Spoon, "Gimme Fiction"

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So it's not full of catchy hooks, spare, perfectly arranged guitar/keyboard parts and amazing sounding drums?

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 17 February 2005 18:50 (nineteen years ago) link

"I Summon You" is awesome.

― darin (darin), Thursday, 17 February 2005 18:53 (nineteen years ago) link

Ah, I guess that makes a bit of sense. I rarely listen to Squeeze after East Side Story. They fall off pretty dramatically from Sweets From A Stranger onward.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 17 February 2005 18:54 (nineteen years ago) link

matt, it sounds like you dont like the record.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 17 February 2005 18:54 (nineteen years ago) link

catchy hooks - not so much

spare - yes, but less so than the last two

perfectly arranged guitar/keyboard parts - too much guitar for my taste, but the keyboards sound good

and amazing sounding drums? - they've still got that covered, but the guitars are more prominent in the mix of some songs

Maria - I like the record, just not a whole lot. It's still kinda early, it might click with me later. I've heard it about three times now, so that's pretty reasonable to expect.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 17 February 2005 18:57 (nineteen years ago) link

The songs that are immediately working for me are "The Beast And Dragon Adored," "My Mathematical Mind," "I Turn My Camera On," "The Infinite Pet," and "Was It You?"

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:00 (nineteen years ago) link

Sister Jack isn't working for you? I don't hear Wilco in that at all. Maybe this is a weird comparison, but it reminds me of the Flamin Groovies.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:02 (nineteen years ago) link

Wilco is probably not the best comparison I could come up. How about just generic "boring roots rock"? I usually like Wilco, even when they do the boring roots rock stuff.

Just listened to "The Two Sides Of Monsieur Valentine," and do hear the late-Squeezeness in that song.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:04 (nineteen years ago) link

i think the drumming's just as prominent on this record as it has been on previous records. eno picks the perfect time to start it up in "sister jack". i was worried that without some sort of backbeat, the sound would drag and sound awful, but its totally not the case.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:04 (nineteen years ago) link

matt - i dont want to argue semantics with you but when you use the phrase "boring roots rock" but then say you like it, im a bit unsure as to what your feelings really are.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:05 (nineteen years ago) link

Well, "Sister Jack" is definitely my least favorite song on the record. I wouldn't characterize the other songs as being boring. The guitars in "Sister Jack" just make my eyes glaze over. I can imagine liking that song if the guitars were different or maybe removed entirely.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:07 (nineteen years ago) link

well, thats what im saying. i heard the "SJ" demos, which were only guitar and i thought to myself, oh man, this sounds like its going to be dull. eno's drumming saves the song from being a mid-shuffle disaster.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:09 (nineteen years ago) link

"Two Sides...," "Sister Jack" and "I Summon You" are probably my top picks thus far. I can see myself spending a lot of time with this record, though.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:09 (nineteen years ago) link

oh wait, im sorry. im thinking of "i summon you". i hate titles.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:10 (nineteen years ago) link

Did you hear the demo version of "Sister Jack" that was floating on their website for the better part of the year? I think right now I prefer that version, though I'm willing to give this time.

x-post

― alex in montreal, Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:12 (nineteen years ago) link

Sounds like they still haven't finished mixing or mastering these.

― darin (darin), Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:19 (nineteen years ago) link

I hope that is true. It could stand to be a bit cleaner than this.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:26 (nineteen years ago) link

holy shit how can you not love "They Never Got You"? it's that one instantly GREAT song you always get on spoon albums.

― drew, Thursday, 17 February 2005 20:20 (nineteen years ago) link

cleaner? i think the productions pretty sharp on it. might have to do with us listening to MP3's more than anything else.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 17 February 2005 20:32 (nineteen years ago) link

i have listened to it, on-off, for the best part of the last 24 hours, and i'm of the opinion that it is an almighty shuffle forward and their best record yet. now, bear in mind that i have a 100% record of thinking the most recent Spoon is the best, since Sneaks, but that's because it has been true every time! to paraphrase myself elsewhere, without losing the Spoon-y spartan essence, the songs are somehow more musical and substantial. i love 'Mathematical Mind' - seriously a contender for best Spoon track to date.

