Could anyone like the Rapture album

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I though this lot were supposed to be good? The album is awful, awful, awful... I have rarely heard anything more irritating than the singer's whine :"1,2,3,4/kick the fucker out the doooooooooooorrrr"...OK then. It's like a series of VERY bad unreleased Cure outtakes from 1983. Yes, as bad as that. The *house* tracks are risibly dated. Oh, hang on don't tell me, they're a **GREAT LIVE BAND**. Hmm.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 2 February 2004 12:11 (twenty-one years ago)

100% agree. mediocrity at it's best.

― searchanddelete, Monday, 2 February 2004 12:15 (twenty-one years ago)

They are a great live band tho!

(I think it's a rub album too - London ILXers without a copy can have mine for the price of 2 pints at a FAP.)

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Monday, 2 February 2004 12:38 (twenty-one years ago)

you can give me the CD as part payment for web hosting if you like Tico

there are a couple of tracks on Echoes i don't like, although even Love Is All is growing on me. i think it's fine and don't get why anyone would dislike it that much.

MORE IMPORTANTLY THE EWAN PEARSON MIXES OF 'I NEED YOUR LOVE' ARE BLOODY SUPERB

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 2 February 2004 12:48 (twenty-one years ago)

the 'dated' glorious Balearic vibe of I Need Your Love and Sister Saviour is the greatest asset of both tracks - i prefer them both to HOJL

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 2 February 2004 12:50 (twenty-one years ago)

i think it's the " don't they sound like gang of four" thign i hear all the time that really bugs me.

it's like comparing Stereophonics and Can

― searchanddelete, Monday, 2 February 2004 12:50 (twenty-one years ago)

actually thats a bit harsh. i still don't like em though

― searchanddelete, Monday, 2 February 2004 12:52 (twenty-one years ago)

i agree (Go4 being the Stezzas - oh wait that's a BIT harsh)

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 2 February 2004 12:52 (twenty-one years ago)

ha! maybe if they had a more western approach to melody and harmony i'd like em better*

― searchanddelete, Monday, 2 February 2004 12:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the album - not groundbreaking stuff really, but pretty well assembled throughout. It made my top 5 last year, but I didn't really listen to many albums and I'd want it cheap too. Also, I'm fast realising that I'm the only person who can just about tolerate Luke's voice for a whole record, so I guess that's explanatory too. Next time, leave the balladeering; it only worked when they're doing their 'great live band' thang. 'Heaven' was begging far more for a dancefloor remix than 'I Need Your Love'.

― Barima (Barima), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:14 (twenty-one years ago)

There are 2 good songs on it - the dub-y one that sounds a bit like The Specials and 'House of...'. The rest is indeed arse.

― Jeff W (zebedee), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:21 (twenty-one years ago)

yep, it's great.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:22 (twenty-one years ago)

they dont just steal from Go4.. every song is stolen from another band.

i'd go through it track by track but i simply don't have the time. off the top of my head:

olio = the cure .. everything
the coming of spring = PiL "careering"
killing = a certain ratio "do the du"

― cutty (mcutt), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:22 (twenty-one years ago)

god i am so sick of these fucking "how can anyone like [blank]??" threads

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:28 (twenty-one years ago)

wow! holy shit! thanks for pointing that out! especially on ILM, where information like that is usually cloistered and shunted aside.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:29 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost w/strongo, who is OTM as usual

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Strangely I find them annoying when it's music I like and not when it's music I don't.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:30 (twenty-one years ago)

I think I always find them annoying, actually.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:30 (twenty-one years ago)

yep. the singer has a terrible voice.

― sfgf, Monday, 2 February 2004 13:30 (twenty-one years ago)

(except when they're about Guided by Voices, haha)

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:31 (twenty-one years ago)

(i mean if you can't do real good angry polemic with something new to say - omg, the CURE...you dont say?? - then DONT FUCKING BOTHER)

(nb: i have seriously gone off the album, and haven't listened to it probably since october. but there's nothing wrong with being seriously infatuated with something for a few months and then never wanting to hear it again.)

(x-post: you sure are up early.)

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:31 (twenty-one years ago)

The house tracks aren't dated! Far from it.

Jess otm. The only one I ever participated in was Junior Senior, but seriously how can anyone like them?

