Michael Penn C/D? S/D?

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I just put Penn's "This & That" on my latest walkin'-to-work mixtape. March, especially "No Myth," was a big deal for me back in elementary school/middle school. I think it's a big reason I like the sound of acoustic guitars over drum machines (hence, Sugar Ray!). I haven't listened to any of the albums in a looong time (I have the first three), but I'm sure I'd still like No Myth, This & That, Long Way Down, and uhh...that might be it. Better check.

Anyhow, anybody here give a shit about Mr. Aimee Mann, the second or third (Chris is the x factor) most talented Penn brother? Anybody heard that fourth album of his?

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 20 April 2003 21:48 (twenty-one years ago) link

Not a "dud," per se, but it wouldn't seem he's nearly the talent of his better half. That said, the song (and attendant video) that is on the Boogie Nights DVD, "Try," is absolutely fantastic. From his third record, I believe.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Sunday, 20 April 2003 23:57 (twenty-one years ago) link

Big fan of his second album, Free for All. Search "Long Way Down," "Coal," "Bunker Hill," all of it, really. He out-REMs REM.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Monday, 21 April 2003 00:36 (twenty-one years ago) link

I second Free For All - and yeah, all of it.

― nader (nader), Monday, 21 April 2003 14:41 (twenty-one years ago) link

two years pass...

"No Myth" is still classic, and better than anything Ms Michael Penn came up with herself.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 8 August 2005 13:06 (eighteen years ago) link

At the time, a friend confessed to me that he thought the first part of the chorus was about a Romeo with black cheese.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 8 August 2005 13:10 (eighteen years ago) link

Makes sense! Romeos wearing black jeans are just as ridiculous!

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 8 August 2005 13:11 (eighteen years ago) link

It WAS the late eighties.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 8 August 2005 13:13 (eighteen years ago) link

Seriously, kids: "Try". The vid, as directed by PT Anderson, is also splendid.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 8 August 2005 17:39 (eighteen years ago) link

"No Myth" is still classic, and better than anything Ms Michael Penn came up with herself.

i like "no myth" too, but "voices carry" wins this fight.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 8 August 2005 17:44 (eighteen years ago) link

I like(d) the song "Strange Season".

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 8 August 2005 17:44 (eighteen years ago) link

"no myth" is 100% and there are a few other great songs on march

peter blegvad plays on penn's records, that was the stamp of approval for me

― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 8 August 2005 18:14 (eighteen years ago) link

There are a few good tracks on the new rekkid (Mr. Hollywood, 1947) as well, and his "Down By The Riverside" is lovely. Odd thing about the new one, if not overly surprising - a lot of the tracks sound awfully similar to recent Aimee Mann. Which is not really such a good thing.

Alfred, that's a bold pronouncement above. "No Myth" does stand up sweetly, but I'd rate it below the first half of Everything's Different and a few of the tracks from I'm With Stupid ("Long Shot," "You Could Make A Killing," "Par For The Course."

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Monday, 8 August 2005 19:08 (eighteen years ago) link

Ha. Michael Penn's fussy intelligent pop is more muscular than Ms Mann's. I'll take a tough guitar sound over static baroque arrangements any day.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 8 August 2005 19:21 (eighteen years ago) link

I take it you haven't checked out Everything's Different yet...

('Til Tuesday - "Welcome Home" and "Everything's Different Now", C/D?)

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Monday, 8 August 2005 20:09 (eighteen years ago) link

No! But from what I've heard I prefer Ms Mann in a band.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 8 August 2005 20:14 (eighteen years ago) link

"more muscular"

http://www.deadlypretty.com/Shrines/glenn12.jpg

http://www.kphotography.com/henry%20rollins.jpg

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Monday, 8 August 2005 20:16 (eighteen years ago) link

http://www.artist-pictures.com/media/SXSW%202003/Michael-Penn2-400.jpg

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Monday, 8 August 2005 20:20 (eighteen years ago) link

To be fair, there's nothing particularly "tough" about the guitars on Everything's Different. "Jangly," yes. Tough, notsomuch.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Monday, 8 August 2005 20:24 (eighteen years ago) link

Boy, Michael's fugly now! He looks like a Donald Fagen and Ben Stiller hybrid. He used to be quite the hottie.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 8 August 2005 20:26 (eighteen years ago) link

Something more like this, maybe?

http://www.ear.fm/Encyclopedia%20P/penn.jpg

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Monday, 8 August 2005 20:32 (eighteen years ago) link

Getting closer.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 8 August 2005 20:38 (eighteen years ago) link

two months pass...

I could go and see him tonight but I want some company. Anybody in NYC wanna go?

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Saturday, 8 October 2005 20:18 (eighteen years ago) link

one year passes...

So I heard Jude Cole's "Baby It's Tonight" at the grocery store this afternoon. I forgot it and "No Myth" were contemporaneous hits. I'm writing an essay on "No Myth" at present and have concluded that what made them hits in the spring of 1990 was how anachronistic they sounded.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Monday, 8 January 2007 03:55 (seventeen years ago) link

ten years pass...

Been listening to Mr. Hollywood, 1947 for the past month. Haven't heard his other albums but it's pretty damn good, I gotta say.

― Nhex, Thursday, 9 November 2017 20:07 (six years ago) link

Free For All is still a great record.

― tylerw, Thursday, 9 November 2017 20:15 (six years ago) link

two years pass...

First new song in 15 years:

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

― Langdon Alger Stole the Highlights (cryptosicko), Sunday, 1 November 2020 01:12 (three years ago) link

thanks. nice to hear

― Nhex, Sunday, 1 November 2020 17:45 (three years ago) link

sounds good!

― tylerw, Sunday, 1 November 2020 17:49 (three years ago) link

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