Blue Moon Playlist Review Club - Season 2 - Episode 32 - threespires - Could have been a Contender (pg 472)

Stephin Merritt has fingers in a sufficient number of pies that even when he's in theory solo, he's got various members of The Magnetic Fields or his other projects on hand. But this soundtrack song is just him I think.

Stephin Merritt - One April Day
 
I already hinted this was coming, so this may not surprise some.

Apart from James Mercer's primary indie band The Shins, his collaboration efforts with Danger Mouse as the group Broken Bells has been equally enjoyable and powerful.

Since it is Sunday and I (we?) need a positive outlook on the world, regional, and local news and not letting all the negative going on drag the outlook on life down, this song usually does it for me.

It is especially timely for today after last night's adjacent state and sadly predictable primary results ("The face of evil is on the news tonight"). Despite life's uncertainties, it emphasizes the importance of staying hopeful no matter the circumstances. Take charge as much as you can of your destiny, do what you can do that you can control, and don't succumb to despair. Easier said than done at times, but a good reminder all the same.

This song never made one of their 3 albums, but it has made a heavy rotation with me since it came out in 2019 (heavy pandemic play too) and it is something I often find I need to hear more than I realize.

"Good Luck" - Broken Bells
 
Last edited:
Thanks to everyone who put something up. Hopefully posters find something they like. I'm pretty sure I got everything on and I'd like to put one more on to take it just below 4 hours.
In an unusual move I'm putting one forward from a debut album not out until May.
Beth Gibbons was lead singer in the workshy Portishead. Apart from guest vocals elsewhere including the best song off Kendrick Lamars album she's only done one other full album with one of Talk Talk as Rustin Man. I'm a big fan of this one and as I began it's a nice mellow one.

Beth Gibbons - Floating On A Moment
 
Out on blue 6 said:
Thanks to everyone who put something up. Hopefully posters find something they like. I'm pretty sure I got everything on and I'd like to put one more on to take it just below 4 hours.
In an unusual move I'm putting one forward from a debut album not out until May.
Beth Gibbons was lead singer in the workshy Portishead. Apart from guest vocals elsewhere including the best song off Kendrick Lamars album she's only done one other full album with one of Talk Talk as Rustin Man. I'm a big fan of this one and as I began it's a nice mellow one.

Beth Gibbons - Floating On A Moment
Click to expand...

A top end to the playlist.
 
An excellent and very diverse playlist, filled with what I imagine is to most predominantly new/unheard before stuff. It is mostly for me at least, noticeably more than previous themes. Already listened to a lot of it, and a whole week to explore more as well.



Do we then have any volunteers for next Monday? We are back to the start of a round and anyone can go anytime. There is no order, first shout first go.

Think we will try a more reduced format though, as a few have noted that on average 70 songs a fortnight is a lot to get through or meaningfully take in.

Per Rob's suggestion, lets try:
- whoever sets the theme opens with 5 songs.
- everyone else contributes up to 3 during the first week, still one a day.
- whoever set it can close with a song should they wish to, once they see how the week has gone.
- second week gives time to listen what might end up beind 20-25 songs.


Might force us to be more selective. There may be days when nothing happens, nobody adds anything. Might find ourselves listening to the songs more, giving them more time. I would still encourage discussion and mentioning of other songs we think are pertinent to the theme and chat, as recommendations or comparisons for others to try in their own time. Which has been happening already. They don't get added to the playlist, but are there for anyone interested enough to try for themselves. If it turns out that we miss the volume of it or the routine of a daily rummage through our collections, we can agree to go back to that in another round, but lets give this a meaningful go and see.
 
I'm on a 5+ hour flight to Seattle, so the playlist not being long enough may require me to listen to some repeats or give Some Girls another go... think I'll stick with the playlist. ;-)

(btw, Delta wifi rocks)

I'm really enjoying the vast amount of new songs I've not heard before, which is great as @Coatigan had noted.

The good news is I land in time to get to a British pub for a proper lunch and a pint or two to catch today's FA Cup match at noon PT.

