thanks, cozen.
― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 12:11 (twenty years ago) link
― william (william), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:48 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:52 (twenty years ago) link
Still, they'll be re-released one day won't they? I mean, there is a God isn't there?
― Stupid (Stupid), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:59 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 21:01 (twenty years ago) link
I think I'll e-mail this Tavis guy and offer myself to him if he re-releases the EPs...
― Stupid (Stupid), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 21:06 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 21:08 (twenty years ago) link
― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 21:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 21:19 (twenty years ago) link
I e-mailed a nice man at Rough Trade Records who told me that in fact One Little Indian have the rights to those particular records.
― Stupid (Stupid), Thursday, 5 February 2004 19:05 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 5 February 2004 19:17 (twenty years ago) link
I have sent them an e-mail. If they still refuse to re-print them, I'm going to start an online petition.
― Stupid (Stupid), Thursday, 5 February 2004 19:26 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 5 February 2004 19:34 (twenty years ago) link
― Ricardo (RickyT), Thursday, 5 February 2004 19:36 (twenty years ago) link
― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Thursday, 5 February 2004 19:44 (twenty years ago) link
― keith m (keithmcl), Friday, 6 February 2004 03:35 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 6 February 2004 03:36 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 6 February 2004 03:37 (twenty years ago) link
― mentalist (mentalist), Friday, 6 February 2004 12:59 (twenty years ago) link
― no opinion, Saturday, 7 February 2004 09:40 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 7 February 2004 16:01 (twenty years ago) link
this arrived in the post today. much difft from technicolor huh?
rjg fix up look sharp.
― cozen (Cozen), Saturday, 7 February 2004 16:59 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 7 February 2004 17:00 (twenty years ago) link
― Barima (Barima), Sunday, 8 February 2004 15:00 (twenty years ago) link
Why does everyone dismiss the first album so? Because it wasn't as sophisticated as D.I. Go Pop or the EPs? It still sounds fabulous.
From my one listen through, "D.I. Go Pop" sounds like the best song on the EPs--just unlike anything else I've ever heard. "Waking Up," the only song of theirs I knew, is wonderful, but it wasn't the half of it, really.
― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Tuesday, 10 February 2004 17:21 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 10 February 2004 17:34 (twenty years ago) link
It's nice that you wrote the AMG reviews on the EPs. Negates the need for me to ask for your opinions on those.
― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Tuesday, 10 February 2004 22:03 (twenty years ago) link
Durutti Column (maybe snatches of that "Return Of..." debut) and the Chameleons are definitely vague comparison points. Also, they're at times like an avant-Go-Betweens, with tracks like "The Atheist's Burden"; its melody and the singer's voice carry that Go-Betweens lilt.There are very pleasing connections for me in the use of sound, with the debut Matt Johnson record, "Burning Blue Soul"; vocals certainly less demonstrative though. "At The End of The Line" I'd suggest was one of those that reminds me at fleeting moments of BBS; a similarly thick, crystalline texture.
Overall, they seem to have a genuinely original sound, and crucially can't be easily pigeonholed. It is a sundazed, avant-pop, I guess... but such a statement doesn't do them justice, esp. considering that within these 5 EPs there is quite a variety of approach.
He he... just listening to "It's A Kid's World", around the 3:30 mark 'til the fade; the Peter Howell Dr Who theme is sampled, is it not? :-) Who would have thought "Lust For Life" could be so productively combined with that...?
― Tom May (Tom May), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 01:18 (twenty years ago) link
I seem to remember Andy Kellman first e-mailing me four years back expressing a bit of jealousy that I ended up doing those before he did! He got to do Loop, though, so we're even. ;-) Glad to hear more copies have arrived!
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 01:20 (twenty years ago) link
I got your I Love the 90s stuff yesterday. Thanks for getting it in.
― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 01:20 (twenty years ago) link
I think it's even more telling thanks to a fantastic comment way upthread by Tim Finney about _DI Go Pop_ (the album):
"D.I. Go Pop" makes much more sense after hearing the EPs. They make the album's rejection of beauty seem more deliberate.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 01:23 (twenty years ago) link
And why'd you send In Debt, but not that?
(Just curious because I thought that was supposed to be their definitive work)
― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 01:25 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 01:29 (twenty years ago) link
"The Long Dance"/"The Last Dance" is def. one of the only pieces of music that brings tears to my eyes every time without fail. "Second Language" is prettier overall but damn if the sudden explosions of guitar colour at the end of the former isn't the most gorgeously bittersweet thing ever.
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 10:04 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 12:50 (twenty years ago) link
anyways, i usually profess not really to care about lyrics in rock music but damn if mr. crause doesn't spit (uh is that the right verb in this context) some of the most arresting lyrics i've heard in a while. especially on "summer's last sound." great delivery too! he's like a more nonchalant, apocalyptic barney sumner. and the coda to "it's a kid's world" is like one of the most achingly gorgeous minutes or so of music EVER. ian, aside from having a severely underrated band, must be one of the most underrated guitarists as well. i covet his tone
― hjdsl, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 17:03 (twenty years ago) link
― David Gunnip (David Gunnip), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 17:16 (twenty years ago) link
They're out of print at least. How hard they are to find is anyone's guess (the Rough Trade stuff that is -- "Summer's Last Sound"/"Love Stepping Out" went out of print so quickly that I only got my copy [as did Donut Bitch his] thanks to Vinita J. from Che/Rocket Girl as a personal gift).
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 17:25 (twenty years ago) link
Not to harp on the issue, but this again makes me think of Dome rather than "154." "154" is "154" precisely because the abstract sonic explorations alternate with unbelievably catchy and lushly produced pop. Knowing Wire's studio and songwriting expertise, one can hear Dome as a rejection or perversion of it. I'm interested in "D.I. Go Pop" and very intrigued by the EP's (got them via slsk pretty easily!), but "Go Pop" is hard on the listener in a way 154 only begins to be.
But if you want to elaborate on the comparison I'd be fascinated to read (I did look at the AMG already).
― no opinion, Thursday, 12 February 2004 00:38 (twenty years ago) link
― no opinion, Thursday, 12 February 2004 00:39 (twenty years ago) link
Weird thing is I don't think it is, but then again I'm not every listener.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 February 2004 00:42 (twenty years ago) link
― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Thursday, 12 February 2004 00:49 (twenty years ago) link
How then did you understand the "deliberate rejection of beauty" description (I know it wasn't yours, but you seemed to approve)?
― no opinion, Thursday, 12 February 2004 00:53 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 February 2004 00:55 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 February 2004 00:56 (twenty years ago) link
I think what makes D.I. Go Pop a difficult album is its dourness: the second half of the record isn't really that distinct from their EP work except that it tends to remains pretty understated and greyscale - "Footprints in Snow" being the big exception obviously. Like, it would only take a transcendent guitar solo to turn "New Year" into a big pop number (by the band's standards) but they obstinately refuse to take that path. Only "A Crash At Every Speed" is actually *difficult* I reckon.
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 12 February 2004 02:56 (twenty years ago) link
― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Thursday, 12 February 2004 04:17 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 February 2004 04:35 (twenty years ago) link
― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Thursday, 12 February 2004 07:20 (twenty years ago) link
― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 12 February 2004 09:23 (twenty years ago) link