American Music Club: Classic or Dud?

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

Totally. A dozen or so songs anyone would kill to have written between 'em.

Mark is playing Noisepop this year in SF, opening for Mark Mulcahey (should be the other way around) and opening for Throwing Muses.

finally got around to listening to don't be a stranger, it's totally gorgeous

YEP!

i even really dig the rerecorded "all my love," it's sounds more spacious and aching

Yeah, that threw me at first, but it's pretty wonderful. "Costumed Characters..." has been in my head lately, everything I love about his work distilled into 2.5 minutes.

! I really liked the original "All My Love"

Thread inspired me to give Klamath another spin. "I Live In This Place" was apparently the opening number for a musical he wrote?! It's an incredible song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aspneMZXNY0

he wrote the music for a musical that was done in Brighton a few years ago, yeah. That is a great song. Klamath is underrated because it's a 'home production' but several of the songs on there are excellent. I really like "Remember"

One of my favourite bands, late 80s/early 90s. I know Mark E is still doing it good.Excellent

I need to rediscover.

Slight tangent but their version of "Goodbye to Love" Carpenters always sounded just fine. I'm off for a listen now which is so boring of me.
Sorry for posting

I listen to Engine often.

I love Klamath. That album returned my enthusiasm for Mark's solo work, a joy which had waned upon the release of the Invisible Man. Okay, I've since found some affection for The Ugly American, his Greek interpretations of AMC songs. But looking back on the 2000s, it sure seems like he earmarked his stronger material for the reunited AMC.

Aquarium Drunkard has an interview with Mark Eitzel up: http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2015/02/06/mark-eitzel-the-aquarium-drunkard-interview/

I really hope Eitzel doesn't need to keep relying on lottery winners to get records made. Would he be a good candidate for a crowdfunding effort, I wonder?

Now that Fall is here properly it's Eitzel season again.

https://youtu.be/xNVbvhM46MY

Did anything ever come of reissuing AMC's early catalogue again?
Is much of it in print.

Nothing of that nature is happening AFAIK, stalled by all that tragedy upthread I'd guess. Which is really too bad since I bet a decent number of folks would buy the fuck out of some remastered reissues.

"Help Me" might be their finest pop moment

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...