Gram, Nick, John, Tengo

Canadiana · Post by **Canadiana** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 3:35 am

I'm new to posting on this board but I've lurked long enough to see how frightfully knowledgeably a lot of posters here are about music in general. I don't know where else I'd go for general recommendations on music I'm interested in hearing, so I thought I'd ask about a few artists. If anyone can recommend (or disuade) work by any of these bands/musicians, I'd be grateful. I'm still pretty new to the sort of music I need to 'seek out' so apologies for this.
Gram Parsons?
Nick Drake?
John Cale?
Yo La Tengo?
I've heard a lot about all of these artists but I've never actually heard them. Thanks!

duppyconquerer · Post by **duppyconquerer** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:39 am

Mornin'!

Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel (or anything really)

Nick Drake - just get them all. 5 leaves is a classic folk, bryter later is the best sunday morning record, pink moon is another classic. He also has a boot called 'time has told me' this is

(and when he talks he sounds exactly like Prince Charles!)

John Cale - again, so much stuff, but there is something called 'an introduction to john cale' . And i don't really listen to compilations, but this is good.

Yo La Tengo - abit boring if you ask me, with occassional moments of brilliance when they collaborate (strangely).

edit: i seem to recall seeing a Gram Parsons cd in the shops the other day with both 'grievous angel' and 'G.P',his first solo on the same cd. so get that! the Byrds and The flying Burrito Brothers are worth checking out as well...

Post by **spzretent** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 4:00 pm

I'll stand up for Yo La Tengo!

Yo La Tengo records that are a must:

Painful
Electr-O-Pura
I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One

After those 3 it gets boring

you can also cheat and get Nick Drake compilation A Treasury-though I recommend all the solo lps and Yo La Tengo have a double cd comp called Prisoners Of Love.

ro · Post by ro » Sun Apr 23, 2006 4:17 pm

hi canadiana
somewhere nick drake does a duet with his mom of the traditional (?)"all my trials".
someone correct me on the title/source please, but it's lovely.

and tengo wasn't such a bad drummer.
plus he did that caveman movie with raquel welch.

TheWarmth · Post by **TheWarmth** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 5:50 pm

I've been really into Gram Parsons recently. There's a great two-disc anthology out on Rhino that is essentially a best-of with beautiful packaging. However, I'm tempted to recommend that you track down the first two Flying Burrito Brothers albums (Gilded Palace of Sin and Burrito Deluxe) and give see if you want to continue on from there. His solo stuff is a bit slicker in production and features Emmylou Harris's vocals quite a bit, which may or may not appeal to you.

Also, if you don't own the deluxe version of the Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo, try to track that down. The International Submarine Band album is well worth a listen, too.

Hope I'm not just confusing you.

Katya_the_Hunter · Post by **Katya_the_Hunter** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 5:11 am

The Gram Parsons anthology that the Warmth was referring to is called Sacred Hearts and Fallen Angels. It is by far the best (and cheapest) starting point, stringing together most of GP's work with the various bands that he was involved with (the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, not to mention his solo output). Although Gram was fairly consistent with a singular sound throughout his career, a sound which, for all intents and purposes is country, you'll notice subtle shades of difference as he progresses (or ditches) his various projects. I personally prefer his solo material. "A Song For You" might be one of the most shattering songs that I've ever heard.... its the sound of a man picking over the bones of his life. Regardless, you can't really go wrong with any of Gram Parsons material. Saying that, I do think the Sacred Hearts and Fallen Angels anthology is a god-send for someone looking to explore GP's Cosmic American Music.

I'm not as keen on the handful of Nick Drake anthologies floating around; his albums, while hardly conceptual, do work well when listened to as a whole. Pink Moon is especially fragmented and sparse. I've heard a number of people complain that all of Nick Drake songs sound exactly the same and there is a degree of truth in that sentiment (the VU he was not)but what a sound! If you could distill the poetry of William Blake and pin it to soft, pastoral melodies, you'd have Nick Drake. He had these strange, alternate guitar tunings and unorthdox strumming patterns and paired them with his rich, hushed vocals. The result is terse, haunting and breathtakingly lovely. All three of his studio albums are worth the investment, but since Pink Moon is among my favorite late night listens, thats the one I would most highly recommend. Volkswagon, it must be said, have an excellent taste in music.
Ro- the All of My Trials duet can be found on a bootleg called "Tanworth in Arden," culled from a tape Nick recorded in the parlor of his parent's home, Far Leys. Also on that bootleg is a wistfully melancholic rendition of Dylan's Tomorrow is a Long Time. It's stark and lonely and it sounds as if Drake is singing to no one and we're just listening in. And that was probably the case. I'm in love with that cover.

I always found John Cale to be mind-bendingly eclectic, to say the very least. Paris 1919 is arugably his most accessible work. The Island Years is a best-of collection from his time on the Island label and it will save you a load of time and money. Unlike Gram Parsons and Nick Drake, John didn't die at a ridiculously young age so there's a lot more ground to cover with him, should you want to hear it all.

Anyway, whatever you decide to dip your toes into, you're in for a trip.

Katya

veep23 · Post by **veep23** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 12:06 pm

Yo La Tengo are great. Go for Electr-o-pura, I Can Hear the Heart... or Painful.

Gram Parsons. Don't really know. I listen to it and it just sounds like country rock from the 60's. If you like The Band... then you may like Gram Parsons. It's just not my thing.

Nick Drake. Lovely stuff for late lonely nights.

John Cale. Well... none if it is The Velvet Underground, but there is some quality stuff (the same can be said of Lou Reed's solo output). I like his less rocking songs. Fragments of a Rainy Season is good. His version of "Hallelujah" on it is great.

