going back to s.p. and s.

Pretty self-explanatory
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jardine
Posts: 801
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 12:59 pm

going back to s.p. and s.

Post by jardine »

When sugarcane came out, it never caught my interest as deeply as n.r. but i think it is going to be really interesting to now go back to. i expect/hope that n.r. (which i adore and can't stop listening to over and over) will help me hear s.p.s. differently.

question: has anyone listened to Secret/p/s since listening to ransom? any new thoughts on it?
Poor Deportee
Posts: 671
Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2006 7:30 pm
Location: Chocolate Town

Re: going back to s.p. and s.

Post by Poor Deportee »

I didn't like SP & S at first. But when, after a while, I returned to the second half of that CD, I suddenly 'got' what EC was doing with those historically-minded story songs, and I remember posting somewhere on here that I felt Elvis, building on the hints contained in TDL, had discovered a powerful new songwriting seam that he might be able to mine to stellar effect going forward.

Well! I'm happy to say this this album pretty much fully realizes those hopes. EC has finally and decisively discovered a new, fully-realized lyrical voice - which he has been searching for, in my opinon, ever since MLAR - as powerful as that of his 'classic' work and yet very distinct from it. Add to that the formidable musical muscle he has built up over his years of wandering collaborations and genre experiments, you've got an album that ranks with his best stuff. SP & S is a rich, interesting-but-flawed promissory note for this one.

(One thing: I find the sound is better on SP & S.)
When man has destroyed what he thinks he owns
I hope no living thing cries over his bones
alexv
Posts: 772
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2003 2:32 pm
Location: USA

Re: going back to s.p. and s.

Post by alexv »

I don't hear much of S.P. and S in NR. Not a fan of that record, and a I'm loving NR, so no link really. It's almost the anti-SPS to me, but that's just me. But, Jardine, I would go back one more record to find the record NR reminds me of: Momofuku. Harry Worth, Mr. Feathers and My Three Sons fit in very nicely with the vibe created by Jimie, Josephine, and Moon. They all share that almost Tin Pan Alleyish tone, and are full of odd effects. Period pieces, really. Gangster Time fits in nicely with NR. I dislike both songs, but they are similar rants. Go Away is similar to some of the poppier songs in NR; Flutter and Wow's soul style is mimicked in the soul song in NR (forget the name, and I'm listening to Trust right now so my head is full old songs, sorry). Anyway, the variety, wonderful variety in NR harkens, to me, back to Momofuku. I think that record, approached with more care, and not just as almost a garage band exercise, could have ended up much better.
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