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:32 (twenty-one years ago)

and i like dr. c a lot...i re-read his ABC the other day and i still think it's one of the best things ever on ilm...so this isn't a slam at him directly, per se.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:32 (twenty-one years ago)

damn haterz, why don't you all get a haircut

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:33 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah there is something wrong w/that J, MONEY MONEY MONEY MAN but otherwise no sure

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:33 (twenty-one years ago)

(haha "up early," try "still awake," fucking deadlines on deadlines)

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:33 (twenty-one years ago)

i stay away from smashing pumpkins threads. i deserve a medal.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:34 (twenty-one years ago)

and that soft bulletin thread? i pretended like it wasn't even there. i'm a very positive person really.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:39 (twenty-one years ago)

That "Love is all" one reminds me of "Life through a Window" - The Jam
That "House of..." one reminds me of "One Step Beyond" - Madness
That "the price is WHAT?" one is Careering PIL.

I'll have to hear Killing again - I know do the du well enough

Which album is "Everything" by the cure on?

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:39 (twenty-one years ago)

keep it coming! none of us know any of this stuff, especially on an album as relatively underdiscussed on ILM!

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:41 (twenty-one years ago)

if anything off it sounds like "I'm So Green" I'm in

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Monday, 2 February 2004 13:55 (twenty-one years ago)

i listened to this a couple of months ago. and for once i have to agree, dr. c. they are rubbish. as you said what they do is not new (johnny rotten screaming, gang of four, dark wave etc.) and they don't do it very well. but live they seem to be ok. at least what i heard of a concert on france inter a while ago.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:13 (twenty-one years ago)

**(i mean if you can't do real good angry polemic with something new to say - omg, the CURE...you dont say?? - then DONT FUCKING BOTHER)**

Alright alright sorry it's not up to your fucking standards you miserable sniping fucking loser. Sorry its not a fucking Carlin/Morley/Penman/Jess fucking Harvell incisive fifty thousand fucking word thinkpiece on Scritti Fucking Politti - I was just listening to it at work and it's arse. So I wondered what others thought. So I posted. Sorry I fucking ruined your day Jess. I won't fucking bother anymore. No, I can't do REAL GOOD angry polemic. I wasn't fucking trying to do REAL GOOD angry polemic. So why don't you stoop down and give us the benefit of some REAL, REAL good angry polemic yourself if that's what makes your miserable day, you shithead.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:14 (twenty-one years ago)

umm, I just said I liked it...

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually you did a fairly good Carlin there.

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:16 (twenty-one years ago)

i can't believe i read this thread. I love the album.

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I like it too. (The Cure-isms are of course a big reason why! Woo!)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not sure that polemic's angry enough. Maybe you should bring his mother into it.

― Barima (Barima), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:20 (twenty-one years ago)

don't forget to mention that you're publishing a book while the rest of us are stuck w/blogs

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:29 (twenty-one years ago)

What?

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:30 (twenty-one years ago)

if yr going for Carlin-style invective, go all the way is what I'm saying

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:30 (twenty-one years ago)

I believe yr meant to bring up the fact you have a girlfriend

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:31 (twenty-one years ago)

don't forget to add something along the lines of "so don't even pretend to go there"

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:34 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.copperlily.com/AboutRayWinstone/Images/scum4.jpg

I'm the fuckin' publiished author now!

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:35 (twenty-one years ago)

That was a great Aja though, Dr C.

― Llahtuos Kcin (Nick Southall), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Enrique wins.

Eastenders 7.30

Carlin confronts Barry Lasagne about a stolen David Sylvain record.

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:46 (twenty-one years ago)

This is better, i think the polemical invective that was missing from the first post has certainly come to fruition on this sophomore effort, and the opening track "Alright alright sorry it's not up to your fucking standards you miserable sniping fucking loser" really sets the tone for the rest of the piece, i think it shows a lot of potential that was missing from the first. one to watch i think

― Stringent Stepper (Stringent), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

MIA: "DON'T TRY IT"

― Barima (Barima), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)

I actually like the album (despite or perhaps because it's so derivative of so many other bands like PiL, Gang of Four, etc.), but the vocalist is undeniably the weakest link in the chain. They'd be vastly improved by getting someone else in to assume the microphone.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think the singer is a replaceable part here, though--it seems like what they're doing has a lot (though certainly not all or even mostly) to do with his vision.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

(this is based mainly on interviews, as well as an intrinsic sense that his Robert Smith/whoever else uh "tributes" aren't happening by accident)

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

(caution - stating of obvious ahead)

It's the great strength/weakness of rock music isn't it - you have the energy and dynamic created by 3/4/5/x ppl together who broadly agree on what makes good music and know each other, hence 'great live band', but on the other hand there's an ethic of irreplacability - songs have to be written in-house; singing has to be done in-house etc etc.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

well, don't all those lists upthread prove that most of the writing wasn't done in-house?

