RE: the greatest album ever
Joe Cross (JCROSS@CTMSINC.com)
Mon, 01 Nov 1999 22:58:43 -0500
Matty Kluzuski wroteth:
<<As compelling as the lyrics themselves may be to some, the
accompanying music rather transforms them, in this case. >>
Yeah, I thought about that after I transcribed the lyrics to 'Holland 1945'.
I thought some of the folks on here who had never heard Neutral Milk Hotel
might think they were, well tasteless. Such as the line "and it's so sad to
see, the world agree, that they'd rather see their faces filled with flies"
(an obvious reference to the holocaust documentaries we've all seen where
piles of dead jewish humans lie about with flies covering their mouths and
eyes). But really, it's all quite beautiful.
I kept reading on this music list (for another great band) all these
recommendations for 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea' by some band called
Neutral Milk Hotel. I was in Nashville one weekend and decided to pick it up
on vinyl (because it's cheap) and give it a listen. I'm wary of new bands
and getting into new stuff. A lot of stuff folks want me to listen to ends
up being a bit stinky. I gave it an initial listen and found the first three
songs rather pleasing to my ear. Nothing great. But pretty nonetheless.
Then one day I was listening to the album while driving to work (I had taped
it off) and it got to the song 'Holland 1945' and I had the realization that
this song had big time allusions to the holocaust. Then I got on over to the
song 'Ghost' and realized, this could be about Anne Frank. I had read her
diary as a youngster and thought she was absolutely one of the most
beautiful people that ever lived if only for her normalcy. I kept listening
and trying to figure out what he could be alluding to in songs. Lines like
'goldaline my dear, we will fold and freeze together, far away from here,
there is sun and spring and green forever, but now we move to feel, for
ourselves inside some strangers stomach, raise your body high, let your skin
begin to bind itself to mine' definitely had me thinking of concentration
camps and cold nights and living inside your own mind to get away from the
evil. Then I read an interview with the front man and he talked about
reading the secret annex right before he went to record the first album they
put out and how he cried for days and felt sad and in love all at the same
time. He wrote all the songs for the second album and they went and recorded
it. He said they were so excited about the songs. They would record a song
and then go outside and jump around with joy. In fact, the best vocal
performance on the album is a song called 'Oh Comely' which reminds me of a
funeral dirge. As it finishes, if you listen real close, in the back ground
you can hear someone yell in amazement "holy shit!!!!" as if they just
witnessed some great feat.
And don't worry folks, this ain't some rock'n'roll bullshit. this is
acoustic guitar, drums, distorto bass, singing saw, horns, etc. It's beauty.
<<I have a feeling I wouldn't agree with Joey on many things, but for now,
and
perhaps just for this once,>>
Matt baby, I thought we had something?? Dude, where's the love???
<< I can be seen in the background of the photograph, smiling and nodding
cautiously, as in tepid assent, to the implicit recommendation. >>
Oh okay.
<<Now, as far as the supposed universal appeal of the band...well,
perhaps that's a topic we should avoid, it having recently been proved
(conclusively) on this list that even the great JDS himself is not
universally appealing. >>
My roommate is a top 40 listening fewl. His girlfriend a techno freak. I
played this album nonstop for months and they both loved it!! I turned tons
of friends onto it. They all loved it!! Even if they didn't know what it was
about.
When I first met my now girlfriend I liked her so much. And she liked me
too. BUT she wanted to date this other guy. It hurt so bad. I would wake up
at night in distress and go out and drive around listening to In the
Aeroplane Over the Sea. My roommates would ask 'where did you go at 4 in the
morning?' and I would tell them how I felt and that I needed to hear that
album and they would agree that it would soothe any aching soul.
Now I'm finally dating this girl and she's a big dave matthews, hippy music
fan, yet, she likes that album and borrows it from me.
Hell folks, just go buy the damn album. You WON'T be sorry!!!
JoeySLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
<<How many of you can resist the temptation to offer a contesting
"greatest album ever"? How long before the thread turns into
"greatest book ever"? >>
Isn't that the Holy Bible??