― fsharp (fsharp), Thursday, 17 February 2005 21:04 (nineteen years ago) link

Heartening!

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 17 February 2005 21:08 (nineteen years ago) link

I keep reading this as "Grime Fiction"

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Thursday, 17 February 2005 21:19 (nineteen years ago) link

Spoon should go on tour with Stephen Malkmus and the can call it either the "Face the Fiction" or "Gimme the Truth" tour.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 17 February 2005 21:21 (nineteen years ago) link

Hi, thanks for stealing my joke. :-)

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 17 February 2005 21:24 (nineteen years ago) link

Actually, maybe just the TRUTH AND FICTION Tour would work, sorta like that DCFC/D-Plan tour a few years back called the DEATH AND DISMEMBERMENT Tour.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 17 February 2005 21:26 (nineteen years ago) link

Thumbs up to the LP, thumbs down to its cover...

http://www.matadorrecords.com/images/fullsize/ole-660.jpg

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:08 (nineteen years ago) link

yes indeed, that is more than somewhat crappy. is that really the cover, or did you cook that up in photoshop in a random act of boredom?

― fsharp (fsharp), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:12 (nineteen years ago) link

Check the url. It's straight from Matador.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:12 (nineteen years ago) link

Or they could do a split with the Fake Fictions and call it "Gimme Fake Fiction".

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:14 (nineteen years ago) link

I like that cover!

The Truth & Fiction tour should be set up like those Billy Joel/Elton John tours - they should play together, do each other's songs - it'd be great!

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:15 (nineteen years ago) link

I like the photo, but the font and font color are horrendous.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:16 (nineteen years ago) link

They should have at least ironed the hood.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:19 (nineteen years ago) link

i think the cover's just fine. its just as minimal as kill the moonlight or girls can tell were. britt seems to gravitate towards what i can only refer to as "duotone" images, meaning its black plus one color.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:20 (nineteen years ago) link

it looks like an advert for cosmetics or something. my thumbs are also firmly down, too.

― fsharp (fsharp), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:20 (nineteen years ago) link

jaymc -- im sorry! i knew someone said it but i couldnt remember just who.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:22 (nineteen years ago) link

Yeah, I've got no real reservations about the composition of the cover (black + 1), but not a fan of the image itself.

That font and the font colors over another image would be just dandy.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:22 (nineteen years ago) link

(xpost) heh.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:23 (nineteen years ago) link

Johhny Fever and I are in opposite mode on this record in every aspect of its being! I like the photo and think the text looks a bit half-assed.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:24 (nineteen years ago) link

I like the cover, too, actually. At first glance it reminded me simultaneously of this Gerhard Richter painting:

http://www.kunsthalle.nuernberg.de/ausstellung/1999/artistsproof/richter.jpg

and this Katharina Fritsch sculpture:

http://www.artic.edu/aic/programs/images/2000_49.jpg

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:27 (nineteen years ago) link

they should try for something more like:

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drg400/g404/g40453v02cv.jpg

― fsharp (fsharp), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:30 (nineteen years ago) link

beautiful

― fsharp (fsharp), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:31 (nineteen years ago) link

i wouldnt be surprised if its a part of some work, like how that balla painting was used on the series of sneaks cover.

in the end, it looks like a spoon record should look like: minimal and slightly ambiguous.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:31 (nineteen years ago) link

I think a Spoon album with Phil Collins on the cover would be grebt!

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:32 (nineteen years ago) link

That photo of Phil Collins is actually quite good.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:36 (nineteen years ago) link

i was gonna mock up a pic of Britt staring moddily, with the band and album names in a similar style, but even i'm not that bored.

but tomorrow i have to work, so who knows?

― fsharp (fsharp), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:46 (nineteen years ago) link

moodily, naturally

― fsharp (fsharp), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:47 (nineteen years ago) link

"i turn my camera on" is the best song on this album.

britt's falsetto, jerky off beat, awesome lyrics.

― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:52 (nineteen years ago) link

The cover totally reminds me of some ads for a building society. Scottish Widow, but red.