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:13 (twenty-one years ago)

i stand corrected!

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

(haha.) (I don't have a problem with the blatantness of the ripoffs, btw--I actually prefer "The Coming of Spring" to "Careering," for inst.)

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Those things often happen rather naturally, tho, which is something ILM doesn't seem to notice. Sometimes you just GET ORIGINAL.

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:15 (twenty-one years ago)

and i like dr. c a lot...i re-read his ABC the other day and i still think it's one of the best things ever on ilm...so this isn't a slam at him directly, per se.
-- strongo hulkington

sniiiffle.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:15 (twenty-one years ago)

(xpost)

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:15 (twenty-one years ago)

>I actually prefer "The Coming of Spring" to "Careering," for inst.)

with respect, that is pure foolishness!

hey, there's a car ad on US TV at the moment that has neo-punk-funk on the soundtrack, it sounds just like 'house of jealous lovers' but it's not--different singer. Does anyone know who the band is?

be funny if neo-postpunk became the new electronica vis-a-vis commercials

― simon r, Monday, 2 February 2004 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey maybe it's the Gang of Four!

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

It's Radio 4. Speaking of supposed G04 voibe biting blah blah.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Speaking of funk on car ads (different sort though) - what is the track on the UK car ad that sounds like proibidao/baile funk? It works really well. (When I was in Barcelona last summer there were a few ads using that kind of thing too).

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

proibidao/baile funk

Aw mama I thought I knew something about music... wtf is 'baile funk'? Not the Mazda ads, anyway.

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Tom, it's called "Zoom Zoom".

― Sarah (starry), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:43 (twenty-one years ago)

(zoom zoom!)

― zoom zoom zoom (starry), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

No it's not the Zoom Zoom one - anyway I have that song on my Caribe Mix 2003 CD Starry!

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:45 (twenty-one years ago)

WHAT? THAT'S 'Baile funk'? The most annoying ad out there? In that case, bless my genre ignorance! And death to b-funk.

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Proíbidao/Baile Funk

Here you go Enrique and Chupa answers my qn on it too - I missed that, thanks!

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I now hear the thread title in my head as Camille's intro on 'Housequake'. I mean, really, really...

― Barima (Barima), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

WHAT!? Dude where's my [insert thing of choice here]!!! AAaahey zoom zoom zoom. Don't lie Enrique you love it. I can't remember the Nissan song to be honest. I remember the French one where they fight each other for the car and in the end he abandons her in a fountain whilst a French bird in the background gasps "aaaah OUI"!!! I'd say it was the French "zoom zoom" but of course that particular phrase is taken by "Va Va Voom".

Hey Jimmy what's the French for Va Va Voom?

I am surprised not to see Julio in the background to that advert seeing as it is about JAZZ and all.

― Sarah (starry), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh the French one (Renault). I think I'd marry the girl in that.

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:59 (twenty-one years ago)

um why is that so bad Simon? they don't sound anything alike except "TCOS" rips about four bars of the vocal melody from "Careering"

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 2 February 2004 16:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I was ludicrously charmed by the cars playing hide and seek in the old Corsa adverts, I'm rather saddened that with the new adverts they've gone back to the standard "cars have a race" thing BUT WITH A WACKY TWIST!! Groo. It would have been better if they'd been playing TIG.

Ahem off topic somewhat aren't I. I haven't heard the Rapture album either. I AM A FRAUD!

― Sarah (starry), Monday, 2 February 2004 16:05 (twenty-one years ago)

The Corsa one used BRMC didn't it. So not entirely off-topic (ie boring 70s retro shite).

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 2 February 2004 16:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Eh the RATPURE are alright in my book. If only cause they bring out the best in ILM. (i.e. grumpiness, irritation, etc)

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 2 February 2004 16:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Dude they used the Fall and now some... I dunno. Old rub. They should have used EMMA BUNTON dear god why aren't I in advertising? I'm a GENIUS.

