The Album Review Club - Week #196 (page 1316) - Aja - Steely Dan

MillionMilesAway said:
Having seen them play some/many years ago - probably around the time this album came out - I fully agree that each tune should be played in full. Some can feel a bit cold and dark, from memory, and sometimes they specifically play in a discordant manner.
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That is an interesting and very appropriate observation. The discordant manner you describe, wasn't really noticeable on the first album, although they did it often live. At gigs, it made it feel like they really would get lost in the moment, and would each in turn run away with it to eventually be pulled back on by the others. It crept into this album, and I quite liked it, felt more like a recording of a performance than a studio album. It became more and more pronounced and imo they may have taken it a bit too far with the bell that never rang, getting a bit too abstract. They seem to be reigning it in with a bit more structure, maybe feeling boundaries have been pushed enough.
 
Coatigan said:
That is an interesting and very appropriate observation. The discordant manner you describe, wasn't really noticeable on the first album, although they did it often live. At gigs, it made it feel like they really would get lost in the moment, and would each in turn run away with it to eventually be pulled back on by the others. It crept into this album, and I quite liked it, felt more like a recording of a performance than a studio album. It became more and more pronounced and imo they may have taken it a bit too far with the bell that never rang, getting a bit too abstract. They seem to be reigning it in with a bit more structure, maybe feeling boundaries have been pushed enough.
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I don't think I've heard any of the recent stuff, but it did come across as a bit 'look at us' live. When I saw them was obviously early in the Lau timeframe, and they worked their way into a hole and then dragged themselves out (paraphrasing them) - it seemed odd to me at the time as I wasn't expecting it.

Interesting to hear that they persisted with it. Thanks - I'll stop derailing this so people can comment on the album!
 
MillionMilesAway said:
I don't think I've heard any of the recent stuff, but it did come across as a bit 'look at us' live. When I saw them was obviously early in the Lau timeframe, and they worked their way into a hole and then dragged themselves out (paraphrasing them) - it seemed odd to me at the time as I wasn't expecting it.

Interesting to hear that they persisted with it. Thanks - I'll stop derailing this so people can comment on the album!
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No, by all means keep commenting, that's ultimately what the thread is for, and it makes it all the more interesting. And we have previously gone on far more astray tangents (often involving radiohead ;)) than just about the artist at hand. Plus, always good to exchange opinion with someone that knows some background, as much people sharing impressions too. We may well have sat in the same room at some point listening to them live.

Yeah intersting take, maybe depends on at what point and in what context you may have seen them live. I do get it, and have at times questioned whether they were just propping the rod they made for their own backs.

I think initially, it was genuine, probably. In the sense that are three very capable and established musicians, who got together based on shared likes and circles, and just tried something for fun with no idea where it would go. They had live gigs long before they released an album, and at some of the early shows, all you could get was their individual albums. They hadn't yet recoreded anything, despite having a full enough set to perform. So you would feel guilty if you got one, while the other two looked at you in disappointment! In fact they used to email their small circle of 'subscribers' mp3s directly as they recorded them, prior to the first album. I still have a couple of yet unreleased songs. At one gig they suggested requests, I shouted one out, and they politely had to make an excuse that it was going back a bit too far.

So at that point, the 'look at me' I think was consequential to the nature of their band. Effectively three musicians 'jamming' for lack of a better word (washes mouth out). That's why some songs come across as bitty, because one brought their theme forward to start with and at some point the other morphed into a tune they wrote and knew, while the third tried to keep up. In fact when the first album came out, I remember being somewhat disappointed it didn't feel as organic as their live stuff and felt more 'planned'.

I think from there onwards though, it is hard to guess whether they continued with it because that's just how they liked making music, and it worked for them. OR, whether they had to live up to the 'breaking boundaries' acclaim that was attributed to them by the success of the early shows and the critics. What is probably beyond doubt is that they exhausted it, either way.

Some things they collaborate on can actually be even more extreme, as well as more structured, but that's another discussion for later. This iteration started out as them 'being themselves' and having a comfortable setting to try that in. At what point it lost that and became a milestone round their necks, hard to say. Imo, probably the album after this (excluding the inbetween EP).
 
Really just wanted to make sure I got a post on page 1985 (my favourite year), but I too am looking forward to hearing a full album from Lau more than the selections we've gotten on the playlists.

I missed the guesses earlier with work unfortunately messing with my 2025 thus far, but looking forward to hearing this.
 
Coatigan said:
No, by all means keep commenting, that's ultimately what the thread is for, and it makes it all the more interesting. And we have previously gone on far more astray tangents (often involving radiohead ;)) than just about the artist at hand. Plus, always good to exchange opinion with someone that knows some background, as much people sharing impressions too. We may well have sat in the same room at some point listening to them live.

