working from a base of what wld my mum prefer so good chance i am talking nonsense
― devvvine, Monday, 28 October 2019 16:49 (four years ago) link
Shades of how my other Favourite Current Artist, Weyes Blood, had to release three incredible albums in a row before the powers that be really caught on. (And as with Dawson, the one that pushed her over the edge might not be her best, although in her case it's much more arguable)
― imago, Monday, 28 October 2019 17:03 (four years ago) link
Finally got a copy of Nothing Important yesterday, bought direct from Domino after reconciling myself to the fact that it will A: never be cheap online and B: never be in stock in my local HMV again.
So apart from The Vile Stuff it all sounds basically like unlistenable improvised torture to me right now, but HOLY SHIT I've listened to The Vile Stuff about 6 times in a row and WTF
What's it doing?! It's a 16-minute raga about a school trip that somehow finds a level of emotional intensity that is completely unwarranted. It makes Venus In Furs sound like Scouting For Girls. It makes a lyric about Newcastle United wallpaper sound like something occult.
Wow.
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Friday, 1 November 2019 10:00 (four years ago) link
It's a brilliant song. The bit about him spacing out and having visions as he stares at his Newcastle United poster is something else
― doorstep jetski (dog latin), Friday, 1 November 2019 10:05 (four years ago) link
He has a visual disability that brings such visions about
Wait until the title-track clicks...
― imago, Friday, 1 November 2019 10:10 (four years ago) link
I must admit that, as much as I enjoy Dawson's music and Nothing Important in particular, there's a dare I say cultural barrier that will never dissolve completely.
― pomenitul, Friday, 1 November 2019 10:13 (four years ago) link
Kitchen sink mysticism ftw.
― Life is a meaningless nightmare of suffering...save string (Chinaski), Friday, 1 November 2019 10:15 (four years ago) link
xp Is that barrier not what makes it all the more compelling and appealing? For me it is tbf.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Friday, 1 November 2019 10:16 (four years ago) link
Up to a point. Then again, I'm not much of an anglophile – anglo-agnostic is probably a better descriptor.
― pomenitul, Friday, 1 November 2019 10:20 (four years ago) link
omg
https://thequietus.com/articles/17205-richard-dawson-interview-2
"Dawson hides his intent in plain sight, threading his lyrics with plenty of clues. The assailant outside the chip shop (Thadeus); the lad who cracks his head open (Peter); the pupil who “fills a Reebok Pump with the pulp from his belly” (Simon) and the object of his affections (Bartholomew); the lad who gobs at the narrator (Matthew); his neighbour who “lost two fingers to a Staffie-cross” (Andrew) who works at a no win no fee solicitors (James and James) and even the brand of screwdriver he injures himself with (Philip) are all the names of Christ’s apostles. (He hides his intent elsewhere as well. The two instrumental tracks on the album are called ‘Doubting Thomas’ and ‘Judas Iscariot’.)"
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Friday, 1 November 2019 11:01 (four years ago) link
xp Aren't we all in a way? :) (I hear you though)
― Le Bateau Ivre, Friday, 1 November 2019 11:23 (four years ago) link
xp [eric wareheim exploding head gif]
― devvvine, Friday, 1 November 2019 11:29 (four years ago) link
Most of it just reminds me of Half Man Half Biscuit.
― fetter, Friday, 1 November 2019 15:06 (four years ago) link
the other great uk folk-rock act of our time, but there's a distinct spirit
― imago, Friday, 1 November 2019 15:17 (four years ago) link
The potato line in Shapeshifter is bugging me. They weren't introduced to the UK until 1586 or whenever, so how is one in this song. I have tried googling "Richard Dawson potato" to no avail of an explanation from the author.
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 4 November 2019 13:45 (four years ago) link
he did explain it somewhere - elements from all time periods are included by design. 'prostitute' has a prominent synth part!
― imago, Monday, 4 November 2019 13:54 (four years ago) link
Poet(ato)ic licence.
― Michael Oliver of Penge Wins £5 (Tom D.), Monday, 4 November 2019 13:55 (four years ago) link
Shapeshifters have also yet to be introduced to the UK
― ogmor, Monday, 4 November 2019 13:56 (four years ago) link
That's what you think.
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 5 November 2019 15:41 (four years ago) link
They've been on the throne since the turn of the 18th century surely?
― Michael Oliver of Penge Wins £5 (Tom D.), Tuesday, 5 November 2019 15:51 (four years ago) link
One's prime minister right now.
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 5 November 2019 16:10 (four years ago) link
giving his 2005 debut album a listen for the first time. found it in a charity shop for 50p a couple of years back and hadn't ever got round to playing it before. it's not especially good tbh, mildly eccentric in places but nowhere near as daring as what was to come. probably one for the sale pile i think.
― the creator has a mazda van (NickB), Tuesday, 5 November 2019 23:29 (four years ago) link
Part of me would love to hear it. But I know he's disowned it, so the other half of me wants to respect that.
