American Music Club: Classic or Dud?

Mercury is certainly an extremely 90's sounding record, with too much Froom calliope circus noise and chamberlain and tympani and oompah and crap but the songs on it are, from top to bottom, great, and I like Froom's work on this album, in fact, I think it's his best production work. But there is an alternate, Kevin Killan version of the album around if you prefer that. The big change was making If I Had a Hammer 3/4 rather than 4/4.

I astonished by all the hate for Mercury. It might be my fave and it is certainly one of the most important albums in my life.

incidentally I saw mark last week or the week before in SF, he played with Marc Cappelle and a pickup band that included a bassist and the drummer from Loquat, and it was wonderful. Mark and Marc together are really great. It's not AMC but he's worked with Cappelle longer than anyone in his career at this point and they ahve their shit down. Mark is finishing an album right now (Vudi is on it and a bunch of other people are as well but it's not coming out as an AMC record) and I expect it will be very good.

Mark is finishing an album right now (Vudi is on it and a bunch of other people are as well but it's not coming out as an AMC record) and I expect it will be very good.

I'm sure it will be as well but unfortunately I would only buy it if it came out as an AMC record

If I snap my fingers what will I get?
If I snap my fingers what will I get?
If I snap my fingers what will I get?
That's right, anything I want
Anything I want

God, that song. Easily one of the best things Mark and the band ever did. I'm resigned to buying everything that he ever puts out, just because, but I'd love it if AMC could have another one-last-hurrah, with Kaphan back because their sound was never lovelier than with him. Can't imagine it will ever happen though.

Mark and Marc together are really great

co-sign. I saw their man and piano show in the UK a few years back and it was wonderful.

I think Mercury may be my favorite AMC album, I'm surprised it is so hated.

one more rep for 'California'

great album. sad, lonely, and drunken, but great.

Tim Mooney (AMC's drummer on Mercury, San Francisco, and Love Songs for Patriots, as well as being drummer for Toiling Midgets and others) passed away last night. he was 54.

sad news! he was an amazing drummer, also in The Sleepers.

Oh no! I enjoy his drumming in Toiling Midgets.

What?!? That sucks, so sad. He was a great drummer. I was bummed when he didn't appear on The Golden Age after producing and playing on Love Songs For Patriots. Was hoping he'd get back with them some day, but I guess that won't be happening.

RIP

I've just discovered this. Really gutted.

Damn. RIP.

Mark and Vudi are selling the original paintings by Jean Lowe for the Everclear and San Francisco covers, with all proceeds to Tim Mooney's family. Wonderful paintings, and a beautiful gesture by them - if had sufficient funds to spare I'd love to own either of those pieces (but esp. San Fran).

Everclear on ebay now, San Francisco to follow

wow, wish I could buy the everclear one

Have had the pleasure of listening to Mark's new album, "Don't be a Stranger". It's very nice. Maybe too nice for some people; it's a mature work, that recalls 60 Watt Silver Lining more than anything else he's done. It's missing some of the fire and intensity of Love Songs for sure, and probably has more incommon with the Golden Age, so if you liked that album (I loved it; it wasn't really meant to come out as an AMC album either) you will probably like this. He is doing a short promotional tour of the UK now with a bigger tour (backed with a band) to follow this fall.

Just picked up 'Don't Be a Stranger' this weekend, really enjoying it. '60 Watt Silver Lining' a good reference point, was listening to it earlier in the week and the new one has a similar mood to it.

FWIW 'Mercury' and 'San Fransisco' were the first full albums I owned by AMC and they didn't put me off. Easily available at the time! It was actually hearing "Another Morning" on an Uncut CD that first piqued my interest, but I'd known of them well before then.

Gotta get this new one, I never got Brannan Street, that one had a smaller print

One of my favorite songs of the year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfJKHr-OaOc

His voice is fucking amazing. I saw him live two years ago in a bar in Berlin, on his two-man with Marc Capelle, and it was one of the most memorable gigs I've attended because it suddenly occurred to me (embarrassingly, after 20 years of fandom) that he is such a great singer.

*two-man tour*

yes, the piano + mark thing totally reveals his voice as being UNBELIEVABLE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN6SpTqYeL8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN6SpTqYeL8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NPsfv6IuWQ

yes

yes yes yes fuck

as sad as it is, mark eitzel is totally my perfect life soundtrack right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1VHrK2267Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1VHrK2267Y

not an official video.

beautiful song

I preferred the solo Candy Ass version of "Sleeping Beauty". But that AMC version is great too.

I think the solo Ugly American version of "Last Harbour" is superior to the AMC original.

No AMC/Eitzel news and I've not been listening recently either...

I just wanted to talk about how strange and wonderful United Kingdom is and that it really doesnt get enough praise. The first track "Here They Roll Down" must be one of the most mysterious songs I've ever heard and I'm scared of knowing what it is really about because those words really stick in my head and come back to me every now and then and I feel like they carry so much weight that might not stay if I find out what they really mean. The mood in it is really really incredible.

It really taken me a while to find out what people liked about it so much; I've still never really got into California like other people love it.

There are some songs that the idea of them being covered or used inappropriately scares me. I hope "Kathleen" gets treated well forever.

I say this in nearly every bands thread but here I go again: I've got a lot of catching up to do with Eitzel's discography. I still dont have the first two AMC records and I dont know if there are any easy to find b-side collections.

I have "United Kingdom" and "California" on one CD, good but really, really intense. I love their debut, "The Restless Stranger", it's got more light to it, rocks a bit more too. I don't think there are any official b-side collections.

I'm sure the band used to sell a best of/b-sides compilation on their reunion tour. I imagine the singles are hard to find now.

