The Album Review Club - Week #194 (page 1303) - Ants From Up There - Black Country, New Road

I had a whole range of mental notes for this pick ranging from a comparison to early Sneaker Pimps; differentiating between when they are being deliberately restrained from when it's all they've got; through to the dangers of 'beautiful but broken' tropes in real life and some ramblings about why a scorpion might choose to dress up smartly for non sinister reasons. I was also going to start a fight about why so many on here seem incapable of differentiating one female voice from another. "Now I'm not being prejudiced guvnor but them types that sing naturally above a G4 all sound the same to me, that'll be £22.50 mate."

But I've run out of time to organise those thoughts into anything coherent. Also Kevin effing Rowland has already invaded my thoughts. So I'll simply say...
I like this a lot more than most here do, partly because for me it's one of those occasional records where it's limitations make it more rather than less likeable.

8/10
 
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threespires said:
I had a whole range of mental notes for this pick ranging from a comparison to early Sneaker Pimps; differentiating between when they are being deliberately restrained from when it's all they've got; through to the dangers of 'beautiful but broken' tropes in real life and some ramblings about why a scorpion might choose to dress up smartly for non sinister reasons. I was also going to start a fight about why so many on here seem incapable of differentiating one female voice from another. "Now I'm not being prejudiced govnor but them types that sing naturally above a G4 all sound the same to me, that'll be £22.50 mate."

But I've run out of time to organise those thoughts into anything coherent. Also Kevin effing Rowland has already invaded my thoughts. So I'll simply say...
I like this a lot more than most here do, partly because for me it's one of those occasional records where it's limitations make it more rather than less likeable.

8/10
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Your unwritten review sounded great!

I found myself humming bits of the LG album and also recommended it to my son even though it may be a little commercial for his taste
 
mrbelfry said:
Your unwritten review sounded great!

I found myself humming bits of the LG album and also recommended it to my son even though it may be a little commercial for his taste
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Annoyed at myself for not organising my time better as both you and journo had made interesting points I wanted to chime in on.

Anyway now we're on Mr Rowland and associates I remember when he did his unusual (kindest word I can think of) covers album and promoted it by dressing up in lingerie. I've always thought I'm a live and let live sort of person and I have no problem whatsoever with anyone wearing whatever they want, but Kevin Rowland and his lingerie showed me that I was kidding myself. Think he was already off the drugs by then, so no idea what was going on.

He's always been a polarising chap so this pick might lead to some interesting discussion.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
Sorry to miss out two weeks in a row — hols then family stuff. Hope to be on track this week.
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I've just asked chat gpt what you were likely to be doing with your newly retired status. It suggested you were having dinner parties with "organic wines and artisan cheeses" and was possibly dabbling in meditation and gong baths. So I told it you liked The Tubes and X and it changed it's 'mind' and decided you would be watching John Waters and David Lynch films and drinking a reasonable amount of bourbon.

In theory at this moment I'm supposed to be specifying the requirements for a visualisation of a persons inner monologue for a piece of ed tech, but that's proving quite challenging so I might play the "chat gpt predicts foggy's retirement" game a bit longer.
 
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threespires said:
I've just asked chat gpt what you were likely to be doing with your newly retired status. It suggested you were having dinner parties with "organic wines and artisan cheeses" and was possibly dabbling in meditation and gong baths. So I told it you liked The Tubes and X and it changed it's 'mind' and decided you would be watching John Waters and David Lynch films and drinking a reasonable amount of bourbon.

In theory at this moment I'm supposed to be specifying the requirements for a visualisation of a persons inner monologue for a piece of ed tech, but that's proving quite challenging so I might play the "chat gpt predicts foggy's retirement" game a bit longer.
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The wine and cheese thing is a good guess! Two weeks in Scandinavia and dropping our kid off at UNIS in Svalbard and now down visiting my mom in LA. Korean BBQ last night! Finally back to NoCal today :)
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
The wine and cheese thing is a good guess! Two weeks in Scandinavia and dropping our kid off at UNIS in Svalbard and now down visiting my mom in LA. Korean BBQ last night! Finally back to NoCal today :)
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Very nice, is Fog Jnr doing fieldwork / research? Some well cool stuff done up there.

Tend not to get jealous of people but I had a work mate who had worked at the other pole in the BAS who I was very envious of.
 
threespires said:
Very nice, is Fog Jnr doing fieldwork / research? Some well cool stuff done up there.

Tend not to get jealous of people but I had a work mate who had worked at the other pole in the BAS who I was very envious of.
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Yep — polar atmospheric research for four months. A physics major with a thesis focus on aeronomy.
 
mrbelfry said:
Bit of an over reaction this week. Gone from LG with a great etheral singer to Dexy's shambolic pig vomit vocals. Be curious if we get the same criticism of the male wail ;)
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First listen on way in to work this morning. Whilst I loved the backing and horns, the first word that came to mind with the vocals was "sludgy" ...not quite up there with pig vomit vocals
 
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