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`Tales Of Us` - Reviews By Us
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179 Comments sorted by
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Copied and pasted from the Best to Worst thread! :)01 CLAYProbably one of my favourite ever Goldfrapp songs. I instantly loved it in Manchester and couldn't wait to hear the studio version. I can't really describe what exactly has made this my favourite song on Tales of Us; there are far too many reasons to note. The powerful and emotional vocal; the woeful yet hopeful lyrics; the celebration of something so beautifully tragic. I love the use of irony in her vocal and words, the disdain yet hope for something that never was. My boyfriend found the letter the song was inspired by and printed it out for me. I read it when I got back from buying the album and it brought a tear to our eyes! I love the ending, the crescendo in the strings; a sudden and dramatic finish, almost as if the hopeful door to an unlikely next chapter is being left open in the story. An epic ending to a fantastic album.02 DREWWithin the first bar of this song I instantly feel uplifted. It's not very often we hear or see Alison open up about something possibly quite dear to her but it's clear that this song is about past experiences; enjoyed through happy memories and accompanied by a stunning video to mirror it. The double bass / cello repeated phrases move the piece along eloquently and the timpani at the end add to the grandness of the piece. A complete winner!03 ULLAWhoever mentioned that this is the perfect sequel to 'Drew' has got it spot on. The middle section of the song is beautiful; the 1st violin motif which is then repeated by the 2nd violins and then again by the viola, finally joined by the cello like little waves of overlapping melodies. Joined by Alison's doubled vocal in perfect harmony, the passing note phrases by the cello melt me every time. This mood divides me; making me feel rather sombre yet happy at the same time.04 JOThe only piece in 3/4 time, like a slow and slightly demented waltz. A perfect opener for the album and I remember being stunned to silence when they opened the show with it. Very Satie inspired with the use of ornaments and embellishments on the piano, sailing along. I love the circular patterned melody in the vocals of the verse and the use of pizzicato in the strings add colour to this dark piece. The serenity is captivating.05 LAURELThis would fit right on 'Felt Mountain' and what a welcome return from her lower register that we are rarely treated to. Vocally similar to 'Human' and 'Pilots'; the music is very reminiscent of 'Deer Stop'. Drawn out notes that are flattened halfway through and intentionally weakened; I feel like I'm listening to something recorded over a century ago on a gramophone. I don't remember it at all from the live shows and at the start of the week it was placed really low down in this list but every day it's creeping up. This is a slow burner that seductively engrosses me with every listen. The simplicity of using slight dissonance followed by resolution repeatedly in the chord pattern is naturally aesthetically pleasing on the ears.
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cont..06 ALVARThis one somehow lost me in the lives shows yet manages to hypnotise me on the record. I was convinced it would be the one I'd eventually skip and never warm to but the more I listen the more I hear something new every time. Both simplistic and complex; elements of 'Little Bird' draw me closer the more I listen. The line 'I want to swim your silk black skin to the floor' is one of Alison's finest lyrics. The motion of a piece in 6/8 time is always very captivating as it's a stand out time signature, just like 3/4 time of 'Jo'.07 STRANGERReminiscent of Lovely Head; I remember this fondly from the Manchester shows. Once again, the strings compliment this song, but it's the ghost-like whistling phrases answering Alison's words that make the piece what it is; mysteriously enchanting. The anonymity of the subject really sets it apart from the rest of the album.08 SIMONEHauntingly beautiful. The slurs / glissando in her voice during the verse sound really demonic and emphasise the mood, shock and possible anger behind the story. I love the whisper of 'Simone' at the end. It makes me feel on edge; not knowing where or how the story will end.09 ANNABELThis grabs me a little less then the other 8 songs above but I still love how well the melody and the strings at the end blend together. The vocal in the last section makes this song for me and really leaves me wanting more. It may be 9th place here but I still really enjoy it and feel it'll grow over time.10 THEAThe only track that I don't get much from at this point. At this time I would rather Tales mirror the 9 track entirety of Felt Mountain with the omittance of this song but I suppose I should admire how much of a red herring Thea is (even though Oompa Radar - the Felt stand out track - is another song I don't understand). Maybe I would feel differently hearing this live; I torn as to whether I think it needs a little more production to make it more interesting. it somehow sounds halfway between wanting to be stripped back or being heavily produced and pounding - it's a little lost! I'm bored by the time the chorus kicks in.. I'm hoping it'll grow over time but for the moment, it's definitely weaker than the other 9 songs.
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I keep coming back to her vocals on Laurel. It's so dark, and haunting but so refreshing to hear her perform like that. It's very dramatic. I love that vocal delivery so much. I can't wait to hear it live. I can't believe they didn't sell out Paradiso (Amsterdam) so people: there are still tickets left and the venue is a CHURCH which is perfect for the new music (they've done Paradiso before and nailed each performance).The two songs I least connect to are Ulla and Alvar. But the album is a journey, one big narrative for me, and Ulla and Alvar are where they need to be. But songs like Clay, Simone, Stranger, Annabel are my favorites. Thea as well but she is the odd one out, which I love. Especially the marching-like sounds at the end. Clay moved me from day one, and it does not fade. It's so authentic and real and wonderfully translated into a song by Will & Al that it just aimes straight for the heart with me. Very emotional work.On a sad note I have tickets but I might not make it. I had an accident a while ago which permanently damaged my spine and some times are good and some times, like lately, are so bad I need to take heavy duty morphine pain killers that make me fall asleep and would not make me enjoy a crowd nor a concert. So I'm praying for improvement but it's anybody's guess at this point. Bone is pressing against the nerve root. OUCHx2Post edited by Stranger at 2013-09-16 23:18:18“Beware of artists. They mix with all classes of society and are therefore most dangerous." — Queen Victoria
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On a complete sidenote: monster love is cute! :x“Beware of artists. They mix with all classes of society and are therefore most dangerous." — Queen Victoria
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ping said:
If i were Ali and Will i'd be doing what i want now not what the public wants.
