the order of things

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as in: the order in which albums are released (or the time of it) is often a factor in whether they're good/bad, rather than solely the music coming from the speakers. which is confusing, because the order released is not necessarily the order heard.

for instance, by the time suede released "head music", people cried "new ideas please! your schtick is tiresome!" but it is equally possible that someone would get all their albums in reverse chronological order, and would greet the self-titled debut with the "new ideas please!" response.

f'rinstance, my initially underwhelming reaction to "isn't anything" (i have since grown to like it a lot) was directly from hearing it after "loveless" : not a problem for many, but unavoidable for me.

"druqks" by aphex twin could be an interesting example : the sound of a great artist repeating himself to some, but to a first-time listener this need not apply? or would just the knowledge that this came after be the down-point? tell me how listening to things in order/or the wrong order affects your perception? or does it affect your perception?

as a related question, if you heard a rec that sounded very much of a particular time, a shoegazer record say, and thoroughly enjoyed it, would you be put off by the discovery that it was recorded last week?

as i generally say at the end of my threads, i'm sorry if i'm bringing up a topic that's been discussed gazillions of times on ILM...

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 24 March 2003 13:23 (twenty-three years ago)

...this will be interesting when the new Goldfrapp album is released.
As it bears no relation or resemblance whatsoever to 'Felt mountain', I think there'll be loads of people who will buy the first album after they purchase Black Cherry and be totally mystified by it. Saying that, though, Black Cherry stinks to high heaven - but it's commercial enough to give them a few hits, I think. Horrible record.

And I thought Head Music was one of the better Suede albums....

― russ t, Monday, 24 March 2003 13:31 (twenty-three years ago)

I do believe that this phenomenon is always attributable to Pavement fans who generally prefer their releases in the order they bought them.

I think there are a few classic "album release" patterns though:
canonised best -> commercial best -> experimental album
seems to be a popular example, featured with Blur, Boo Radleys, Beach Boys?, Smashing Pumpkins, etc.

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 24 March 2003 14:33 (twenty-three years ago)

As it bears no relation or resemblance whatsoever to 'Felt mountain'

Oh good, so I might actually really like it, then.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 24 March 2003 15:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't think Felt Mountain is a work of unparallelled genius. Advert sales or no advert sales - it's a breathtakingly fantastic record.

― russ t, Monday, 24 March 2003 15:17 (twenty-three years ago)

I didn't HATE it but I was deeply underwhelmed. It was pleasant, no more.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 24 March 2003 15:20 (twenty-three years ago)

I only liked Lovely Head, the rest was meh. I sold it.

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 24 March 2003 15:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Damn, I'm loving "Black Cherry". At first I was confused because it is a lot different than the debut, but I'm fascinated now. On some songs she actually becomes Olivia Newton-John, with this slick-yet-distorto backing. I realize this discription may not seem like something you want to hear, but it is I tell you it is!! And it's cool they didn't just stick with the exact same sound as on "Lovely Head". Anyway, it's not that different. Love it!!

― Sean (Sean), Monday, 24 March 2003 16:17 (twenty-three years ago)

...as on "Felt Mountain" I meant...

― Sean (Sean), Monday, 24 March 2003 16:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Black Cherry roolz tha skool

― j0e (j0e), Monday, 24 March 2003 16:18 (twenty-three years ago)

the image of russ t asking strangers what they think of 'felt mountain' and their unanimous reply of "unparalleled genius" makes me smile. even if the album is a dud.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 24 March 2003 17:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh Keith, you must have been one of the people I asked. You lied.
Take out your earplugs - Felt Mountain is one of the greatest debuts ever. 'dud' my ass....

― russ t, Monday, 24 March 2003 17:41 (twenty-three years ago)

I listened to Black Cherry again before I left for work, and I want to modify my statement that the album is that different than the debut. Many of the songs would fit right in on Felt Mountain, it's just that the ones that wouldn't stick out so much that they sound surprising at first. Those are my favorite ones so far, btw!

― Sean (Sean), Monday, 24 March 2003 17:59 (twenty-three years ago)

'Felt Mountain' is a very nice piece of work - NICE being the operative word, 'Utopia' and 'Pilots' are preferable to 'Lovely Head' but thats mainly because at least they dont remind me of Gary Oldman smirking incredulously. the three tracks from 'Black Cherry' i've heard so far are all excellente Mr Ambassador - perhaps Alison isnt pushing her voice much this time? but she's still a remarkable if subtle (compared to Bjork etc.) vocalist

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Re Drukqs: 2 points I'd like to make 1) I heard (although I can't remember where) that druqks was released because someone hacked into aphex's computer, stole the tracks, and posted them on the net some where. They weren't intended for release at that time. (2) I don't think he's rehashing old ideas. He is in certain places, but the prepared piano and more classically oriented pieces deomstrate a new willingness to locate what he's doing further outside of 'dance' and more inside the classical tradition containing Cage, Satie, Shoenberg (Sp?) etc.

― neil simpson, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 12:57 (twenty-three years ago)

on point 1 : i heard him say that too, but i don't believe it for a second. it's just an attempt to spread the notion that he operates outside whole music industry and tosses them a few tracks whenever he feels like it. alas i think he is much more committed to working towards a release as any artist signed to a record label.

point 2 : well, maybe that album was a poor example. just some people greeted it on release with the old "new ideas please!" response. but if you heard that album before the others (which i'm sure was the case for some, or will be), then maybe it would be the earlier albums that sound tired and ideas-strapped.

just wondering if anyone's perceptions of an act may have differed from the critical consensus, because they didn't hear the albums in chronological order...

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 13:04 (twenty-three years ago)

do-be-do-ba-do-be-do ba! do-be-do-ba-do-be-do do! Hey!

and less talk about goldfrapp this time...

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 31 March 2003 09:44 (twenty-three years ago)

strangely enough, I've never thought about it

― b pilgrim, Monday, 31 March 2003 09:48 (twenty-three years ago)

ah back to vigorous musical debate.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 31 March 2003 10:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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