Luke Haines: 21st Century Man/Achtung Mutha

http://www.myspace.com/lukehaines

Two new songs streaming.

20th century man would be good if it were about half the length it is...

like Peter Hammil but it might just be because of the title

I like em. All the same, the constant pop culture reference thing is getting a bit tired. He knew how to write a compelling narrative on his first few Auteurs albums, so I wonder why he's stuck in this postmodern art critic phase.

Anyone hear this yet? I sure haven't. Apparently it came out nearly a month ago. Poor Luke.

It's much better than the last one. "Klaus Kinski" and "Love Letter To London" are really lovely songs. The title track is a little off-putting though. Lyrically, it's a combination of a kind of a "We Didn't Start The Fire" list of events with a lot of Haines' self-pity about not making it (which I guess is just part of his persona now). Overall, though, I like this one a lot. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only living American that owns nearly everything Mr. Haines has ever done.

How about the Achtung Mutha disc? I haven't read anything about it outside of it being "experimental."

I saw him in Bristol the weekend before last in front of a less than impressively sized audience - was fun tho, he did fanboy-pleasing stuff like 'Showgirl' and 'Baader Meinhof' (the song)

I've only heard the 21th Century Man disc, and it's more than great. There are no "Off My Rocker..." and "Leeds United" calibre hits here, but the album is more consistent than the last one. "English Southern Man" is a particularly great song.

I love this!

http://thequietus.com/articles/12458-luke-haines-rock-and-roll-animals-new-album-borderline

Fresh from uncovering the British Isles' alternative history with The North Sea Scrolls last year, former Auteurs and Black Box Recorder man and all-round polymath Luke Haines has announced that he'll be releasing a new album, Rock And Roll Animals on July 29 via Cherry Red.

Rather than trying to explain the album, which contains, among other things, the Angel Of The North and narration from Julia Davis by way of Sham 69 and rockabilly, ourselves, we'll leave it to Haines, who says of the album: "Rock N Roll Animals is a psychedelic story for grown ups (and children). Jimmy Pursey – is a frisky fox; Nick Lowe – a solid badger and Gene Vincent – a cat who's seen a bit more of life than most of us. Three furry freaks. Three Rock n Roll animals. The fable of our four-pawed shamen is narrated by the good folk of Magic Town. This is a story of righteous rock n roll and how our three rock n roll animal friends, when not frolicking in the undergrowth, do battle with their most unrighteous nemesis – a fuck ugly bird (from Tyneside) made of steel and wire called The Angel Of The North.

"So friends, free your minds, turn off your modern scrying screens and turn on your 21st century imaginations. Let us follow the townsfolk into the woods where the rock n roll animals are freaking out and running wild. But remember one thing: Nature is an evil mother."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FL8pztCWAPA

http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/12458/Luke_Haines_-_Rock_N_Roll_Animals_1370427343_crop_550x550.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UmoImrp2Hg

^The new single.

I think this top comment might've ruined him for me:

Stewie Griffin, go home, you're drunk

http://drownedinsound.com/releases/17764/reviews/4146664?ticker

Set in an alternative version of Walton-on-Thames called Magic Town, the rock n' roll animals are a righteous group of furry friends who fight for rock justice before taking on their true nemesis, a “fuck ugly bird from Tyneside made of steel and wire called The Angel of the North” (possibly alluding to Haines distaste for modern art). Though it may seem a bit thin a concept for a full album, deeper listens reveal this to be something of a personal ode to Haines' childhood and a means to channel vague memories and thoughts into something fun and engaging.

Clocking in at a meagre 32 minutes, it's a tight, direct listen that cleverly compacts as much depth and replay value as any 70 minute rock opera. If as a parent you play this around kids, it's worth noting there's plenty of caustic volition in Haines lyrics, with traditional kids' TV tropes subverted for your pleasure - “You can come around and help out too/ bring some paint and bring some glue/ we can have a lot of fun/ we can rid the streets of the scum in Magic Town” as heard over a jovial melody in the title track.

