― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 03:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 03:33 (nineteen years ago) link
― peter smith (plsmith), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 04:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― polyphonic (polyphonic), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 04:50 (nineteen years ago) link
― peter smith (plsmith), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 05:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 7 January 2005 02:50 (nineteen years ago) link
― Maria D. (Maria D.), Friday, 7 January 2005 03:25 (nineteen years ago) link
― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Friday, 7 January 2005 03:53 (nineteen years ago) link
-- Maria D. (maria...), January 7th, 2005. (Maria D.)
I said this! Maria was logged in on the computer. I hate when that happens. I don't want to put words in anyone's mouth. Although Maria is enjoying the album as well.
― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 7 January 2005 13:26 (nineteen years ago) link
― Maria D. (Maria D.), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― noizem duke (noize duke), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 22:50 (nineteen years ago) link
― Magic City (ano ano), Thursday, 20 January 2005 00:20 (nineteen years ago) link
― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 20 January 2005 00:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― owen reading, Thursday, 20 January 2005 00:31 (nineteen years ago) link
w!mb!sh@gma!l.com if the answer is yes. No worries if no.
Thanks
― Magic City (ano ano), Thursday, 20 January 2005 00:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― owen reading, Thursday, 20 January 2005 01:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― Magic City (ano ano), Thursday, 20 January 2005 01:10 (nineteen years ago) link
― Magic City (ano ano), Thursday, 20 January 2005 01:14 (nineteen years ago) link
― owen reading, Thursday, 20 January 2005 01:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 20 January 2005 01:26 (nineteen years ago) link
― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 20 January 2005 01:34 (nineteen years ago) link
ihttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000777J3M/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/104-0006613-9323968?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174
― Magic City (ano ano), Thursday, 20 January 2005 04:49 (nineteen years ago) link
― Magic City (ano ano), Thursday, 20 January 2005 04:51 (nineteen years ago) link
― zach farver, Thursday, 20 January 2005 05:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― owen reading, Friday, 21 January 2005 16:36 (nineteen years ago) link
― Magic City (ano ano), Friday, 21 January 2005 16:53 (nineteen years ago) link
― john clarkson, Friday, 21 January 2005 19:19 (nineteen years ago) link
ping ping goes the shovelpang pang goes the pailthe middle of summerand the furnace will be burningwhen she gets some mail!
Tourist Woman is also greatNot crazy about the production and a little disapointed in some of Tim DeWitt's drumming; he's usually great.
― Magic City (ano ano), Saturday, 5 February 2005 20:30 (nineteen years ago) link
― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 5 February 2005 20:34 (nineteen years ago) link
― mia is shit., Saturday, 5 February 2005 21:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― scott seward, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 03:16 (sixteen years ago) link
― mizzell, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 16:17 (sixteen years ago) link
― scott seward, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 16:26 (sixteen years ago) link
― henry s, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 16:49 (sixteen years ago) link
― pretzel walrus, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 16:52 (sixteen years ago) link
― mizzell, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 16:58 (sixteen years ago) link
― pretzel walrus, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 17:01 (sixteen years ago) link
― pretzel walrus, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 17:04 (sixteen years ago) link
so, the single is out there. That's That. sounds pretty good.
― mizzell, Wednesday, 8 August 2007 17:32 (sixteen years ago) link
nice guy
― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 8 August 2007 17:40 (sixteen years ago) link
great name, too...sounds like a hero of the Wild West...
― henry s, Wednesday, 8 August 2007 17:47 (sixteen years ago) link
the first song (Lionkiller) on the new album is pretty sweet. kinda dark, with a dinky keyboard riff towards the end. has anyone heard the record?
― mizzell, Friday, 31 August 2007 18:14 (sixteen years ago) link
since the last album really lit up ilm, i am proud to announce that a new album, Catacombs, is coming out in June. First single, dreams come true girl, is out there on the internet. I didn't like a lot of Dropping the Writ, but based on the last time I saw him live, I am anticipating this.
― mizzell, Wednesday, 29 April 2009 15:58 (fourteen years ago) link
feel a little bad that i didn't hear the last album and now there's a new one. but i'm a busy guy.
― scott seward, Wednesday, 29 April 2009 16:45 (fourteen years ago) link
the new album,Catacombs, (he probably thought about this title for years..) is very good.in fact, it's probably one of the better records of 2009.References:John Lennon,Robyn Hitchcock,Calvin Joohnson,Nick Drake,Robert Wyatt...
great, minimal production too.
― Zeno, Sunday, 3 May 2009 01:13 (fourteen years ago) link
I've only heard one song by him: "Full Moon or Infinity". A friend put it on a mix for me. I really liked it! Is that song of typical quality for McCombs?
― loaf man (Z S), Sunday, 3 May 2009 01:17 (fourteen years ago) link
i don't know that song.the only record i heard from him is perfection, which is very good, but he changed styles almost totally afterwards.(less 80's more 70's and accesible, in short)
― Zeno, Sunday, 3 May 2009 01:21 (fourteen years ago) link
also sounds kinda like a richard davies solo record. or bill fay, which is a great compliment.
