Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Pretty self-explanatory
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wordnat
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Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by wordnat »

All these Strangers
queenofthefleapit
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by queenofthefleapit »

wordnat wrote:All these Strangers
I agree. It's beautiful and I'm sort of hypnotized when I listen to it...
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Jeremy Dylan
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by Jeremy Dylan »

Greatest song or greatest track?

Greatest song is JIMMIE STANDING IN THE RAIN.

I'm not so sure the greatest track isn't NATIONAL RANSOM, despite the feel around these parts that it's a lightweight. I've can't keep myself from return it on a daily basis, often multiple times in a day. The twin barks of Marc Ribot and Jerry Douglas flushes out the mid-frequencies, pushed along by a classically propulsive backbeat from Mr. Thomas and a truly masculine Dennis Croush bassline. The lyrics flare with contempt and are matched by a sizzling vocal. Plus you really can't beat that A-G-D progression.

At this point, I'm too used to the live versions of many of these songs to get a real sense of the album versions. Give me a month. It's still a little jarring to hear the chilled, reflective album version of FIVE SMALL WORDS after growing to love the nervy, accusatory Sugarcanes treatment.
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by cwr »

I honestly cannot decide, and that is a VERY good sign.

I'd have an easier time picking the tracks which AREN'T in the running for NR's greatest: "My Lovely Jezebel", "The Spell That You Cast", "I Lost You." Not to say that there's anything wrong with those tracks-- I like them all, particularly "I Lost You"-- they simply didn't make the cut for my current 13-way tie comprised of all the other songs on the record!
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by alexv »

You Hung the Moon. Voice in the Dark a close second.
when i was cruel
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by when i was cruel »

Church Underground, fun, cool, meaningful, excellent (as usual) lyrics, dark, reminds me of Just Another Mystery on Mighty Like A Rose bonus disc
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by InvisibleMan »

1. stations of the cross
2. national ransom
3. jimmy standing in the rain
4. the spell that you cast
5. a voice in the dark
Last edited by InvisibleMan on Mon Oct 25, 2010 8:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
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sheeptotheslaughter
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by sheeptotheslaughter »

InvisibleMan wrote:1. stations of the cross
2. national ransom

I do hope not. I've only listened to the first four songs. Which of course includes these two. :lol:
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by InvisibleMan »

in the meanwhile i added three songs...

and there's another one you've already heard.

actually, i think that the beginning of the album is the best part. "sorry".
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sheeptotheslaughter
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by sheeptotheslaughter »

InvisibleMan wrote:in the meanwhile i added three songs...

and there's another one you've already heard.

actually, i think that the beginning of the album is the best part. "sorry".

I quite liked all of those you've picked so far. And agree with you about the first part of the album being the best.

On first listen it's better than Secret, Profane and Sugacane. The songs I've heard more than once I am really starting to like.
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by strangerinthehouse »

Stations of the Cross - It's one of those that I keep listening to over and over. I love the spare arrangement and Elvis' vocals.

Dr. Watson could be the second greatest. It really surprised me. I didn't think much of it when I heard the few live versions circulating but I love the way it is performed on NR.
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by InvisibleMan »

sheeptotheslaughter wrote:
InvisibleMan wrote:in the meanwhile i added three songs...

and there's another one you've already heard.

actually, i think that the beginning of the album is the best part. "sorry".

I quite liked all of those you've picked so far. And agree with you about the first part of the album being the best.

On first listen it's better than Secret, Profane and Sugacane.
The songs I've heard more than once I am really starting to like.
definitely better!
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by spooky girlfriend »

Pole, I also love Stations of the Cross. Somehow, I knew you would too....
jardine
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by jardine »

one bell ringing might not be #1, but the way that the melody line mimics
the opening 12 string guitar part in Eight Miles High on the line "one lonely bird," and then the bass clarinet (??) mimics a big of Eric Dolphy, sort of, when he played with Coltrane, who himself recorded "India" . . .the opening sax line of which McGuinn (one lonely byrd) used in eight miles high...has got me rather spooked and charmed right now.

