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rhettlawrence
new Arcade Fire
March 19, 2007 10:09AM
I haven't heard it yet, but this statement in the new review posted on TP seems a little overreaching:

"Neon Bible ranks among the best indie rock recordings of all time."

Anyone care to confirm or deny?
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ratboy
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 19, 2007 01:03PM
"Keep the Car Running" is the bastard child of "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "On the Dark Side". Does this equal one of the best indie rock recordings ever? I am much more positively inclined toward U2 than most on this BB, but I tend to think not.

Arcade Fire is an awfully good band, and I have a lot to absorb yet on this CD, so I'm still thinking of all my reactions as preliminary. So far I think it's a worthy purchase and a worthy successor to Funeral. But "among the best indie rock recordings of all time" wasn't my own initial reaction. Put me in the "deny" camp, at least until I've had a few more listens.

I thought that claim was very timely, though, in light of the discussion here on preordained classics.
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nosepail
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 19, 2007 04:07PM
I generally dont buy any CDs until they have been critically vetted and I havent really entered the downloadable music arena yet, so I too am interested in the veracity of the TP claim. One of the other music sites I read posits the opposite view: "I wanted to get a warning out as quickly as possible: this Montreal indie septet is possibly the worst, most overhyped critics' fave band I've ever heard." This makes me nervous to shell out $11.99 at my local Newbury Comics. Please, let's tally the votes!

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mats84
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 19, 2007 04:20PM
I am also in the "deny" camp. I have a very strange reaction to this band.

I think they're great....but not great in any way that I remotely care about or that I can use in my life at this point (meaning they don't cheer me up, they don't make me feel younger, they don't make me want to move, or more specifically, they don't make me want to put a move on that new girl in the office who I always see on the 2nd floor like its just a coincidence we both get coffee at 11:00 every day? I think not.)

I only appreciate them with grudging respect in some abstract, intellectual sense.

I am open minded enough to realize this is all my problem, and if I was 10 years younger or coming at them from a different place in my life, they could well be a band I love(d).

But, right now, March 19th, 2007 - with Cheap Trick's debut blaring in the background, I am about as tempted to play "Neon Bible" again as I am to eat a salad for dinner.

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madisdadi
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 21, 2007 06:04PM
thx for bringing up CT!
Ct Debut and In Color playing now!
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totaji
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 21, 2007 12:30PM
Intervention and Bad Vibrations sound like they came off Born To Run (with the excessive jingle bells and all). A more sinister version though. The lyrics even have that working man Springsteen thing.
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Gilfer
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 24, 2007 05:07AM
Funny thing is.....You guys only ..think about ....nothing.. mostly! So.. who would give a shit about your opinion of music? Not me.
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michael baker
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 24, 2007 05:33AM
i thought about something last week.
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breno
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 24, 2007 06:55AM
Things I intend to think about this very day:

The Defenestration of Prague and its impact on history
This story I'm listening to on Morning Edition about the future of dachshunds
The strange disappearance of Franz Marc's The Tower of Blue Horses
Salma Hayek
What's for breakfast
Global warming
Organizing that pile of CDs taking up valuable closet space
Getting the cat pee smell out of that thrift store sofa in the other room
Salma Hayek again
Whether I want to finish reading E.L. Doctorow's The March before I start on that new Clinton Heylin book
Is there a skunk living under my front porch, and if so, what do I do about it?
My continuing re-assessment of HA HA HA by Ultravox
Going to the post office and finally mailing those Ultraman dvds I promised Baker back in November or so that have been in the backseat of my car since Thanksgiving
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randysan
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 24, 2007 07:11AM
i've been mostly thinking about warren zevon



Post Edited (03-24-07 09:33)
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michael baker
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 24, 2007 07:22AM
who's he?
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michael baker
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 24, 2007 07:24AM
i'd like to defenestrate selma hayek


doctorow's welc to hard times is superior and loon lake is above ave

that's no skunk under yr porch; that's my ex wife
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STEVE
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 25, 2007 12:42PM
let me think about that.
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satchmykels
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 24, 2007 02:52PM
Gilfer wrote:

> Funny thing is.....You guys only ..think about ....nothing..
> mostly! So.. who would give a shit about your opinion of music?
> Not me.


i think nothing of the new arcade fire, does that count as something? hehe
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randysan
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 21, 2007 03:01PM
thank-you rhett for posting what was on the tip of my tongue. when i saw the neon bible entry in TP i was half-expecting the review to go in the other direction. instead it sent me scampering back to my cd (for which i actually plunked down retail dollars in borders) to see what i had missed. hint should have been taken at how prominently the disc was displayed under "hot new artists" in borders music dept.

and thank-you mats for summing it up nicely...this is one of those records that i try to admire and listen to, but don't look forward to or enjoy whatsoever. one of the best indie recordings of all time?

put me down for deny

(as i write this i am really enjoying the new andrew bird)



Post Edited (03-21-07 17:02)
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Tom_Violence
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 22, 2007 01:35PM
There's a fine line between "dark" and "emo" and the Arcade Fire do not seem to be able to tell the difference. I would not have been surprised to hear Butler to scream "We mean it, man!" at some point during the debut. Their SNL appearance only served to reinforce my opinion.