― Sarah (starry), Monday, 2 February 2004 16:10 (twenty-one years ago)

we might need a new thread for music in car ads

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 2 February 2004 16:10 (twenty-one years ago)

That was The Fall? Jesus. I just assumed it was a Fall rip-off, you know.

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 2 February 2004 16:15 (twenty-one years ago)

songs you actually WANT to hear in a car advert

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 2 February 2004 16:16 (twenty-one years ago)

You know Stevem back in the day thread mutation was a GOOD THING! *remembers the rule of threes*...

oh ok then.

― Sarah (starry), Monday, 2 February 2004 16:20 (twenty-one years ago)

It's called Follow me, follow me by Black Alien and Speed Tejo and it's out on 23rd Feb.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Monday, 2 February 2004 16:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the only thing I have to say is that quoting my favorite lyric from the album isn't really going to convince me that it's bad. Other than that, I just marvel at how Dr. C and I manage to have the exact same musical taste, only diametrically-opposed to each other.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 2 February 2004 23:26 (twenty-one years ago)

2nd best album of last year. Only one bad song, really ("Heaven").

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Monday, 2 February 2004 23:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I find the album pretty enjoyable, but the voice and lyrics are definitely keep me from thinking this album is any better than some post-punk variation on a Jimmy Joe & The Wazoos Live At The Frat! How About That! kind of album. It's vacuous old-school party-rock with a mediocre singer, just from an old-school that I dig.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 2 February 2004 23:45 (twenty-one years ago)

and if the DFA had as much to do with the songwriting as I heard, these guys could easily be up shit creek re: follow-up.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 2 February 2004 23:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I decided today that I hate the Rapture and find them incredibly mediocre except for House Of Jealous Lovers, and then I heard House Of Jealous Lovers in the car and I was sick of that too. Are the DFA unlikely to be producing/writing the next one or something?

― ferg (Ferg), Monday, 2 February 2004 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)

dfa's involvement in songwriting = way overstated

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I have no idea really how much the DFA were involved. I've definitely heard stories that go either way, but I'll accede to the actual New Yorkers on it.

Oh, and the Robert Smith comparison is WAY overstated. I've used it myself when describing "Olio" but the Rapture dude is a total amateur by comparison. Smith has a peculiar instrument, but he USES it to great affect. I don't even see the level of skill Smith had on Boys Don't Cry here.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:22 (twenty-one years ago)

You can replace most of this thread by substituting "The Rapture" with "Interpol", and "Gang of Four" with "Joy Division", and you had a pretty typical thread of 2002.

― donut bitch (donut), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Well at least this time the new group is at least being compared to a group they have similar GUITAR SOUNDS as. Interpol sounds almost nothing like Joy Division.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:25 (twenty-one years ago)

>>I don't even see the level of skill Smith had on Boys Don't Cry here. <<

An odd thing to say (that "even", I mean), given that *Boys Don't Cry* contains by far the most skilled music that Robert Smith ever made.

― chuck, Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:27 (twenty-one years ago)

well, it's about as odd as your "by far".

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I mean I can see you preferring the Wire-inspired bar band vibe they had on the debut, but you're telling me it's BY FAR better than all the arena-mope classics they kicked out from 80what to 90what?

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Uh...yeah, Anthony. There's no contest, and never was one.

I mean, if this Rapture thing is a Cure album, it's probably the best Cure album SINCE *Boys Don't Cry.* If it's a Gang of Four album, it's the best Gang of Four album since, well, *Songs of the Free* I guess (I haven't heard that one in years, come to think of it. So never mind.) Truth is, it's probably neither. And it's okay. Better than the Interpol album, better than either Liars album, better than the frigging Walkmen or Secret Machines or Calla or whoever. Still hard to get excited about, though. Their own early EP might be better. (None of which is to say that this isn't a pretty stupid thread idea.) My favorite song is still whichever one rips off "Careering."

