Lloyd Cole And The Commotions: Classic Or Dud

In any case, Lloyd Cole? Well, "My Bag" was a decent enough tune. Can't really comment beyond that.

In 1984 Rattlesnakes had heaps of critical praise in certain quarters looking back at reference guides. Ofcourse most of the lyrics were po faced and far too clever for their own good. AMG profile Lloyd Cole - Rattlesnakes

never bought the second album, easy pieces, lost weekend and brand new friend - were ok/listenable cross over radio hits, that were played on the radio early in the weekday evenings, sunday afternoons, and sunday evenings remember the legendary annie nightingale request show (along with the likes of The Waterboys, China Crisis, Simple Minds, Killing Joke (yes them again), The Cult, Echo & the Bunnymen, Sisters of Mercy, Cocteau Twins, New Order, This Mortal Coil- song to the siren, Propaganda, Big Audio Dynamite E=MC2, The Smiths, Talking Heads and Kate Bush) as a 15 year old school kid in 1985 whilst I was doing my homework. A long time ago.

The stereotype following of Lloyd Cole & the Commotions:

Between 1984 and 1987 Lloyd Cole became strongly associated with a certain stereotypical type of university student following, you know those that studied (serious yet .. um..dull)BA degrees, with a college scarf purchased from the student union shop wrapped around their necks, with the NME tucked under the arm, their first car as a student was a Citreon 2CV, apart from lloyd cole - they also liked the more serious songwriter type artists like everything but the girl, Microdisney and Suzanne Vega and they ended up with worthy serious careers in teaching or social work. Stereotypical I know but THAT WAS Lloyd Cole core audience. Today these fans are in their mid 30s, youth faded away and their only contemporary connections to music are probably the dull likes of travis and coldplay. Can we blame Lloyd Cole for these two artists?

by 1987 Lloyd Cole was crap and had completely run out of new ideas, they were on automatic pilot and making ever so dull music like Hue & Cry, Deacon Blue, Love & Money and their ilk. sophisticated dull adult pop, mostly made in Scotland.

What was it with Scotland around this time with so many bands having the same American influences?

Anyone remember the Scots music magazine around 1986 and 1987 - Cut? which was actually not a bad music magazine, certainly better than the NME - Cut was a sort of Scottish Hot Press, that mixed music and politics.

in the nineties lloyd cole solo- totally off limits on my music radar. most likely dud.

Lloyd Cole has a lot of flaws - he's precious, he drops names, he's a puppydog romantic, he's apallingly inconsistent, he went stubbly and hung around railroad cars. But the fact is that when I was 15 and first heard Five Easy Pieces I thought it was a masterpiece. Now I think it's a curate's egg - as is Rattlesnakes - but I salute its wordy ambitions. The situational portraits and character studies on those two records still resonate.

"Rattlesnakes" itself is awesomely spoony put-her-on-a-pedestal- pop, "Why I Love Country Music" haunts me, the two crossover singles are terrific pop fun, and "Speedboat" and "Minor Character" draw make the micro-genre of heartbroken-observer pop quite their own. I don't know much apart from those albums - I never liked what I heard and I didn't want to spoil things. Maybe he's a songwriter I like because I feel sorry for him. More likely he's a songwriter I like because I feel sorry for myself.

For the rest:

When Bill Clinton first came under legal fire from right-wingers et al during the Lewinsky affair, Gore Vidal imperiously, improbably pronounced that Bill himself would survive this: the bile would rebound ultimately to the doom of his assailants. This is true too of those who here shamefully attack Lloyd. Lloyd and his achievements will outlive your pathetic mewlings.

I mean, now they can.

Thank goodness for Tom Ewing.

Lloyd Cole is still great because he wrote incredible lyrics (somehow not as shmaltzy as Morrissey, and much more inventive - and quite frankly, I'm tired of the comparison.) Rattlesnakes was an amazing debut, but the longer I listen, the better "Bad Vibes" stands up. I'm never immediately happy with any of Lloyd's releases - it always takes repeated listenings.

Classic.

But your point re. the way some of Lloyd's records take time to work is absolutely right, and I have rarely seen it recognized. (Best examples: Weird On Me, Love Story.)

Most artists try a different approach to their music at some point in their career (David Bowie springs to mind as the ultimate “reinventor”, then Madonna – or what about Elvis Costello with his Country and Western). Lloyd ventured into some “orchestrated” tracks in “Don’t get Weird…”, however the consistent lyrical content remained. I don’t know if all his songs are autobiographical, but I assume large proportions are. When you listen to them you can easily find references that reflect what goes on in life. Listen to Forest Fire, 2CV (so the room was really green, not blue, put it down to artistic license), Why I love Country Music, My Bag (didn’t everyone try something at sometime?), Jennifer, Loveless, To the Lions, Mister Wrong, Unhappy Song, Tried to Rock (most certainly autobiographical). I have no idea what he went through before/during “Don’t get Weird…”, but how many people can’t relate to the lyrics in tracks like “Half of Everything”? I admit, I didn’t find this album immediately accessible – but after a number of listens it became a regular on the CD player (and still is).