The use of the three ageing rock stars for the main characters stems from their connection to Walton-on-Thames, with a generally vague link bringing them all together. Haines has explained Pursey lived near Hersham, Nick Lowe having been born there and apparently Gene Vincent stayed in a B&B near to his old home sometime in 1969. While bearing little relevance to the album's story, it's a sweet idea to bring them together as free spirited animals.

Musically, the album tends to flutter between chamber pop and acoustic rock n'roll, with woodwind, chimes and strings liberally applied throughout and the token hand clap hook first used back on New Wave opener 'Show Girl' even making a welcome appearance.

Surprisingly, one of the biggest stars of the album is comedy actress and writer Julia Davis (Nighty Night, I'm Alan Patridge, Four Lions). By drafting in Davis for narrative duties, there's a sense of cohesion and vision that helps everything hang together nicely. As she interjects throughout the album to keep the listener up to date with the goings on in Magic Town, there's a convincing illusion that this really is a proper kids nursery tale and not a oddball rock n' roll record. Her voice is comforting and strong, quite the opposite to Haines' often precarious rambling.

Even at his most unremarkable, it's difficult to direct criticism at Haines' imagination. He's spent the last decade putting out records about British wrestling, the history of the British Isles and an orchestral reinterpretation of past works. There's countless lines on here you'll muse over for their meaning or simply because they made you smile, the 'righteous/ not righteous' moment in closer 'Rock N' Roll Animals in Space' is a hilarious declaration of the true heroes of Haines' taste, with the likes of Led Zepellin and post Brian Jones' Stones coming off a bit worse for wear - “The Stones without Brian Jones were not righteous even though he was probably evil”.

While occasionally irritating with some songs bordering on uncomfortably twee, this is yet another triumph for Haines' extraordinary ability to put out whatever the fuck he wants. It's not a classic and it won't get him back in the NME, but it'll more than entertain those willing to listen.

Sounds pretty awesome.

http://sabotagetimes.com/music/luke-haines-history-of-rock-n-roll-animals/

Dogs, cats, rabbits, this is all well and good. But where are the pigs and sheep? Sadly, they can be found all over Pink Floyd’s, disastrous 1977 ‘Animals’ album. Roger Waters – the sombre to Syd’s sombrero – makes the dire mistake of dissing our four-legged friends. ‘Sheep’ become Rog’s metaphor for slow witted folk. ‘Pigs’ represent Mary Whitehouse and Thatcher, and ‘Dogs,’ well let’s just say that Roger contributes another rotten – and very long – dog song to the useless canine canon. Roger Waters’ big mistake, (much like Withnails’ with the hare) was to pour scorn on his animal guides. Is it any wonder that his solo career ‘went to the dogs’??

How was his concept album about wrestling?

The wrestling album was great. I don't really like what I've heard from the new one.

I am the only American I know who has even heard of him, let alone actively listens. But he's great.

Fighting In The City Tonight should have been a hit.

I've only heard the single from the new album. It does sound pretty Haines-by-the-numbers, which has been his flaw for a while now. I do wish he could recapture that classic Auteurs sound. He was on a different plane back then, IMO. Something very ethereal and sinister lurked under almost all his songs. Baader Meinhof was an extremely accomplished project as well. I don't really understand what his deal is anymore. He seems to have gone from being the extremely insecure and arrogant to some sort of shambolic ranting madman. That's definitely how his follow-up novel read, and it suffered for it.

And I'm an American that loves Haines. I wrote a very bad college paper on him. Wish I still had it.

His best since the Auteurs IMHO.

"NOT RIGHTEOUS"

The last track rules.

Cult British rocker Luke Haines is to release a cookbook featuring his favourite recipes.
The former The Auteurs frontman previously used his blog to share tips on how to prepare dishes including rabbit stew, ackee and saltfish, and Moroccan wild chicken.
Now his best-loved meals will be collated into an e-book, titled Plate The F**k Up, which is scheduled for release later this year (13).
He tells The Mouth magazine, "I did some kind of 'outsider' food writing about a year ago. It's an e-book thing I've got called Plate The F**k Up. It's rock 'n' roll essays mixed up with recipes. That's going to be out later in the year."