So... have fun and if you are looking for something that is the closest stylistically to Spiritualized... I'd say check out Yo La Tengo

anorthernsoul · Post by **anorthernsoul** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 3:20 pm

Sacred Hearts and Fallen Angels. It is by far the best (and cheapest) starting point

It's by far the worst. Wait there, I'll prove why.

right on.
just to agree that, without much other gram parsons knowledge, this just isn't that appealing a collection. best ofs are like that, maybe all the best stuff's on it but it just isn't that great. get an album instead.

and, i'm hopeless at recommending ylt lps beyond i can hear the heart beating as one (and maybe ... and then everything turned itself inside out ...?), but, if you were gonna start with the prisoners of love compilation, make sure you get the three cd version rather than the two cd version. it's about a pound more and has the wonder of 'blue green arrow', which is my favourite ylt thing ever ...

ben crook · Post by **ben crook** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 10:52 pm

John Cale's record with Terry Riley "Church Of Anthrax" is incredible.

TheWarmth · Post by **TheWarmth** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 4:34 am

I just received a promo dvd copy of the Gram Parsons documentary movie, "Fallen Angel," from my friend at Rhino records. Haven't watched it yet, but I will try to get to it soon and report back. Rhino is going to also be releasing a GP set called "The Complete Reprise Sessions," which should prove very cool and interesting. I should get a preview copy of that, too.

Tonight I watched the Luna documentary, "Tell Me Do You Miss Me." Wow, what a great film. I loved it. The personalities of each of the members really comes through and by the end you feel very close to them. Not sure when it comes out, but do watch out for it. Fantastic. They were such an underrated band.

anorthernsoul · Post by **anorthernsoul** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:47 pm

John Cale's record with Terry Riley "Church Of Anthrax" is incredible.

is that the one with 'hall of mirrors' on? that kicks ass.

i wish i had a friend at rhino, rhino are great ...
i've never really heard luna so a documentary might be a nice induction. it's such a great time for music documentaries. big star, roky, love and nico ones on the way, too ...

duppyconquerer · Post by **duppyconquerer** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:55 pm

anorthernsoul wrote:
it's such a great time for music documentaries. big star, roky, love and nico ones on the way, too ...

Really?! That's gonna be great! This summer?

ro · Post by ro » Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:59 pm

there is a joy division movie in the making.
not documentary though.
a movie based on deborah curtis' book about ian curtis.
marylin manson is providing some soundtrack.
and U2.
and new order!

kraftwerk said "no".

ro · Post by ro » Tue Apr 25, 2006 1:03 pm

duppyconquerer · Post by **duppyconquerer** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 1:31 pm

they're too elusive! Bloody Dusseldorf hermits! I knew this film was coming out, but didn't know 'U2 and the Peacemakers' were involved.

Surprised by Kraftwert, thought they were fans. It's not as if they're doing much else!

I tried to watch '24 hour party people' for the first time on Sunday. Always thought I wouldn't like it...couldn't even get to the end of it!

ro · Post by ro » Tue Apr 25, 2006 1:47 pm

duppyconquerer wrote: 'U2 and the Peacemakers' were involved.

ha!

i have to admit i don't know any of marylin manson's stuff, but it made me cry anyway.
i wish kraftwerk were the only ones involved.
new order, ok. de facto!

rise · Post by **rise** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 2:09 pm

it's such a great time for music documentaries. big star, roky, love and nico ones on the way, too ...

this is very interesting.... BBC 4 is showing some quality docs also at the mo....

Melmoth · Post by **Melmoth** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 8:07 pm

Yo La Tengo's Painful is one of the greatest records ever made. Unfortunately the only album that counts in their discography.

Post by **spzretent** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 8:23 pm

i think Electr-O-Pura is almost like an extension of Painful.
I Can Hear theHeart Beating As One is the bridge between the Painful era and the boring era that follwed it.
Just my opinion of course

J SpaceDan · Post by **J SpaceDan** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:44 pm

Re Yo La Tengo, my twopenneth is that 'And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out' is an absolute corker, although I can still kinda see where the "boring" comments come from. It's quite langorous and drawn out, I suppose. Still, brilliant songs, and it works extremely well as whole. 'I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One' is ace, too. Don't bother with 'Summer Sun', it's a massive disappointment, although there are still a couple of nice tracks on there.

duppyconquerer · Post by **duppyconquerer** » Sat May 13, 2006 8:50 am

anyone heard this?

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=21735

looks interesting...

is the person that started the thread still around? Did you get any of the suggestions?

twentysixdollars · Post by **twentysixdollars** » Fri May 26, 2006 3:29 am

The talk in this thread of Gram Parsons's work has mostly elided the Flying Burrito Brothers. I would suggest that first-time buyers start with the newest collection, Sin City: The Best of, which includes both of the Burritos albums upon which Gram appears (the first of which is outstanding, if uncharacteristically snide and nasty for Gram) and also the marvelous single "The Train Song" (as well as a couple of paradigmatic covers...) I don't mind the third Burritos album, but it's certainly not good in any objective sense, so there's no real reason to buy Hot Burritos anymore. Sin City also sounds much better, although The Gilded Palace of Sin was pretty crudely recorded to begin with.

TheWarmth · Post by **TheWarmth** » Mon May 29, 2006 3:50 pm

The Train Song? Why don't I have that??? Don't suppose anyone can supply me with an mp3?

anorthernsoul · Post by **anorthernsoul** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 12:57 pm

the new yo la tengo lp's floating around on the internet, complete with surprisingly abrupt fade outs that might or might not be part of the final mix. i've heard two songs: one sounds like daniel johnston and one sounds like suicide. (quite a lot like daniel johnston and exactly like suicide) ...

Melatonin · Post by **Melatonin** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 1:18 am

You can get the Yo La Tengo best of really cheap