Why doesn't everyone love Grant Lee Buffalo?

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Gilmore Girls and solo crimes aside - I brought Fuzzy with me on a recent road trip, on a whim, to see if it still holds up, and I think I like it better now than I did when it came out. What a great record! Not to mention Ladies Love Oracle and Mighty Joe Moon! Why no love?

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 23:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I really only know the song "Mockingbirds," like probably everyone else, but I think it's amazing. I guess I'm not really sure why I never bought an album. Though I think that was the first song I ever bought off iTunes, now that I think about it.

― Clusterfuck at the Baja Fresh Salsa Bar (Ben Boyer), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 23:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I likes'em, i does...

iGrant Lee Buffalo - Classic or Dud?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 23:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Fuzzy is probably the only one I really truly love. Good songs are scattered over the other records, though.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 21 October 2004 03:02 (twenty-one years ago)

because he's awful.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 21 October 2004 04:00 (twenty-one years ago)

because they're boring

― Riot Gear! (Gear!), Thursday, 21 October 2004 04:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Grant Yawn Buffalo

― 57 7th (calstars), Thursday, 21 October 2004 04:21 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't normally liek this type of music at all, but i really love fuzzy. i don;t have any of the other albums - for some reason they are one of those bands where i like the first album loads but have no real desire to hear any of the follow ups. not sure why that is

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Thursday, 21 October 2004 08:22 (twenty-one years ago)

i remember secretly liking truly truly when it came out

― reo, Thursday, 21 October 2004 08:29 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't know about grant lee buffalo, but that grant lee phillips solo record from last year is one of the most pitiful excuses for an album i've heard in many moons. i really don't like panning things in reviews, but i took great delight in ripping into that one. i certainly didn't bother trying to find its good qualities.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 21 October 2004 09:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Despite his pretty awful sense of humor, he always puts on a good show. That thing with Robyn Hitchcock was pretty good and his last tour was wonderful if you don't mind a long show.

― danh (danh), Thursday, 21 October 2004 14:19 (twenty-one years ago)

grant lee buffalo killed my brother.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 21 October 2004 14:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't like just saying "because they're boring", but that does kind of sum it up for me, I'm afraid. Sorry.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 21 October 2004 14:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, I really like GLB a lot. "Mighty Joe Moon" is one of my all-time favorite albums, and there are songs that I really like on the other records too. I've seen Grant Lee play some solo shows since GLB broke up, and he still plays mostly those old songs.

I think GLP is very funny in person!

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Thursday, 21 October 2004 14:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't like that new GLP solo album either. Dud from start to finish. There's a few good songs on his first two solo records, though.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Thursday, 21 October 2004 14:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Could someone do a CD80? I only know "Mockingbirds" but it's one of my top 100 all time songs. The video is great!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 21 October 2004 16:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not sure anything is essential beyond the Mighty Joe Moon album, but what an album that is. Particularly "Lone Star Song," the title track, and "Demon Called Deception." Oh, and "Honey Don't Think."

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 21 October 2004 16:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw Grant Lee Phillips live with John Doe at a Kerry benefit a couple months back and they were great!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 21 October 2004 17:02 (twenty-one years ago)

i used to have a really warm spot in my heart for glb, especially copperopolis, which was a rusty, lumbering beast of a record. it's been years since i've listened to them, but i don't imagine i care much anymore. they're still way better than most mid-90s americana though.

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 21 October 2004 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay. I'm not actually making the disc, so I might run long.

The Essential Grant Lee Buffalo

01 The Shining Hour
02 Dixie Drug Store
03 Fuzzy
04 You Just Have To Be Crazy
05 Mockingbirds
06 Sing Along
07 Mighty Joe Moon
08 Lone Star Song
09 Drag
10 Honey Don't Think
11 It's The Life
12 Goodnight John Dee
13 We're Coming Down
14 Bethlehem Steel
15 Better For Us
16 The Bridge
17 Truly Truly (preferably acoustic version)
18 Testimony
19 The Shallow End
20 Were You There?

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Thursday, 21 October 2004 17:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Well chosen, although I'd have the spellbinding Jupiter and Teardrop on there in place of You Just Have To Be Crazy.

― Palomino (Palomino), Thursday, 21 October 2004 18:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Fair enough. That song is obviously a big fan favorite and Grant plays it all the time, so yeah, it's a classic. I just don't like it very much.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Thursday, 21 October 2004 18:09 (twenty-one years ago)

My girl does a mean mean version of you just have to be crazy. that song is too good to loose. that whole first record is pretty great. minus a song or two.

― danh (danh), Thursday, 21 October 2004 18:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I haven't heard "Fuzzy," but I used to have the following three and Matthew put way too many songs on that GLB comp (though I miss "Side By Side" and "Arousing Thunder"). I haven't heard his solo stuff aside from the song "Heavenly." I always mistake that one album title for Vagina Creeper. I really wish he'd named it that.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 21 October 2004 20:29 (twenty-one years ago)

i played my girl both grant lee buffalo and the afghan whigs on a recent (long) road trip. i think that shit flys pretty damn well still

― chris andrews (fraew), Thursday, 21 October 2004 20:30 (twenty-one years ago)

"Side By Side" is a big favorite of mine, but I cut it out for space. There's nothing on MJM that I don't love.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Thursday, 21 October 2004 20:47 (twenty-one years ago)

"Were You There" is a very obscure one, but easily one of the best songs in their catalog. Definitely slsk it if you haven't heard it.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Thursday, 21 October 2004 20:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh fuck, I totally forgot about "The Whole Shebang" from that glam rock soundtrack - that's a must-have. It's very Elton John at first, but then it gets kinda Bowie-ish. Great pastiche.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Thursday, 21 October 2004 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 21 October 2004 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)

who were you reviewing for killian?
i wouldn't normally be arsed about this type of music at all,i hardly even listen to anything with guitars on it any more,but i remember loving one of their songs years ago,and ive always vaguely meant to find out what it was...
it had a video,i know that much,so it must have been a single...
is it likely to have been mockingbird?

― robin (robin), Friday, 22 October 2004 00:15 (twenty-one years ago)

if it had a falsetto chorus it would have been "mockingbirds"

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 22 October 2004 00:17 (twenty-one years ago)

You may laugh at me, but i swear I hear grant lee buffalo influence in a lot of Radiohead songs.

― Elvis is Dead, Friday, 22 October 2004 22:43 (twenty-one years ago)

they both suckle at the teat of Michael Stipe (literally, if not figuratively)

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 22 October 2004 22:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Matthew - you didn't include "The Hook?" For shame!

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Saturday, 23 October 2004 15:21 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

I've wondered why more people aren't familiar/praise this band.
Better than a lot of "alt-country/Americana" stuff that gets attention. Great band.

― cdwill (cdwill), Monday, 17 July 2006 02:54 (nineteen years ago)

two years pass...

i heard the bugle this morn blast reveille

<3 <3 <3

― "alpha dog" (Tape Store), Tuesday, 18 November 2008 17:40 (seventeen years ago)

Fuzzy is probably the only one I really truly love. Good songs are scattered over the other records, though.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Wednesday, October 20, 2004 11:02 PM (4 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I was just about essentially this same thing. Glad I'm consistent.

― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 18 November 2008 17:43 (seventeen years ago)

about to write...

― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 18 November 2008 17:44 (seventeen years ago)

did they ever top "mockingbirds"?

― "alpha dog" (Tape Store), Tuesday, 18 November 2008 17:46 (seventeen years ago)

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