What do you mean by sharp songs?
― Goth As A Moth (Bimble), Saturday, 7 March 2009 21:37 (fifteen years ago) link
I am voting for Amplified Heart, though it and Walking Wounded are the only ones I know. I joined the bandwagon with "Missing" (and "Protection"). "25th December" is terrific; Richard Thompson's guitar puts chills up my spine. And "We Walk the Same Line" is excellent too.
― Euler, Saturday, 7 March 2009 21:39 (fifteen years ago) link
Also I didn't mean to discount the jazzy nature of Eden when I said the album was "Smithsian". But I'm a sucker for early Style Council & Sade, so... Hell, I really wish there had been MORE of that kind of stuff going on back then.
― Goth As A Moth (Bimble), Saturday, 7 March 2009 21:44 (fifteen years ago) link
amplified heart is close to perfect, from the songs and mood right down to each production element.
― w/ sax (electricsound), Sunday, 8 March 2009 00:02 (fifteen years ago) link
"Amplified Heart" is also up there. That is, for me "Eden" is in a league of its own, but the last three were all rather strong.
― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 8 March 2009 01:27 (fifteen years ago) link
I have yet to hear #s 2 and 3 though. I would guess they might be good stuff when I love the debut.
― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 8 March 2009 01:28 (fifteen years ago) link
There's one album kind of missing here, the self-titled U.S. release, with half the same songs as Eden and half different ones:http://cover6.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/100/100702.jpg
― Eazy, Sunday, 8 March 2009 01:57 (fifteen years ago) link
I know damnit! Don't I know it! ARRRRGH I pulled it out on LP today but still haven't downloaded the damn Eden original UK LP yet. I used to have it on cassette but never could seem to warm to the tracks on that that were missing from the U.S. release. Also I think it's worth noting that I had this U.S. version on both cassette and LP. In fact, I think I've owned the LP twice now. Just incase anyone were handing out bonus points for stuff like that.
― Goth As A Moth (Bimble), Sunday, 8 March 2009 02:16 (fifteen years ago) link
"I have yet to hear #s 2 and 3 though. I would guess they might be good stuff when I love the debut."
wait, you've never heard love not money?????? one of the greatest albums of the 80's, geir!
― scott seward, Sunday, 8 March 2009 03:22 (fifteen years ago) link
That's right, Scott! "This Love Not For Sale"! I haven't heard this in fucking EONS. Thanks ILM!!!!!!
― Goth As A Moth (Bimble), Sunday, 8 March 2009 03:26 (fifteen years ago) link
I bet that song would put goose pimples on Paul Weller's flesh with jealousy.
― Goth As A Moth (Bimble), Sunday, 8 March 2009 03:28 (fifteen years ago) link
I voted "Eden," which is slightly different from the S/T american debut. 'easy as sin' on the american version is my favorite song of theirs. love the first two albums in general.
― nicky lo-fi, Sunday, 8 March 2009 04:09 (fifteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Wednesday, 18 March 2009 00:01 (fifteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Thursday, 19 March 2009 00:01 (fifteen years ago) link
Yay Eden! I didn't know this poll was gonna end tonight, but ended up playing Eden on the bus today anyway. I was trying to come to a conclusion about the songs that got left off the US version and vice versa, and I still think the US version does a magnificent job of culling the most memorable tracks on the UK version, aside from "I Must Confess" & "Bittersweet". My only complaint with the US version is the tacking on "Native Land" & "Riverbed Dry" at the end. Not only are they of a lesser quality than the rest of the songs, but they have a different sound to them and feel incongruous on there. And hell, I didn't realize the lovely "Easy As Sin" didn't make it on the UK version, that's terrible! So basically you have to have both of the damn things or make sure you've downloaded all the tracks!