OD'ing on this album. The psych folk flourishes really make it for me. I love all the silly pan flutes, fingerpicked acoustic and other such accoutrements. I'm glad he's moved a bit from the glam/electro stuff that's defined his solo career. The new sounds really tie this music back to his Auteurs days. I'm a big fan of his use of the xylophone as always.

http://thequietus.com/articles/14708-luke-haines-new-album-ny-in-the-70s-alan-vega-says

Not feeling this new song, and I really didn't feel his "Lou Reed" song that I think is also from this new album.

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

*sigh*

what is he doing

I can never fully decide whether Luke Haines is an underrated, national treasure or an overrated failure lurching through middle age from one vanity concept album to another.

[...]

3/10

http://www.neonfiller.com/wordpress/?p=10133

http://www.clashmusic.com/news/luke-haines-returns-with-adventures-in-dementia

Pop outlaw and supreme memoirist, Luke Haines remains one of Britain's most delightfully individual voices.

Ever knowledgeable of pop culture, the songwriter is ready to unveil his next project. New mini-album 'Adventures In Dementia' is out on February 2nd - billed as a 'micro opera' it features Luke Haines and Scott King.

First performed as part of Scott King's 'Festival Of Stuff' over two nights in Berlin, July 2014, the work pits two rather opposing figures in British music against one another.

Here's the blurb:

A Mark E Smith impersonator and members of Fall Group are en route to a rock 'n' roll festival. Members of Fall Group are not aware that 'MES' is actually an MES imposter.

Smith is driving a battered Renault 5 and towing a Swift Swallow caravan (possibly under the influence of amphetamine sulphates and alcohol) when he crashes into an Austen Maestro. The Austin Maestro is being driven by a skinhead: Ian Stuart, lead singer of notorious 'white power' band Skrewdriver...

A truly unique prospect, the music more than matches the imagination. New track 'Caravan Man' is based on a rollicking rockabilly rhythm, with Luke Haines intoning some hilarious lyrics which speak of tracing a path across the land in a moveable home.

Backed by some joyously DIY visuals, you can check out 'Caravan Man' below.

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

Luke Haines (the Auteurs, Black Box Recorder) Talks Aphex Twin’s Syro

http://thetalkhouse.com/music/talks/luke-haines-the-auteurs-black-box-recorder-talks-aphex-twins-syro/

PREVIEW: NEW OUTSIDER MUSIC ALBUM!
'RAVING' (volumes 1- 75) By Luke Haines

'Raving' is the new Outsider Music CD by Luke Haines: An album, a folk-ART statement and instant collector's item. Each of the 75 CDs contains a separate performance of the 12- 14 songs that make up the 'Raving' album/ART statement. Let's put that another way: Luke Haines has recorded this album 75 times (he is very tired). For you. For art. Each CD of 'Raving' is recorded live to tape with minimal overdubs and lasts between 30 – 35 minutes. Mr. Haines plays some of the instruments simultaneously. Here's a bit of blurb about the tracks on 'Raving':

'Marc Bolan Blues' – 'Sitting here with the Marc Bolan blues...' a self explanatory boogie
'The Incredible String Band' – The story of how the ISB discovered Scientology. In song. With Kazoo
Chris From The Stars - A song about a mythological character from teen soap 'Hollyoaks.' The elusive 'Chris' lures the songs narrator into a dance of death. A harmonium drone with tape effects - all played simultaneously.
Herbie Hancock Has An Idea – The synth jazz pioneer is hungry. He needs spicy pizza. Originally titled 'Hungry Herbie.' Features an overdubbed 'Korg Attack' synth' solo.
'68p In My Pocket' – You all know Iggy's 'I've got my cock in my pocket.' You may also know the Velvet Undergrounds' 'Fever In My Pocket.' Well, this is a song about a man who has 68p in his pocket.
Hey Bobby – Bobby is a modern day Mad Hatter. Sometimes he's here - sometimes he isn't. Sometimes he crops up in other songs. That's Bobby for you.
Makin' The Ladies Cry – A man who has an unfortunate habit of reducing every woman he meets to tears. No one knows why.
Drooling – 'I'm sticky like the fluff on your chin. I'm dusty like dusty bin.' Goes the song.
Bomber Jacket – A song that didn't make it on the Auteurs Bootboys album because I could never finish it. Now I have. Some things are worth waiting for.
Impossible Art Band – A spoken word album wrapped up in under a minute. Frank Zappa's entire career reduction. 4 instruments played simultaneously including a reversed backwards piano. (Bobby sometimes creeps into this track)
Rave – After the storm...
New Pagan Sun – A retelling of the 1980 Dart World Championship...