― chuck, Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Interpol's got the post-adolescent art school girl-bait drama, so I'll take 'em over the Rapture. And while I'll admit the bottom of Echoes never gets as soggy as on a Cure full-length, the songwriting on Cure hit comps like Galore and Standing On A Beach is infinitely better. Even if they don't incorporate enough cowbells for you funky chickens out there.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:36 (twenty-one years ago)

and I'm all for threads that put fans of a band on the defensive (especially when said fans have actually had to sit with the album for a couple months). Much more interesting than the everybody-loves-this-album-we-downloaded jizzathons.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:39 (twenty-one years ago)

if you reread their derivitaveness as audacity it may get fun again

― g--ff (gcannon), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:39 (twenty-one years ago)

whose, the Rapture's? You're right about that. It's the mediocrity of stuff like the vocals that bothers me, not the derivativeness. I mean, wake me up when somebody makes a Gang Of Four album as good as the good ones, you know?

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:41 (twenty-one years ago)

if you read it as being audacity then you can't get all up in arms over nothing

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Best Cure song ever, for whatever it's worth: "10:15 Saturday Night." And "Boys Don't Cry," "Jumping Someone Else's Train," "Killing an Arab," "Fire in Cairo," and "Grinding Halt" beat anything they put out after 1980. (And four of them are the only reason that *Staring at the Sea: The Singles* or whatever is a better album, if that counts, than the Rapture one. But I don't think it does.) They did make a better Buzzcocks (or Adverts or whatever) than the Rapture ever could hope to be, though. (Mediocre vocals: A tie, I suppose.)

― chuck, Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:44 (twenty-one years ago)

luke's vocals, yeah, they wear thin, but matty's singing impresses me much much more. and i agree w/ chuck that the early EP is better than Echoes, mainly cuz it naturally sustains its mood/aesthetic, while the slow songs on Echoes seem to be there just cuz.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:44 (twenty-one years ago)

i do wish that the rapture had written "needy girl" (from Chromeo's full length) tho.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Since my name isn't Dan or Ned I won't bring up various album tracks, but shizzle my nizzle, do you even like "Just Like Heaven," Chuck?

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:46 (twenty-one years ago)

i like the critics who mention the rapture "singer" or "vocalist"... it really shows how sharp their ears are!

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:50 (twenty-one years ago)

or how indifferent they are about which dillpickle's at the mic.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:52 (twenty-one years ago)

>>do you even like "Just Like Heaven," Chuck?<<

Slightly worse than the Dinosaur Jr. version. So: it's okay, I guess.

― chuck, Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:54 (twenty-one years ago)

haha I was so going to post a "not as good as Dino Jr.'s" response to myself but I wanted to see if you'd do it first. And the Cure's is better cuz it doesn't abruptly cut off in mid-line, IMO.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:55 (twenty-one years ago)

The songs don't quite hold up, but I do like the idea of something resembling Robert Smith singing lead vocals in an electronica band. Hopefully they write better songs next time around, plus they should stick to that electronica formula for the entire album.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 01:01 (twenty-one years ago)

IT'S IN MY BRAIN NOW!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 01:03 (twenty-one years ago)

You know what's really good? The Chair that Squeaks.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 01:30 (twenty-one years ago)

**Other than that, I just marvel at how Dr. C and I manage to have the exact same musical taste, only diametrically-opposed to each other.**

Dan - I seem to remember that we agree on New Order (fave album Movement, no?). But then, yes we do veer away wildly in opposite directions ;)

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 08:18 (twenty-one years ago)

i love the rapture album.
i think his voice can be a little better but it still goes well with the music.

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 08:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't get it either. They take the worst away from their (good) influences, have no sense of tension or drama, should be in the dictionary under "overrated."

― anode (anode), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 09:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I’m with Dr. C: I gave ‘Echoes’ a couple of spins, scratched my head, and stuck on ‘Metal Box’. Unexpectedly bad given the props. I suspect many fell for the hype: “NYC band release a DFA produced G-of-4/PIL influenced disco-punk album” does sound quite mouth-watering and ‘House of Jealous Lovers’ is ok, if you mentally block-out the vocals. If they came from Manchester would anyone care? (btw what ever happened to Manchester, it’s gone very silent).

― stevo (stevo), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 09:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I would just like to say...

"Shake Dowwwwnnn"

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 09:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Probably my fave of 2003. the whole derivativeness, Interpol/Stroke-ish disses are boring. I could do without the ballads, which really don't fit, but apart from that I'd take echoes over Metal Box or any Go4 any day.

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 09:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Of those three, I much prefer Interpol.

― Llahtuos Kcin (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I suspect many fell for the hype

Damn! I thought I liked it but now it's all become clear - I just fell for the hype. Silly me.