I don't ever envy those on the west coast having to struggle to catch a 12:30pm BT match at 4:30am PT. Thankfully none of those going on this midweek. Cheers from 10km above Iowa.
 
Anyone tempted for Monday?

Doesn't matter how recently or long ago you last went, new round, new order.
 
Out on blue 6 said:
Just listened to that. Got some At The Drive-In in it and it's actually not long enough. I may well explore further at some point
Click to expand...

You had a chance to look more into this? It is such a good album, particularly the second half. It is a bit of a one off.

Less for you perhaps and more for a few on the album thread, but he latest Colin Hay album Now and the Evermore is very good too. I noticed it come out last year and gave it a listen, but then got distracted and kinda forgot about it. This week reminded me to go back, lots of good songs on it. Conventional and possibly predictable, but works.

It is a really nice mood playlist this, easy going with only the odd bit of intensity to break it up here and there.
 
Coatigan said:
You had a chance to look more into this? It is such a good album, particularly the second half. It is a bit of a one off.

Less for you perhaps and more for a few on the album thread, but he latest Colin Hay album Now and the Evermore is very good too. I noticed it come out last year and gave it a listen, but then got distracted and kinda forgot about it. This week reminded me to go back, lots of good songs on it. Conventional and possibly predictable, but works.

It is a really nice mood playlist this, easy going with only the odd bit of intensity to break it up here and there.
Click to expand...
Not yet but will. Had a load of new stuff this weekend so am getting through those first. Haven't even got to the Idles album yet
 
I echo what's already been said: this is a fabulous playlist.

Like every other playlist, most of it is enjoyable and there are few I'm not fussed about, but what struck me in this case was the quality of @Out on blue 6 's initial five. I think this is the best opening selection of all the playlists we've had yet.

Whilst Rose Elinor Dougall's song is in the "just OK" category, three of the others are fabulous, and the best of the lot is Dennis Wilson's "River Song". If this isn't featuring in my personal playlist for years to come, I'd be surprised. On the back of this, I had a listen to the Pacific Ocean Blue album and it's mellow, moody and occasionally upbeat in the right places.

Listening to "River Song" and its parent album brings it home to me what a fabulous set of music threads and contributors we have here on Blue Moon. For the Beach Boys, it's a similar feeling as I noted when reviewing The Rolling Stones album this week: I have a "best of" for The Beach Boys and it feels enough (although I should, round round get around to listening to Pet Sounds at some point).

But what other reason would I have for listening to a late-70s "lost" album from one of the Wilson brothers who tragically died a few years after recording it? I'd certainly never have picked up on it if it wasn't for this thread.

Best of the List

"River Song" - Dennis Wilson
"Strength of Strings" - Gene Clark
"Seen It All Before" - Steve Mason
"Wounded Egos" - Gaz Coombes
"The Smile of Your Shadow" - John Paul Jones

Other tracks I enjoyed this week

"Longest Day" - Soulsavers
"Several Shades of Why" - J.Mascis
"Waiting for my Real Life to Begin" - Colin Hay
"Drive By" - Glenn Phillips
"Tower of Babel" - Natalie Merchant
"A Good Idea" - Sugar
"Dyslexic Heart" - Paul Waterberg
"The Horses" - Daryl Braithwaite
"Lyin' in a Bed of Fire" - Little Steven
"Something in that Mess" - Justin Currie
"Seven" - Ed Kowalczyk

and a few others
 
It is nice that we are all so polite here, but does anyone want to go on Monday?
 
Another great playlist, i particularly enjoyed this one as there was a large quantity of mellow songs.



Best song
Dennis Wilson , I’d heard this album many moons ago and although I’m not a big beach boys fan really liked it.

Ones I’d not heard before and rated
Steve Mason
Gaz Coombes
Colin Hay ,loved MAW back in the day and his cameos in Scrubs.
Matt Berninger ,must listen to more of his solo stuff
Daryl Braithwaite ,a great cover of a song I’m familiar with.
Jenny Lewis I love a bit of country.
Justin Currie nice and dour just my cup tea
Ed Kowalczyk , another artist I need to investigate more as really like Live

Ones I know and like
Donald Fagan
Sugar
Chris Bell
Grant Lee Philips
Keith Richards
Bryan Ferry
Chris Cornell
Masters of Folk
Broken Bells

Tbh I’d probably given this playlist a greater number of listens than some others as last weeks album nominated on the other thread is in my collection.