Not a big UK fan although "Here They Roll Down" is indeed a good one. Still haven't ever heard The Restless Stranger.

restless stranger is much better than it's reputation used to be. engine is an absolute classic, sometimes I think it's their best album (though I think that about each album at different times).

there is no news on the AMC front in particular except that Tom Mallon (who recorded the albums through UK and worked as drummer and bassist at different times) is dying.

That's horrible. I feel like every time I check up on Eitzel's blog or anything about the band, people are having a rough time.

I really had no idea Eitzel had an album out last year.

I've heard there has been efforts to get the early albums reissued. I just saw that there is a pre- Restless Stranger demo/album called Inspirational Songs. Never heard of this before. Is this recently unearthed?

I have no idea what that is.

Tom owns the masters. They are in some kind of state as they were returned by WB after the first attempt to reissue the albums in kind of a mess. Tom is also sitting on a lot of other unreleased stuff, at least three songs of which he shared with people last year (demos that turned into songs on Restless Stranger). Remastering and reissuing the albums was something he'd hoped to do before he got too sick to work. Last summer I worked up a proposal with Mark's manager to reissue the four albums with bonus tracks that would have been culled by Tom; we were going to give Tom complete control of these and just work on getting the financing in place to pay for the pressings (we wanted to do vinyl issues of the albums proper and cds with a bonus cd each). Tom's response was to unfriend us both from FB. He's not an easy guy to deal with. Regardless, I do respect him. I don't know what will happen with the masters when he dies.

I think that is something Tom was maybe putting together, looking at it. I have no idea what his plans were for it and I doubt it's something anyone else has seen or heard.

Tom Mallon has died.

RIP, I loved his production work on those early AMC records.

Thats rough esp. coming after Mooney.

Re. UK, big fan of the Here They Roll Down/Heaven Of Your Hands material. Not so much the Animal Pen stuff.

California in particular has had a rough time of it with regards availability

RIP

UK was my first AMC album. Got it when it came out, loved it, then picked up California. Mallon played drums on California and bass on UK, right? My California LP has no info about band roles, but I seem to remember it was Mallon on drums.

Rest In Peace.

I like "Animal Pen" quite a bit.

Been on a huge Eitzel/AMC kick lately. He has written an incredible number of great songs, and Don't Be A Stranger contained several. "We All Have to Find Our Own Way Out" in particular is just a stone-cold stunner.

It seems a shame he'll probably never get a later-career boost a la Kozelek, who I like a lot, but isn't half the singer, arranger or songwriter.

it's especially shitty given how fucking GREAT the last couple of AMC records were

"Sacred Heart" is maybe my favorite of his solo songs, his singing is so gorgeous

it's very good.

AMC reissues should be out next year (at least the first four albums), for anyone still curious.

Good to hear, I've still never heard the first two albums

Great news, particularly for California and United Kingdom! Will be great to get better sound on those.

Any details re: what differentiates the new first two albums from the 1998 versions? If too early for details, that’s cool. Glad these are finally coming. Know via firefly it’s been a labor of love.

At college there was a picture on the wall opposite me, I was often gazing at it, but only after TWO YEARS did I realize it was the cover 60 Watt Silver Lining. I was stunned that it never registered in all that time. How is that possible?

the reissue will be a new mastering. how different it will be from the 98 ones I have no idea.

Well, see the Paris 1919 thread for what a difference it may make!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/peter-milton-walsh-apartmentsaus-mark-eitzel-american-music-club-tickets-1105989106189

A mere $23.18 to see Mark Eitzel and Peter Milton Walsh together for an early show (7:30 / 8:30, respectively) at the Make Out Room in San Francisco, Feb 22, 2025.

Mark's manager said this will be PMW's only US show. Maybe he's coming here on holiday?

I fell asleep to California for many years (painstakingly programming out Bad Liquor on the CD player). When not sleeping, Somewhere would nearly always trigger a 'who is this?' from someone in the room. The production is so clean and lush on a few songs, close your eyes and you're in the room. Some of the hooks and choruses on Mercury are indelible but California is stronger overall for me.

More Eitzel/AC simmilar to this one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1waiQKFoS1M

The remainder of California

Don't see/hear it

Right, check the AMC Live 92-93 album:

https://americanmusicclub1.bandcamp.com/album/amc-live-1992-1993

Tip: it gets increasingly louder, noisier and more cathartic. Lovely stuff.

This is a great recording! There was a show from this tour that they included as a bonus disc on one of their releases, but I think this is different? I saw them for the first time around then. I was a junior in high school, and hearing them play these songs to an audience of maybe 20 people broke my young mind. Also had an opportunity to chat with Bruce Kaphan about the custom effects rig he used with his pedal steel, he was very gracious about answering my questions.

Thanks

(xpost) that's a different recording, this is assembled from shows in the Netherlands at the time. There's (a chunk of) an SF show that came out as a bonus disc on a UK single promo release of Johnny Mathis' Feet which is a really nice soundboard recording.

Yep, that's the one I was thinking of. Is that available anywhere these days?

Plenty of copies available for pennies on discogs:

https://www.discogs.com/release/2108372-American-Music-Club-Johnny-Mathis-Feet-Plus-Live-Tracks

Per a message on the AMC facebook, the projected release date for the remastered first four albums is now late 2026. A year ago they were being promised for late 2025. Things move slowly in AMC land.

Yes indeed

Did Eitzel ever mention Prefab Sprout? The first section of "Moving The River" reminds me a lot of him.

Eitzel's rendition of "No Easy Way Down" always hits right. It's my favorite version.

Yeah it really is terrific. Thanks for the reminder.

This thread made me listen to Everclear and Mercury loudly in the car today which was great. California not on streaming but is here in case anyone is looking --- https://americanmusicclub1.bandcamp.com/album/california-digi-only-release

With my blue and grey shirt on, yeah that's my lucky one...