Silver Jews - Classic or Dud?

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Dud for me. I can't stand Berman's voice and anyone/anything affiliated with Malkmus cant be good. If only my girlfriend wasnt such a big fan(this thread would not have been created if it wasnt for her).

― Bethnal Steve, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 00:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Huge fuckin' dud.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 01:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Sucks ASS.

― Snoozefest, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 01:04 (twenty-one years ago)

You guys is crazy. Genius lyrics ("In 1985 I was hospitalised for approaching perfection"), damn fine tunes, overall slacker country goodness.

― stew, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 01:07 (twenty-one years ago)

In 1984. . .American Water is one of the best 90s albums. Sorry for you you fulez whose heads it's under. There is no better lyricist to come along after the classical rock times than D Berman. With Malkmus on guitar the Joos make other bands boring.

― Triumph of the Quality, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 01:10 (twenty-one years ago)

See, this is what bugs me. (Another voter in the dud column, here.) People always cite that line, and it strikes me as...unbearably smug. Not truly funny, or penetrating, or witty, or genuinely smart in any way. Just appallingly smirky. I've not delved far into the Silver Jews catalogue or anything, but I've no inclination to, on the strength--or weakness--of lyrics like those.

X-post. Plus their fans can't spell, apparently.

― Dark Horse, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 01:11 (twenty-one years ago)

weak this, dark hoarse

"the drums march along at the clip of an ivory drip like sparks from a muffler dragged down the strip"

― Triumph of the Quality, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 01:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Here are the original C/D and related threads:

Silver Jews: Classic or dud
Silver Jews C or D

And Dark Horse, I agree about that line; it's very over-rated. It's a good song opener, but it doesn't say much, and is kinda snotty in a Paul Simon way (and I like Paul Simon). He's got much better stuff than that; check out the rest of American Water, hell, even the rest of that song.

― Scott CE (Scott CE), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 01:18 (twenty-one years ago)

new record (already recorded at least) with the malk-man, sorry haters,
also with mike fellows and (pause) harmony korine too.
this is the team (minus korine) who made AMERICAN WATER, folks.

― noizem duke (noize duke), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 01:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Admittedly, taken out of context (uh-oh, I know what you're thinking, that old get out clause) that line can seem a bit smirky, but I find that song, Random Rules, strangely moving once it reaches the chorus.

― stew, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 01:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I.V. drip . . . I don't particularly like the hospitalized line, really, but complete classic and, yeah, other threads, careless-no-search.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 02:15 (twenty-one years ago)

It's "Like an I.V. drip," Triumph.

And Korine? Shit. Ouch. Though the recent video he made for Bonnie 'Prince' Billy was pretty amazing, despite the dumb race-bating stuff. I think you can view it on the Drag City site right now.

Anyway, yeah, total classic. That earlier-mentioned line, which is ALWAYS cited, isn't particularly notable except that it starts the album. But Berman has some of the best imagery of any lyricist ever.

― Chuckling at the Tomkat's Marquee (Ben Boyer), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 02:29 (twenty-one years ago)

(x-post on the I.V. drip, of course)...

― Chuckling at the Tomkat's Marquee (Ben Boyer), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 02:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Search function.

― mcd (mcd), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 02:37 (twenty-one years ago)

That line gets quoted a lot which is funny since there are some better lines in 'Random Rules' such as 'I know that a lot of what I say has been lifted off of men's room walls' and 'So if you don't want me I promise not to linger, But before I go I gotta ask you dear about the tan line on your ring finger."

When they are on they are fucking on but no doubt they have some slow moments.

― Chris Davis (Chris Davis), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 03:48 (twenty-one years ago)

CLASSIC. "the natural bridge" is so splendid, it hasnt left my cd player since 1996. seriously.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 03:50 (twenty-one years ago)

these threads make me angry. Berman is SO the antithesis of 'dud' that my only conclusion is it's just more of the usual suspects smugly 'hating' everything as some absurd exercise

American Water AND Bright Flight = genius

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 03:56 (twenty-one years ago)

it's weird, American Water was a big let down for me after Bright Flight -- I can't get behind the former's lazy-jangly-boring sound, and I don't think the lyrics are as good. for anyone who thinks Berman is mainly smug, check out Bright Flight -- he's sincere, almost sentimental at times (a good thing imo).

― fauxhemian (fauxhemian), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 04:10 (twenty-one years ago)

"and i wanna be like water if i can, cuz water doesn't give a damn"

cold cut pizza combos classic.

― rssgnls, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 04:13 (twenty-one years ago)

classic

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 05:12 (twenty-one years ago)

this is the team (minus korine) who made AMERICAN WATER, folks.

is Tim Barnes on it too?

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 06:02 (twenty-one years ago)

it was done in TN so doubt it. not sure tho

― noizem duke (noize duke), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 06:26 (twenty-one years ago)

maybe they flew him in.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 06:27 (twenty-one years ago)

i herrd han bennink was drumming for the new jews record.

― rssgnl, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 06:39 (twenty-one years ago)

maybe harmony filmed the drums

― noizem duke (noize duke), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 06:46 (twenty-one years ago)

A difference of opinion with your lady isn't really justification for starting a half-hearted bashing session about someone who's already got two identically-titled threads. Is it?

I am biased btw. Classic

― DJ Mencap0))), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 10:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Love the Silver Jews. I don't hear smarm or snark in what he does. To me his work seems completely sincere, even vulnerable.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 17:07 (twenty-one years ago)

got a soft spot for The Arizona Record and that other ep 7" that came out at the beginning, been uninterested since then.

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 17:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I hate having to repeat myself, CLASSIC. I'll say it on every thread. I wish all lyrics in every song were written by him.

― David Allen (David Allen), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 17:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Why do people hate Berman's singing voice so much? I mean, I'm not crazy about it but surely it's not THAT bad? Just sounds like a sort of country-drawl but not offensively so.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 17:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Not that he sounds like him, but Berman uses his voice in a way similar to early Leonard Cohen.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 17:59 (twenty-one years ago)

If you hate this band, then I can only assume that you also hate life.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 18:30 (twenty-one years ago)

berman is cool. sure, sometimes his lyrics are really cheeky, but overall, his poetry rocks is very approachable. i mean, it's tricks, if i can use that word since i'm an unrefined goober, are very real and people get it. i like lo-fi, so plenty of the sj stuff hits me fine. i see him around at shows in nashville, etc. although, i can't recall EVER hearing that he was gonna play live in any capacity. no surprise, from what i've heard.
m.

― msp (msp), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

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