Again I'm struggling to articulate a feeling I'm likely experiencing unfairly ;) in Over the Hill what exactly is happening? Is Martyn leaving and affair or leaving his wife to go on a drug fuelled bender? Martyn would find me totally vanilla and boring.Though not quite the same thing, this reminds me of when someone much wiser than me gently admonished me with something to the effect of "If God is prepared to give you a break don't you think you should maybe be less hard on yourself too? Or do you think it’s for you to decide how much love you deserve, rather than Him?"
If the best art is a club that you have to be 'worthy' to get into then most of us are stood outside in the cold because our names are not on the list. But I don't think that's how it is or at least should be. Better to view it as a gift. Sure some artists may want to offer their gift with strings attached but the beauty is that once it's left their hands they don't get to make that call. If the recipient just wants to receive it gratefully and with grace then there needs to be no more to it.
If you're simply saying the album is fit but it knows it, then that's a slightly different point I would say.
In that case then somebody's going to have to come up with an analysis of why Astral Weeks ended up with an average of 5.64 and this week's offering will likely score far higher.
I don't think there's much overlap at all. This one moves and grooves more in less time.
This is a true desert island disc for me and has been since i first heard it so many years ago. I can't imagine life without it. Perfection from the first note to the last. 10 out of 10
Should have scored far higher, however only takes a couple of Bimbo torpedoes to bring down the average score.
Again I'm struggling to articulate a feeling I'm likely experiencing unfairly ;) in Over the Hill what exactly is happening? Is Martyn leaving and affair or leaving his wife to go on a drug fuelled bender? Martyn would find me totally vanilla and boring.
Nah he's a selfish muppet and not capable of balanced normal relationships. Those that love him do so at great harm to themselves. If he couldn't play guitar and sing nice he'd be homeless. It irks me that I admire him ;) it also irks me I've made tremendous judgements based on a couple of tracks but that's show business I guess ;) anyway I've waffled boringly enough about this - back to my big bag of crackWhy can't it be whichever you want it to be? The intention of the provider of the gift is not irrelevant but it's not definitive.
On that one I like to think he's personified his bad habits and is leaving them in disgrace for the warming embrasure of his family. Does it match 100% lyrically, probably not, does it make me a boring vanilla homebird type? Probably, but I don't care.
As Kate Bush might have said to Peter Gabriel, you worry too much :-)
Nah he's a selfish muppet and not capable of balanced normal relationships. Those that love him do so at great harm to themselves. If he couldn't play guitar and sing nice he'd be homeless. It irks me that I admire him ;) it also irks me I've made tremendous judgements based on a couple of tracks but that's show business I guess ;) anyway I've waffled boringly enough about this - back to my big bag of crack
I was in the rambling territory rather than an exploration of art and artist. In this case though it's a bit of both. I think I was particularly triggered by his connection with Nick Drake so my understanding of this album is connected. Both seem like selfish guys and those that loved them seemed to be less like partners and more like carers. This combined with the slurred and dark layered approach of Solid Air implied to me that the album wasn't made for us but a much smaller cohort of them (probably Drake and a handful of other musicians). Finally a hit on a more coherent articulation.Sorry I'd failed to twig we were mostly in the art vs the artist territory, though in my defence you do like to come at things obliquely :-)
We occasionally touch on that in the thread you moreso than others I think but we've never really had a big discussion about it. Maybe one for one of the season break weeks, albeit probably not the festive one!
As the person who nominated Astral Weeks I'm duty bound to comment on the comparisons being made here. Nowhere near chaps but there's no point me getting my hackles up and writing a review and score based on a visceral reaction. You all say it as you hear it and that's fair enough.
A similar experience to @threespires and others to this album but probably not as marked. I'd listened to it maybe five to ten years ago becuase a colleague of the time whose musical tastes did closely align to mine had raved about it and John Martyn generally. I don't know what I heard then or how I was hearing it or blah blah life and circumstances etc but I did dismiss it, or maybe didn't dismiss it but didn't partiuclarly embrace it.
This time round I must admit it does seep in. Similar to Nick Drake who I scored poorly but on reflection would say was worming it's way to a better score given more time.
I've given this plenty of listens and found plenty to enjoy. The first three songs are very good, I don't mind the vocal tics on Solid Air, although they are the sort of thing that Van was probably maligned for.
I'd Rather Be the Devil does rather spoil the mood a bit and although Go Down Easy returns us to the earlier vibe it seems to be outisde his comfort range vocally and sags a bit.
Things pick up again after that, particularly with May You Never and The Man in The Station but The Easy Blues is a disappointing way to end the album. Or would be if the version I've been listening to didn't have an unnecessary reprise of Rather Be The Devil, albeit a live version.
So, plenty to like, enough I don't to justify my claim that this is no Astral Weeks. It hasn't made me want to listen to any more of his and I'm 50/50 on whether to keep it (well the download) or not. Stuck between a 6 and a 7 so 6.5 it is.
I think I scored Astral Weeks pretty high. There is a distinct jazz feel about both albums.In that case then somebody's going to have to come up with an analysis of why Astral Weeks ended up with an average of 5.64 and this week's offering will likely score far higher.
I don't think there's much overlap at all. This one moves and grooves more in less time.
Well, while I was sleeping I see that seconded comment took on a life of its own. ;-)As the person who nominated Astral Weeks I'm duty bound to comment on the comparisons being made here. Nowhere near chaps but there's no point me getting my hackles up and writing a review and score based on a visceral reaction. You all say it as you hear it and that's fair enough.
A fine effort indeed
I was in the rambling territory rather than an exploration of art and artist. In this case though it's a bit of both. I think I was particularly triggered by his connection with Nick Drake so my understanding of this album is connected. Both seem like selfish guys and those that loved them seemed to be less like partners and more like carers. This combined with the slurred and dark layered approach of Solid Air implied to me that the album wasn't made for us but a much smaller cohort of them (probably Drake and a handful of other musicians). Finally a hit on a more coherent articulation.
Ironically the one truest emotion I'm feeling and I think I hinted at is jealousy. I'm here putting out my bins calling these guys out when i would trade all the people that love me for a touch of schizophrenia and a chance at being significant