Monday March 24, 2008 at 20:18
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Song #3 that I Only Half Like:
Lamb - “Ear Parcel”
I don’t have a lot to say about this song, other than that the fact that is a constant source of frustration and disappointment for me.
Lamb was my total band back in the day. Their first album was just about all I listened in 96-97. I saw them live twice (once with Chimera, once with Gus Gus) and both times they did this one instrumental song that I loooooved. Yes it was very much of its time, but it was a great live song. Then for some reason they went and included a studio version on their second album.
“Dead on the page” doesn’t even begin to capture the situation here. It’s embarrassing. The transitions between the sections are about as inorganic as can be, there is a trumpet solo (??? DO NOT remember that from when I saw them play this.), and the song just kind of goes on and on to no good end. I know my memories of the performances of this song are likely broken; maybe if I hopped back in the Tardis I’d realize it was never that good to begin with. But the emotions I associated with this song were super important to me, and this track just pees all over them.
A brief but related anecdote. Many years ago, in college, I went to a friend’s modern dance recital. One of the pieces was set to an instrumental that I immediately liked but was totally unfamiliar with. The artist and name of the song didn’t stick with me. I still remember exactly how the song goes, but I have no way of looking it up or figuring it out who wrote it. I know that eventually, someday, I’ll encounter that song again, and learn the artist and what album it’s from and all that and I’ll be able to compare the actual track to the way I remember it. I feel like this is something unavoidable; it’ll happen, someday, no matter what. It’s out there. I’m not looking forward to it.
Lamb - “Ear Parcel”
I don’t have a lot to say about this song, other than that the fact that is a constant source of frustration and disappointment for me.
Lamb was my total band back in the day. Their first album was just about all I listened in 96-97. I saw them live twice (once with Chimera, once with Gus Gus) and both times they did this one instrumental song that I loooooved. Yes it was very much of its time, but it was a great live song. Then for some reason they went and included a studio version on their second album.
“Dead on the page” doesn’t even begin to capture the situation here. It’s embarrassing. The transitions between the sections are about as inorganic as can be, there is a trumpet solo (??? DO NOT remember that from when I saw them play this.), and the song just kind of goes on and on to no good end. I know my memories of the performances of this song are likely broken; maybe if I hopped back in the Tardis I’d realize it was never that good to begin with. But the emotions I associated with this song were super important to me, and this track just pees all over them.
A brief but related anecdote. Many years ago, in college, I went to a friend’s modern dance recital. One of the pieces was set to an instrumental that I immediately liked but was totally unfamiliar with. The artist and name of the song didn’t stick with me. I still remember exactly how the song goes, but I have no way of looking it up or figuring it out who wrote it. I know that eventually, someday, I’ll encounter that song again, and learn the artist and what album it’s from and all that and I’ll be able to compare the actual track to the way I remember it. I feel like this is something unavoidable; it’ll happen, someday, no matter what. It’s out there. I’m not looking forward to it.
