too mostly, tbh. Seems like they first reached most people's attention with Space Age Bachelor Pad (that was certainly the first time I'd heard of them) and then the full-length fulfilled msot people's expectations.

I first them basically by accident flicking through my iTunes (I'd downloaded it a general grab-bag of acclaimed albums). A true head-turning moment.

*WITH a

also it was my first

I dunno -- I voted Transient not because it was my first (that was Switched On and the Peel Sessions disc w/ Faith Healers and PJ Harvey) but because it was the culmination of that initial sound of droney organs and loud guitars and whatnot. I fell off after Cobra, but even MAQ was a slight step back from that initial sound that I fell in love with. All of the albums have something I like about them, but that 91-93 run was just my favorite of theirs.

:/

1998 Aluminum Tunes 0

my first was the super-electric EP, which i still adore (and all of switched on) but i had to vote for refried because revox/farfisa/harmonium are some of the most amazing sounding tracks by anyone ever

seriously revox still melts my face off

Still don't love love later Stereolab, but I've been listening to the Sound-Dust on records and these are still totally respectable (albeit not one in the class of their pre-D&L work). Thinking I'm especially liking this odds & sods record Not Music.

does the character on the peng and switched on covers have a name?

Think it was Cliff.

http://stereolab.koly.com/exhibits/images/clifforig.gif

science!

I want all of these on vinyl! Even the eps would look amazing on any record collection:
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g28/manicdogbertpurchases/stereolab3.jpg

Anyone knows if there are any stereolab reissues coming anytime soon?

Rose My Rocket Brain, Solar Throw-Away and Free Witch & No-Bra Queen are fantastic.

Oh and no word on new releases or reissues that I've seen.

reissues of what? all the albums are in print, although there's probably enough of the tour singles etc to justify another switched on collection

I meant vinyl reissues. I might be wrong but last time I checked any of the top 3 winners on this poll (transient random, dots and loops, emperor tomato) sell for over $50+ as they've been out of print for a while.

There was mention of remasters/reissues when the break up was announced.

Found the article ...

http://pitchfork.com/news/34993-stereolab-go-on-hiatus/

"According to Pike, the band also plans both a new entry in their Switched On compilation series and a "remastering of the back catalogue." "

Yeah but it all seems to have stopped.

This has inspired me to revisit their later material, especially the singles. Will report back.

Oh, anyone have their "Godzilla Theme" track?

I want all of these on vinyl! Even the eps would look amazing on any record collection:

I don't know any of these but goddamn they all LOOK amazing! this band has always had such a wonderful design sense.

had no idea ETK vinyl was going for $50+, that's crazy.

$75 on Amazon! nuts

I have The Underground is Coming 7" that i'd happily sell/trade.

anyone have their "Godzilla Theme" track?

Yes. It's probably the most 'abstract' thing released in their name. Technically, it's a Tim Gane remix - and sounds like it.

So I checked out a sampling of album cuts from the last 10 years and was nonplussed. Then I put together a compilation of compilation, rare and singles tracks and, as expected, was duly impressed! Here's what I wound up with, sort of a 21st century Switched On:

1. Old Lungs (V/A - All Tomorrow's Parties)
2. La Spirale (Margerine Eclipse JP bonus track)
3. Rose, My Rocket-Brain! (tour single)
4. Banana Monster Ne Répond Plus (tour single)
5. University Microfilms International (tour single)
6. Variation One (V/A - Moog)
7. Dimension M2 (V/A - Disko Cabine)
8. Mudra (V/A - Dimension Mix)
9. Solar Throw-Away (tour single)
10. Jump Drive Shut Out (tour single)
11. Spool Of Collusion (Chemical Chords bonus single)
12. Forensic Itch (Chemical Chords bonus single)
13. The Nth Degree (Chemical Chords JP bonus track)
14. Magne-Music (Chemical Chords JP bonus track)
15. Explosante Fixe (tour single)
16. L'exotisme Interieur (tour single)

Some of it brings back the feel of their guitar-laden heyday, some tones down the blips and bloops and let's Laetitia shine, while other just lay out a great groove. Only one or two aren't that interesting - good to know there's still a future comp for me to buy!

I'm such a zealot for them (even still) that this shit be Sophie's Choice, for me.

Where did you get these?

Just, when you say you "checked out" these, from where? They're not on Spotify...

Slsk is my source if Spotify fails for checking stuff out.

Agreed those covers look fantastic all together.

Surprised by Dots & Loops' showing on this poll. Prevailing wisdom at the time was it was their first bonafide dud.

sometimes prevailing wisdom is horribly wrong

sometimes it is horrifyingly right, as was the case with D&L - a record I never want to hear again.

feel bad for people who can't appreciate 1997-2001 period stereolab

the idea that anyone could like stereolab and not think 'miss modular' is amazing makes zero sense to me

I don't remember people hating on D&L at all. The serious backlash started with "Cobra and Phases Group", but even that one had plenty of great songs, it was the McEntire/O'Rourke blippy bloopy production that had gotten out of control and basically ruined the album. Those songs rocked when they performed them live.

oh thank god they were recovered for rock