Jim o'Rourke late 90s Solo - Acoustic vs. Electronic

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Been done before? Adore Insignificance and Halfway to a Treeway, but having trouble coming to terms with I'm Happy, and I'm Singing...

― the Dirt (FunkDirt), Monday, 29 January 2007 10:53 (eighteen years ago)

I can't get my head round much of the electronic stuff. I'm Happy... is okay but it's not exactly Keith Fullerton Whitman.

Eureka was amazing, one of those albums that people always ask about if you put it on and have never heard of. Anyone know if he's doing a new album of guitar stuff soon?

― Treblekicker (treblekicker), Monday, 29 January 2007 12:53 (eighteen years ago)

I got bored of 'Insignificance'...the only track that stuck with me was the incredible 'All Downhill From Here'.

Which I suppose was at least honest.

― beaux knee (boney), Monday, 29 January 2007 14:19 (eighteen years ago)

Dud

― am0n (am0n), Monday, 29 January 2007 14:22 (eighteen years ago)

Halfway to a Threeway and Insignificance are two favorites of mine, but I was never crazy about anything else he did solo, although Eureka has its moments

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Monday, 29 January 2007 14:24 (eighteen years ago)

think it said somewhere that he was doing some poppy stuff with a brass section and whatnot...

― the Dirt (FunkDirt), Monday, 29 January 2007 15:13 (eighteen years ago)

...and a 1 2 3 4 is beautiful track.

― held tony (held tony), Monday, 29 January 2007 16:44 (eighteen years ago)

"Eureka" (the song) is a great combination of both esp. if you ever catch him playing it live on guitar and live-sample-DSP (also: Nobukazu Takemura doing additional processing on the 99 tour).

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Monday, 29 January 2007 16:51 (eighteen years ago)

I'm Happy and I'm Singing and a 1, 2, 3, 4 is actually my favorite of his, but then again (as Treblekicker alluded to) it is no KFW. It's a better headphones-at-night album IMO; requires a very different approach than Insignificance et. al.

― nickd (nickd), Monday, 29 January 2007 18:00 (eighteen years ago)

been some years since I checked out I'm Happy... maybe it's time for another try.

― the Dirt (FunkDirt), Monday, 29 January 2007 18:27 (eighteen years ago)

Bad Timing

― held tony (held tony), Monday, 29 January 2007 18:56 (eighteen years ago)

If he did do some more guitar stuff, which Nic Roeg film would it be named after?

― Treblekicker (treblekicker), Monday, 29 January 2007 19:02 (eighteen years ago)

Castaway? I should check these movies out?

― held tony (held tony), Monday, 29 January 2007 19:08 (eighteen years ago)

Bad Timing
-- held tony (miscellaneousfrankum...), January 29th, 2007 5:56 AM

otm

― nervous (cochere), Monday, 29 January 2007 19:10 (eighteen years ago)

"Acoustic" >>> electronic. He's a great songwriter. Faves are Eureka, the Ivor Cutler track is amazing, and "Get a Room."

― brian whitman (bwhitman), Monday, 29 January 2007 20:13 (eighteen years ago)

I wonder what hand he had in "arranging" The Golden Age (fantastic album) by Bobby Conn, and other "pop" albums. I remember seeing him as being credited for arrangements. Like, did he write melodies and stuff? or was it just mixed and recorded by him.

― held tony (held tony), Monday, 29 January 2007 20:18 (eighteen years ago)

he did the string chart arrangements.

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Monday, 29 January 2007 20:18 (eighteen years ago)

I think his mixing is so good that you could almost qualify it as arranging.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Monday, 29 January 2007 20:21 (eighteen years ago)

He's also done string arrangements for Stereolab and Superchunk.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 29 January 2007 20:25 (eighteen years ago)

AFAIK he's pretty much given up on music (quit Sonic Youth, sold off most of his instruments etc), moved to Japan and now wants to make movies instead - doubt there'll be another song-based alb from him for a v. long time, and I think the Joanna Newsom rec is pretty much his last mix work

I don't think his acoustic stuff is necessary in conflict w/ the electronic stuff or the drone stuff or the noise stuff

Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Orchestra do an amazing long free blowout versh of Eureka

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Monday, 29 January 2007 20:50 (eighteen years ago)

If Jim O'Rourke's greatest talent in music is in producing (which many say it is), then I anticipate his directorial debut.

― Jordan Lypkie (loopy de loop), Monday, 29 January 2007 22:45 (eighteen years ago)

Man, if that's true about O'Rourke & music, he will definitely be missed. He had a hand in a lot of very good albums (including some of his own).

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 29 January 2007 22:48 (eighteen years ago)

I've just bought up Halfway and Happy & Singing ASAP as I can see prices rising. Hmmm.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Monday, 29 January 2007 22:49 (eighteen years ago)

Eureka is a total killer. Movie on A Way Down makes me cry which I guess is not what you'd expect from a "genius" like O'Rourke. I think Insignificance has it's moments too, still it's more of a rock band thing.

― strom (strom), Monday, 29 January 2007 22:51 (eighteen years ago)

think it said somewhere that he was doing some poppy stuff with a brass section and whatnot...

yeah, on the Drag City site, about three years ago! I think that particular project has been put on the shelf, at the very least.

I think the Mego laptop stuff is... generally compelling and occasionally fun, if not espeeecially exceptional, same for his yet more abstract ventures, but I love all of the song stuff, and Bad Timing too, despite the criticism I've seen from many a fingerpicking snob. And there was me thinking I was kinda one of them.

― Merdeyeux Merdeyeux Merdeyeux (Merdeyeux Merdeyeux Merdeyeux), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 03:06 (eighteen years ago)

wow, I'm usually never able to remember anything more than a month back

― the Dirt (FunkDirt), Tuesday, 30 January 2007 14:03 (eighteen years ago)

two years pass...

Some very welcome news...

Jim O'Rourke Returns With New Album

It's been eight years since onetime Sonic Youth member, Wilco producer, and overall indie institution Jim O'Rourke put out a new solo album of original material on Drag City. That's set to change September 8, when the genre-skipping artist unveils his newest LP, The Visitor.

According to the label, the record is more song-oriented than his excursions into avant-electronics. It's apparently more in line with O'Rourke's somber instrumental LP Bad Timing than his sly pop records, Eureka and Insignificance.

― Barnaby, Hardly, Monday, 13 July 2009 22:47 (sixteen years ago)

It's apparently more in line with O'Rourke's somber instrumental LP Bad Timing than his sly pop records, Eureka and Insignificance.

Awesome. Bad Timing is one of my all-time favorites.

― Mr. Snrub, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 01:32 (sixteen years ago)

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