― I Harbour Multitudes (Bimble), Thursday, 19 March 2009 03:27 (fifteen years ago) link
Temperamental -- mmmm
― Gucci Mane hermeneuticist (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 24 August 2010 01:45 (thirteen years ago) link
Baby, The Stars Shine Bright is better than I thought
― I like queer. You like queer, senator? (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 30 November 2018 12:07 (five years ago) link
would have voted 1984 s/t or Love Not Money.favorite song: Easy As Sin
― nicky lo-fi, Friday, 30 November 2018 12:19 (five years ago) link
boy, is Worldwide good! It's gotten flak for its 1991-era production, but the melodies are gorgeous, the songs fully written, and Watt has never sung better on record.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 18 August 2020 13:18 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1__auymS9OA
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 18 August 2020 13:19 (three years ago) link
1988 Idlewild 0
:|
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Tuesday, 18 August 2020 15:08 (three years ago) link
i turn to walking wounded often, also a GOAT album cover
― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 18 August 2020 15:09 (three years ago) link
Br@d, you'd like Worldwide if you love Idlewild: it's a Technicolor representation of that acoustic sound.
EBTG mean so much to me that should anything happen to Thorn or Watt I'd mourn them like I would Madonna or Ferry.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 18 August 2020 15:13 (three years ago) link
yeah i was gonna say my love of idlewild probably proved that i'm here for ebtg records that've gotten flak for their production, i'll check out worldwide soon
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Tuesday, 18 August 2020 15:15 (three years ago) link
I think we now need a poll for Tracey Thorn’s THREE volumes of memoirs. She’s rivaling Peter Hook at this point
― beamish13, Tuesday, 18 August 2020 15:45 (three years ago) link
The first one is SO sharp.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 18 August 2020 15:46 (three years ago) link
i love ebtg, but worldwide is a stinker.
i would've voted idlewild.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Tuesday, 18 August 2020 15:47 (three years ago) link
worldwide is great. "old friends" is so good
― Vapor waif (uptown churl), Tuesday, 18 August 2020 17:28 (three years ago) link
The lack of love for Idlewild is indeed disgraceful, so:
Everything But the Girl - Idlewild (1988)
― A White, White Gay (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 18 August 2020 18:32 (three years ago) link
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Tuesday, August 18, 2020 11:47 AM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
― Vapor waif (uptown churl), Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Heh. I was wrong:
Everything But The Girl Album Poll
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 18 August 2020 18:37 (three years ago) link
1990 The Language of Life 0
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Monday, 15 November 2021 15:00 (two years ago) link
I've had "Frozen River" stuck in my head since August 2020.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 November 2021 15:01 (two years ago) link
can we talk about the language of life though???? perfectly recorded sophistipop
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 15:02 (two years ago) link
"Driving" and its remixes are fabulous. "The Road," "My Baby Don't Love Me," "Get Back Together" (that solo!), and "Imagining America" too. It's got some dull things that remind me of the Najee and Hiroshima-esque stuff my dad foisted on me in the car.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 15:05 (two years ago) link
lol i was just about to bring up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzY01LLo3lo
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 15:06 (two years ago) link
i think this is my favorite EBTG album so far but in another way they're all my favorite. this just kinda nails how crisp and sharp the city looks after you walk out of a smoke-filled lounge at night
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 15:08 (two years ago) link
ha -- that's what I imagine with Temperamental but with a slight nip in the air
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 15:26 (two years ago) link
Have you read Thorn's memoir? She sounds bemused years later by the cost of the studio musicians and being slotted into New Adult Contemporary, despite the affection deejays had for "Driving."
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 15:28 (two years ago) link
i haven't yet, her books have been on my list for ages
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 15:32 (two years ago) link
omg worldwide
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 16:07 (two years ago) link
"old friends" is like minimalist adult-contemporary, remarkable
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 16:09 (two years ago) link
wait till ya get to "Talk to Me Like the Sea."