― Suedey (John Cei Douglas), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:54 (nineteen years ago) link

Or they could do a split with the Fake Fictions and call it "Gimme Fake Fiction".
-- Jordan (jordan...), February 17th, 2005 4:14 PM. (Jordan)

Yes.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:55 (nineteen years ago) link

i was gonna mock up a pic of Britt staring moddily, with the band and album names in a similar style, but even i'm not that bored.

Looks like I am.

http://www.notempo.com/jpg/spoonfake.jpg

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:58 (nineteen years ago) link

Skipping 75 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

No, The Woods is the album of the year so far.

― The Brainwasher (Twilight), Saturday, 14 May 2005 18:30 (eighteen years ago) link

No, that would be Final Fantasy.

― Sean M (Sean M), Saturday, 14 May 2005 18:38 (eighteen years ago) link

I had never heard a note of Spoon's music, but after going head to head with one of the Spoon guys at the Staremaster contest at the Slint ATP I thought I'd check out the new record- and I think it's really great. It's funny, I don't hear the connection between them and a lot of the bands/influences people name drop- to me I hear a really T-Rex/Nick Gilder thing going on, and personally I love it. Yay for Spoon.

― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Saturday, 14 May 2005 18:43 (eighteen years ago) link

With all the talk of comparing this album with their older ones, I realized I never owned Telephono, just lived with somebody who had one or borrowed it. Now it's out of print, and even just the CD is going for $50 (?!). I'm not on slsk or anything at the moment. Can someone please just Gmail it to me?

― c@md3n (c@md3n), Thursday, 19 May 2005 18:59 (eighteen years ago) link

T-Rex/Nick Gilder

completely. Strong 70's sound to the writing and the production on this. I love how they can sound so muscular and spare at the same time.

― dan. (dan.), Thursday, 19 May 2005 19:04 (eighteen years ago) link

eleven months pass...

Listened to this album yesterday on big honking headphones while walking through midtown Manhattan, carrying two moderately heavy bags, on my way to Penn Station, to Newark Airport, for to carry me home to LA. Getting my body, my feet on the pavement into rhythm with the bags, navigating through and around the crowds, checking out a few New York women, watching the New Yorkers reading and talking and smoking in their parks. The fact that half of the resulting awesomeness came from the album informs you, reader, that it is awesome, and deserving of praise, and that it disproves the shadowy, gray, lifeless fears about the disappearance of the vital impulse in art that have been troubling you.

― Lukas (lukas), Wednesday, 10 May 2006 19:42 (seventeen years ago) link

still a great record, i still think there's an alternate sequencing.

― mts (theoreticalgirl), Wednesday, 10 May 2006 19:56 (seventeen years ago) link

two months pass...

Hah - that's a great post from Lukas. Does he still post here?

― Baaderonixx immer wieder (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 12:21 (seventeen years ago) link

Still their best album.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 12:34 (seventeen years ago) link

you left out a "has nothing on" before "their best album"

(that being KtM, obv)

― bernard snow (sixteen sergeants), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 13:29 (seventeen years ago) link

GcT > SoS > KtM > dried up dog dookie > GF

― Mallory L . O'Donnell (That Bitch Camille), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 14:52 (seventeen years ago) link

SoS > GF > GCT = KTM > Telephono

― a.b. (alanbanana), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 15:20 (seventeen years ago) link

Girls Can Tell = Gimme Fiction = Kill The Moonlight >> A Series of Sneaks > Loveways >>>>>>>>>>>> Telephono

― Matthew Perpetua! (Matthew Perpetua!), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 18:16 (seventeen years ago) link

did i write that purple stuff? o well, it was a gorgeous day.