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:11 (twenty-one years ago)

N's going to hell.

― Llahtuos Kcin (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Re: Luke's voice - but the Rapture are about those sharp jagged edges (see also nasty squealing trebly guitar noise), you take that away and it becomes boring. See the Franz Ferdinand album for what happens when all the rough edges are smoothed away.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, I know FF sound nothing like the Ratpure REALLY...

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Matt OTM.

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I suspect did qualify that opinion somewhat Nick. Besides, was it really such an arrogant speculation? Few are immune to ´Hype´, I´m certainly not.

― stevo (stevo), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:28 (twenty-one years ago)

ARGH if you sing the Franz Ferdinand song to yourself to try and test out MDC's comment IT TURNS INTO THE RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS. Dud!!!

I like their military mach-3 march dance moves though! They would ONLY be better on stage if their singer could play guitar and trumpet at the same time. Ah. Amy Linton, huzzah.

― Sarah (starry), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:30 (twenty-one years ago)

I had no idea who the Rapture were when I saw them at Optimo, so no, I don't think hype had anything to do with it.

But sorry for being snarky, anyway.

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Amy Linton? Wha? I know a girl called Amy from Linton as it goes. But anyway, 'Metal Box' is fucking shit -- the guy can't sing, on track one anyhoo. I bough the 7" of 'Death Disco' when I was 16 for real, also Go4 -- fuck that! Every track sounds the same. Illiterate Marxists -- we don't need it do we?

― Enrique (Enrique), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:51 (twenty-one years ago)

point taken nick. no problems.

― stevo (stevo), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:51 (twenty-one years ago)

She's in this picture - spot the indie one in a band!!

― Sarah (starry), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:53 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not the same girl, i don't think.

― Enrique (Enrique), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I still love "House Of Jealous Lovers" obviously. In fact what I wanted from Echoes was 7 or so more copies of that - all this songwriting and artistic breadth and god forbid LYRIC WRITING is a right turn-off.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 10:59 (twenty-one years ago)

if you've never been clubbing how can you ever hope to understand the Rapture.

(hahahahaha)

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 11:58 (twenty-one years ago)

That was a sort of jokey post.

But House of the Jealous Lovers does sound amazing in a house set, or "in a club" to use the old cliche of something sounding amazing in a club. Meaning is injected into the cliche by the fact that I doubt alot of people believe it sounds great in the middle of dance DJ sets cos it is for all intents and purposes a rock song, I know I didn't until I heard it, several times.

I sort of agree with Tom, I like the album alot but I don't like albums alot. I seldom listen to anything except mixes now, the idea of one artist for a whole album isn't that attractive to me. But it is a pretty good album.

I don't really get people complaining about the vocals, I mean who cares really, I can't remember the last time I ever disliked something because of the vocals. Unless it was disliking something because it actually had vocals.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 12:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah HOJL makes most sense in a mix, thats where I heard it first too and where I heard it 'best' so to speak. I just can't see any of the others doing the same, "I Need Your Love" maybe but even that would be so much better without the verse vocals.

Will they do a remix album I wonder?

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 12:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Sister Saviour has some great mixes.

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 12:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Have you heard the Morgan Geist remix of HOJL?

N otm, Tiefschwarz remix of Sister Saviour is good, also that DFA one which Matt linked a while back. There are some awful remixes around aswell, cosmos mix of HoJL, yuck.

I quite like the vocal to I Need Your Love, it makes it more interesting in the sense of it being a Rapture single and not just an anonymous 12. Not that there's anything wrong with anonymous 12s but I'm not sure it'd be that interesting without a vocal. I guess it's not that far away from Basement Jaxx or DJ Sneak, if the whole thing oscillated a bit more, maybe bring up the bassline a bit and it'd be a bit like "Fix My Sink".

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 12:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah I liked that Sister Saviour mix that was up on Fluxblog, that's sort of why I asked.

I see your point about the verse vocal, really it's just the lyrics that annoy me, I know maybe I shouldn't care about lyrics but I still do - HOJL managed to hit this sweet spot with really evocative/effective/meaningless words but a lot of their other stuff I get a horrible feeling is 'about' something.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 12:15 (twenty-one years ago)

about something, ew! Yeah my colleague interviewed them recently and made a Blur comparison and I felt dirty because Love Is All does actually sound a bit like them.

there's something funny/interesting about the way HoJL was recieved, as I didn't really, until hearing it in a club/mix. it's like they go and try and make a house record and everyone treats it like a rock record anyway. I mean that opening riff is gasping for a quick flick of the crossfader.