That said, I have not heard the new album yet, but I am VERY skeptical that I am missing one of the best indie rock recordings of all time.

Anyone else notice that TP seems more prone to this type of hyperbole lately?
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rhettlawrence
Re: new Arcade Fire/editorial oversight
March 22, 2007 03:10PM
I don't know that it's more prone to hyperbole than it ever was (though who can disagree with Ira's assessment of the first Cheap Trick album that "Rock doesn't get any better than this"?), but it does raise an interesting question - mainly to Ira, I suppose:

What kind of editorial oversight gets exercised over reviews that get posted on here? Does Ira approve every one?

And aside from some of the board posters here (Baker, Reno), who does these reviews anyway? In the print books, it always had little bios of the contributors.
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breno
Re: new Arcade Fire/editorial oversight
March 22, 2007 07:09PM
I'm sure none of this hyperbole talk is directed at me. There is not one single person on the planet more resistant to hyperbole than myself. Not one! I am practically superheroic in my ability to avoid resorting to hyperbole. I am the mighty motherfucking Thor of hyperbolic resistance!

Damn, this is the greatest post of all time.
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randysan
Re: new Arcade Fire/editorial oversight
March 22, 2007 11:23PM
what about "1977's finest LP bar none"

this is what i remember from the Cheap Trick entry in one of the printed books (cannot confirm this as i do not have these books any longer)

the online entry has edited that out, which only makes me wonder...was it ever there at all?

so. which is finer, the Cheap Trick or Television debut?

ps--is there a reason why in color is listed before the debut in the discography?

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michael baker
Re: new Arcade Fire/editorial oversight
March 23, 2007 05:04AM
i vote for
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
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ira
Re: new Arcade Fire/editorial oversight
March 23, 2007 05:51AM
ps--is there a reason why in color is listed before the debut in the discography?

OOOPS!!! i'll fix that. database has to be told the order of releases in the same year....sometimes it wasn't.

and yes i read, edit and approve every review.
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rhettlawrence
Re: Cheap Trick
March 23, 2007 08:34AM
Regarding the "1977's finest album bar none" business, the 1989 book (which is the oldest one I have in my possession right now - the others still being somewhere at my Mom's house) has an even more hyperbolic statement: "One of the world's all-time greatest albums." But is it hyperbole if it's true?
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mats84
Re: Cheap Trick
March 23, 2007 09:46AM
The finest lp in '77 "bar none" quote is listed for The Clash also, and the comment is still listed on this website's review as well.

For the record, Ira ranked "Marquee Moon" slightly above "Cheap Trick" in his top 50 list on this message board. ("The Clash" didn't appear on the list, supplanted by "Give 'Em Enough Rope").

I'd cast my vote for "Rocket to Russia" probably (to me it's better than the debut), and The Heartbreakers would be up there as well.

I probably play Cheap Trick's debut more than "Marquee Moon" these days for whatever that's worth, though that's not necessarily a barometer of the artistic worth of either of those great records.

Ranking the albums from 1977 ain't no easy task that's for sure.



Post Edited (03-23-07 12:43)
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breno
Re: Cheap Trick
March 23, 2007 10:19AM
This is neither here nor there, but I drove up to Madison, Wisconsin a few months back, and on the interstate around Rockford, IL, there were several billboards advertising Cheap Trick albums. Made me proud to be an Illinoisan.

As far as I know, Rockford's other most famous native is Ginger Lynn Allen, porn star, b-movie actress & Charlie Sheen gal pal. They didn't have any billboards up for her, though.
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madisdadi
Re: Cheap Trick
March 23, 2007 12:41PM
they do have a sign for Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child

btw Ginger Lynn was assistant manager of the Musicland store there in 1979 or 1980.
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breno
Re: Cheap Trick
March 23, 2007 12:43PM
She probably rang up many copies of DREAM POLICE.
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ira
Re: Cheap Trick
March 23, 2007 02:01PM
and onetime presidential candidate (or was it vice-presidential) John Anderson
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diskojoe
Re: Cheap Trick
March 23, 2007 02:17PM
John Anderson was the Independent candidate for President in 1980 (I have part-time job as reference librarian don't you know)
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ira
Re: Cheap Trick
March 23, 2007 02:05PM
as squirmy as it makes me to see 30 years of music criticism weighed against itself for flawless internal consistency, i would offer in my defense that while gradations of value and relative merits may shift over time, you can't go back and rewrite reviews with hindsight. so while it may well be that at different times i (or other people) have made absolute declarations of merit that are mutually exclusive, i prefer to allow the mistake to stand than to try and unthink the thought.
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totaji
Re: Cheap Trick
March 23, 2007 11:52AM
The funny thing is, I like "In Color" more than their first. Practically every written word about it sort of disparages it's production but I love it. But I'm sort of a freak. End of The Century is also my favorite Ramones album by far.
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diskojoe
Re: Cheap Trick
March 23, 2007 12:13PM
I don't have a Cheap Trick album in mind, but when it comes to the Ramones, it's "Rocket to Russia" as their best album and "Subterranean Jungle" as their most underrated.



