The Album Review Club - Week #191 (page 1286) - Harlequin Dream - Boy & Bear

BimboBob said:
All of my albums so far have meant something to me and featured heavily in my life. And I couldn't give two hoots if no one else gets them. Nature of the beast.
You put your album up, explain why it's important and then watch as people pull it apart. Getting upset by criticism by someone who doesn't have your history with the album is pointless.

So what if it's described as Friends, Lift or Dinner Party Music...you get it. You love it. And rarely, someone else will get it as well. And when they do you will get a warm glow and perform a fist bump to no one in particular.

In the meantime keep chucking albums you love up. I for one get excited every Wednesday to see what's new, to see if I'll like it and to see if it's another new album to buy.
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Page 1 disclaimer material, dare I say?

Well said, from someone who has done at least a few fit bumps here. ;-)
 
RobMCFC said:
The thread was set up for us to share our stories and memories of albums that we loved "back in the day", and the general approach when reviewing 9 out of 10 albums seems to be to criticise an album for being "too safe", "friends music", "nothing stands out", "similar to a, b, c but not as good as x, y z". You keep an eye on reviews this round and tell me I'm wrong when we get to February.
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In fairness Rob, the dinner party comments did result in your finest moment on this thread.

I can't now hear the phrase "can you pass the (gravy/other item) please" without imagining the dinner table at Bimbo Towers descending into violent chaos.
 
BimboBob said:
All of my albums so far have meant something to me and featured heavily in my life. And I couldn't give two hoots if no one else gets them. Nature of the beast.
You put your album up, explain why it's important and then watch as people pull it apart. Getting upset by criticism by someone who doesn't have your history with the album is pointless.

So what if it's described as Friends, Lift or Dinner Party Music...you get it. You love it. And rarely, someone else will get it as well. And when they do you will get a warm glow and perform a fist bump to no one in particular.

In the meantime keep chucking albums you love up. I for one get excited every Wednesday to see what's new, to see if I'll like it and to see if it's another new album to buy.
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Sticks and stones may break my bones, but that 3 will hurt forever.. ;)

I agree mostly, the point I was making earlier is that even the current me would experience younger me's albums differently than I would have at that time and in that context, so hard to expect others to get the same connection with it out of the experience.

And then, it might also be something that is borderline to most, but just hits the spot with someone else at the right time and right mood, and moves them in a way that makes it all the more worthwhile. The only example I can think of off the top of my head is B&W's reaction to The Gritterman album. Which come to think of it wasn't even a formal nomination. If it moves one person, and they get something you got out of it, job done imho. Or if it results in you buying it, sometimes that's as telling as a 10, ha.

No issue with people not liking my albums, I am more concerened with them 'getting' my albums, even if that means they dislike it. I do get rob's sentiment too, particularly when an album is judged on what people would like to find in it, rather than what might be found in it. We are all 'guilty' of that though, himself included, and I just accept that as somewhat inevitable.
 
And after posting that, here is my score.

Middle of the road American rock lite? Pop rock? is not really my thing. It does nothing for me. It doesn't move my soul. I just wanted the singer to really open the taps but no...just the same over and over again. As I said before, that is probably down to his voice limitations, but what he does sing is ok. It's smooth. Never a note out of place. The guitar work is ok as well. Does the job. As do the other instruments. Ok. Songs? They are ok as well. Nothing stood out, maybe the first number a bit more than the others, but they are all handled with the same ok aplome.

What am I saying here? It's, to my ears, an average album performed by average musicians. Never going to be my sort of thing, I've got average synth to listen to...

The good thing is that it doesn't offend. So it gets a 5/10
 
BimboBob said:
And after posting that, here is my score.

Middle of the road American rock lite? Pop rock? is not really my thing. It does nothing for me. It doesn't move my soul. I just wanted the singer to really open the taps but no...just the same over and over again. As I said before, that is probably down to his voice limitations, but what he does sing is ok. It's smooth. Never a note out of place. The guitar work is ok as well. Does the job. As do the other instruments. Ok. Songs? They are ok as well. Nothing stood out, maybe the first number a bit more than the others, but they are all handled with the same ok aplome.

What am I saying here? It's, to my ears, an average album performed by average musicians. Never going to be my sort of thing, I've got average synth to listen to...

The good thing is that it doesn't offend. So it gets a 5/10
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A 5 from you and an 8 from bennyboy. I’m well chuffed! If anybody beats this double this round, I’ll be surprised.
 