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 16:11 (two years ago) link
alfred you already know this is my highest compliment, but wow worldwide is like ebtg's heart in motion
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 16:15 (two years ago) link
get to "Frozen River" first
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 16:43 (two years ago) link
i have! it’s so gorgeous
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 16:44 (two years ago) link
A song that sounds like the album sleeve.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 16:48 (two years ago) link
I'm very fond of Idlewild despite the production and the nice-but-not-my-thing Danny Whitten cover. Someone on the other EBTG thread rightly complimented Tracy Thorn for writing lyrics to and for other women -- these small but emphatic gestures of solidarity. "Blue Moon Rose" is in that category. And "Oxford Street" is just lovely.
― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, March 7, 2009 This makes me think of my Top Ten pick Record, which unselfconsciously takes as a given the need to think out loud, to confide, in a way not too navelgazey, self-absorbed (some singer-songwriters cam make me wonder, "Whatta they need me for?"Will have to check her books, also ETBTG albums, having only heard a few singles, back in the day.
― dow, Tuesday, 16 November 2021 17:20 (two years ago) link
worldwide and language of life are missteps by this band and anyone else who made records like it.
for that sort of big budget overproduced and "schlocky to the point of detriment" thing by this school of bands, aztec camera's dreamland is far superior and still a complete disappointment of an album.
nothing but respect for ben and tracey —i would rate them as an alltime favorite— but ebtg's catalogue began with an immediate slew of highlights, hit a deep and cheesy valley of disappointment, and then careened ever so consistently back up to the heights of their early records (with a completely different vibe, obvs).
i will never be convinced otherwise and i am suspicious of anyone who tries to push a different narrative.
― the beginning of the end of discourse. (Austin), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 19:42 (two years ago) link
I'm terribly sorry to disappoint you. Keep your suspicions high and your stubbornness reaching for the stars.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 19:44 (two years ago) link
btw the albums before TLOF are as uneven, i.e. three or four tuneful or attractively sung non-entities per album
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 19:45 (two years ago) link
waiting to listen to the latest jam until i can hear the whole album in the morning.
amplified heart and idlewild didn't blow me away initially, so that sounds about right ufo☺
― ''i am the kanye west kanye west thinks he is.'' (Austin), Thursday, 20 April 2023 23:21 (one year ago) link
first listen and i'm immediately reminded of the slowdive comeback lp in the sense that it has shades of everything i love about them, but isn't strictly reminiscent of any of their old material. redundancy: and yet, it is still undeniably them. and a lot like that slowdive, this album feels like a loving gift to people like me; a sort of "hey, thanks for sticking around."
(that said, some of this material is absolutely brutal, jfc)
agree with the anti-wow factor / not being "BLOWN AWAY" — quite comforting, in fact. right now, my highlights would be one of the singles (probably "caution to the wind" and "nothing left to lose"), but that may be because of familiarity bias. i certainly didn't expect it to be as morose as it is (and don't worry, i'm not using that word as a negative critique). they certainly came through and captured the climate of contemporary culture, once again synthesizing era-specific customs into contemporary sounds. comforting that they're just as good as ever.
― W E F L Y T O G E T H E R (Austin), Friday, 21 April 2023 14:52 (one year ago) link
also the track sequence is really good.
― W E F L Y T O G E T H E R (Austin), Friday, 21 April 2023 14:56 (one year ago) link
some of the slower burning tracks on this shook me to my core - "when you mess up," "karaoke"
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 21 April 2023 15:00 (one year ago) link
yeah, in that respect "lost" can sorta fuck off.
― W E F L Y T O G E T H E R (Austin), Friday, 21 April 2023 15:15 (one year ago) link
I just noticed the distorted guitar in "Run a Red Light."
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 21 April 2023 15:22 (one year ago) link
so good, love the repeated words at the end of each verse
― fleeting art that floats! (geoffreyess)
the only way you can get away with "fiat cinquecento" is to repeat it over and over again imo.
