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Underground > Radio & Music >

The Magnetic Fields - "I"

ONLY NICE THINGS

11:26 / 10.06.04

The conceit of this album is, it must be said, a shit conceit. 14 songs, all starting with the letter (although not necessarily the word) "I". I haven't had a chance to listen to it too much so far, but it seems like a sort of endpaper to "69 Love Songs". It is also non-synth, which I'[m finding oddly upsetting - the lack of synths seems a bit limiting,and makes some of these songs sound too homey...

On the plus side, Merritt's voice is getting better without losing its alien quality, and the stand-out tracks are mighty. But it feels a bit conceptually slight compared to something like the formal unity of "The House of Tomorrow", or the conceptual unity of "The Charm of the Highway Strip"...

Thoughts, anyone?

20:16 / 10.06.04

On the synths thing, I was sort of under the impression that he didn't really use synths all that much, and instead used acoustic instruments and just piled on a bunch of processors and effects. So maybe it's more that Mr. Merritt has switched a couple plugs on his patch bay than went out and got all fancy-pantsed with new gear.

I got that Eban & Charley soundtrack he did, and it did sound more "acoustic" than previous stuff (although still with waves of odd digital sound).

I'm going to get I, I'm pretty sure, but I gotta ask beforehand -- does he play toy piano on it? There's a toy piano on the soundtrack that just about made me mess myself with the stickyjuice. I love that instrument.

ONLY NICE THINGS

06:14 / 11.06.04

Not that I can think off offhand - there's what sounds like a spinet or a harpsichord...

08:51 / 11.06.04

I don't particularly have a problem with the "I" concept, possibly because I'm not really affording it the 'weight' of a concept. While I can sort of see how you could tether various themes onto it, particularly about following an album of 69 polyglottal love songs with an album ostensibly devoted to the self, I think it's more just a self-imposed limitation for Stephin Merritt to flex against, somewhat akin to writing sestinas or triolets.

(Actually, the main annoying thing is how the album is sequenced in alphabetical order which, while it works on occassion, such as making the magnificient 'It's Only Time' the last track, does hamble it a touch)

Anyway; onto the album itself. Yeah, I think it's a grower rather than a gobsmacker. Tracks like 'It's Only Time' sneak up on you rather than knock on your front door; (due to my short attention span, the last couple of songs on an album tend to pass me by initially); once it reeled me in, however, it's definitely up there with the likes of 'Papa Was A Rodeo' as one the best songs evAH. The likes of 'I Die' and 'In An Operetta', meanwhile, show that he's still capable of doing top stuff from both ends of the spectrum, while 'Infinitely Late At Night' is a rather good Gothic Archies song.

Having said that, the fact that I'd count myself as a huge Merritt fan and this topic has made me feel a bit guilty about the fact I haven't listened to the album much more than half a dozen times in two months, probably isn't the greatest sign.

Haus of Mystery

09:38 / 11.06.04

Just as an aside, is any of their earlier material particularly outstanding? Or his side projects (ie: The 6ths)?

ONLY NICE THINGS

22:07 / 11.06.04

Yeeble. The first two albums, The Wayward Bus and Distant Plastic Trees are about half genius - very different in some ways, still a lot of stylistic referencing - the main difference is that Merritt is not singing. Get Lost, The Charm of the Highway Strip and "Get Lost" are terrific albums - I'd probably recommend Holiday first, but I'm very fond of Get Lost, as it was the first one I got. They're denser in conception and in lyrics than the current phase. The House of Tomorrow is a conceit - all the songs have the same chord structure - but it has some v. good songs to go with it.

Future Bible Heroes I can take or leave, comparatively, but are good fun. Gothic Archies I haven't heard much of. The 6ths - I really enjoyed the second album (Hyacinths and Thistles), and what I have heard of Wasps' Nests live - agian, you've got other people singing Merritt songs, but "names", at least in the indieverse...

08:58 / 14.06.04

Yeah; I'd say the second The 6ths album, Hyacinths, is much better than the first; the range of both songs and vocalists is much wider. The last track, however, is a right git to put on an MP3 player.

I rilly like the first Future Bible Heroes album, mainly because it reminds me of early Magnetic Fields stuff. The second one has some pretty good songs but too many pointless instrumentals.

The Gothic Archies album is pretty slight and is only worth bothering with if you're desperate for more Merritt.

Oh, and yeah, another vote for Get Lost as the best Magnetic Fields album.

19:50 / 14.06.04

I still like Distant Plastic Trees best. The last song on that is the greatest pop song ever recorded.

"100,000 Fireflies."

