he's an incredible lyricist and i think it's pretty apparent in lbi's excerpt?
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Thursday, 10 May 2018 17:51 (five years ago) link
in no way would i consider something like "our anniversary" juvenile
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Thursday, 10 May 2018 17:52 (five years ago) link
putting a snarling cat on the cover of Knock Knock was a dick move
what
― Simon H., Thursday, 10 May 2018 17:53 (five years ago) link
Albvivertine no offense but i feel like yr opinion here is like one of a worldly 25 year old who totally gets it now maaan. I recognize a lot of these songs speak from a dramatic space of youthful angst and alienation but there is still a power in them that affects me as a grown ass adult. He was and is an incredibly piercing lyricist.
― two cool rock chicks pounding la croix (circa1916), Thursday, 10 May 2018 17:58 (five years ago) link
xp cat power breakup? I dunno, I think that cover’s hilarious.
― JoeStork, Thursday, 10 May 2018 18:01 (five years ago) link
i'm not sure juvenile is the right word but his vocabulary is limited, and i think his lyrics reflect that, so they can be misinterpreted as lacking self-reflection or being juvenile
― F# A# (∞), Thursday, 10 May 2018 18:03 (five years ago) link
pretty sure the limited vocabulary is intentional. i've always felt a child-like simplicity to his lyrics, but the sentiments expressed are very mature.
― 808s & Deep States (voodoo chili), Thursday, 10 May 2018 18:09 (five years ago) link
Yeah his whole thing is kinda depth-in-simplicity.
― two cool rock chicks pounding la croix (circa1916), Thursday, 10 May 2018 18:10 (five years ago) link
he's got the voice and songwriting ability to cut straight to the feeling, so why labor over ten dollar words?
― 808s & Deep States (voodoo chili), Thursday, 10 May 2018 18:12 (five years ago) link
right, i'm not saying it's not on purpose
i was also gonna say his singing adds to it, but again, it's done on purpose
― F# A# (∞), Thursday, 10 May 2018 18:17 (five years ago) link
his lyrics are juvenile
been a while since we had a good OFF t.m.
― j., Thursday, 10 May 2018 18:20 (five years ago) link
man, I don't know, I'm just a simpleton that knows for nothing when it comes to songwriting, but I find stuff like this from "River Guard" to really strike a chord:
Most nights I go for a driveTo to the highest place I can findStand there on a cliff with goose fleshWatching the wind rip the leaves of the trees
Death defyingEvery breathDeath defying
Soon we all be back in the yardBehind the wallLeaving heartDreaming of cool rivers and tall grass
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 10 May 2018 18:32 (five years ago) link
A) I shouldn't post just to diss B) I shouldn't post if I've just woken up after three hours sleep. Also I gave up on Bill on Dongs, ppl have said his best work has come since.
― albvivertine, Friday, 11 May 2018 00:32 (five years ago) link
Juvenile is the right word, but with the negative connotation of the word removed and made a positive.
I've always thought of Bill Callahan as "The American Morrissey"-- which is simply to say, that if Morrissey's lyrics contain the best jokes in English music, Callahan's lyrics contain the best in American music. But there are also similarities and distinctions-- and both lyricists I would describe as unashamedly juvenile. "I am Star Wars today! / I am no longer English grey!" etc. Sometimes, in conversation, I've brought up both songwriters as marking the distinct difference between American and British senses of humour, calling the former "funny" and the latter "witty".
But yes, he's juvenile. Dress Sexy At My Funeral? Eid Ma Clack Shaw? 37 Push-Ups / And I feel like Travis Bickle? I wanna live in a bathysphere? Bill is in touch with the baby that lives within every adult male and he's making its ridiculous needs sound funny and poetic
I stan for early Smog and love Julius Caesar and Wild Love more than anything, and don't have much time for the basic-dumbass shit on Dongs Of Sevotion and thereabouts, but adore his recent records maybe most of all
― nevertheless, he stopped (flamboyant goon tie included), Friday, 11 May 2018 01:36 (five years ago) link
hm reframed like that it's practically otm
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 11 May 2018 01:41 (five years ago) link
He's one of my favourite songwriters, I think about his lyrics all the time
― nevertheless, he stopped (flamboyant goon tie included), Friday, 11 May 2018 01:47 (five years ago) link
so because of this thread i re-listened to red apple falls
took me 20 or whatever years back and brought pretty vivid memories of listening to tracks like to be of use
definitely one of my favourite albums of all time
i also feel like there is a lot of bad stuff he released afterwards, but his recent stuff sounds decent
also i'm not sure if it's the production quality but he sounds so young on red apple falls
― F# A# (∞), Friday, 11 May 2018 02:19 (five years ago) link
Why is everybody looking at me like there's something fundamentaly wrong?
― nostormo, Friday, 11 May 2018 06:19 (five years ago) link
i always cringe a bit every time i hear the intro to 'the well'. "this one's called... The Well"
can you imagine if every singer did that before every song? lmao
― meaulnes, Saturday, 12 May 2018 05:43 (five years ago) link
lots of decay in los angeles and to a greater extent outside of it
― F# A# (∞), Saturday, 12 May 2018 18:28 (five years ago) link
jesus sorry billy man that was meant for the masculinity thread lol
*anyway*
wanted to post this, which is pretty cool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHVNUrcyJy8
― F# A# (∞), Saturday, 12 May 2018 18:29 (five years ago) link