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[enjoy bell woods]

Did anyone bother giving this a listen? Mercury Rev went from being instrumental in defining who The Flaming Lips are to making pretty boring, dreamy music about the weirdest, yet sickeningly stupid, bullshit. Regardless, I still love them. I suppose they're my Coldplay/Doves, in the sense that they've stuck to making really safe music. But then I can't ignore that their early days were spent making the most crazy fucking music out there, and that sort of makes me feel justified. Of course, that's horrible justification, but I genuinely like the saccharine garbage they've been releasing for the past six or seven years.

There are a few good songs on here, and I have a soft spot for Jonathan Donahue's voice. Basically, he sort of sounds like Wayne Coyne, but he thinks he can sing.

"Across Yer Ocean" is the album's highlight. There are lots of really plodding tracks on the album, but I can't help myself. It still feels magical. The weirdest thing about this particular album is that Dave Fridmann, the band's bassist, produced Sleater-Kinney's latest album, which is the rawest album I've heard in a really long time. I hope he'll someday force some chaos back into their music, but that'll never happen.

The album art is hideous.

Anyway, people should discuss this band until the end of time just because of Boces and Yerself is Steam.

 

[gollumsluvslave]

'Deserter's Songs' isn't a bad album by any means, but i can't fathom how it's by the same band that brought us 'Yerself is Steam', 'Boces' and even 'See you on the other side'

The Secret Migration doesn't seem to have migrated very much from the Deserter's Songsformula IMO.

But 'Syringemouth' is the coolest name for a song. Ever.

And back on the Yerself is Steam tour the Rev Played *LOUD*

 

[enjoy bell woods]

Yeah man, I mean, what's a "Syringemouth" even look like? I love that so much.

I think "Meth of a Rockette's Kick" is my favorite song, but I'm honestly not sure about that.

Regarding Deserter's Songs and all the stuff that has come out afterward, I like it. I can't take it seriously, though.

Following the release of the stunning 1993 LP, dubbed Boces in honor of an upstate New York school for children, Mercury Rev again toured, even playing the second stage at Lollapalooza; ultimately, the band was kicked off the bill during the festival's Denver stop due to excessive noise -- the electricity to the stage was cut off in mid-performance, and concert security removed their soundman in a headlock.

 

[Son of Godzilla]

I support this topic even if I can't remember anything from TSM besides generally liking it.

But Deserter's was crap.

 

[drohne]

shrug. i think deserters' songs is a million times better than most of the psychedelic racket they raised prior to that album. i'm not nearly as fond of their last two albums, though.

 

[fart]

i think the last time you posted this exact same thread i said "it's not terrible but it's a long way down from boces". i'm sticking to that statement because it's pretty much correct.

i even like all is dream more than secret migration, and all is dream isn't.. that... good....

 

[Outdoor Miner]

I love, adore, and cherish Deserter's Songs.

Fuck

the

Haters.

 

[enjoy bell woods]

i think the last time you posted this exact same thread i said "it's not terrible but it's a long way down from boces". i'm sticking to that statement because it's pretty much correct.

i even like all is dream more than secret migration, and all is dream isn't.. that... good....

I've never posted a thread about this band or this album. At least not on this forum.

 

[enjoy bell woods]

shrug. i think deserters' songs is a million times better than most of the psychedelic racket they raised prior to that album. i'm not nearly as fond of their last two albums, though.

I think it was a terrible move, akin to what The Flaming Lips started with The Soft Bulletin and fully transformed into with Yoshimi, which I think is a pretty bad album.

That forced naivete and awe with the world present in their music gets pretty overwhelming.