Matthew Sweet’s girlfriend deserved the attention. I’m not saying otherwise. It was a refreshing punch to singer-songwriter power pop and the guitars of Robert Quine of Television fame simply sang. I'm just saying that this is BETTER. And somehow lost in the swoon fest over Girlfriend, this even more exceptional singer-songwriter album somehow got lost.
It's album of two distinct sides. Side one is power pop in the Girlfriend vein. Hell, Matthew Sweet & Robert Quine make exceptional contributions to this half of the record with Sweet's distinctive vocal even heard on "Weeping Wine". But, it's the second side that blows my mind. The best symphonic pop this white boy has ever heard.
Grade: A. Easily one of the best, if not the best, singer-songwriter albums of '91. I have no idea how this got overlooked. Allmusic opines that it was ahead of its time. That's its symphonic pop was out of place in the grungey, lo-fi less-is-more- vibe of 1991. I just know that it's a bonafide gem that will shine particularly bright for Gowi and all you other lovers of transcendent singer-songwrtiter power pop. Say hello to your new Girlfriend!
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
that album above looks right up my alley. I went through a phase with Girlfriend and I love it still to a degree. (the drum sound on Girlfriend is in my opinion next level). But I think this may be what I need for a different take on the genre in this year.
I like the short and sweet write up on it. _________________ -Ryan
I've never really been able to get into St. Julian. I owned a bunch of his 80s records, but I never really could get into them. Sth about cope's personality (or is it just his voice) always turned me off. He seems a tad too full of himself and yet not sure of himself at the same time. He tries to be this larger than life rock star at times and yet can;t quite pull it off. I saw somewhere in some review that he comes off as a dilettante and I thought that was perfect. Anyways, I'm about ready to jettison this from my '91 chart but thought I'd throw it out there to see if it any fans. I think it's okay. Okay albums don't make my chart. Too much awesome stuff out there. I'm having a hard time finding room for all the great ones! Seriously! Check out my '91 chart (& say hi so I know u stopped by) if u don't believe me. 😁
I had PM'd dihansse about Cope's Peggy Suicide earlier and I love his remarks so here they are...
dihansse wrote:
I think I know what you mean.
I have never been very familiar with The Teardrop Explodes so this was the first (and still the only really) album by Julian Cope I really know. At the time I really liked it and I still do somehow but it's already a long time ago I listened to it completely and I think I underestimate it a bit on my 1991 list.
Anyway the tracks I really like on the album are Pristeen, Beautiful Love and Hanging Out & Hung Up On The Line, but like I said I have probably underestimated tracks like Safesurfer and Leperskin which are fairly special.
When I would have to compare him with somebody else I would say with Ian McCullogh of Echo & Bunnymen both on the way of singing as in the way he seems to think of himself as very important. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't and in a way I think he succeeds most of the time. So I would certainly advise you to check out the album.
Matthew Sweet’s girlfriend deserved the attention. I’m not saying otherwise. It was a refreshing punch to singer-songwriter power pop and the guitars of Robert Quine of Television fame simply sang. I'm just saying that this is BETTER. And somehow lost in the swoon fest over Girlfriend, this even more exceptional singer-songwriter album somehow got lost.
It's album of two distinct sides. Side one is power pop in the Girlfriend vein. Hell, Matthew Sweet & Robert Quine make exceptional contributions to this half of the record with Sweet's distinctive vocal even heard on "Weeping Wine". But, it's the second side that blows my mind. The best symphonic pop this white boy has ever heard.
Grade: A. Easily one of the best, if not the best, singer-songwriter albums of '91. I have no idea how this got overlooked. Allmusic opines that it was ahead of its time. That's its symphonic pop was out of place in the grungey, lo-fi less-is-more- vibe of 1991. I just know that it's a bonafide gem that will shine particularly bright for Gowi and all you other lovers of transcendent singer-songwrtiter power pop. Say hello to your new Girlfriend!
I've listened to Don't Get Weird On Me and I like it enough to put it in my top chart.
To me Lloyd Cole has made his only masterpiece he had in him with Rattlesnakes, one of my favorite albums ever.
Don't get me wrong this one is also good but in fact it's indeed two albums:
The rock half is just what it is: a good rock album like he has made some others. She's A Girl and I'm A Man are a good example of that.
The orchestral part is a bit of a mixed bag: sometimes it's really good like on Butterfly or Half Of Everything. On some times it's on the edge of corny and the accompanying orchestra is a bit Mantovani.
But overall one of his better album but not his best.
It ends up somewhere around the 33rd rank in my 1991 chart: above Peggy Suicide 😉
Like you already said: too much choice for 1991.
Excellent. In Small doses. Really not my thing for an entire album of highly produced pretty generic sounding modern blues. Everything's done well it's just pretty predictable.
I ain't going to lie. I'm not that broken up about my pats losing. Disappointed? Yes. Crestfallen? No. I got to watch the game with my kids! At a kickass super bowl party my neighbors were throwing right across the street. Nothing better than that. And the game was nice & tight all the way to the end. And what an incredible story in Nick Foles - Unknown backup quarterback outslings Tom Brady! Just an amazing story. And he didn't just manage the game and NOT lose The Eagles the game. No. He WON The Eagles the game. He played lights out pretty much the entire game. Even his lone interception was a tipped ball that could have been caught. Just a great story. He'll be starting somewhere next year for sure.
No. This is more about me having having some fun and looking for that token smokin' blues album for my 1991 chart. So I'm going to play these three albums back to back and see which one moves me the most. The winner will get an honorary place in my 1991 chart.
From the (very) little research I've done, these are considered the best blues albums of 1991. If someone knows better, please let me know!!! I'd really appreciate it in fact! Because I really do like the blues. 😁
This isn't so much an album as it's an audition tape. Typically when an artist is trying to get work they carry around a giant portfolio showing all the different types of things they can do. This is that. I'm sure he's a fine guitarist, but he's a guitarist auditioning for a songwriter here. In the mob, he'd be the muscle.
Not The Winner. This is obviously one of those albums by a guitar player for guitar players. Those who do not play guitar, need not apply.
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Last edited by Repo on 02/06/2018 14:10; edited 1 time in total
Matthew Sweet’s girlfriend deserved the attention. I’m not saying otherwise. It was a refreshing punch to singer-songwriter power pop and the guitars of Robert Quine of Television fame simply sang. I'm just saying that this is BETTER. And somehow lost in the swoon fest over Girlfriend, this even more exceptional singer-songwriter album somehow got lost.
It's album of two distinct sides. Side one is power pop in the Girlfriend vein. Hell, Matthew Sweet & Robert Quine make exceptional contributions to this half of the record with Sweet's distinctive vocal even heard on "Weeping Wine". But, it's the second side that blows my mind. The best symphonic pop this white boy has ever heard.
Grade: A. Easily one of the best, if not the best, singer-songwriter albums of '91. I have no idea how this got overlooked. Allmusic opines that it was ahead of its time. That's its symphonic pop was out of place in the grungey, lo-fi less-is-more- vibe of 1991. I just know that it's a bonafide gem that will shine particularly bright for Gowi and all you other lovers of transcendent singer-songwrtiter power pop. Say hello to your new Girlfriend!
The orchestral side is so beautiful. Perhaps, he should have made a mini album out of it instead.
(but I like the rock side as well)
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Repo
Mercury
dihansse
SpringPeeper
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