Lloyd’s most recent offering with the Negatives reaffirms my faith in him as a great songwriter – “What’s wrong with this Picture” is so apt (I’m now one of those 30 somethings mentioned earlier, teaching, married, children etc.etc.).

I’ve been listening to Lloyd’s music since 1984, and still do so on an almost daily basis. Sometimes you listen to music for the rhythm of “feel”, sometimes for the words, sometimes for the delivery, or perhaps because it captures certain snippets of life….Lloyd does it all. To paraphrase him (from the time of “Mainstream, I think), some of his songs are great, the others are just brilliant.

No doubt, an absolute CLASSIC!

2001 Collected Recordings: Box set includes the new titles "Etc.." & "Plastic Wood", the UK version of "Lloyd Cole & The Negatives" (including "Artificial Tears") and exclusive bonus CD "Loaded" recorded live in New York. Country: UK. Release Date: 5-Nov-01.

Etc.., 14 track 2001 album is more laid-back & acoustic than the last release. Guest guitarist is Richard Hell & The Voidoids founder- member Robert Quine. Country: UK. Release Date: 5-Nov-01.

Plastic Wood, 18-track collection of solo instrumental recordings, many inspired by movies or the work of Brian Eno. Recorded in New York over a 2-year period. Country: UK. Release Date: 5-Nov-01.

Source: Siren Disc Siren Disc - Future Releases

RE the exchange between pinefox and Andrew L above - I have a bootleg CD recorded in '84 at Le Palace, which is good sounding show, and shows a couple of songs to still be in the writing stages...presumably Rattlesnakes was soon to be recorded. Oddly enough, they do a cover of the song Glory twice - opening and closing the show with it. Huh. But that's all I've seen, of that ilk.

Lloyd's response, "I'm psyched that Alice Cooper knows who I am."

(great show too.)

LC is brilliant, haunting, witty, charming, pretentious, goofy, multi- layered, intellectual, honest, and has very much continued to reflect my feelings about, and experiences with, life and love. (Hmmm. Sounds like a description of Shakespeare.) What more can we ask of any artist?

By the way, if anyone knows where I might find Easy Pieces on cd please let me know. I can't find it anywhere!!!

steph

Pinefox! Back! She said she was married!

I only have the old vinyl, but bought a second copy a few months back and (I think) immediately gave it away. (Didn't I? I can't remember much these days.)

There used to be a 2-for-1 tape of Rattlesnakes and Easy Pieces. (This is Peter Miller territory. Stories about teenage Buxton impend.)

All this is framed, of course, by the fact that Easy Pieces, while good by most standards, is one of the worst Lloyd Cole records ever. Probably only Bad Vibes and Plastic Wood, in their different ways, are worse.

But side 2 really tumbles. 'Too Much of a Good Thing' possibly = LC's worst ever LP track. 'Fall Together' is a bit of a folly that hardly manages to improve on 'Come Together'. 'Wr Wrong' is very good; esp the acoustic solo. 'Seen The Future' is fun I guess but not much more. 'Can't Get Arrested' is a pretty lame way to limp out.

I'm being too harsh - I've played this LP a LOT over 8 years, and that only on a poor tape copy. But I just don't think it stands up vs the others. It's underwritten, after the (magnificent) first track; maybe that's the basic problem.

i can't actually remember 29 - maybe i'll dig the record out today. i still fondly remember From the Hip Sean Penn Blues and Big Snake. i always thought My Bag was a bit of a crap song though.

a lad who has just started working at my local shop looks like a young Lloyd. that's probably why i had that dream about him the other night. i can't remember the details of the dream though.

I listened to Don't Get Weird On Me, Babe last week. "She's a Girl and I'm a Man" may be his greatest song.

Currently finding myself obsessed with Easy Pieces. It's the only one of the Commotions-era albums I never owned (though I heard several of its songs on the best of).

"Minor Character" is often my fave Lloyd Cole song.

While "Easy Pieces" is the weakest of the Commotions album, it's still really solid. Better live, I think, without some of the odd production choices.

Meanwhile, Lloyd's got a new album with a real-live band coming out in September. Fan-financed (including me) this time. I'm very glad to see he's got other folks with him as his last two solo albums were very weak, in part I think because he's all alone with himself.

Johnny Fever OTM; serious disagreement with Gerald McBoing-Boing. LOVE Easy Pieces all the way through, no discernable weaknesses to be found

Does it have to be a SERIOUS disagreement? I mean, I rank the Commotions albums thusly:

Rattlesnakes - 10/10, fucking perfect, timeless album.

Mainstream - 9/10, love this to death as well, great tunes, clever lyrics ("Mr. Madonna" indeed), slightly less timeless. Admittedly this was the first Lloyd album I heard so there might be some nostalgia fogging my vision.

