Rickie Lee Jones, c/d?

I could not love The Magazine enough. Massive massive hooks, relentless weirdo visions...and it helped me through one of the weirdest summers of my life.

oh crap I already said that upstairs

I always think of you talking about that when I listen to it!

aw

Fine: I'm going to listen to The Magazine.

I find it helps to skip the opening piano instrumental. There's nothing particularly wrong with it but it makes the album appear more reaching and less fun than it is.

I've heard "The Real End" before! Sassy horns.

deep space from that record is amazin

also, in the past six years I think I've listened to living it up more than just about any other song by any other person or people. "feeling a little sad, a little lonely, and a little mean..."

and traces of the western slopes is so good. I love that she doesn't even sing on it at first. there's that ominous beginning, and when the vocals finally do begin, it's that dude, whatshisname, and then when she does finally come in she sounds all crazy, like someone you'd try to avoid sitting next to on the subway. it's so awesome that she did a song like that on her sophomore record, but then, something like company on the first record also seems really ambitious and is kind of mind-blowing in its own way.

"Living It Up" is so important to me. The word that always occurs to me to describe it is "vertiginous" (lol a quick search reveals I used it upthread).

She's doing a US tour right now, but I missed her local gig. Wonder how it was.

This is great:

Rickie L jones said...
HI

I have rarely read a review about myself that reminded me that journalists can teach us with just a word. A good writer and loving listener understands why even the weak part matters to the art. Thank you for this review of Flying Cowboys. but I am writing about your comment about The Magazine - it Was grandiose, this is just the word,
and no one had said it quite so clearly. It weighs oddly out of time with all my work. Sobriety makes this work fragile and cavernous - I was feeling my way. . it is dark, artificial happiness, no guidance. But of course, it had to be large, I was propelling myself out of the dark. it was my ode to addiction, everything was larger than reality for me. I would not change The Magazine (well actually i might, but not the size of it) - but this review of my work, at this time, is much appreciated. - RL Jones

MARCH 17, 2011

interesting, so where is that review, tim? i love magazine myself, haven't listened to it in a while though. it's one of the rather few albums my girl-friend introduced to me.

yeah I'm a huge fan of that magazine but wow what an insightful reflection from RLJ

i just picked up a used copy of her debut album...wow i should have checked her out before...definitely fits in well w/my love of court & spark joni

the second one, pirates, is as good if not better

She was reacting to the all music review of Flying Cowboys (http://www.allmusic.com/album/flying-cowboys-mw0000201326) which someone had copied and pasted (http://overdoseoffingalcocoa.blogspot.com/2010/06/rickie-lee-jones.html).

Just picked this up at Barnes and Noble for less than $10 after tax.

saw the Madonna one at Best Buy this morning for $15.

I know these sets have gotten kind of a bad rep for cheap packaging, but sheesh, at those prices, who could really be that upset?

(listening to that first album right now, by the way; it's good! Yep, it's my first time hearing)

her first two albums are two of my favorite records I belatedly discovered last year

i listened to pirates for the first time today and my life has changed

that's what happened to me when i first listened to girl at her volcano in 1985. that voice killed me.

even thinking of 'We Belong Together' makes me emotional.

So this thread got me to pull out Pirates which I haven't heard in probably 25 years. I was blown away. It's such a miraculously lyrical mix of r&b, jazz, and traces of Springsteen/Van/Steely Dan/Joni. Love the intra-song dynamics. Pro tip, lyric sheet is essential.

I said fuck it and downloaded a copy of Pirates.

So this thread got me to pull out Pirates which I haven't heard in probably 25 years. I was blown away. It's such a miraculously lyrical mix of r&b, jazz, and traces of Springsteen/Van/Steely Dan/Joni. Love the intra-song dynamics. Pro tip, lyric sheet is essential.

otm and similar revelations await on at least her next two albums imo

even thinking of 'We Belong Together' makes me emotional.

also mega-OTM. if I go so far as to think "a promise that weeee belong to-gether" in my head I'm a wreck. what a tune

That's the only track I owned for years and it killed me.

hearing her interview that led to the sample in Little Fluffy Clouds brings me joy

First 2 are total classic, probably some sexism at play in the inevitable comparisons to Waits.
Magazine is a bit of a mess, but still has the gut-wrenching line on Gravity "I try to imagine another planet, another sun/
Where I don't look like me/And everything I do matters".

I'm a huge fan of Flying Cowboys, and The Sermon on Exposition Blvd works much better than expected.

Try to imagine another planet, another sun
Where I don't look like me
And everything I do matters

"Gravity" kills me, and this will be on my tombstone.

I keep coming back to start of Living It Up. It's a perfect brief characterization, wistful and kinda funny:

Eddie's got one crazy eye
That turns him into a cartoon
When a pretty girl comes by
And there's nothin' here to do anymore
He sits on the stoop all day
Like there's something he's waiting for

Of course the rest of the song is killer.

holy shit just heard we belong together for the first time...amazing

Alfred what did you think of the rest of the album?

Best album of all time is the correct answer FYI.

Her tribute to Walter Becker

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/read-rickie-lee-jones-poignant-tribute-to-walter-becker-w501078

love the way she writes

Calling shenanigans on that Orb reference - it looks inserted rather than what she said/wrote..

pirates is absolutely the best album ever made. i think i’m gonna make a poll

the first time i heard “we belong together” a few months ago i thought “this is sounds exactly like how i feel inside all the time”

it is utterly stunning

but "we belong together" will run the table on that poll like Minnesota Fats

lol yeah that’s what i was figuring

nb Fats loses in the end so who knows, Living it Up & Woody n Dutch might have a chance. iirc when the album was new my local critic was all "if there was more Woody n Dutch on this record it would be a better followup to the resplendent debut." fuck that guy forever btw

pirates is absolutely the best album ever made

◎ yes

^^^all polls shd take this form (including the same exact working)

s/b wording

concur

massively underrated album.

massively underrated album
artist.