― Lukas (lukas), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 21:38 (seventeen years ago) link

Album of the year so far.
-- Jim Reckling (Jreckli...), May 14th, 2005 2:06 PM. (Jim Reckling) (link)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No, The Woods is the album of the year so far.
-- The Brainwasher (bornliveddie...), May 14th, 2005 2:30 PM. (Twilight) (link)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No, that would be Final Fantasy.
-- Sean M (sea...), May 14th, 2005 2:38 PM. (Sean M) (link)

Haha.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 21:40 (seventeen years ago) link

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00082ZRN0.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/5226/village030kh.jpg
http://www.whalefish.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/monster%20pics/village.gif

― gear (gear), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 23:45 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.vulcanproductions.com/Images/clips/hard_candy_clip4.jpg

― Telephonething (Telephonething), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 00:50 (seventeen years ago) link

one year passes...

Where's the Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga thread?

― Scik Mouthy, Monday, 6 August 2007 21:21 (sixteen years ago) link

Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

― kenan, Monday, 6 August 2007 21:29 (sixteen years ago) link

four years pass...

for years somehow i was missing the mp3 for 'delicate place'. now that i have it the whole album is fucked up! what a way to ruin the momentum from 'mathematical mind' > 'sister jack'. :/

― j., Sunday, 12 February 2012 00:50 (twelve years ago) link

i might delete that track and go for a run tomorrow and see if you're onto something

― desperado, rough rider (thomp), Sunday, 12 February 2012 01:10 (twelve years ago) link

karma for stealing rather than buying maybe

― mookieproof, Sunday, 12 February 2012 01:47 (twelve years ago) link

six years pass...

I was in this drop D metal band we called Requiem

― Rhine Jive Click Bait (Hadrian VIII), Sunday, 2 December 2018 20:33 (five years ago) link

We listened to Gimme Fiction so much when it came out when I was working at Tower Records. Me and a couple coworkers had a choreographed dance routine for the first part of 'Sister Jack.' Haha.

― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Monday, 3 December 2018 00:18 (five years ago) link

Pretty classic mid-2000s album.

― underqualified backing vocalist (morrisp), Monday, 3 December 2018 00:43 (five years ago) link

one year passes...

Haven't listened to this in years, but man, was this band in a groove. Girls, Moonlight, this, G5 ...

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 8 October 2020 02:16 (three years ago) link

Took me a bit to get into this one because it was so different from the crisp clean sounds of Girls and Moonlight but I came around eventually.

At this point my fav might be "Merchants of Soul", Eno is just beating his brains out on that one

― turn the jawhatthefuckever on (One Eye Open), Thursday, 8 October 2020 13:23 (three years ago) link

Still not huge on "The Infinite Pet" or "The Delicate Place" but the rest is wall to wall bangers

― it bangs for thee (Simon H.), Thursday, 8 October 2020 13:30 (three years ago) link

yeah aside from the first few spins I think I've skipped "The Infinite Pet" every time I've listened to this album since then. On my playlist I replace it with b-side "Monkey Feelings" which works way better imo

― turn the jawhatthefuckever on (One Eye Open), Thursday, 8 October 2020 13:49 (three years ago) link

Their best album.

― Patriotic Goiter (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 8 October 2020 13:50 (three years ago) link

nah but definitely their best album from their popular festival-band era

― na (NA), Thursday, 8 October 2020 14:07 (three years ago) link

After its predecessors it feels like an awesome victory lap. Like, "now that you guys have caught up, check this out." And then G5 is like "now that we still have your attention ..."

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 8 October 2020 14:13 (three years ago) link

I like that "Beast and Dragon" and "Don't Make Me a Target" are essentially the same song yet don't make each other redundant, somehow

― it bangs for thee (Simon H.), Thursday, 8 October 2020 17:30 (three years ago) link

"I Turn My Camera On" should be having a comeback in the zoom era

― Indexed, Thursday, 8 October 2020 19:31 (three years ago) link

i turn my camera on
i take my PC mic off mute

― turn the jawhatthefuckever on (One Eye Open), Thursday, 8 October 2020 19:33 (three years ago) link

the best ever drop-d metal band called Requiem outta Denton

― the burrito that defined a generation, Thursday, 8 October 2020 19:38 (three years ago) link

listening now, "sister jack" and "i summon you" are all-time great spoon songs

― na (NA), Thursday, 8 October 2020 20:36 (three years ago) link

I think "My Mathematical Mind" is the coolest.

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 8 October 2020 20:38 (three years ago) link

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