Post reviews of IKE here
Moderators: Cleantone, harrymcq, Phrazz
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Guest
seriously, what a weak review. i bet the dude listened once, didn't get it, and copped out by knocking it. i bet this record makes numerous year-end critics lists (although 2006 is ticking by might quick) and we see very few uninformed, unenthusiastic reviews like this... can't wait to see BAM rock the Indy tomorrow night!
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Guest
well yeah that reviewer was obnoxious as hell. but the truth is, ignoring his pretentious vocabulary, i agree with most of what he said. i like the album a lot, but the lyrics are really weak, especially for an album that specifically seeks to emphasize the lyrics. and the slip used to make such good use of the trio, and now this album could have been made by a ten piece band like broken social scene. alright, maybe that's an exaggeration but i believe that bands should add to their sound in the studio but not to the extent that you need twice or three times as many people to play the songs. these songs are too cluttered. i like some of the weird noises but there are two many of them. several of the riffs are taken directly from broken social scene or the flaming lips (stealing a few is cool, like John Lennon said, but not too many). And to be honest, the Lips and BSS are better at playing this kind of music. I like the direction the Slip are going in so I think this is probably just their first effort at this. I think they're next album will be killer. But the reviewer is right, BAM used to make such good use of space, their songs made you want more (in a good way) even though there was so much there. These songs make me wish for a more stripped down version each time. Soft Machine sounds so much better with less clutter and just the guitar chords, the slide line, the bass and drums (and vocals). Not all these swirly noises and panned guitar sounds. Now, I'm sure live the songs will be simpler and have more space, but still. I'm pretty disappointed. Plus, there are only two new songs
bass
Not that I would accuse the stylus guy of chintsiness, but I tend to agree with most of what he said, ONLY when I listen to Eisenhour on a clock radio. (I wake up to children of december quite often).
When I listen to IKE on Hi Fi, it's a whole different story.
I think this whole album is a masterpiece. It has just the right amount of oldschool providence moments snuck in there (remember when Andrew used to bust nasty beats like the one in A/P out of thin air all the time on stage back in '98, '99, and '00?
But really now. The work that went into conceptualizing this album is nothing short of wizardry. What about the solo in If One Of Us Should Fall? Does Brad not take a simultaneous solo with Marc? What band even tries to do anything like that, much less do it that subtley, that you would have to be paying attention and listening on a nice system to even be able to notice that feat. (they repeat the feat at least one other time, towards the end of landlord, at the "it's the blood" breakdown)
That type of playing just reminds me so much of the old slip. Their sprawling song intros used to be full of Brad and Marc's synchronized bass and electric guitar work, and it gave a very soothing intimate feel. It made me feel like I could trust these musicians no matter what, because they trust one another enough to share the same space without getting uncomfortable or flustered.
Another thing I love about this album is that it seems to stretch the possibilities of each moment by surgically shifting momentum and energy without messing with tempo or song formula or anything else crucial like that. What that does is something that Sir Paul Mccartney is only begining to master: makes the music the true lyric and the lyrics then act as a sort of Rosetta Stone for the music. Credit much of this to Andrew, who is experimenting with creating different senses of time. I think this is one of the most lyrical and poetic performances by a rock drummer I've ever heard. Marc also lays off the bass at just the right times so as to allow for this effect. I know it must have been discussed because it is just too perfect too many times to be accidental. Nothing on this album seems to be the slightest bit accidental, in fact.
And again, all this will be lost on the ears that attempt to listen to this album on a shitty stereo. Take it as some friendly advice. Use headphones if that's all you've got.
It would seem this is all a shrewd trick on the part of most good bands, to throw off some while entirely blissing out others, with a sandpapery lyric here and a OO OO OO OO there (from the If One Of US intro). It seems that in order to impress the right audiences and critics, you have to send a message that only they can understand.
I for one am impressed, and enjoying this debate immensely.
When I listen to IKE on Hi Fi, it's a whole different story.
I think this whole album is a masterpiece. It has just the right amount of oldschool providence moments snuck in there (remember when Andrew used to bust nasty beats like the one in A/P out of thin air all the time on stage back in '98, '99, and '00?
But really now. The work that went into conceptualizing this album is nothing short of wizardry. What about the solo in If One Of Us Should Fall? Does Brad not take a simultaneous solo with Marc? What band even tries to do anything like that, much less do it that subtley, that you would have to be paying attention and listening on a nice system to even be able to notice that feat. (they repeat the feat at least one other time, towards the end of landlord, at the "it's the blood" breakdown)
That type of playing just reminds me so much of the old slip. Their sprawling song intros used to be full of Brad and Marc's synchronized bass and electric guitar work, and it gave a very soothing intimate feel. It made me feel like I could trust these musicians no matter what, because they trust one another enough to share the same space without getting uncomfortable or flustered.