Yeah intersting take, maybe depends on at what point and in what context you may have seen them live. I do get it, and have at times questioned whether they were just propping the rod they made for their own backs.

I think initially, it was genuine, probably. In the sense that are three very capable and established musicians, who got together based on shared likes and circles, and just tried something for fun with no idea where it would go. They had live gigs long before they released an album, and at some of the early shows, all you could get was their individual albums. They hadn't yet recoreded anything, despite having a full enough set to perform. So you would feel guilty if you got one, while the other two looked at you in disappointment! In fact they used to email their small circle of 'subscribers' mp3s directly as they recorded them, prior to the first album. I still have a couple of yet unreleased songs. At one gig they suggested requests, I shouted one out, and they politely had to make an excuse that it was going back a bit too far.

So at that point, the 'look at me' I think was consequential to the nature of their band. Effectively three musicians 'jamming' for lack of a better word (washes mouth out). That's why some songs come across as bitty, because one brought their theme forward to start with and at some point the other morphed into a tune they wrote and knew, while the third tried to keep up. In fact when the first album came out, I remember being somewhat disappointed it didn't feel as organic as their live stuff and felt more 'planned'.

I think from there onwards though, it is hard to guess whether they continued with it because that's just how they liked making music, and it worked for them. OR, whether they had to live up to the 'breaking boundaries' acclaim that was attributed to them by the success of the early shows and the critics. What is probably beyond doubt is that they exhausted it, either way.

Some things they collaborate on can actually be even more extreme, as well as more structured, but that's another discussion for later. This iteration started out as them 'being themselves' and having a comfortable setting to try that in. At what point it lost that and became a milestone round their necks, hard to say. Imo, probably the album after this (excluding the inbetween EP).
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As I said, it's a long time ago, and I wasn't expecting it - I wasn't inclined to pursue them further. I'd come across Drever's name in another outfit and had a recommendation for him.

Unless you frequent the Union Chapel or EFDSS in London (where I should go more often) it's unlikely to be the same place!

I've seen a few folk collectives when I get motivated/organised, with Bellowhead and Spiers&Boden the most common. If @BlueHammer85 thinks Lau have fiddle, Bellowhead's four fiddle combos are quite something (Sloe Gin set or Frogs Legs and Dragons Teeth would be the big two of those, with the full 11-piece having fun).
 
MillionMilesAway said:
As I said, it's a long time ago, and I wasn't expecting it - I wasn't inclined to pursue them further. I'd come across Drever's name in another outfit and had a recommendation for him.

Unless you frequent the Union Chapel or EFDSS in London (where I should go more often) it's unlikely to be the same place!

I've seen a few folk collectives when I get motivated/organised, with Bellowhead and Spiers&Boden the most common. If @BlueHammer85 thinks Lau have fiddle, Bellowhead's four fiddle combos are quite something (Sloe Gin set or Frogs Legs and Dragons Teeth would be the big two of those, with the full 11-piece having fun).
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What was the other outfit out of interest?

I like a bit of Bellowhead from time to time, still think their first album Burlesque is their best. They are hardly free from mish-mashs, discord and look at me performances though, there is just more of them to look at.
 
Oooo it's Wednesday already?

An album and band I do not know so will be fun to explore. After my minor Rod Stewart fracas I will do my best to be kind
 
Coatigan said:
What was the other outfit out of interest?

I like a bit of Bellowhead from time to time, still think their first album Burlesque is their best. They are hardly free from mish-mashs, discord and look at me performances though, there is just more of them to look at.
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Not sure - drever mccusker woomble maybe (certainly had his name in it, and this trio shows up on wikipedia!)

Burlesque and Matachin are very good. Hedonism a bit patchy, Broadside and Revival much better - Hedonism and Broadside have some weird things on them which I don't like as much as the more tuneful things.
They played a fair amount of the very early EP on the recent tour.

I think they ran out of steam which is why Boden called a halt for a while. They've not made a new album in ten years, bar the pandemic live album and the later live album - it looks as though they just tour every 2 years now, and have a fun month doing so.

The girl who's come in to replace the late Paul Sartin does a good job in an impossible task. The previous tour Sartin tribute of Brisk Lad was spinetingling.
 
Sort of Lau connected. I see Karine Polwart is headlining the final Saturday of Celtic Connections and that there are still a few tickets left for the 3 days of workshops to join her backing choir for the performance; what a great idea and opportunity.

Sadly the workshop dates don't fit my diary but perhaps more pertinently any crimes Longshanks committed in Scotland would pale into insignificance compared to me deploying my vocal skills on stage, even if they were being masked by 299 others.
 
