American Music Club: Classic or Dud?

They're not totally classic for me, "Everclear" and the "Live At Slim's" promo are damn good and pretty much all I need.

this is a band I didn't like at all when everybody was going nuts for them and then 2-3 years ago their album The Golden Age basically punched me right in the damn face and it was like, oh, eureka, I get it, this is incredible.

I remember successfully trolling cosloy via letter to conflict in '88, comparing AMC to the indigo girls. I didn't get 'em either until after it was all said and done, when I stumbled across a used copy of mercury. I guess if you don't like lyrics AMC's gonna be a hard plough to pull, but eitzel's one of those guys who at his best transcends the singer-songwriter stink.

don't really understand all the hate for mercury. the production feels like a warm woozy cocoon of whiskey, but even if you don't dig the production, three of eitzel's best songs are "apology for an accident", "I've been a mess", and "johnny mathis' feet".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTMR69pzGk0

^ I like the part where he shows johnny his old collection of punk rock posters

J0hn's take on The Golden Age is the only wholly positive one I've read, but it caused me to revisit the record earlier this year. It is perhaps cliche or at least expected to arrange the word "devastating" near an American Music Club album. The Golden Age is a different sort though--imagine Love Songs for Patriots without its political eruptions, giving way entirely to songs like "Myopic Books" and "Another Morning." Even this is wrong--those songs were captured light in an otherwise dark and wrecked ship. There is no light in The Golden Age, just a dull, ornate grey. In that way it reminds me most of the slow, contemplative songs on Everclear but less drunk, more acknowledging depression as the necessary color of life.

if that all sounds dumb as hell then my excuse is i just woke up. just trying to make sense of why The Golden Age kind of scares the hell out of me.

no you actually made me want to hear it

To restate the obvious: Mercury is awful. Holy shit, I can't make it through a single song.

it's messy but has a few great tracks - I've Been A Mess is wonderful

o_O

This reminds me of the Jeff Buckley c/d thread.

To state the obvious: Mercury is great. No question.

There's some crap on Mercury

Apology, Mess, Mathis, Gratitude are all A grade

Too much noodling, half formed songs elsewhere.

Everclear is tight, nowhere near as much filler

Oh and Hammer is great too

Keep Me Around is just a throwaway single, they never integrated the rockier and the more reflective stuff that well.

If I snap my fingers what will I get?
If I snap my fingers what will I get?
If I snap my fingers what will I get?
That's right, anything I want
Anything I want

http://markeitzel.blogspot.com/2011/10/to-people-who-ask-me-if-amc-are-touring.html

in case anyone was wondering. I wouldn't put bets on seeing AMC again, but then, that's what I thought ten years ago.

^That's a great lyric. Note to self: listen to more Eitzel

To restate the obvious: Mercury is awful. Holy shit, I can't make it through a single song.

Mercury is a complete classic. Not as much as Everclear but means almost as much to me, for various other reasons.

now listening to an AMC album through for the first time (Mercury). I like it a lot. Reminds me a bit of Red House Painters although a bit more hard edged.

Mercury is great. Means a lot to me too -- still remember buying it when it came out.

Mercury is certainly an extremely 90's sounding record, with too much Froom calliope circus noise and chamberlain and tympani and oompah and crap but the songs on it are, from top to bottom, great, and I like Froom's work on this album, in fact, I think it's his best production work. But there is an alternate, Kevin Killan version of the album around if you prefer that. The big change was making If I Had a Hammer 3/4 rather than 4/4.

I astonished by all the hate for Mercury. It might be my fave and it is certainly one of the most important albums in my life.

incidentally I saw mark last week or the week before in SF, he played with Marc Cappelle and a pickup band that included a bassist and the drummer from Loquat, and it was wonderful. Mark and Marc together are really great. It's not AMC but he's worked with Cappelle longer than anyone in his career at this point and they ahve their shit down. Mark is finishing an album right now (Vudi is on it and a bunch of other people are as well but it's not coming out as an AMC record) and I expect it will be very good.