Another thing I love about this album is that it seems to stretch the possibilities of each moment by surgically shifting momentum and energy without messing with tempo or song formula or anything else crucial like that. What that does is something that Sir Paul Mccartney is only begining to master: makes the music the true lyric and the lyrics then act as a sort of Rosetta Stone for the music. Credit much of this to Andrew, who is experimenting with creating different senses of time. I think this is one of the most lyrical and poetic performances by a rock drummer I've ever heard. Marc also lays off the bass at just the right times so as to allow for this effect. I know it must have been discussed because it is just too perfect too many times to be accidental. Nothing on this album seems to be the slightest bit accidental, in fact.
And again, all this will be lost on the ears that attempt to listen to this album on a shitty stereo. Take it as some friendly advice. Use headphones if that's all you've got.
It would seem this is all a shrewd trick on the part of most good bands, to throw off some while entirely blissing out others, with a sandpapery lyric here and a OO OO OO OO there (from the If One Of US intro). It seems that in order to impress the right audiences and critics, you have to send a message that only they can understand.
I for one am impressed, and enjoying this debate immensely.
I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
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Guest
Re: bass
^^^truth.tote wrote:When I listen to IKE on Hi Fi, it's a whole different story.
that writer is entitled to his opinion, and less than flattering reviews are par for the course, but damn if it doesn't feel like he's got an axe to grind. seems like he's already familiar with the slip. while that doesn't make him unqualified to write a review, i'm more interested in reading the opinions of the "uninitiated".
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Dylan Thomas
"There is only one position for an artist anywhere; and that is upright."
"These poems, with all their crudities, doubts, and confusions, are written for the love of Man and in praise of God, and I'd be a damn' fool if they weren't."
"Whatever talents I possess may suddenly diminish or suddenly increase. I can with ease become an ordinary fool. I may be one now. But it doesn't do to upset one's own vanity."
"When one burns one's bridges, what a very nice fire it makes."
"These poems, with all their crudities, doubts, and confusions, are written for the love of Man and in praise of God, and I'd be a damn' fool if they weren't."
"Whatever talents I possess may suddenly diminish or suddenly increase. I can with ease become an ordinary fool. I may be one now. But it doesn't do to upset one's own vanity."
"When one burns one's bridges, what a very nice fire it makes."
you cant expect much from someone who isnt even willing to try to think about it.
that doesnt even get an e for effort.What precisely does it mean to “feel like Dylan Thomas,” as Brad Barr claims to on “Airplane/Primitive”? Is one to surmise that he feels dead? Alcoholic? Welsh? Nope, just that “It’s the day before the rest of my life.” Ah yes. That Dylan feeling.
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Guest
Dylan Thomas vs Andrew Iliff
Airplane/Primitive lyrics:
http://www.phrazz.com/slipbase/lyrics/A ... ive.lyrics
[updated recently from the liner notes - original was transcribed and somewhat inaccurate]
"What the hell does that mean?" is whatever you make of it. Since Dylan Thomas himself is alive and well and posted some quotes to help us out, maybe the answer lies within (the lyrics or your heart or your mind or maybe your electric toothbrush).
Frankly, I don't see the BSS or Lips similarities, but sometimes Matthew Ellard's vocal layering and added sounds "remind" me of Wilco (though this album musically sounds nothing like Wilco, just the engineering aspect).
Some breeds of critics prefer to merely slam anything new, especially what they consider challenging or unexpected. This just makes me want to listen to it more. Every review won't be happily well-written.
Andrew Iliff obviously has a bone to pick (I sense the premeditation), and a propensity to use large femur bones instead of the more manageable kind like the patella (as in kneecap, as in kneejerk). He's a word nerd who gets off from using high-scoring Scrabble words in his vain attempt to sway his readers' minds. Certainly his ego is even larger than his vocabulary, and his disdain is blatantly intractable. His vexatious prose is his primary shtick, and he has very little substance to his writing. Dishwater? Pfaw!!! His writing style is like chewing on rusty barbed wire.
Since Mr. Iliff's professed preferred favorites are Honey Melon and Rhythm and Gold, it seems he likes the safer types of songs.
I suppose I shouldn't have to explain that the lyrics for Airplane / Primitive seem (to me) to be discussing the relatively sombre subject of death (a topic which Dylan Thomas and Bob Dylan both embraced in their poetry).
And "People are strange" is right from the mouth of the Reverend James Morrison, is it not? I bet if you take any 3 words, you can find all sorts of matches with other lyricists (if you give me a large lyrics database, I will attempt to prove this theory).
