Should I be listening to Tortoise as well?

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Thanks Mogwai people. Now this one?

― Simona, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes, you should be. If you want to be totally bored.

― Sean, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

1st or 2nd album interesting for historical purposes & actually quite good. TNT is nice chill-out vibe & engrossing. Not soul expanding by any stretch.

― Sterling Clover, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I like Tortoise just fine, but not enough to wave a flag. I like all four in different ways, with TNT being the come-from-behind contendah. Fine moments all around, though, if you're into the instrumental rawk thingamabob.

― Sean Carruthers, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The first Sean answer is astoundingly compelling.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I heard a few tracks off the last album on the radio and I couldn't comprehend what the fuss was about. There was nothing to listen to, I never got the sense they were pulling off something major (or something worth listening to), just sounded to me like a jazzy ambient groove that got stuck in the mud.

Damn, I do feel a rant against chicago post-rock/Miles Davis coming on but Man U are playing (come on Bayern!). So I'm off.

Yes!Yes!!!! Bayern have just scored (what timing!)! Fuck ManU! Brilliant!

― Julio Desouza, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

If you like akademique muzak...

― nathalie, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

... then you'll want some 'Dr. Dre.'

― Dare, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Too bad for you it's actually Bayer Leverkeusen, Julio. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

They piss all over bloody Mogwai, that's fer sure...

― Andrew L, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Bayer or Bayern. Who cares! As long as Man U get fucked then that's all that matters to this Arsenal fan.

― Julio Desouza, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

But if you want some instrumental music, try Tortoise's "TNT," which has a very warm, chill vibe. If you want more raw, organic jams, try their first, self-titled album -- it might sound dull at first, but really grows on you with its laid-back demeanor. Their best is "Millions Now Living Will Never Die," if mostly for the twenty- minute convolutions of "Djed" and all the dubby post-rock that sprung from it. But you can avoid "Standards," which sounds a bit too much like Manheim Steamroller with the wanky melodies on the later tracks ... if you turn into a fanatic, you'd do better to track down the remix album, which has some great versions by UNKLE, Luke Vibert, Markus Popp, Spring Heel Jack and the bandmembers themself.

― Dare, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

They're plenty overrated, but their music's pretty good. It's kinda like indie rock's music for supermarkets. TNT, Standards, and Millions... were all nice. I wish they would play "Benway" at my supermarket.

― geeta, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

first album surprising king crimson-esque. nice "nite time" atmospherics. 2nd alb contains "glass museum," the greatest song yes never wrote. unfortunately mired by the agressively disinteresting "djed", one of the low points of the 90s. third album actually my favorite, although I CANT RECALL A SINGLE THING ABOUT IT. not a good sign. couldnt tell you shit about the newest.

SEARCH: the remixes. particularly the oval and spring heel jack ones.

― jess, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i'm with sean saturnsf

― g, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

the agressively disinteresting "djed"

Can I second the sacrifice of this sacred cow? Never appealed to me beyond a surface level of sometime prettiness.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Again...

Only if you like them.

What an odd question to ask? "Should I be fellating donkeys?" If you like it, then do it. If you don't, do something else.

Do you actually mean - "Are Tortoise any good?"

― Nick Southall, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The first two albums and the first two remix collections have their moments. Tortoise are definitely not for everybody so again I'd only recommend if you are into (or think you are going to be into) this kind of instrumental post-rock-y kind of stuff. Tortoise are even less hooky than Mogwai so they are an even harder predict, but I'd say start with the first or second album and then proceed if you are still into it. A little of this stuff tends to go a very long way.

I like "Djed", but the UNKLE remix of it is probably the best thing that either Tortoise or UNKLE (who you should not listen to IMO) has ever done.

― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tortoise? Boretoise more like.

― Tom, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

he's drunk everyone. DRUNK.

― jess, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

In vino veritas.

― Tom, Wednesday, 24 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Nick you should not under any circumstances fellate donkeys. Didn't your ma teach you nothing!

― Alex in SF, Thursday, 25 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I hate that UNKLE remix. it's like the utter nadir of MoWax culture. Surely using that Come Out sample like that is colossally, absurdly DUMB with regard to the original Steve Reich execution. "ooh that sounds cool". Don't give me that "the street finds its own uses for things" hiphop omniculture shtick. Doesn't the sampler have a responsiblity maybe not politically but at least creatively to its sources? Or am I just a snob.

And yussss, down with Djed. I don't get it.

― Bob Zemko, Thursday, 25 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Come Out" had already been sampled on Coco's chill-out mix-up of the Velvet's "Sunday Morning".

― Tom, Thursday, 25 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think you might just be a snob.

― Alex in SF, Thursday, 25 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Of course aren't we all. Regarding sampling (politically/creatively/whatever) I'd say the primary goal should be to sound good and I think the more concise dubby remix that was UNKLE's version of "Djed" sounds really good.

― Alex in SF, Thursday, 25 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Should I be fellating donkeys?" No Nick maybe you should fellate a donkey. little asshole.

― Simona, Thursday, 25 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Exactly, Alex, it works because it's a great dance song, all bubbly and crisp. I'm not sure it's concerned with any MoWax- centered 'culture' at all, maybe that's a good thing.

― Dare, Thursday, 25 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I wish you were right about that Mo'Wax centered culture comment, but unfortunately anything that has an element of cool (from Reich to Tortoise and beyond) is what Mo'Wax seems to be concerned with. Cool, cool, cool. Still that vaguely repellent uber-hip elitist attitude doesn't mean everything the label did was bad. A lot of it is though.

― Alex in SF, Thursday, 25 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Simona, there was no malice intended in my remark, it was just the first bizarre question that popped into my head (perhaps I should talk to someone who's trained to listen), and was intended more as a surreal adjunct to the tone of most other people's replies. I certainly didn't mean anything about you.

Nevertheless, I do hold that the question "Should I be listening to x?" is a rather bizarre one. Music isn't medicine, listening material shouldn't be prescribed. My inference from your question was something along the lines of "If I listen to x will it make me more respected / more intelligent / a better person?" or equivalent, when really my criteria for choosing what to listen to is based almost entirely on whether or not I enjoy it.

I admit fully that I have been known to say things like "I should listen to more x" but this has always been followed by "because I really enjoy listening to it but I keep forgetting to listen to it because *etcetera*."

And lastly, I am not a little asshole. I'm a big asshole.

;o)

― Nick Southall, Thursday, 25 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Should I be listening to Tortoise...because I find them amusing? Does this follow suit BIG ASSHOLE. ;)

― Simona, Thursday, 25 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm very, very drunk, so please excusw me.

But...

The last Tortoise album is cool. Sp yes, you should be listening to it.

Anyway, lots of love to Simona.

― Nick Southall, Thursday, 25 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

fourteen years pass...

The drum sound on "night air" is the same as the meter's cissy strut!

― calstars, Wednesday, 27 April 2016 23:54 (nine years ago)

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