Mark is finishing an album right now (Vudi is on it and a bunch of other people are as well but it's not coming out as an AMC record) and I expect it will be very good.

I'm sure it will be as well but unfortunately I would only buy it if it came out as an AMC record

If I snap my fingers what will I get?
If I snap my fingers what will I get?
If I snap my fingers what will I get?
That's right, anything I want
Anything I want

God, that song. Easily one of the best things Mark and the band ever did. I'm resigned to buying everything that he ever puts out, just because, but I'd love it if AMC could have another one-last-hurrah, with Kaphan back because their sound was never lovelier than with him. Can't imagine it will ever happen though.

Mark and Marc together are really great

co-sign. I saw their man and piano show in the UK a few years back and it was wonderful.

I think Mercury may be my favorite AMC album, I'm surprised it is so hated.

one more rep for 'California'

great album. sad, lonely, and drunken, but great.

Tim Mooney (AMC's drummer on Mercury, San Francisco, and Love Songs for Patriots, as well as being drummer for Toiling Midgets and others) passed away last night. he was 54.

sad news! he was an amazing drummer, also in The Sleepers.

Oh no! I enjoy his drumming in Toiling Midgets.

What?!? That sucks, so sad. He was a great drummer. I was bummed when he didn't appear on The Golden Age after producing and playing on Love Songs For Patriots. Was hoping he'd get back with them some day, but I guess that won't be happening.

RIP

I've just discovered this. Really gutted.

Damn. RIP.

Mark and Vudi are selling the original paintings by Jean Lowe for the Everclear and San Francisco covers, with all proceeds to Tim Mooney's family. Wonderful paintings, and a beautiful gesture by them - if had sufficient funds to spare I'd love to own either of those pieces (but esp. San Fran).

Everclear on ebay now, San Francisco to follow

wow, wish I could buy the everclear one

Have had the pleasure of listening to Mark's new album, "Don't be a Stranger". It's very nice. Maybe too nice for some people; it's a mature work, that recalls 60 Watt Silver Lining more than anything else he's done. It's missing some of the fire and intensity of Love Songs for sure, and probably has more incommon with the Golden Age, so if you liked that album (I loved it; it wasn't really meant to come out as an AMC album either) you will probably like this. He is doing a short promotional tour of the UK now with a bigger tour (backed with a band) to follow this fall.

Just picked up 'Don't Be a Stranger' this weekend, really enjoying it. '60 Watt Silver Lining' a good reference point, was listening to it earlier in the week and the new one has a similar mood to it.

FWIW 'Mercury' and 'San Fransisco' were the first full albums I owned by AMC and they didn't put me off. Easily available at the time! It was actually hearing "Another Morning" on an Uncut CD that first piqued my interest, but I'd known of them well before then.

Gotta get this new one, I never got Brannan Street, that one had a smaller print

One of my favorite songs of the year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfJKHr-OaOc

His voice is fucking amazing. I saw him live two years ago in a bar in Berlin, on his two-man with Marc Capelle, and it was one of the most memorable gigs I've attended because it suddenly occurred to me (embarrassingly, after 20 years of fandom) that he is such a great singer.

*two-man tour*

yes, the piano + mark thing totally reveals his voice as being UNBELIEVABLE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN6SpTqYeL8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN6SpTqYeL8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NPsfv6IuWQ

yes

yes yes yes fuck

as sad as it is, mark eitzel is totally my perfect life soundtrack right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1VHrK2267Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1VHrK2267Y

not an official video.

... tim.... start with the golden age

no one here is steering you wrong by recommending everclear first tho

at this point it might be the best overall starting point...the early records can be a bit forbidding at times to a newcomer

Also Eitzel's Songs of Love Live is essential imho

The Golden Age is good but it doesn't really sound like AMC because Danny wasn't involved, the drummer plays things very differently than anyone else AMC ever had on drums, and Vudi's contributions are only minimally audible. But it is a good album.

Huh, you guys are crazy.
For Tim F its Mercury , or more probably the UK/California twofer

mercury would also be a good intro

how about any record except sf and restless stranger

Engine was my intro to AMC back in the day, and I will admit that it took a few spins but once I was in there was no getting out.