― Zeno, Sunday, 3 May 2009 01:36 (fourteen years ago) link
i like "full moon or infinity" despite it sounding like elliot smith. i've never heard it mentioned as a highlight, and he has better songs. if you like that song i think you will find plenty to like on his albums. i'm not totally convinced by the new one yet. it's too long by about three songs. the first track is really excellent, though.
― mizzell, Sunday, 3 May 2009 01:37 (fourteen years ago) link
if you are looking for something that sounds like richard davies, i recommend aptos by the moore brothers, which is probably my favorite album of 2009.
― mizzell, Sunday, 3 May 2009 01:39 (fourteen years ago) link
Def hear Everywhere in it.
― mizzell, Sunday, 1 May 2022 11:39 (one year ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sjQAx22SMA
― mizzell, Friday, 5 August 2022 17:58 (one year ago) link
haha a bit on the nose that, but enjoyable
― corrs unplugged, Monday, 8 August 2022 10:27 (one year ago) link
Yes but neat execution for sure. Nice song!
― Evan, Monday, 8 August 2022 17:06 (one year ago) link
Yeah, feels very unlike him but also...not?Probably my favorite Cass song since 2013.
― mizzell, Monday, 8 August 2022 17:20 (one year ago) link
I started to lose track of his work when too much of his material traded in the vocal melodies in favor of a sort of speak-singing storytelling thing, and when he did this it was with a very similar cadence. I missed the distinct vocal melodies circa Catacombs. He never got bad imo but the shift meant I was paying less attention. Going to keep an eye on this release though.
― Evan, Monday, 8 August 2022 17:39 (one year ago) link
"The Wine of Lebanon" is the best piece of branded content of all timehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH9qJxTB5oU
― bain4z, Monday, 8 August 2022 19:02 (one year ago) link
new album is great, getting ryley walker vibes
― corrs unplugged, Thursday, 25 August 2022 08:05 (one year ago) link
saw him live, excellent stuff, he really has a great catalog by now
new album very blue, very good
― corrs unplugged, Sunday, 30 October 2022 15:41 (one year ago) link
i think this is a new song? sounds really good. bummed i missed all his recent shows.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4YDdMtdncM
― mizzell, Thursday, 27 July 2023 17:54 (eight months ago) link
Definitely new. Loved his last album (no respect in the ILM top 77 was criminal!). Catacombs has been getting a lot of spins by me lately too. A timeless classic, desert island pick for me.
― hrep (H.P), Friday, 28 July 2023 01:01 (eight months ago) link
Catacombs is my favorite of his. “Harmonia” is probably my favorite song of his, any album.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Friday, 28 July 2023 03:48 (eight months ago) link
Every year it’s gets a few spins and every year I get a new favourite song. My sister my spouse is 2023’s hit for me, though yeah harmonia had that place for a while
― hrep (H.P), Friday, 28 July 2023 03:50 (eight months ago) link
Wits end is what I consider to be his other classic, but falls to catacombs due to not having the variety of style that catacombs does. Reading a lot of the reviews on catacombs where it’s described as a one-note, plodding sort of album which is totally off the mark. Sure the songs can be one-note, but which artists can pull more from one chord progression and one vocal melody than Cass? I love that part of his style, no bells and whistles, no big thrills and changes, no accessories, just a killer story, a killer melody, a killer spirit, a killer tone, killer everything
― hrep (H.P), Friday, 28 July 2023 03:54 (eight months ago) link
Aside from County Line, which is all-time, I really dislike most of Wits End (and I’ve also fallen out of love with his more recent stuff too.)
He collaborated with Blake Mills on Mills’s excellent Mutable Set album and I feel like his influence there is very palpable (even though his voice isn’t); but it’s offset by Mills’ musicianship which is another level.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Friday, 28 July 2023 04:12 (eight months ago) link
It’s less a variety of style that wits end lacks, more a variety of tone. It’s all so solipstic, melancholy, blue, existential. Great if you’re in the mood, and the last track on that album is one of my favourite sets of lyrics ever. I’m always partial to lyrics that function as a philosophy of aesthetics, and a knock upon the door still knocks me on my feet with its beauty and smarts
― hrep (H.P), Friday, 28 July 2023 04:18 (eight months ago) link
I’ll check out the mills album, I listened to the first track of his most recent one and his musicianship was distracting to me. I’m correct in thinking he was the guitar player for some tracks on catacombs right? Remember looking at the liner notes a while ago. If it’s him that plays that solo on harmonia then he’s got all my love.