MillionMilesAway said:
Not sure - drever mccusker woomble maybe (certainly had his name in it, and this trio shows up on wikipedia!)

Burlesque and Matachin are very good. Hedonism a bit patchy, Broadside and Revival much better - Hedonism and Broadside have some weird things on them which I don't like as much as the more tuneful things.
They played a fair amount of the very early EP on the recent tour.

I think they ran out of steam which is why Boden called a halt for a while. They've not made a new album in ten years, bar the pandemic live album and the later live album - it looks as though they just tour every 2 years now, and have a fun month doing so.

The girl who's come in to replace the late Paul Sartin does a good job in an impossible task. The previous tour Sartin tribute of Brisk Lad was spinetingling.
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Yeah Before the Ruin was their (as a trio) one and only album, and it was great. It is a good 5 years after this Lau album though, so if you saw them in the back of that recommendation, it probably aould have been around the time of the bell that never rang album, which I get might have been a tough gig. Woomble's solo albums are pretty good too for some folk-lite.

Tbf I know Bellowhead's first three albums better than the later ones. Might need to revisit that. If that's your cup of tea, Back of the Moon are worth a look at as well.
 
threespires said:
Sort of Lau connected. I see Karine Polwart is headlining the final Saturday of Celtic Connections and that there are still a few tickets left for the 3 days of workshops to join her backing choir for the performance; what a great idea and opportunity.

Sadly the workshop dates don't fit my diary but perhaps more pertinently any crimes Longshanks committed in Scotland would pale into insignificance compared to me deploying my vocal skills on stage, even if they were being masked by 299 others.
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That reminds me, I still haven't looked at this year's programme and line-ups. Sounds an interesting thing, that workshop.
 
Coatigan said:
That is an interesting and very appropriate observation. The discordant manner you describe, wasn't really noticeable on the first album, although they did it often live. At gigs, it made it feel like they really would get lost in the moment, and would each in turn run away with it to eventually be pulled back on by the others. It crept into this album, and I quite liked it, felt more like a recording of a performance than a studio album. It became more and more pronounced and imo they may have taken it a bit too far with the bell that never rang, getting a bit too abstract. They seem to be reigning it in with a bit more structure, maybe feeling boundaries have been pushed enough.
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I quite like The Bell That Never Rang though I would accept the title track needs editing it down. It was produced by Joan As Policewoman who I like, but then between the three of them there's hardly anyone they haven't worked with. On the subject of which Martin Green's Flit even though it features Portishead's Adrian Utley is definitely pushing the boundaries of what I want to listen to.
 
threespires said:
I quite like The Bell That Never Rang though I would accept the title track needs editing it down. It was produced by Joan As Policewoman who I like, but then between the three of them there's hardly anyone they haven't worked with. On the subject of which Martin Green's Flit even though it features Portishead's Adrian Utley is definitely pushing the boundaries of what I want to listen to.
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Yeah his solo stuff is definitely the most out there of the three.

I saw a gig where they played the bell that never rang, twice in a row. As 'an experiment'. While their trust in the audience is admirable, and it was a brave attempt, it may have been a step too far for me at the time.
 
Coatigan said:
That reminds me, I still haven't looked at this year's programme and line-ups. Sounds an interesting thing, that workshop.
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As ever it's quite an eclectic mix, some good Americana this year. We thought we might be able to get up for the final weekend and I was quite keen on seeing Cara Dillon but it's all gone pear shaped.
 
MillionMilesAway said:
Not sure - drever mccusker woomble maybe (certainly had his name in it, and this trio shows up on wikipedia!)

Burlesque and Matachin are very good. Hedonism a bit patchy, Broadside and Revival much better - Hedonism and Broadside have some weird things on them which I don't like as much as the more tuneful things.
They played a fair amount of the very early EP on the recent tour.

I think they ran out of steam which is why Boden called a halt for a while. They've not made a new album in ten years, bar the pandemic live album and the later live album - it looks as though they just tour every 2 years now, and have a fun month doing so.

The girl who's come in to replace the late Paul Sartin does a good job in an impossible task. The previous tour Sartin tribute of Brisk Lad was spinetingling.
Click to expand...

Just back to Drever for a second. I actually think his voice works best as a second vocal, with the likes of Woomble, Hewerdine, Polwart, or in particular Frightened Rabbit's Hutchinson in that song I absolutely love, Norland Wind. Rather than as the lone singer like the couple of tracks on this album. But I do like both Winter Moon and Banks of Marble on this. Particularly the second, which although of age old problems, came out at the height of the recession and really hit struck a nerve.
 
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