'Raving' will be available to buy on Thursday 26th February, from the Outsider Music Blog website only. Each CD has an individually hand drawn/painted cover by Luke Haines. Each CD is signed by Luke Haines. 'Raving' is an extremely limited release of 75 copies only. Each one entirely different.

Price £75.00 plus P&P

I was in for the ride until "£75.00 plus P&P"

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/outsider-food-and-righteous-rock-and-roll

Outsider Food And Righteous Rock And Roll - A Book By Luke Haines
A few years ago I started writing recipes on my Outsider Music Blog. http://hainesoutsidermusic.blogspot.co.uk/2011_... after 3 Martinis of a Friday night. The recipes took on an hallucinogenic turn, meditations on 'classic' and obscure rock n roll crept in whilst waiting for a 20 minute sauce reduction. I dislike dinner parties, so for each recipe I conjured up a 'guest.' Paul Weller. Marc Bolan, and 1970s British Judo champion Brian Jacks, among many others.
Now has come the time for the realisation of the Luke Haines Cook Book. A fully functional recipe book...but more than that; a lifestyle choice. A statement of intent. Len Deighton thru the looking glass. Mouth watering recipes for the amateur and pro gastro-naut all fully illustrated by the author (Luke Haines).
Over to you dear friends. I need your help to make this happen - to make this book sit proudly on your shelf, to lord it over your other cookbooks, laughing at them, imperious, insane. and rumbly of tumbly. So please contribute by pledging and if you can't pledge then please share this page.
This first edition of 'Outsider Food And Righteous Rock And Roll', will be limited to 500 copies. Each of the first edition will be individually numbered.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR.
Luke Haines has made loads of albums. Google him if you like. If you don't like then don't google him.

Anyone listen to British Nuclear Bunkers yet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Ntsyu_PGU

http://i.imgur.com/IwXj0lT.png

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW_ath9-Y0E

I like his new song.

I've spent more time listening to Luke Haines' stuff than the average grunt - much, much more - and good on him for doing what he does, but it's so enervating and goes nowhere. His scorn seems little less limited and blinkered than, say, that of the also-rans on the "mix between Stone Roses and Primal Scream with the swagger of Oasis" thread. Cheap targets. That's the joke, I know, but SO BORING!

I feel like he hasn't written a real song since Black Box Recorder called it quits. He clearly had it in him to write great songs--I guess all of the above did--but whatever he turned into won't let him.

I still enjoy some of his new stuff, though. There's really good stuff on the wrestling album

I'm not feeling the new one really.

Nine and a Half Psychedelic Meditations on British Wrestling ... was the last decent thing he released for me (I think it's the peak of his solo work, actually.)

Rock and Roll Animals just seemed to rehash most of the best tunes from the Wrestling, but with awful lyrics. I think I've only made it all the way through New York in the '70s once. Didn't even bother with the Nuclear Bunkers one.

Haines has always been about the lyrics for me, and he just seems to have run out of them.

I listened to Black Box Recorder again for the first time in years and some of those songs still hold up really well. I wouldn't put them against The Auteurs' best, but they had a good thing going. The last album was a bit cloying, and they probably called it quits at the right time, but I think they deserve a bit of a reappraisal.

Luke's solo stuff didn't start out strong. The last Auteurs album kind of foretold the direction he'd take his music, opening with "The Rubettes" (a pretty good song); he hasn't really jumped off that path since. I miss him writing about abstract subjects, not just referencing his obsessions and pop culture insights. There's a humanity to the wrestling album that makes it stand out above most of his solo albums. "I am Catweazle, who are you?" That song haunts me. I know it sounds silly, but I feel pathos that's not evident in most of his music.

His cellist from the Auteurs got him righton a Pop Matters or Quietus comment section once. He claimed Luke's biggest flaw is he can't write about the personal. I agree with him.