.
 
I'm nearly out of time from a busy week of travel, today's half-tense Derby, and then some enjoyable time outside with my son playing tennis for the first time since October. No complaints with 21C today after driving through snow two days ago coming down while in Seattle.

Associated

Thanks to @Out on blue 6 for putting this playlist concept together. As I noted prior, most of the songs were ones I hadn’t heard before, which makes it tough to rank them. Repeated listens were needed on those. This is one of my favorites of the playlists too as I think the songs stand really well on their own.

Of the initial selection, I again enjoyed all 5 as “new to me” tracks for a great opening variety. Brian Wilson’s song reminded me of a low-key Joe Cocker, and Gene Clark from the Byrds sounded in parts like Joe Walsh. If forced to pick a top 3, it would be “Seen It All Before” – Steve Mason for a well-done indie selection, ”River Song” – Dennis Wison, and “Wounded Egos” – Gaz Coombes.

The Big Winner
“Still Got The Blues” – Gary Moore. Really enjoyed the vibe, vocals, and playing on this one.

My top “lucky 13” other new tracks (not yet heard in some or no particular order):
  1. “El Doomo – Steve Ellis, just fantastic, vocals and the guitar solo both powerful
  2. “Several Shades of Why” – J Mascis, beautiful song, thought it was Eddie Vedder singing at first
  3. “Step Into My World” – Hurricane #1, Andy Bell guitars a sign of a band to come, very nice!
  4. “Always on the Run” – Bosnian Rainbows
  5. “Fairlies – Grian Chatten
  6. “451” – Brand New, what a great run of songs on the playlist from El Doomo to here!
  7. “Longest Day” – Soulsavers
  8. “Summer Clothes” – Orlando Weeks, another gem from a solo artist now familiar with from his original band
  9. “5 to 5” – Hermano
  10. “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” – Mick Ronson
  11. “Waiting For My Real Life To Begin” – Colin Hay
  12. “Protected” – Tim Finn
  13. “An Englishman In New York” – Godley & Crème, enjoyed the humo(u)r here
Top tracks I knew but enjoyed listening to again (in some or no particular order):
  1. “Man Named Truth” – Monsters Of Folk
  2. “A Good Idea” – Sugar, Bob Mould can’t go wrong
  3. “Drive By” – Glen Phillips
  4. “Not Alone Any More” – Traveling Wilburys, Roy could always hit those notes
  5. “When I’m Down” – Chris Cornell
  6. “The Haves” – Eddie Vedder
  7. “Love Feel” – Jenny Lewis, I liked her previous album better
  8. “Hate It When You Leave” – Keith Richards, very nice song, and enjoyed the vocals too!
  9. “The Goodbye Look” – Donald Fagen
  10. “Dyslexic Heart” – Paul Westerberg
 
Associated

Excellent five to start albeit I have to admit, I’m not quite as enamoured of River Song as much as others are.

Three things I particularly like this fortnight: the greater number of tracks I was unfamiliar with than normal; the overall pretty mellow tone that permeated most of the playlist and possibly most of all hearing songs from people I was familiar with but in other contexts. So a very enjoyable theme I thought.

Loads and loads of enjoyable tracks new to me albeit some of the artists I knew; would, somewhat randomly, pick out

The Ship
Several Shades of Why
Waiting For My Real Life To Begin
Josephine of The Swamps
Seven
Always on The Run
451
Good Luck


Of the stuff I was familiar with

A Good Idea (I was late to the Bob Mould party but happy I got there in the end)
In Spite of Me (I do like Matt B’s vocal range and tone)
Time Zone (sue me)
Protected
Floating on a Moment (Think I’ve already mentioned somewhere I’m really looking forward to her debut solo album which will be out in May I believe)

Related to this last one I think ‘comment of the week’ goes to @Out on blue 6 for “the lead singer in the workshy Portishead”.


Bring on the Bimbo!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top