Stereolab: Classic or Dud

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What's Dots And Loops like? More of the same? Why do I feel like I need to own another Stereolab record? I'm quite sure I don't.

― I'm bad and dirty and going to hell (nordicskilla), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:38 (twenty years ago)

I think Dots and Loops is fairly different from almost anything they've done! You might like it, Adam.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:38 (twenty years ago)

Is it "cute"?

― I'm bad and dirty and going to hell (nordicskilla), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:39 (twenty years ago)

Josh had a couple of interesting posts about it a few years ago. (Start at the bottom.)

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:41 (twenty years ago)

Dots & Loops is excellent!

― That One Guy (That One Guy), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:43 (twenty years ago)

Is it "cute"? I don't think so. There's something very submerged about it, sort of like ... Luomo. I say this better here.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:43 (twenty years ago)

Dots & Loops is excellent!

*cracks knuckles*

Let us humbly say there is no consensus.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:45 (twenty years ago)

I'm fairly sure that we've argued about "Dots and Loops" on other threads, but ILM is extremely divided on that album, definitely.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:48 (twenty years ago)

I'm curious what the criticism of it is. I remember really liking about the first two-thirds of it or so (?), but thinking it dragged a little beginning with that super long track.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:50 (twenty years ago)

If you go to the Oscillons thread you'll find the most recent example of the debate (with some v. good posts from Josh and others).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:51 (twenty years ago)

This record makes Ned crack his knuckles!

― I'm bad and dirty and going to hell (nordicskilla), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:51 (twenty years ago)

As warming up for breaking your neck.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:52 (twenty years ago)

Apparently you will like Dots and Loops if (a) you like / don't-mind Tortoise sounds, (b) you like / don't-mind Mouse on Mars sounds, and most importantly (c) you don't see what would be wrong with Stereolab trying out a few of those sounds, in the form of, say, faux-Brazilian faux-drum'n'bass. Also if you don't mind their sound getting kinda super-clean and micro and precise.

― nabisco (nabisco), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:58 (twenty years ago)

(a) is urgent, key and crucial.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:58 (twenty years ago)

I like it when they get dirty

― I'm bad and dirty and going to hell (nordicskilla), Monday, 27 June 2005 20:59 (twenty years ago)

I don't really feel either way about Tortoise. I only heard TNT and quite liked it at the time, I suppose.

― I'm bad and dirty and going to hell (nordicskilla), Monday, 27 June 2005 21:00 (twenty years ago)

I don't know Tortoise very well. I think D&L has some great songs on it, but I can see what some people on the other thread are getting at - that's it's not as aesthetically fantastic as their earlier music.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 27 June 2005 21:02 (twenty years ago)

Which of their albums sounds the most like Mary J Blige?

― I'm bad and dirty and going to hell (nordicskilla), Monday, 27 June 2005 21:03 (twenty years ago)

Also if you don't mind their sound getting kinda super-clean and micro and precise.

This is why I thought Adam would like it.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 27 June 2005 21:04 (twenty years ago)

Not really. I like micro but I think of/prefer Stereolab as a rock band. ETK is a great rock album. MAQ is a solid pop album.

― I'm bad and dirty and going to hell (nordicskilla), Monday, 27 June 2005 21:11 (twenty years ago)

All right, whatever.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 27 June 2005 21:21 (twenty years ago)

CLASSIC.

As testimony, a well-considered selection of tracks across most of their releases to fill up at least 3 discs;

Super Falling Star
Contact
Super-Electric
Laisser-Faire
Our Trinitone Blast
Crest
Analogue Rock
Heavy Denim
Mountain
Sadistic
French Disko
John Cage Bubblegum
L’Enfer Des Formes
Wow And Flutter
Transona 5
The Noise Of Carpet
Motoroller Scalatron
Metronomic Underground

Les Yper-Sound
Percolator
Fluorescences
Parsec
Brakhage
Contronatura
Check And Double Check
Get Carter
Fuses
Infinity Girl
The Free Design
Puncture In The Radar Permutation
Come And Play In The Milky Night
Pain Et Spectacles
Escape Pod
The Black Arts
Hallucinex
Captain Easychord

Nothing To Do With Me
Suggestion Diabolique
Double Rocker
Need To Be
Moodles
Canned Candies
With Friends Like These
Long Life Love
Jaunty Monty And The Bubbles Of Babble
Sudden Stars
Mass Riff
University Microfilms International
Banana Monster Ne Répond
Margerine Rock
Margerine Melodie

― bkjj40a (bkjj40a), Monday, 27 June 2005 21:31 (twenty years ago)

All right, whatever.

Don't get upset about it!

― I'm bad and dirty and going to hell (nordicskilla), Monday, 27 June 2005 21:36 (twenty years ago)

I'm not!

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 27 June 2005 21:41 (twenty years ago)

YOU ARE NOW.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 June 2005 21:41 (twenty years ago)

Ned, you just hate vibraphones, DON'T YOU?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 27 June 2005 21:45 (twenty years ago)

After my tirade upthread this sounds stupid but *I think* that I may have finally got into S'Lab. I've picked up some other bits and pieces in sales etc, but what really did it for me was the third CD of the Oscillons box. Jesus - it's all fantastic.1 For the first time ever I found that I was engaged with the music instead of waiting for it to finish! The Noise Of Carpet - compact, punchy, direct! The Free Design - is the single version different from the album version? The brass sounds thicker and the mix slightly heavier. Pain Et Spectacles - hovering, gliding pop with a great chorus. Long Life Love - Mary+electric piano+glock = heaven. Heavy Denim, not my favourite, but a lovely distorto-groove. Miss Mod - again, is this s different mix compared to the LP version. Much better.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 12:02 (twenty years ago)

The other day I realized that I've managed to purchase about eight Stereolab albums over the years without ever thinking of them as the kind of band I'd want to buy eight albums from. This seems pretty charming to me. The nice thing about them is that although they definitely wear their influences on their sleeves, the resultant music always sounds like Stereolab first and foremost. So, even though ETK is the latest I think they were any good, classic.

― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 13:06 (twenty years ago)

I own three (MAQ, ETK, D&L) and like them all just about equally, for differing reasons - with maybe a slight preference for Dots & Loops. I'm not sure I need any more, but if I did - where to next? In all honesty I'm not particularly into the Jenny Ondioline-style noise freakout.

― Daniel Peterson (polkaholic), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 13:20 (twenty years ago)

i think Dots and Loops is excellent and dont' understand why so many people see it as a dropping off point. It's a very blue sounding album, with a lot of warm tones. Really it sounds like the album cover, the same way MAQ sounds like that cover.

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 13:32 (twenty years ago)

i think Dots and Loops is excellent and dont' understand why so many people see it as a dropping off point.

You *must* understand my universe, Kyle:

* Tor-twah = the suck aside from maybe a minute of "Djed"
* The vast majority of D&L tracks = produced by one John M. of Tor-twah
* live/radio sessions of the McEntire-produced tracks >>>> the D&L versions
* Ergo, foo on D&L

Other universes are different.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 13:39 (twenty years ago)

John M. also worked on ETK though

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:09 (twenty years ago)

Even a deaf monkey sometimes hears the right tone.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:18 (twenty years ago)

a minute of "Djed"

This doesn't make any sense! How can you only like a minute when so much of the joy in the piece is in its progress and transitions?

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:33 (twenty years ago)

Also, Ned, does this mean you prefer the Andi Toma tracks on Dots and Loops?

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:34 (twenty years ago)

* live/radio sessions of the McEntire-produced tracks >>>> the D&L versions

This is the key point ... even after I stopped enjoying Stereolab records, I continued to enjoy hearing them live because they always brought the krautfunkboogie, whereas on record McEntire et al were obsessed with all the cooing and burbling.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:47 (twenty years ago)

John M. also worked on ETK though

Exactly, as per my comment upthread from yesterday about how they were getting too "cute" on ETK. The rawness that remained on ETK was almost completely smoothed out by D&L.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)

I think so too.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:51 (twenty years ago)

How can you only like a minute when so much of the joy in the piece is in its progress and transitions?

'joy'

Also, Ned, does this mean you prefer the Andi Toma tracks on Dots and Loops?

Oh heck yes. Keep in mind I am a bit of a Mouse on Mars fiend.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

"Pain et Spectacles" = I could seriously listen to the glide between those organ chords for a full 74 minutes.

― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 15:40 (twenty years ago)

"Transona Five" = "On the road again"... good.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 15:42 (twenty years ago)

What's weird, Ned, is that the tracks on Dots and Loops that I suspected were the Toma-produced ones weren't at all. After the drum and bass-inflected Autoditacker, you're telling me he didn't produce "Parsec"? So I don't know what you're finding in those tracks that's markedly different from the McEntire ones. (Sorry, I don't have the liner notes in front of me to remember which are which, except that I do remember McEntire did "Parsec.")

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 15:46 (twenty years ago)

Where is the love for "The Groop Played Space Age Bachelor Pad Music"? God that's a wonderful record - not as rounded as Peng! but just so lush and sexy.

I stopped loving them with Transient... (btw: anyone want to make me an offer for the mint gold vinyl (I think) LP, signed?). The soul dropped out of their music. They were so perfect for the first three or four years. Why did they have to fuck with the amazing simplicity of their sound? Sob.

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 16:15 (twenty years ago)

I like their work with Sean O'Hagan.

oh and Dots And Loops I've definitely come around too, you never know when your mind might change.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 16:38 (twenty years ago)

'Hmmm. Isn't Emperor Tomato Ketchup the consensus pick these days? Like if Spin wanted to include a Stereolab album on a best-of-the-90s list, that's the one they'd choose'

they DID choose it!

― latebloomer: now with 20% less cetacean content (latebloomer), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

A link to Johnny Cigarettes' infamous review of "Cobra and Phases Groop ..." needs to appear on this thread. I see that his name and the 0/10 rating are missing in the archived review.

(personally, I really enjoy that record -- despite the myriad of truths in that review)

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 16:44 (twenty years ago)

I only really love "Ping Pong" but I suspect I'm not like most fans.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 16:46 (twenty years ago)

yeah "blue milk" was definitely a bit much (in fact i barely remember what comes after it), but 'cobra and phases' is a far better record than that review suggests. just too long.

― rajeev (rajeev), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 16:50 (twenty years ago)

six months pass...

I replayed emperor tomato ketchup at the weekend just to see if i was neglecting a lost classic in my collection. it's good - especially the opener and noise of carpet - but it still fails to move me. Ping Pong remains classic because of the way it offset that diddly pop tune with a marxist analysis in the lyrics.

― dr x o'skeleton, Monday, 16 January 2006 15:37 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

I've been listening to Cobra and Phases Group a bit lately, and I'm liking it better than I remembered it. (Also, complaints about an album's length = duddest of all dud criticisms. If it's good, then who cares how long it is? Just listen to as much as you want to, and then turn it off! That's what I do.)

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 19:35 (twenty years ago)

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