― hoonja doonja love me anymore (Deflatormouse), Saturday, 22 April 2023 20:10 (one year ago) link
it's a delicious thing to sing
― ꙮ (map), Saturday, 22 April 2023 20:12 (one year ago) link
being tracy thorn also helps
― hoonja doonja love me anymore (Deflatormouse), Saturday, 22 April 2023 20:18 (one year ago) link
ngl i'm addicted to this song
― hoonja doonja love me anymore (Deflatormouse), Saturday, 22 April 2023 20:19 (one year ago) link
i love the synth chords at the end of the chorus
― ꙮ (map), Saturday, 22 April 2023 20:26 (one year ago) link
fiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentohis fiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentofiat cinquecentohis fiat cinquecento
― No, 𝘐'𝘮 Breathless! (Deflatormouse), Sunday, 23 April 2023 17:12 (one year ago) link
need an Inhuman League-style remix
― No, 𝘐'𝘮 Breathless! (Deflatormouse), Sunday, 23 April 2023 17:16 (one year ago) link
Tim’s Listening Party happening now with many Ben/Tracey tweets.
― the body of a spider... (scampering alpaca), Sunday, 23 April 2023 19:29 (one year ago) link
okay, I'm pretty fusin' blown away
― soup of magpies (geoffreyess), Tuesday, 25 April 2023 19:31 (one year ago) link
had never really listened to ebtg til this year, but they've kind of taken over my life.
― ludicrously capacious bag (voodoo chili), Thursday, 27 April 2023 17:36 (eleven months ago) link
when they hit, they hit hard and become an integral part of life. so much depth.
― that's not my post, Thursday, 27 April 2023 17:38 (eleven months ago) link
can't really begin to answer the question in the poll. temperamental was my initial fav but idlewild and amplified heart both snuck up on me.
hadn't heard one of their albums before this year, but i'm impressed with how natural of a next step 'fuse' feels despite the big gap.
― ludicrously capacious bag (voodoo chili), Thursday, 27 April 2023 18:10 (eleven months ago) link
I've had pretty much the same experience as voodoo chili: barely listened to them, verging on ignorantly avoiding them, and now am astonished by the variety and emotional depth. At the moment, I love the mid-period from *Baby, the Stars Shine Bright* to *The Language of Life*. Been too busy to listen to the new one.
― Stars of the Lidl (Chinaski), Thursday, 27 April 2023 18:37 (eleven months ago) link
https://forumrecords.bandcamp.com/music - two live EBtG collections, no source/provenance given. The 13-track Walking Wounded set is more varied, catalog-wise. Name Your Price is a bonus.
― the body of a spider... (scampering alpaca), Friday, 23 June 2023 17:31 (ten months ago) link
The strength of their latest album (and particularly "Nothing Left to Lose") has spurred me to finally take this band seriously, and go on a buying spree into their back catalog.
First to arrive in the mail was "Love Not Money", and wow, this is so much better than I was expecting. I had mentally filed early-period EBTG in the same bucket as Swing Out Sister, not jangle pop with horns. I'm still not 100% on songs with Ben on vocals, and the lyrics sometimes wander into sixth-form poetry, but it all just works together. This is gonna be fun.
― enochroot, Friday, 30 June 2023 14:25 (nine months ago) link
Don't be rude about Swing Out Sister now or there will be a knock at the door (I totally know what you mean about underestimating/misrepresenting early EBTG, though).
― Stars of the Lidl (Chinaski), Friday, 30 June 2023 15:41 (nine months ago) link
The first SOS album is better than the first couple EBTG albums -- and EBTG are the better artists.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 30 June 2023 15:42 (nine months ago) link
Actually I was imagining early EBTG sounding more like Kalima (bossa jazz pastiche, incongruously released on Factory records), but I thought that reference was too obscure.(there can't be any Kalima defenders around here, can there?)