― Duke, Tuesday, 5 November 2019 23:35 (four years ago) link
happy to share wavs or whatever if anyone is desperate
― the creator has a mazda van (NickB), Tuesday, 5 November 2019 23:39 (four years ago) link
God I thought I was on the politics thread for a bit and we were talking about Boris Johnson. I need sleep
― doorstep jetski (dog latin), Wednesday, 6 November 2019 01:36 (four years ago) link
saw him at the moth club earlier in the week. all the live versions very much more potent than anything on record. (i like the records but this was something else). the song the almsgiver, which i hadn’t heard before, was where the gig really built into something wonderful for me. god you get some pricks at gigs tho. chuckling away at his righteous anger or expressions of sentiment and pathos. anyway it was excellent and made me want to go and see him again as soon as possible
― Fizzles, Sunday, 24 November 2019 11:24 (four years ago) link
I'd love to see him again live. Such an amazing performer and an all-round great, compassionate, funny guy.
― Duke, Sunday, 24 November 2019 11:46 (four years ago) link
This is his next London show I think: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2020/event/richard-dawson-delight-is-right
― john cage fighter (Matt #2), Sunday, 24 November 2019 13:03 (four years ago) link
Yeah he's touring the UK. Fingers crossed he comes to Berlin
― Duke, Sunday, 24 November 2019 15:21 (four years ago) link
2020 is really connecting for me in a way the previous ones never quite did
― Simon H., Monday, 9 December 2019 19:05 (four years ago) link
I bought it and listened to it a few times. I feel a little bit like I'm rewatching a stand up routine sometimes though, as in the novelty of the storytelling wears off after a few listens.
― YOU CALL THIS JOURNALSIM? (dog latin), Monday, 9 December 2019 19:31 (four years ago) link
I still think Jogging is absolutely transcendent though
― YOU CALL THIS JOURNALSIM? (dog latin), Monday, 9 December 2019 19:32 (four years ago) link
yeah that might end up topping my tracks ballot
― Simon H., Monday, 9 December 2019 19:35 (four years ago) link
I bought it and listened to it a few times. I feel a little bit like I'm rewatching a stand up routine sometimes though, as in the novelty of the storytelling wears off after a few listens.― YOU CALL THIS JOURNALSIM? (dog latin), Monday, 9 December 2019 20:31
― YOU CALL THIS JOURNALSIM? (dog latin), Monday, 9 December 2019 20:31
Crazy talk. It's not as good as Peasant but still amazing. One of my top five of the year.
― Duke, Monday, 9 December 2019 19:37 (four years ago) link
I read the lyric sheet as I listened to it the first time, so in a way that kind of revealed everything in one go. in a way I wish I'd listened to it a few times before doing that. the music is great of course, but sometimes I feel like I'm listening to tone poems, the music arranged around the words, which in itself isn't a problem but at times it feels like I could be reading a book of short stories. and once you know the twist in the tale, the impact is lessened. it's also a fairly depressing album. don't get me wrong, it's very much an amazing album. I just don't find myself willing to replay it very often
― YOU CALL THIS JOURNALSIM? (dog latin), Monday, 9 December 2019 19:47 (four years ago) link
He certainly has an odd way of scanning his lyrics, which sometimes leads to crammed sentences.
― Duke, Monday, 9 December 2019 19:55 (four years ago) link
this is finally clicking hard for me, or at least six of its ten tracks are. if it was just
Civil ServantThe Queen's Head Two Halves JoggingBlack TriangleFulfillment Centre
then it'd be up there with the others, but there's a slightly scrawny tail on this beast
Black Triangle especially is such a wonderful song and I've only just realised it - although Jogging remains the crown jewel
― imago, Monday, 16 December 2019 07:52 (four years ago) link
For me the keepers so far are Jogging, Heart Emoji and maybe Two Halves, Fresher's Ball and Fulfilment Centre.
― YOU CALL THIS JOURNALSIM? (dog latin), Monday, 16 December 2019 10:38 (four years ago) link
"Dead Dog..." is one of my favorites!
― Simon H., Monday, 16 December 2019 13:53 (four years ago) link
Civil Servant is the only sub par song on this, IMO
― Duke, Monday, 16 December 2019 15:29 (four years ago) link
nitsuh's thing in the nyt was great - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/11/magazine/best-songs.html#richarddawson
― just sayin, Thursday, 19 March 2020 05:19 (four years ago) link
Nabisco otm
― Le Bateau Ivre, Thursday, 19 March 2020 09:09 (four years ago) link
I was supposed to be seeing him live in a few weeks. I'll just have to be patient...
― Duke, Thursday, 19 March 2020 18:57 (four years ago) link
he and his partner are attempting to make a mini-album every day
https://bulbils.bandcamp.com/music
― strangely hookworm but they manage ream shoegaze poetry (imago), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 16:35 (four years ago) link
oh awesome
― devvvine, Wednesday, 25 March 2020 16:37 (four years ago) link
I was meant to be seeing him tonight. Mini-albums, you say? That'll cushion the blow, nice.
― mike t-diva, Wednesday, 25 March 2020 16:59 (four years ago) link
now everyone in the UK is out running every evening, Jogging is even more prescient
― doorstep jetski (dog latin), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 18:11 (four years ago) link
Thanks for this !
― Duke, Wednesday, 25 March 2020 22:51 (four years ago) link
so far it's all fairly ambient, but Mole (track 2 off the 3rd release) is a lovely standout with a bit more going on
― strangely hookworm but they manage ream shoegaze poetry (imago), Friday, 27 March 2020 16:05 (four years ago) link
Today's long-form track, The Easter Bunny, is the first one since Mole that's properly grabbed me. A huge organ-and-guitar ambient wordless ballad
https://bulbils.bandcamp.com/album/15-the-easter-bunny
― ban laggy jazzer (imago), Thursday, 9 April 2020 09:29 (four years ago) link