well isn't it just the gosh-darn, grand-slam, tears-inducing, classic-or-classic album of the year by a country fcking mile. i can't believe how good it is. it makes 'poses' (which i adored much of) sound like the work of a clattered pub pianist mumbling to himself.
it suffers a tad from lumpy-duvet syndrome in the same way 'poses' did in that a lot of the good stuff is all up one en but sheesh. can't reccomend it highly enough.
― piscesboy, Monday, 27 October 2003 12:55 (twenty years ago) link
maybe four good songs
a few of them - esp. vibrate and the rhodesy one that sounds like christopher cross on mescaline - are downright cringe-inducing
the lesson: double albums are always always always a bad idea
― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 27 October 2003 13:04 (twenty years ago) link
― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 27 October 2003 13:05 (twenty years ago) link
christopher cross on mescaline could be kinda wicked
― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 27 October 2003 13:07 (twenty years ago) link
― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Monday, 27 October 2003 13:28 (twenty years ago) link
are you lot *nuts* ?
the cover is something of a homage to a certain momus albumfrom some years back see here :
http://www.phespirit.info/momus/199301.htm
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=60613875
(click to enlarge)
― piscesboy, Monday, 27 October 2003 13:31 (twenty years ago) link
SO SO SO SO crap
― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 27 October 2003 13:32 (twenty years ago) link
― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 27 October 2003 13:33 (twenty years ago) link
i despair !
― piscesboy, Monday, 27 October 2003 13:34 (twenty years ago) link
― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 27 October 2003 13:34 (twenty years ago) link
― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 27 October 2003 13:35 (twenty years ago) link
Rufus's lyrics have always been his great weak spot, anyhow. It's just that on "Want One," where he seems to actually want to say something, they're sort of thrown into relief.
― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Monday, 27 October 2003 14:04 (twenty years ago) link
god knows what you must make of the lyrics of noel gallagher.
― piscesboy, Monday, 27 October 2003 14:33 (twenty years ago) link
― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Monday, 27 October 2003 14:36 (twenty years ago) link
john do you hate fun ?
― piscesboy, Monday, 27 October 2003 14:40 (twenty years ago) link
NB "Want One" is still in the changer, because I heart Rufus so very much. But his lyrics are generally quite ass, and to say "they're pop lyrics! they can ignore super-basic grammar" is to suggest that the Spice Girls' "Say You'll Be There" would still have been great if it had been called "You'll Be Say There" and revised accordingly.
― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Monday, 27 October 2003 14:48 (twenty years ago) link
― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Monday, 27 October 2003 14:49 (twenty years ago) link
Lyrically, "Vibrate" bears the influence of his father's ill-advised attempts at contemporary cultural references (c.f. Last Man On Earth) but yes, damn if it ain't a lovely little melody.
The grammar thing has been an issue for rufus in the past:"There's never been such grave a matter/As comparing our new brand-name black sunglasses"
― Kevin Erickson, Monday, 27 October 2003 15:01 (twenty years ago) link
the thing i liked most about poses was that it seemed to further reconcile his obviously classicist leanings by exaggerating, almost overblowing, the pop elements of his songs in really interesting and uncontrived ways.
it's probably fucking tchad blake's fault, but 'want one' feels completely tamed - a little too plush, a little too perfect...
― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 27 October 2003 15:08 (twenty years ago) link
― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 27 October 2003 15:10 (twenty years ago) link
― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Monday, 27 October 2003 15:14 (twenty years ago) link
― jed (jed_e_3), Monday, 27 October 2003 15:39 (twenty years ago) link
I do think Want One is oddly mixed. I always feel at any given moment that I'm hearing too much of the wrong things. Maybe there's too much going on.
― scott m (mcd), Monday, 27 October 2003 18:54 (twenty years ago) link
― Sean (Sean), Monday, 27 October 2003 20:01 (twenty years ago) link
― fact checking cuz, Monday, 27 October 2003 22:34 (twenty years ago) link
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 27 October 2003 23:47 (twenty years ago) link
I let my disappointment that Rufus isn't The Savior Of Singer-Songwritering get the better of me sometimes - it's a really good record, and its highest moment are great-big-healthy-long-cry-inducing. I just wish he had his father's gift for a turn of phrase instead of just a heartfelt but unsubstantiable convinction that he does.
― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 00:08 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 00:42 (twenty years ago) link
― piscesboy, Saturday, 1 November 2003 23:35 (twenty years ago) link
― keith (keithmcl), Sunday, 2 November 2003 21:20 (twenty years ago) link
― piscesboy, Monday, 3 November 2003 12:42 (twenty years ago) link
― lester gingham, Saturday, 22 October 2005 21:50 (eighteen years ago) link
Poses is still his most focused album.
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 22 October 2005 22:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― lester gingham, Sunday, 23 October 2005 01:48 (eighteen years ago) link
― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 23 October 2005 11:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― lester gingham, Monday, 24 October 2005 12:59 (eighteen years ago) link
my favourite hands-down fave album of the decade thus far. by a mile.
― piscesboy, Monday, 24 October 2005 13:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― lester gingham, Monday, 24 October 2005 14:39 (eighteen years ago) link
dinner at 8 is a real stunner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A2Wrduc7WI
― I Chet the Holmgren (Spottie), Thursday, 11 July 2024 21:44 (three months ago) link
make the perfect single disc want by combining one and two challenge
oh what a worldi don't know what it isvicious worldmovies of myselfpeach treesgo or go aheadthe one you love14th streetthe art teachergay messiahbeautiful childwantdinner at eight
surprisingly difficult even tho i obv prefer want one
― ivy., Monday, 30 September 2024 14:40 (two weeks ago) link
"dinner at eight" is the most devastating song
― ivy., Monday, 30 September 2024 14:41 (two weeks ago) link
also hmmmm how much did "the art teacher" and rufus in drag on the cover of want two imprint on me... i mean maybe just as much as being obsessed with his records in high school did
― ivy., Monday, 30 September 2024 14:45 (two weeks ago) link
From your list, I'd swap out Want and Beautiful Child for Memphis Skyline and Natasha which are two of my favourites. This Love Affair would probably have to be on there too.
― kitchen person, Monday, 30 September 2024 14:54 (two weeks ago) link
I miss "Vibrate," ivy
― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 30 September 2024 15:03 (two weeks ago) link
i was devastated to cut natasha. i’m disinclined to cut title tracks bc there’s obv something there for the artist but yeah sure throw in memphis skyline or pretty things instead
― ivy., Monday, 30 September 2024 15:37 (two weeks ago) link
natasha and 11:11 would have to be on mine.
i think id just keep most of part one and swap in the art teacher and memphis skyline somewhere. the drop off from one to two is pretty drastic i think.
― lil $CHUB (Spottie), Monday, 30 September 2024 18:38 (two weeks ago) link
i appreciate the mistier more baroque approach of want two carrying through pretty much the whole thing, i also i fucking loooooooove "gay messiah," can't help it, but yeah it is somehow starkly weaker
― ivy., Monday, 30 September 2024 18:48 (two weeks ago) link
oh and "the one you love" is prob my favorite rufus song
idk why it just is
― ivy., Monday, 30 September 2024 18:51 (two weeks ago) link
having both these records soundtrack the earliest notions i had of romantic love... helplessly in thrall to them still
oh yes the one you love would have to be on there too. gay messiah is striking
― lil $CHUB (Spottie), Monday, 30 September 2024 18:56 (two weeks ago) link