― enochroot, Friday, 30 June 2023 16:09 (nine months ago) link
i find that people think there is a line that jazz-pop or sophistipop crossed where it becomes as unbearably cheesy as smooth jazz or whatever but ime this line is so subjective as to be practically imaginary.― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson)
I just tried the first SOS album, and it's over my line. Maybe if I work my way up through Language of Life and Worldwide first, i'll be more open to a redrawing of the borders.
― enochroot, Friday, 30 June 2023 16:24 (nine months ago) link
I like the Swamp Child album! Not actually made it as far as Kalima yet.
― Stars of the Lidl (Chinaski), Friday, 30 June 2023 17:30 (nine months ago) link
Swamp Children, ffs.
― Stars of the Lidl (Chinaski), Friday, 30 June 2023 17:31 (nine months ago) link
If you have trouble with SOS, prepare yourself for The Language of Life and Worldwide.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 30 June 2023 18:08 (nine months ago) link
Not sure I ever checked out Kalima, but Antena also fits that description
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Saturday, 1 July 2023 07:24 (nine months ago) link
i thought it was sad that only one person picked love not money and then i see that it was....me. good going 14 years ago scott.
― scott seward, Saturday, 1 July 2023 15:29 (nine months ago) link
the fairest of them allmirror mirrorball
― soup of magpies (geoffreyess), Sunday, 6 August 2023 18:00 (eight months ago) link
Hmmmmmm
EBTG At Maida Vale EP out tomorrow ❤️ https://t.co/aEUngPThM0— Tracey Thorn (@tracey_thorn) August 8, 2023
― underwater as a compliment (Eazy), Tuesday, 8 August 2023 22:05 (eight months ago) link
Sounds good, if you like them stripped down:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErI-YfGmj8g
― underwater as a compliment (Eazy), Wednesday, 9 August 2023 11:28 (eight months ago) link
had never really listened to ebtg til this year, but they've kind of taken over my life.― ludicrously capacious bag (voodoo chili)
― ludicrously capacious bag (voodoo chili)
― enochroot, Thursday, 7 September 2023 01:12 (seven months ago) link
I've going on a deep dive, chronologically.
So starting with Eden:
If I had heard Eden first, it would sound like they just came out fully formed. But they had a few tracks on the Pillow and Prayers compilation from 2 years earlier, and they didn't quite have the songwriting worked out yet in 1982.
"Each and Every One" - The first time i heard this song, i figured that little horn tag on the front must be a sample. But I guess it's just Ben Watt establishing his jazz bona fides up front.
"Tender Blue" - Is there a thread for songs where it starts with a lesser vocalist, then the lead singer swoops in to take over vocal duties and kickstart the track? It's such an effective trick, and there are definitely some fun examples out there ("Coffee and TV", "We Still Need More", U2 "Numb")
"The Spice of Life" - if the album was just a bunch of stripped-down indie guitar songs like this, I'd probably still have it on repeat.
"Crabwalk" -- this is the part of their portfolio where they're like "we can also go full Horace Silver Quintet on you." Is this considered "cod jazz"? I love it. It's a bit pretentious and also entirely necessary. the album definitely needed this intermission.
And then "Even So" has castanets!
"Frost and Flowers" - this feels like early EBTG at their broodiest. I wonder if they were tempted to add some 12-string rickenbacker to this and try to appeal to the Echo and the Bunnymen fans.
"Soft Touch" - I feel like Ben Watt on lead vocals might be an acquired taste...
― enochroot, Thursday, 7 September 2023 01:46 (seven months ago) link
BTW, it's like the indie labels in the mid-eighties were trying to cut manufacturing costs to stave off the inevitable death of vinyl... my copy of Eden (looks like a French pressing) must be in the flimsiest record sleeve in my collection.
Or maybe this is just a European thing? (another flimsy sleeve in my collection is a German pressing of Movement)
― enochroot, Thursday, 7 September 2023 02:05 (seven months ago) link