there are dozens of things like this i'm hearing on this new cd. i'm going to go out on a limb and say that this cd is AT LEAST one of his best ever--invention, melody, melancholy, arrangements, creativity, beautiful playing, in great voice, playful, sharp lyrical images and references... I"m simply avoiding saying what I want to say: I think it is the best thing he's done. i realize it will still have to settle and last like Get Happy has and imperial bedroom, and there is no way to know yet if that is going to happen. but, for me, for now, it looks good so far!
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by Jeremy Dylan »

For me, it's certainly above anything from the 90s and the vast majority of his 80s output. Right now I'm thinking:

1. THE DELIVERY MAN
2. THIS YEAR'S MODEL
3. NATIONAL RANSOM
4. MY AIM IS TRUE
5. ARMED FORCES
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Ypsilanti
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by Ypsilanti »

jardine wrote:one bell ringing might not be #1, but the way that the melody line mimics
the opening 12 string guitar part in Eight Miles High on the line "one lonely bird," and then the bass clarinet (??) mimics a big of Eric Dolphy, sort of, when he played with Coltrane, who himself recorded "India" . . .the opening sax line of which McGuinn (one lonely byrd) used in eight miles high...has got me rather spooked and charmed right now.

there are dozens of things like this i'm hearing on this new cd. i'm going to go out on a limb and say that this cd is AT LEAST one of his best ever--invention, melody, melancholy, arrangements, creativity, beautiful playing, in great voice, playful, sharp lyrical images and references... I"m simply avoiding saying what I want to say: I think it is the best thing he's done. i realize it will still have to settle and last like Get Happy has and imperial bedroom, and there is no way to know yet if that is going to happen. but, for me, for now, it looks good so far!
Welcome, Jardine! Awesome first post!
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jardine
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by jardine »

just listening to the streaming of the songs on colbert nation. the vocal of you hung the moon, now that i can hear it more clearly, is unbelievable, controlled yet full of deep deep feeling. the song structure etc., could make it almost a North song, but i found that those songs were often sung rather plainly, without much stretching of emotions and tones and notes. but man, this thing, and that voice! one of his best vocals ever, i think
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by Neil. »

This early on (listened to it first time last night, twice), for me it's Church Underground - but there are so many others I like that it's impossible to name a favourite.
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by invisible Pole »

spooky girlfriend wrote:Pole, I also love Stations of the Cross. Somehow, I knew you would too....
Spooky,
that was InvisibleMan's favourite song, not mine, but I can see where your thinking comes from. :-)
Actually, I haven't listened to the album that much.
Only have it downloaded from the net, CD should be on its way soon.
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InvisibleMan
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by InvisibleMan »

anyway, everyone can clearly see that we're both invisible.
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spooky girlfriend
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by spooky girlfriend »

Yeah, yesterday wasn't a great day for me...I mixed up my Invisibles..... ;-)
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Jeremy Dylan
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by Jeremy Dylan »

If it was on the album and not the EP, CONDEMNED MAN would be a contender.
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strangerinthehouse
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by strangerinthehouse »

jardine wrote:just listening to the streaming of the songs on colbert nation. the vocal of you hung the moon, now that i can hear it more clearly, is unbelievable, controlled yet full of deep deep feeling. the song structure etc., could make it almost a North song, but i found that those songs were often sung rather plainly, without much stretching of emotions and tones and notes. but man, this thing, and that voice! one of his best vocals ever, i think

Totally agree and I was also thinking that it seems like a song from North, which is why I don't think it fits on National Ransom.
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jardine
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by jardine »

hung the moon does help with the current in which jimmie, josephine, and voice in the dark run. i find these four have a bit of music-hall-ish-ness that is much more authentic than the old version i remember too well, back when Winchester cathedral, honey pie, and voh-dee-oh-doh mawkishly swung through the charts, 1967/8. i find that this is what distinguishes hung the moon from north. north seemed to not hit this old vein in the same way.

which somehow leads me to another wisp i get with this new cd, some sort of link to couldn't call it unexpected #4. . .not sure what exactly this connection is...musical, but also something of the tragic/nostalgic wistfulness. I find this even in stations of the cross and church underground.

btw, music right after the title repeats of c.u. remind me of blonde on blonde or something...
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Re: Yes, it's early, but NR's greatest song is:

Post by littletriggers »

I've been listening to it since weekend, all good even the whistling !
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