I don't get it

I liked LCD Soundsystem very much, and thought that they put out two pretty excellent albums and one decent one in their brief existence.

But I really don't savvy their post-break up deification. They were around for what, five years? Recorded a grand total of three albums? Sold a few thousand copies of those albums in and around Brooklyn and a few hundred more around the rest of the country. So why do they get a documentary of their farewell concert like they were The Band, and now we're seeing a ton of hype concerning a new book covering them in depth like they were The Beatles?

I can understand their break-up being news. I don't understand it being treated like a major cultural event.

However, I will concede to youngsters in the crowd who object to my failing to see LCD Soundsystem's major importance in the great scheme of things that the same basic argument could be made for the Velvet Underground - four albums that no one bought in roughly a five year period. Big Star, two official albums, one unreleased one, in a handful of years. So yeah, brief existence and limited output has no bearing on longterm importance.

But I guess the thing with the Velvets and Big Star is that it took a while before the halos were permanently hammered onto their skulls, once their small outputs became the basic DNA of a few generations of subsequent bands. No one was putting out VU or Big Star documentaries when they broke up, with their full cooperation.

What bugs me about the whole thing is it just seems to me like James Murphy is throwing his own coronation party. Someone is trying to hasten his band's ascent to myth and when you see someone pro-actively collaborating in building their own legend, it feels a bit distasteful. Let history decide if you belong in the Pantheon, Jimmy. Quit trying to force your way in.



Post Edited (10-25-12 11:32)

I've yet to hear a single song by LCD Soundsystem.

Awww, Toland. That is easily rectified. If you like Brian Eno at all and you have 7 minutes to spare, please listen to this. I think LCDS created some amazing tunes, though agree that the current treatment of them is pure hagiography.

You know, the reasons I've never made any effort to listen to LCDS are the relentless hype (when they played the ACL Fest a couple of years ago the media acted like God Herself was going to touch down on stage) and because every time I see the word "electro" in a band's description, I run, not walk, in the other direction.

But I quite like this. I can definitely hear the Eno influence, but it's not a copy of his style. I'll have to explore them (him? it?) further.

That's great, Toland! I'm not trying to make you a convert, but if you have 7 more minutes, and you like "Here Comes the Warm Jets", you might like this one too. It cops that great warm ebow guitar riff and makes a nice pop song out of it.

I played his first album on MOG and realized that I have, in fact, heard his music before. I definitely recognized "Daft Punk is Playing at My House."

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Can't say, but Murphy certainly understood how to market himself/his label/his brand very ably.

And I guess that's the rub for me. Something just feels very Kevin Smith about the whole thing, which bugs me but maybe it shouldn't. Hell, if you've got the ability to make an industry of yourself and build your own legend on your own terms, I guess that's really kind of an admirable thing. Murphy can hardly be blamed with sticking a name tag on himself reading "I'M IMPORTANT" if he can get away with it and whatever passes for the rock media is willing to go along with it.

As I said, I have no problems with LCD musically - I think Sound of Silver and This Is Happening are pretty damn great overall - I've never been as wild about the first album but it's still pretty solid. So it doesn't bug me anywhere nearly as much as it would if it were someone I can't stand seeming to pretty much write their own entry in the next encyclopedia of rock.

Well, I don't think I had heard they were breaking up, but I'm kinda puzzled by this too. I'd also sorta considered LCDS to be just that one dude, so how does the band "break up"? Does that mean he's retiring from music? I do agree that he's made some nice music, so it would be a shame if that were the case. But I ain't gonna lose much sleep over it regardless.

I think James Murphy is very good, and I have liked most (not all) of the LCD Soundsystem I've heard. I actually watched some of the farewell concert online when it took place, and I can see why he gained the attention.

First off, he both helped create, and commented on, the whole scene as he was making it. A lot of the songs were (hilariously) self-referential. "Daft Punk is Playing at My House?" Classic. And of course, "Losing My Edge" is a great comment on music-hipster insiderism, and how self-devouring that all can be.

Furthermore, the sounds are good. Lots of 70s Bowie references, Eno of course, and really clever and consistently entertaining production. Murphy really knows popular music history, and tweaks and updates a lot of vintage sounds very well. The long dance tracks have pop appeal, and there is plenty of guitar rock as well. ("All Your Friends?" Great rock song.)

He is also a great interviewee. Find the tracks of him talking to All Things Considered, and he's thoughtful, self-effacing, polite, and witty. [www.npr.org])

So, I think there is a lot to like. Now, a better question: Why did/does he get all this acclaim when there are probably equally talented people who are laboring in isolation? Can't say, but Murphy certainly understood how to market himself/his label/his brand very ably.

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James Murphy is throwing his own coronation party

Winner. Come up on the podium and collect your prize.

When someone announces their retirement and they're not in their 70s or in bad health, I always assume a ploy. I prefer bands like Sleater Kinney, who just say "well for now we're doing other things". Murphy will probaby just pick a new name and claim a new approach without actually adopting one.

LCD is okay, it is what it is and I like a few tracks, but in that genre what makes him better than dozens of others (I'll save the pedantry and not listmake)? He can click his mouse better? Because I don't think the melodies, arrangements and vox are worthy of the revered status and the albums had a lot of filler. This can't be said about VU. Compare instead to Air, M83, Daft Punk, Gorillaz, etc. ? There are just so many going back so far if you start mentioning Eno. It's like suddenly saying Paul Banks is the greatest guitarist in the world because one of his influences is Kurt Cobain.

Anyway, breno, I noticed this chain of events happened, too, and thought the same thing.



Post Edited (10-26-12 03:01)

I like 'em a lot. I came to them pretty late so I never saw them live. I'd head Daft Punk.... on the radio and thought it was pretty cool but wasn't enthused enough to seek anything out. Then I saw them do a couple of song on Later With Jools Holland and really like them. Not long after that I picked up Sound of Silver from a bargain bin for $4.
Saw the film at the Sydney Opera House with a mega sound system and liked it a lot, so yeah, I guess I'm a fan. I don't think it's a case of HIM being better than dozens of others, I think it's more a case of THEM being better than dozens of others because I think it's the chemistry that puts them a cut above, especially when you look and see that a lot of the stuff they do is pretty simple.

g'day aitch, mates & the rust a ya general blokes,
for me, and i have tried but 'lcd soundsytems' just never did rock.