Post Edited (03-23-07 14:13)
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randysan
Re: Cheap Trick
March 23, 2007 05:44PM
ira,

1977's best album bar none!

i for one, love such statements. these are the words which motivate me to go listen!

plus, i think it is fun to recall memorable TP lines. i doubt very much any of the regular posters to this board care to re-evaluate such critiques from the past, i would bet that rhett was just a bit surprised to hear a monster hyberbole like that without the benefit of absorbtion and distillation time.

"the production can charitably be called shitty" is another classic.
(pontiac brothers)

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rhettlawrence
Re: Cheap Trick
March 23, 2007 05:48PM
Nah, I just wish Ira would make up his damn mind!

There's a thread on this board somewhere of memorable Ira lines....
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michael baker
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 22, 2007 08:24PM
BIO:

i am a deaf lesbian but i was born that way. i love green tea and cricket.
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michael baker
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 22, 2007 08:25PM
btw re IR's "say:"

if he does not agree with something he uses crayons to cross everything out and then faxes it back.
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nosepail
Re: new Arcade Fire
April 03, 2007 12:10PM
[music.msn.com]

The Dean gave this record an A+ in his revamped consumer guide. This is definitive proof that the record is overrated. I agree with those above who find The Arcade Fire kind of cold and intellectual. I would rather put on a record with a little blood running through it like, say, "Boys and Girls and America" (another Pitchfork darling but a band that deserves it)

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Paganizer
Re: new Arcade Fire
April 03, 2007 03:03PM
He also calls a B minus a "dud"....
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Paganizer
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 31, 2007 04:20AM
"database has to be told the order of releases in the same year....sometimes it wasn't."
In that case, first two Damned are inverted.

AF-1st one is easily one of the best indies o.a.t.

Neon Bible is pretty good so far - held to a pop standard. It's a mainstream release and much better than the usual fare.

-Mac's Merge just became a major -
-we'll all be overexposed-
-Don't know how u could decide ranking so soon-

Enjoyed the review though!

Also really enjoyed Arctic Monks, GBQ, and Clap Yr Digits Say Yup reviews!

edit::I dunno, listened to it again and it's pretty damn good. Not sure if I would call it indie. It's ON an indie and has an indie (not especially contrived) approach....but it's also at the top of the American charts and has some mainstream stylings...



Post Edited (04-01-07 18:21)
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ira
Re: new Arcade Fire
March 31, 2007 09:22AM
"database has to be told the order of releases in the same year....sometimes it wasn't."
In that case, first two Damned are inverted.

DAMN!

thanks. fixed.

anybody spot any more, please let me know.
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Paganizer
Re: new Arcade Fire
April 04, 2007 06:05PM
Hey, I wanna know more about what you thought of The March.
Baker sez Welcome to Hard Times is superior but I'm more interested in the recent stuff...
Turns out Nick Cave had Marc's Tower




Post Edited (04-04-07 23:43)
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breno
Re: new Arcade Fire
April 04, 2007 07:35PM
I left The March at the health club and couldn't figure out where I'd left it for a couple weeks and started reading a biography of Lucille Ball in its absense. As soon as I'm done with that I'll be back on the March.

I was enjoying it so far, although I didn't devour it in one or two sittings like I did Ragtime and Loon Lake.
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ira
Re: new Arcade Fire
May 10, 2007 05:56AM
I finally got to see Arcade Fire last night, and discovered the source of my ambivalence about them: they only have three songs that aren't repetitive two-chord drones that go on far too long without getting anywhere. The real songs work, the rest is a tiresome drag. It's not that apparent on the records, but live they're a real waste of time. The band has an awful lot of ambition, but not nearly enough imagination or discipline to carry it off more than intermittently.
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rhettlawrence
Re: new Arcade Fire
May 10, 2007 10:19AM
And yet they're capable of producing one of the best indie rock recordings of all time! Wow - what an enigma of a band.....
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totaji
Re: new Arcade Fire
May 10, 2007 06:12PM
"The band has an awful lot of ambition, but not nearly enough imagination or discipline to carry it off more than intermittently."

This is the most concise, accurate statement possible about AF. Beautiful.
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Paganizer
Re: new Arcade Extinguisher
May 10, 2007 02:19PM
bad night perhaps?
i watched a terrif show during 1st tour

i find both albums covering new, exciting ground

not for everybody, though i notice, for my friends that i've pushed them on, they're an acquired taste

energetic young
dichotomy progresses
enigma remains

(i'm having a haiku day)



Post Edited (05-10-07 21:10)
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ira
Re: new Arcade Extinguisher
May 10, 2007 05:20PM
not a bad show - the people i was with LOVED it
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