But it's like in my initial not getting it I thought "what a poor rock song" and then eventually it's like "ah but this is great when you hear it out". Takes a good DJ though.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 12:17 (twenty-one years ago)

while "the coming of spring" might have the same-ish rhythym as "careering", it's a pretty lame comparison to me.

"careering" creates it's own upward movement (careering) feel using that spooky synth + a deliberately wrong beat placement, creating the illusion of movement while always coming back to "stuck". it does not sound like another rock song (unlike TCOS, which sounds just like another rock song)

i did however immediately think of another song when hearing TCOS, but it wasn't the Pil song, it was Roxy Music's "ladytron", and i mean the prog-rock-like stubborn synth chords at the end of "ladytron", not the endearing and almost never repeated "cha-cha" section. the chord changes strike me as a particularly obvious par-for-this-rhythym. By that i mean (in both songs) they sound obvious anyway, so maybe they're not the same chords, but both sets seem just as boring.

i find the comparison to Pil's song completely unjustified, that's unless the rapture just sound like PiL by virtue of the rhythym (which is _not_ the same at all unless it's so watered down as to be a fairly useless comparison), the whining lyrics and the use of "synth noises" (albeit completely empty and different noises).

this song has no real forward momentum (unlike "careering" which invents its own whole new verve) and so it just sounds to me like a scrawny third take by one of those countless bands that copied GoF the first time around. It sounds completely passionless and wet to me. no rapture here.

― george gosset (gegoss), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 12:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I agree with Tom's take insofar as I'd like the vocals to be more vampish and less songish - the best part of "Olio" is the mantra and even then it would be better if the "over and over again" bit was about, like, sex or dancing, as opposed to creeping paranoiac dread.

HOJL kind of stands alone on the album in that it's a house track made with rock instruments rather than a rock track with house instruments.

I really enjoy the album as is but it fell short of my top ten (regardless of what my P&J top ten will indicate) because I can never remember the lesser songs afterwards, even the ones I like eg. "Killing".

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 12:42 (twenty-one years ago)

ARGH if you sing the Franz Ferdinand song to yourself to try and test out MDC's comment IT TURNS INTO THE RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS. Dud!!!

Thank you! The boy Swygart called me a moron for saying this. IT'S THE SAME DAMN SONG.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 13:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Which RHCP song is it then?

― Enrique (Enrique), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 13:05 (twenty-one years ago)

You know, the latest one.

(I can't remember)

― Sarah (starry), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 13:12 (twenty-one years ago)

the vocals in 'I Need Your Love' are great and it goes very well with 'Blue Monday' or 'The Beach'

Erol's done some great stuff with HOJL in the mix - perfect segues into 'You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)' and 'Higher State Of Consciousness' esp.

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 13:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Some of the tracks on the Rapture album give a fairly likely impression what "Mixed Up" might have sounded like had it been released in 2003 rather than 1990....

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 14:08 (twenty-one years ago)

If only...

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey, come on Geir, it's not thát bad.

― stevo (stevo), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

he meant mixed up in the hague.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 21:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Radio 4 v Rapture fight!

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 21:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I like The Rapture. I first heard some song (something off the EP?) on epitonic. Later, I was one of those internet jerks who downloaded Echoes over six months before release after I had heard HOJL half a dozen times.

I actually know people who own The Chair That Squeaks, Mirror, and Out of the Races.. and don't like Echoes.

I also have seen them perform live twice. Note that I live in the dead center of the midwest, so I might just be years behind what's cool.

― mike h. (mike h.), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 21:55 (twenty-one years ago)

here's another midwesterner that hasn't gotten over the 'hype'--whatever, I love every single thing about this record. Anti-backlash is the new backlash.

― teeny (teeny), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 22:39 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

The production reminds me of John Leckie's ace work for Simple Minds' Real to Real Cacophony.

― Ian Riese-Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:09 (twenty years ago)

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Could anyone like the Rapture album - I mean, *really*?

"Shake Dowwwwnnn"

Could anyone like the Rapture album - I mean, really?