It's hard to write something truly original, and I could be referring there with a little sympathy to the Smithereens or I could just as well be feeling it for myself having to come up with something original to say about an album that...

It's probably all been said. I didn't really get the Elvis Costello comparisons but could hear shades of other bands and did somebody say the Beatles? That's not the most ridiculous thing to suggest but then there were times I was put in mind more of the Rutles such was the pastiche nature of some of the songs.

I found the whole thing competent, unexciting but not offensive. I did like the harpsichord on Blue Period and I didn't dislike any of it. But that is probably as far as it goes I'm afraid. It's honest music, worth a 6 but can't see me ever listening to it again.
 
SMITHEREENS 11



Now this is an album I should like a lot , but sorry Rob it’s just ok.

The single A Girl Like You starts the album off well.The next track sounds like Crowded house, ‘Baby be good ‘sounds like Gin Blossoms doing a cover of ‘ I only want to be with you ‘ by Dusty .William Wilson sounds like EC s ‘Veronica’

I like the general sound with the added harpsichord on some tracks , his vocals a good too and it’s a short album but it just doesn’t grab me.

6/10
 
Interestingly I find Girl Like You the most meh song on the album. Clearly others hear something in it. I tried again, in isolation rather than as an opener. Nothing.
 
At only ten songs and a blessedly short running time (not cuz it’s bad, but because I prefer short to long running times), this one is pretty easy to break down into compartments. There are some quite good songs, some songs that sound plenty like Elvis Costello, and some passable songs.

Of the first category, I hear three: the two hits (Girls 1 and 2) and Room. Of the second category, there are three: Blue Period, WW and (more arguably) the closer. Let’s call the remaining four acceptable but un-impactful.

Let’s also skip the lyrics and the musicianship because there’s nothing here that overly taxes the brain or the ears, but nothing that offends them either. This assumes you aren’t offended by category 2, where the “sounds like” is vocal- and tempo-oriented, and not — repeat not — clever or mournful or uplifting as a reasonable percentage of Mr. Costello’s lyrics are. I personally was not offended, nor did I LOL at the audacity. I nodded pleasantly as I would at a properly completed and utterly meaningless pre-school exercise my kid might have done. “Well done, son — that looks very much like a giraffe.” Like that, you know?

The lyrics do seem almost purposefully banal. I am reasonably sure somewhere around 70% of the words used are one-syllable. But while dull, The Smithereens also aren’t taking a chance of lapsing into pretentiousness either. In fact, I think this record might take fewer musical or lyrical risks than any we’ve had on this thread.

All said, it’s nearly impossible to hate 11, and as easy to like as to ignore it. Clearly I forgot about quite a few songs they wrote, and those were songs I liked! And while I could see some loving it instead of merely liking it, I could only see that if one’s musical palette was either pretty targeted or not especially expansive. That’s no knock on anyone who would love it. But if you love this, man, do I have some bands you should hear. You’ll graduate from copying giraffes in crayon to riding the motherfuckers across the savannas of Chad.

The Smithereens only come close to that kind of rush covering other bands’ stuff. I suspect even Pete Townsend would approve of their rendition of The Seeker. It’s better than Rush’s. So there’s that. 6/10.
 
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There is nothing wrong with catchy 3 minute pop songs!
A great start and the album moves along at a fair pace with only the last track being a little "meh" for me.
As @bennyboy said I think this is a rare one of late in that there aren't any tracks that you really want to skip. But then by the total running time its doesn't drag and need that.
All new on me and a very enjoyable 7 from the Derry jury
 
Got my clues ready for my pick today.
Unfortunately my gif is too large to post.
Is there any idiots guide going to make it smaller to post.
 
The Smithereens - 11

Agree with most on here , it's good rock but just a bit safe , these are like the Dads of Lemonheads.
'Girl Like You' is a great opener , loud base rock song and catchy as hell.
The rest is all ok, some more catchy moments and a good energy throughout. Definitely hear Costello in the vocals and sound. Probably as clear as a 6 as it can get. Good pick.

6/10
 
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bennyboy said:
Got my clues ready for my pick today.
Unfortunately my gif is too large to post.
Is there any idiots guide going to make it smaller to post.
Click to expand...

If you open it in your gallery app, there will be an edit button of some type same as for an image, and it will have a reduce size or crop button amongst that. Most do.
 
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