County line is the anomaly of style on that album. A pop hit surrounded by dirges. Classic track though. Definitely give a knock upon the door another chance if you can be in the mood for it, it’s a knock out
― hrep (H.P), Friday, 28 July 2023 04:23 (eight months ago) link
it really is - and it's a very fun song to... knock along to
that live video, what a location! looks greathis bands are always great
last album was very good, "a blue, blue band" and "belong to heaven" personal faves
"tip of the sphere" is also a great album, had that on repeat in 2021
never listened to catacombs for some reason... I will
― corrs unplugged, Friday, 28 July 2023 07:34 (eight months ago) link
Report back with your findings!
― hrep (H.P), Friday, 28 July 2023 09:15 (eight months ago) link
I’m correct in thinking he was the guitar player for some tracks on catacombs right? Remember looking at the liner notes a while ago. If it’s him that plays that solo on harmonia then he’s got all my love.
I don’t think he plays on Catacombs, but o could be wrong. Wikipedia doesn’t list him among the personnel but I don’t have the actual liner notes to refer to.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Friday, 28 July 2023 14:08 (eight months ago) link
I think Wit's End is meant to be an experimental album via its uncomprimisingly stubborn compositions. It's a difficult album with a lot of really understated subtle beauty. County Line however is effortlessly beautiful but I do think it fits in just fine with the rest of the album.
― But his face would not turn into hot Kirby (Evan), Friday, 28 July 2023 14:27 (eight months ago) link
uncompromisingly*
Last album seems SUPER slept on by the way?
― But his face would not turn into hot Kirby (Evan), Friday, 28 July 2023 14:28 (eight months ago) link
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Friday, July 28, 2023 10:08 AM (eighteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink
Blake toured with Cass in 2009/10, so right around Catacombs, but according to discogs, the only album he's on is Mangy Love.
― mizzell, Friday, 28 July 2023 14:37 (eight months ago) link
Last album was super slept on. Maybe my favourite of his in the past decade.
I don’t take wits end as anymore understated/subtle/ than catacombs. Though yeah maybe it’s slightly more difficult due to being a more claustrophobic album (the middle two tracks of harmonia and the executioner’s song bring a lot of fresh air to Thats combs which wits end doesn’t really have). Part of why catacombs is my favourite is it’s pacing, it’s such a well layed out journey. I actually think of catacombs as more subtle as it’s doing most of what wits end does (in its creation of a mood), but with more conventional musical forms.
― hrep (H.P), Friday, 28 July 2023 18:59 (eight months ago) link
The executioner’s song also one of my personal favourites this year
― hrep (H.P), Friday, 28 July 2023 19:01 (eight months ago) link
I voted for Heartmind pretty high but unfortunately no-one else on ILM did. "Karaoke" is such a beautiful song. I really love "Estrella" from Tip of The Spheres too which is another totally slept-on album of his. As is Mangy Love from 2016! There's a lot of soul stylings on that one that really work well. It took me a while to come around to Wit's End. Its pretty dark and one-note. I'm in agreement with most here that Catacombs is his classic.
― Saxophone Of Futility (Michael B), Monday, 31 July 2023 14:53 (eight months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2FM4zuAlNI
Cass has always been an incredible vocalist, and I knew the bridge of this song was incredibly difficult vocally, but seeing someone else try it really gives some context to how much he kills it.
― H.P, Sunday, 17 December 2023 01:51 (four months ago) link
Perfect song for a harp cover too!
I do think that his vocal melodies really toned down after around Catacombs by and large. His vocal delivery approach narrowed and lots of songs ended up sounding kinda samey as a result.
Windfall is the polar opposite of that problem, as demonstrated there
― Evan, Monday, 18 December 2023 21:50 (four months ago) link
On the other side, windfall has always bordered on the offensively saccharine for me. I still love the song because its really the only saccharine song in his discography, so its worst qualities are balanced out by the rest of the work (I think I'd have no time for this song by anyone else). His wide vocal stage were definitely still there for Wit's End. County Line, Memory Stain (a top 5 Cass melody), buried alive/the lonely doll/hermits cave/pleasant shadow song.... so really everything besides a knock upon the door and saturday's song.
Windfall also has to be one of his only songs with a third section! It's normally always either A or A-B. Amazing how much putting a bridge in a discography without them makes the song sound completely out of character. The more time I spend with Cass's music, the more I grow to love his "one section repeating over and over" songs more
― H.P, Monday, 18 December 2023 23:52 (four months ago) link
A return to a wider vocal range on his new album too. Love the vocal harmonies on Karaoke. The wandering, where the hell is this melody going? vocal lines on Music Is Blue. Every track is interesting vocally, it's the instrumentation and production that I haven't fell in love with on Heartmind (except for Karaoke, a cracker track)
― H.P, Monday, 18 December 2023 23:57 (four months ago) link
enjoy reading your thoughts
I never considered Cass a strong singer, in the sense that his vocals seem a bit fragile or... well, they're very understated... but they work perfectly, live too
can't put a finger on the instrumentation, my favorite from Heartmind is A Blue, Blue Band
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 19 December 2023 08:24 (four months ago) link