Easy Pieces - 8.5/10, when I say this is the 'weakest', I mean it's simply their 3rd best of 3. And "Brand New Friend", "Grace", "Perfect Blue" and "James" are better on the BBC comp while "Cut Me Down", "While I Love Country Music" and "Lost Weekend" kill on the recent Folksinger solo albums.

For me it goes Mainstream>>Rattlesnakes>>>Easy Pieces. I think the third album just edges out the first by virtue of its darker edge and the sense of melancholy that haunts much of it. Rattlesnakes is great but it just sounds a little bit too clever in places, although the 20th anniversary reunion show I saw in 2004 was a blissful affair. As for Easy Pieces it's a classic example of the difficult second album to me, a few of the conceits are rather strained and the production sounds kind of cluttered. I remember reading an interview with Cole somewhere in which he said that "Minor Character" was one of the few songs he was ashamed of, just too easy and tossed off.

The self-titled solo album pretty much takes up where Mainstream left off and is also excellent, it was downhill from then on.

I'll disagree (but not seriously) with that sentiment - Lloyd's solo work in the 90s is damn solid, though I'll admit that "Bad Vibes" is just a strange album, an example of an artist working outside his comfort zone and failing - but in a fascinating way, I think. "The Negatives" was as good as anything else he's done.

Some artists have voices I'll follow anywhere they go, Lloyd is one of them.

CA is where
Everybody falls
Down, off the wagon
And under the wheels

Great, great song.

Actually I'd forgotten about Love Story, which is just a fantastic album.

G McB-B, I now understand where you are coming from and I'll retract "serious". Maybe substitute even "minor."

http://www.salon.com/2012/06/16/low_bowies_crowning_moment/singleton/

Lloyd-penned ode to "Low"

I am the 5 other ILM fans of Lloyd thank you for that link!

http://www.bureau-b.com/coleroedelius.php

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41wa%2BGoqrcL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

there's some stuff on soundcloud too iirc?

it sounds good imo! cool cover, will look good on v1ny1.

that's a pretty improbable pairing. lloyd cole meets electronic krautrock pioneer.

it's v pleasant from what i can tell -- http://soundcloud.com/lloydcole/sets/cole-roedelius-pre-release/

where is lloyd cole? doesn't he sing? the electronics are a little on the boring side, i'd say.

i dunno, those are the only tracks i've heard
not sure if he sings or plays guitar o que
i like boring electronic music so it's a-ok with me

yeah, i liked the portion i heard.

xxp he made an instrumental electronic album over a decade ago ... which led to this collaboration.

Sweet

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/oct/08/lloyd-cole-and-the-commotions-how-we-made-rattlesnakes

thanks for that. rattlesnakes to this day remains one of the most amazing guitar albums of all-time without any filler. forest fire still kills especially his solo at the end. here is what i wrote about that album some time ago.

Out of nowhere a couple of weeks ago I got this line and melody stuck in my head: "He looks like Marlon Brando in On The Waterfront." My (older every day) brain could not pin it down, so I just kind of walked around for a couple of days while it popped to the fore of my memory every once in a while. Finally it clicked and I realized it was Lloyd Cole and I had the lyrics wrong (but I was on the right track!).

Great news! This Tory government can soon be replaced by another Tory Government, with an, arguably, misleading name.

— Lloyd Cole (@Lloyd_Cole) January 19, 2022

his solo?

his twitter persona makes me wish i had never followed him. i do not care what he is cooking or anything about his exercise schedule.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbY0BJfhB5k

Ages and names

This reminds me of Prefab Sprout:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oua2EArBQy0

I'm pretty sure it's not the version on the album on which it was originally released, which might also be of interest. There are probably no major differences.

(Maybe the need for there to be an extended version is itself a bad sign, but I still love Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, and I am pretty sure the Prefab Sprout comparison was meant favorably?)

Dug *Standards* out tonight. Found the album during the first lockdown and, accordingly, love it unconditionally. 'Myrtle and Rose' is such a great track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-hCpAoCZak

She telephoned to say that she'd cut her wrists
Instead she beat the walls with her fists
Til they bled
Running red
Running back
Again

His last few albums have been great. "Broken Record" and "Standards" are exactly what you want and expect from Lloyd, but his last one, "Guesswork", is Lloyd adding a synthy/krauty kind of album and it's fantastic. A great example of an artist stretching their style.

Those lyrics are great. xp

Agree with all the above.

Him talking about Limmy absolutely ruined him for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bltQ07N6HxQ

Lived in Glasgow for four years, taught himself Flash, he could almost have been Limmy, only he would have written a better book.

https://sco.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limmy
#yinthreid!

Sorry, reading Scots just makes me laugh.

I'll no let that worry me.

How do we even know it is real Scots and not just the work of a Septic bairn?

It may as well be, it's like trying to resurrect Shakespearean English in the 21st century. Plus there's the horrible bigoted element of arseholes in Northern Ireland saying the Fenians have got Gaelic so we want Ulster Scots to he treated as a separate language too.

"Him talking about Limmy absolutely ruined him for me."

that is the 2nd time I've listened to that R4 book show clip, and he sounds like an even bigger wanker this time.

OTM