Big Night (the first song on that one) is one of my favorite AMC songs overall

Which is a maybe a weird favorite but I love the atmosphere

Yeah, the atmosphere on most of that album was initially impenetrable but once I got it, like esp. on Night Watchman, I was hooked.

Engine was my starting point, hated it for about 10 plays and then realised its brilliance. Still one of my favourites (they all are to be honest, I even think San Francisco is a work of genius).

Engine seems to be the forgotten AMC album. To the extent you read about this band, it's about how great California and Everclear are, how forgettable Restless Stranger is, how enigmatic United Kingdom is, how overblown Mercury and San Francisco are, but nothing about Engine.

I first encountered AMC with "I'm in Heaven Now' on the Homestead Human Music compilation (1988). In fact I discovered so many of my all time favourite bands through that one album.

Engine is phenomenal, it's probably my #2 after California.

Engine got them enough attention in the UK music press to pave the way for the accolades that were showered onto California when it came out. At least that's the way I recall it.

Just relistened to The Golden Age. It's great. It's maybe a bit too long. 2 or 3 of its 13 songs could maybe be cut.

i know
i know

that's not really you

that recent vinyl reissue of The Ugly American is really really great. that is all.

I hope to nab that at some point.

Re-listening to Engine. I still don't quite get it. I've been listening to AMC since buying United Kingdom in 1989. For me the "canon" begins with California. But I'm probably influenced by the UK press at the time,

It was Allan Jones waxing lyrical about Engine in Melody Maker that first turned me onto AMC.

I recall he described it as a masterpiece.

there's a bit about the UK reception for Engine in Sean Body's AMC book:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=4jgb3PDUuPkC&pg=PA56&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false

Big night, Nightwatchmen, This year are all unfuckwithable.
other than that Outside this bar, and ...maybe... Gary's song are fine but maybe rely too heavily on the solipsism of alcoholism (I used to love both).

alcoholism and solipsism that is.

For me At My Mercy is one of the great early AMC songs, and Asleep/This Year is a fantastic way to close the album.

Actually fuck yeh the first side

https://twitter.com/AMCofficialCLUB?s=09

Now on Twitter

AMC hail from San Francisco and were one of the greatest bands in the world.

no lies detected

We are here pic.twitter.com/o3CFlnHGEk

— American Music Club (@AMCofficialCLUB) May 27, 2021

Reissue announcement imminent?

some of the bandcamp listings - Restless Stranger/Engine/UK/California now renamed as 'digi only release before 2022 physical remasters'

Someone from Decor Records (who I assume are doing the reissues) just tweeted out a request for old (pre-1994) AMC concert photos, posters etc. Hope this means there'll be some nice illustrated booklets with them. I sent them a couple of old ticket stubs, be still my beating heart.

wonder if i have anything. I think I had a habit of picking up posters from gigs I went to in my hitching years. So now have to wonder where they might be, if i could have actually brought them over with me.
& if i have a ticket from The Tivoli in Dublin or if my chance meeting of them outside the Virgin on the Quays meant I never got one

I'm hearing that Mark had a heart attack, but is ok right now.

yeah from his facebook:

Hey everybody, Mark had a heart attack yesterday but is resting now and doing ok. He is hoping to be back home soon. Sending good health to him now in bed.

oh jeez, I hate this

That would be his second, right? He had one in 2011, IIRC. Glad to hear he's doing ok.

protect mark eitzel at all costs

yes this is his second, it was apparently worse than the first one which is troubling though he was up telling everyone about it on instagram when it happened.

When she first saw him
In her blood she knew her role
He'd be king of the castle
She'd be the riches he stole

Some only wander through
The empty rooms of their soul
They need the ashes of others
To make them whole

anyone with a big living room in those locations?

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02SEWmBNBbsVqeTe7LHiN2qjR6EM6Qw6MGTiKxr3n5fuRNz1ANmT1Kw198V4Cma3wHl&id=100063608964832

“Cleopatra Jones is an exile with a lot of class”