Phrazz
P.S.: I think The Slip ate his donkey (those damned donkey eaters!).
P.P.S.: "Stylus" as in the title of the mag feigns coolness since vinyl is making a comeback. Which itself is a hell of a pretentious title, and we can see some spelling alternations that indicate a British publication.
P.P.P.S.: His yes-man "Gregarious" (a member of the herd) also slams the lyrics. Both got up on the wrong side of the bed together.
Oh, snap! Look at Bar-None's front page:
http://www.bar-none.com/
Did I just notice this?
http://www.phrazz.com/slipbase/lyrics/A ... ive.lyrics
[updated recently from the liner notes - original was transcribed and somewhat inaccurate]
"What the hell does that mean?" is whatever you make of it. Since Dylan Thomas himself is alive and well and posted some quotes to help us out, maybe the answer lies within (the lyrics or your heart or your mind or maybe your electric toothbrush).
Frankly, I don't see the BSS or Lips similarities, but sometimes Matthew Ellard's vocal layering and added sounds "remind" me of Wilco (though this album musically sounds nothing like Wilco, just the engineering aspect).
Some breeds of critics prefer to merely slam anything new, especially what they consider challenging or unexpected. This just makes me want to listen to it more. Every review won't be happily well-written.
Andrew Iliff obviously has a bone to pick (I sense the premeditation), and a propensity to use large femur bones instead of the more manageable kind like the patella (as in kneecap, as in kneejerk). He's a word nerd who gets off from using high-scoring Scrabble words in his vain attempt to sway his readers' minds. Certainly his ego is even larger than his vocabulary, and his disdain is blatantly intractable. His vexatious prose is his primary shtick, and he has very little substance to his writing. Dishwater? Pfaw!!! His writing style is like chewing on rusty barbed wire.
Since Mr. Iliff's professed preferred favorites are Honey Melon and Rhythm and Gold, it seems he likes the safer types of songs.
I suppose I shouldn't have to explain that the lyrics for Airplane / Primitive seem (to me) to be discussing the relatively sombre subject of death (a topic which Dylan Thomas and Bob Dylan both embraced in their poetry).
And "People are strange" is right from the mouth of the Reverend James Morrison, is it not? I bet if you take any 3 words, you can find all sorts of matches with other lyricists (if you give me a large lyrics database, I will attempt to prove this theory).
PhrazzP.S.: I think The Slip ate his donkey (those damned donkey eaters!).
P.P.S.: "Stylus" as in the title of the mag feigns coolness since vinyl is making a comeback. Which itself is a hell of a pretentious title, and we can see some spelling alternations that indicate a British publication.
P.P.P.S.: His yes-man "Gregarious" (a member of the herd) also slams the lyrics. Both got up on the wrong side of the bed together.
Oh, snap! Look at Bar-None's front page:
http://www.bar-none.com/
Did I just notice this?
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Dan
- Camp Shuey Counselor
- Posts: 1060
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 1:15 am
- Location: The Inner Ear
- Contact:
yeah you did just notice that.
I would like to see a counter review of phrazz using his arsenal of large words or small ones that don't have vowels haha
I would like to see a counter review of phrazz using his arsenal of large words or small ones that don't have vowels haha
<a href="http://www.theslipstream.org">
<img src="http://www.theslipstream.org/images/ban ... stream.gif"> </a>
<img src="http://www.theslipstream.org/images/ban ... stream.gif"> </a>
i think the bss flaming lips influences are pretty clear. that line from paper birds (the chord progression in the chorus) is incredibly similar to anthem for a 17 year old girl. although this has been mentioned years ago when the song came out. also, in the intro to that song a lot of the stuff marc does on bass is quoting from You Forgot It In People, the BSS album. It's pretty clear and i think he or Brad admitted it a few years ago in an interview somewhere. I remember reading it but I don't remember where the interview was from.
The end of the Intro to Soft Machine has a lot of Lips like sounds. Especially the high synth line. It's pretty much straight out of Yoshimi.
The end of the Intro to Soft Machine has a lot of Lips like sounds. Especially the high synth line. It's pretty much straight out of Yoshimi.
phrazz: though this album musically sounds nothing like Wilco, just the engineering aspect
i disagree. Mothwing Bite sounds exactly like older Wilco, while Airplane/Primitive and Paper Bird also sound wilcoish. The tones of the instruments don't give it away so much, but there are certainly similarities.
but, as the great jerry and george would say, not that there's anything wrong with that. i love this album.
i disagree. Mothwing Bite sounds exactly like older Wilco, while Airplane/Primitive and Paper Bird also sound wilcoish. The tones of the instruments don't give it away so much, but there are certainly similarities.
but, as the great jerry and george would say, not that there's anything wrong with that. i love this album.