I like to think the Superchunk cover of that was one of the factors in inspiring the concept for The 6ths. I bought Wasp's Nests on the collected 7"s and played the heck out of a couple of the discs. "Pillow Fight" was one -- the Mac Cauley song was another.

16:58 / 27.08.04

There's a nice interview with Stephin Merritt here, where he talks about the "I" (non-)concept and is generally sweet. I just wanted to ask, because I've heard a few people say that this album is mostly "filler" and then cite wildly different tracks as the good (non-filler) ones - which tracks do people like? Cos even the ones I can mostly take or leave have at least one stunning line or moment in them (eg "I Die": you think your youth a permanent truth), and I'm wondering whether it might be the case that everyone thinks this is an album with, like, four good songs and ten not-very-good songs, but everyone disagrees on the four good songs. Which would be interesting in itself. And might suggest that the "I" of the title is the reader, who assembles hir own path through the album and thus gives it its only conceptual unity... ahahahaha.

16:29 / 09.09.04

Not entirely on topic, but I just saw a preview for the American remake of the sweet Japanese film "Shall We Dance?" -- the Richard Gere business looks pretty cheesy, but the soundtrack apparently had Peter Gabriel singing "Book of Love" by the Magnetic Fields. Someone with his voice, anyway.

19:02 / 09.09.04

which tracks do people like?

I've had "I Don't Believe You" and "I Thought You Were My Boyfriend" pleasantly stuck in my head for months now. I think they're both great. "It's Only Time" is quite good as well.

For my money, Stephen Merritt is usually pretty hit or miss. But when he hits... aw, man!

13:09 / 18.09.04

Yesyes, on "I Thought You Were My Boyfriend" and "I Don't Believe You"; I really like "Irma", "Infinitely Late at Night", and "I Wish I Had An Evil Twin", as well. And I have a bit of a thing for "I'm Tongue-Tied", but that's because I am completely convinced, for no particular reason, that it is a version of that Sappho fragment that Catullus translated (Catullus 51).

Haus of Mystery

15:26 / 06.12.04

Just wanted to say, I recently bought 'Get Lost' and it hasn't left my stereo - absolutely, heart-wrenchingly fantastic, and strongly reminiscent of some of my pesonal '69' highlights. Particularly like the 'Wall-of-Sound done on a shitty casio' atmosphere, and the way the album creeps up on you, with the slow atmospheric first track seguing into more uproarious fayre. Current favourite track either 'Secrets for the moon' or the final one (name escapes me).

I know a lot of people have problems with Merritt's vocals, but aside from the fact they vere dangerously close to 'Crash Test Dummies' ground they don't bother me. Very weird, alien morosity(?) - works for me. Granted the variety of vocalists on '69' was one of the reasons it goes the distance but there's a certain bedroom charm to his. (He can surely be filed alongside Grant Morrison, as an Eternal Teenager, non?)

So where next? 'Holiday' or 'Charm..' (and on a related note do any other vocalists appear on these?

12:49 / 08.12.04

I think Claudia's voice is on both, but I can't remember if she actually sings a whole song. Charm of the Highway Strip leans towards Western/country sounds, and Holiday leans towards dance clubs. I like Charm -- I think it started out as a concept album about vampires.

The first two albums (on one CD) are my favorites, actually, and they're all sung by Susan Anway, who had the perfect early 90s indie girl voice.

Last night, I bust my MF live cherry, and it felt *good*. Great show, great room, Darren Hanlon opening with verve and charm.

I'm strongly considering writing the Magnetic Fields now and asking them to please, please release a live album -- the songs were so different with just the four of them on acoustic instruments (and no drums!).

Mr. Merritt was dressed like a little old man, all in brown, with a flat cap. And the ukulele almost never left his lap. I wanted to hug him and tell him it would all be better soon.

And now I understand about the banter. He's the cuddliest prickly man (or prickliest cuddly man) I've ever seen, and Ms. Gonson is the perfect foil.

If they come to your town, do not miss!

Haus of Mystery

16:05 / 08.12.04

They played at my imaginary festival...

Cheers Grant. I was a bit fast off the mark and went for 'Charm..' as the concept really appealed to me. A number of reviews suggested that it was a grower, which is another point in it's favour - I love albums that creep up on you to become indispensible.

So...first listen was pleasant, with a couple immediately standing out (the one about being afraid of trains). I love the way the 'casio country' style gives it a bizarre timeless sound, and the bittersweet lyrics are matched brilliantly to it. I'm still listening to 'Get Lost' like crazy - occasionally you come across a band, and they become all you can listen to. This is one.Alongside discovering the Mountain Goats, and Jeffrey Lewis it's been a splendid year for me.

Interested to see the backlash for 'i'. Where does it stand in the cannon, in your opinion?