British Nuclear Bunkers is a waste of time. It's Luke noodling on some synths. It seems like music critics have tried to catch up to his self-appointed legacy and started giving his albums stellar reviews. His latest got a 9/10 in Uncut.

Luke's solo stuff didn't start out strong

I disagree here - I think 'The Oliver Twist Manifesto' is fantastic, and, out of his solo work, is only bettered by 'Nine and a Half Psychedelic Meditations'. I realise I may be in a small group on this one though ...

He's got some great solo songs. Fighting In The City Tonight is as catchy as anything he's ever written.

Baader Meinhof is his best solo album. In fact, it might be the best thing he's ever done.

Just realize I contradicted myself, but I was considering "The Oliver Twist Manifesto" his first official solo album. I think it's a bit cheesy, honestly, perhaps intentionally (?); the album art always shocked me...

Baader Meinhof is unofficially a solo record. Of course, if you believe him, The Auteurs were a solo project as well. I'm not apt to believe that considering he's never written anything that really sounds like an Auteurs song since striking out on his own.

One listen through and I'm about as underwhelmed as I expected given the single. The now-standard mix of half-baked pastiches, 'mystical' lyrics and 70s childhood references, with a few silly voices thrown in.

He's been churning the albums out recently (and I can't begrudge the man for making a living), but it does seem like the quality control has slipped.

On the plus side, this thread title inspired me to listen to 21st Century Man for the first time in ages, and it's way better than I remembered!

Not heard the new album yet, but the fear is that his output will be churned out like Julian Cope's these days, recorded entirely solo at home on the cheap with no real drums or engineering skills. Works fine for a known home recording wiz like Martin Newell, but not sure about Haines.

He doesn't really write songs anymore. It also feels like some of these songs come dangerously close to other Haines solo songs, though they're not coming to me on my first listen. It's all a bit of a blur. I miss the Luke that wrote New Wave and Now I'm a Cowboy. :(

Also, there's this pretty annoying synth thing going on in every song. Like, it sounds the same on every song. Not sure what synth he's using, but you'll know it when you hear it.

On the plus side, this thread title inspired me to listen to 21st Century Man for the first time in ages, and it's way better than I remembered!

Doing the same thing.

You're right.

"Petter Hammil" rocks.

Ooh, thanks for the heads up! Despite being an American who missed some of his more obscure (to me, anyway) references, I used to be a huge Haines fan—dug the solo albums, shelled out for all the Auteurs LPs on vinyl. I lost interest with the wrestling LP, though; his m.o. seemed like diminishing returns, and while this usually don’t affect my opinion of an artist’s work, I came across his Twitter and he seemed dickish in a very petty way, rather than “amusing misanthrope” à la his book. I’ll probably give this a spin for nostalgia’s sake, though, as I pulled out Baader-Meinhoff recently and still loved.

Wow, looking at Discogs, I hadn’t realized how many albums I missed since 2011.

Out of his post-11 releases, I suggest the Buck collaboration. Probably his best since the wrestling album.

Avoid:

Sometimes I Dream of Glue - weird in a bad way. It’s about horny figurines or some such nonsense; songs sound like they were written by a computer with Luke Haines AI

British Nuclear Bunkers - sounds like he bought his first keyboard and thought noodling was enough for his loyal fans

New ones out.

His best melodies and songs in years.

Genuinely great release.

There is a song where he keeps saying he wants to bury his face between a woman's breasts and legs, numerous times. That one's not so good.

"I don't want to be buried in the garden / Unless it's the garden beneath your belly / in between your legs"

lol.

He sounds kind of happy on the album. I think that's why I like it.

https://www.brooklynvegan.com/the-auteurs-luke-haines-r-e-m-s-peter-buck-prep-all-the-kids-are-super-bummed-out-stream-a-track/

New album is another vast step up. Makes so much difference when he's working with other (enthusiastic) musicians.

It is great. He’s clearly having fun and very inspired by the partnership.

I’ve played it front to back several times and it’s LONG. This rules, quite honestly. Hope they keep at it.

He’s gotten a bit of an MES affectation to his singing-uh.