This. Artistic integrity is rare. You can't make records for the sake of pleasing people. You NEED to take risks and comunicate what you need to as an artist. I think, with the exception of Head First which was chart oriented and rushed, Goldfrapp have always maintained their artistic integrity. That means a lot to me as a listener. I'd rather hear them produce a record and go: "what?!" than fullfill my expectations and not (re)invent themselves or be authentic in their artistic expression.“Beware of artists. They mix with all classes of society and are therefore most dangerous." — Queen Victoria -
Have you tried chiropractic, stranger? I think it might help.. i have scoliosis of which my doc was able to correct, so i have faith that it can help you, too..
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Stranger said:
This. Artistic integrity is rare. You can't make records for the sake of pleasing people. You NEED to take risks and comunicate what you need to as an artist. I think, with the exception of Head First which was chart oriented and rushed, Goldfrapp have always maintained their artistic integrity. That means a lot to me as a listener. I'd rather hear them produce a record and go: "what?!" than fullfill my expectations and not (re)invent themselves or be authentic in their artistic expression.
Yes. Integrity is surely present here which i think is a reason why many are (quiickly, easily) connecting with this album.. im really happy that A&W are proud of tou, and i amhappy for them.. it all feels natural..
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Stranger said:
On a complete sidenote: monster love is cute! :x
Ahaha, I was just going to comment to say how sorry I am that you can't make the concert! I was always told never to take compliments from 'Strangers'...Not to worry, you wouldn't enjoy it if you were in pain - hopefully be coming back to tour properly at a later date. I went to both Manchester shows and even though I loved it; standing for 2 hours got a bit uncomfortable, along with the heat in the room. Add painkillers to the mix and you'll be asleep! -
I'll keep mine simple and short:
It'll be lovely to listen to in the bath...........
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Interesting post, lala, but the "sell out" question is a bit of an academic argument. I'd tend to agree that if you make art in order to get rich, it's likely that you're going to end up with cynical, market-oriented crap. Like Hirst.
And sure, it seems like.HF was produced to meet contractual obligations as much as from purely artistic motives.
But Van Gogh isnt such an exception. He also tried to sell his stuff - he just wasn't very good at the whole marketing thing. Plus, he was insane. The reality is that most of the great art of the past few centuries was made both to fulfill an artist's vision AND to make a living.. Beethoven's late quartets? Written to a commission by the Prince Nicholas Galitzen at 50 ducats a time. Chopin's Preludes? Written to a commission by Pleyel for 2,000 francs for the lot (is that why they're all so short? Who cares? They are still fantastic pieces).
If you're lucky, a commission and inspiration strike together, and your sponsor is sensitive enough to give you the space to do what you feel you driven to do. If not, you produce something a bit rubbishy, like HF. But that doesn't mean you've "sold out" in any definitive or irreversible way. There's always tomorrow.
To my mind, the evidence is that TOU is GF getting back to producing work that satisfies them. If it doesn't work for you, then that's a shame, but it's not because they've "sold out".
Post edited by whisperit at 2013-09-17 11:44:10 -
ha ha oh bugger I lost what i just wrote ....it was just crap ha ha ha
[Edit by HJ: is this what you posted/lost? It was notify-by-emailed to me before you killed it!]
All artists have to keep the wolf from the door. I'm not saying Goldfrapp made a considered decision to sell out. I'm sure they didn't, but somewhere along the line a lot of people, reviewers, fans, have raised the point that they have some how lost their artistic integrity.
Now I'm still struggling with just what artistic integrity is, where it might be located, and the mechanics of it's operation.
A lot of classic pop music has been made with the intention to make cash, and yet those records retain the status of classic or masterpiece thus endowing their creators with the status of having artistic integrity, so it's not about the money...
I don't think Goldfrapp have sold out but I do think they lost some of their integrity along the line. I'm just trying to analyse how, where and why.Post edited by Halloween_Jack at 2013-09-17 16:29:50 -
^ you're doing that invisible writing again, aren't you, you rascal?
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No I just fumbled and pressed a wrong key! I should go and get new glasses!
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But there's been some good points raised and I need to think out this whole integrity thing, like is it real, and if so what are the mechanics of it's operation.I'll get back to you when I've figured it out!Post edited by la_catalina at 2013-09-17 16:07:09
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Bollocks to this 'selling out' phrase... i'm not sure what it stands for in music. Seems in this industry the only way to have interigity is to get great reviews but sell f88k all records (and end up a bitter person).
For me the problem with pop music is all the fans that feel the artists 'owe' them something because they spent £10 on a piece of plastic, and the artists worrying they should do what their fans want because of this. It gets like poiltics If you just react to public demand people will see through you. Any artist who follows this path will eventually fail. All any 'genuine' fan wants is they do something as well as they can and that 'they' are prowd of. If you are a fan you should respect them for that. In someways when you become a fan of an artist, rather than one particular record, you are investing in the artist. So real fans should give artists the chance to make a few errors and mess up now and again. It's part of taking chances (Goldfrapp aren't rich enough to pull a whole album because they decided it didn't work + if they had you'd be desperate to hear it anyway). If they aren't allowed to take chances they would end up becoming very bland.
It's funny Al and Will are such perfectionist's I can't believe they finished mixing HF and thought, 'god, that's shit'.
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