Doll of Pevotion: The Smog / (Smog)/ Bill Callahan poll!

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and picked Supper.

Jesus Christ, I have no idea. Dongs of Sevotion or Wild Love maybe. He's done a lot of great stuff.

My faves are Docter Came at Dawn, A River Ain't Too Much to Love or Woke on a Whaleheart.

voted fer Docter Came at Dawn

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

doctor all the way

I voted for wild love because of Bathysphere, but Doctor is a more consistent album overall, in Doctor he taps into a strange ambient distancing feel... its like a Steve Erikson novel

For me this is a toss-up between Wild Love, Doctor, Red Apple and Dongs -- and I love most of these, aside from, unfortunately, the super-early-lo-fi-era stuff, i.e. Sewn and Foundation. Anyway, I'm gonna choose Wild Love today.

nevermind, I changed my vote to Red Apple Falls at the last second there.

River, with Doctor being a close second, Wild Love a close third. Man, when you put 'em all together like that, dude has been pretty consistent, huh?

Dongs of Sevotion for me, even though I kinda hate the title - "Dress Sexy at My Funeral" and "Justice Aversion" are both so incredible. Knock Knock would be in the running for me though, love that one. I think he hit a vein at Wild Love that he almost never misses thereafter.

"Dongs" with "A River..." and 'Knock Knock" close behind.

So many to choose from, but Knock Knock is the any-occasion favorite.

knock knock seems like the classic to me plus it has "river guard" which is my fav smog song

julius caesar, noobs

TDCaD is the one i keep going back to, mostly for "you moved in" and "all your women things"

Red Apple Falls

The Doctor Came At Dawn of the ones I've heard (7 of the 12), followed by Red Apple Falls. Those two and Dongs... I find pretty difficult to fault.

Dongs of Sevotion for me, even though I kinda hate the title

Worst title ever, 'tis true.

Knock Knock almost won it for me, based solely upon 1. the incredible cover art and 2. "Left Only With Love," aka the single most fucking heartbreaking song ever laid down.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

no surprise

Knock Knock cover art = winnar
I missed this but would vote Wild Love then Doctor Came at Dawn.. I didn't like Red Apple Falls near as much actually

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VRYWZJMPL._AA240_.jpg

"Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle" is very good indeed

Doesn't it kind of sound like he is saying "all thoughts are prey to zombies"?

i like his latest more than anything else he has done truthfully.

I think I missed this poll, would have been between Dongs of Sevotion (my first Smog and a sentimental favorite) and A River Ain't Too Much in Love (so many good songs). The new one is also very good.

Where's Tired Tape MAchine? (J/K)

supper

sometimes I wish I were an eagle

oops 'we'

iatee maybe otm! in any case I am pretty shocked by the results, for me both knock knock & dongs >>> red apple falls

I otm you in return...I like red apple falls but it's kinda...emo

ex-con is all-time tho it must be said

obv! put that one on my pox. you should go do one.

If I really, really like ...Eagle, which other Smog albums would I like?

A River Ain't Too Much to Love, Supper, maybe Red Apple Falls

in response to Scik Mouthy

potentially woke on a whaleheart

If I love Knock Knock and know nothing else, what's my next step?

dongs of sevotion

that's what I was going to say, those albums are paired up in my mind

Thanks!

whoah i forgot this result

'river' got robbed by fans who checked out ca. 2000-1.

TDCaD is the one i keep going back to, mostly for "you moved in" and "all your women things"

― impudent harlot, maandag 11 februari 2008 16:56 (3 years ago) Bookmark

that was you?

No, but I could have been.

ahh , ok

if this poll was created now, Sometimes I wish We Were An Eagle would take 2nd or 3rd place.

B - L - double O - D F
L - O - double U BLOOD FLOW FLOW FLOW

NO TIME FOR A TETE A TETE
CAN I BORROW YOUR MACHETE
HEY HEY

HOLD ON HOLD ON WITH A GRIP SO TIGHT
IT DAMS MY BLOOD MAKES MY HEAD FEEL RIGHT
HEY HEY

From Drag City News:

December 10, 2001, Maida Vale: Bill Callahan’s “Smog”, out on the Rain On Lens tour, made a stop at the BBC and performed with demonstrative zeal for their British witness, shimmering and hissing with a Lynchian vibe of U.S. darkness in the invariable shadows of the fallen towers. The Holy Grail is the mythical relic from that very Peel Session, with Callahan & band (Jessica Billey, Mike Saenz and Jim White) covering Stevie Nicks, Lou Reed and Smog with grey, ashen resolve and tour-torn flexibility — amassing a bruised, plaintive essence of humanity with their efforts.

Discover the The Holy Grail: Bill Callahan’s “Smog” Dec. 10, 2001 Peel Session on November 22, and hear the first track today: “Beautiful Child”*, a marvelously rambling minor key version of Fleetwood Mac's original. Then, turn your ear to Bill...

“This one to me is a time capsule more than most any of my recordings. All music is a time trapped in time that preaches timelessness – preaching either convincingly or not. But with a radio session such as this, there is a different aspect. It’s all live, all first take, no overdubs. Also I think having the BBC engineers at the controls, with their own aesthetic, not one I am bringing to the studio, that makes it more encapsulated – “remember that day we did that?” The circumstances and the memory of the smell of the studio makes it stand out. So it’s more of a performance maybe than a usual recording, because the audience (engineer and producer) were foreign to us. British, milk in tea. So we gave them something to show them who WE were – Dale Coopers with our black coffees.

Somebody said this EP is very Twin Peaksy. Not in a Badalamenti, torch-song way – a deeper connection. I can see that.

“Beautiful Child” has been turned into a minor key song because, well, it really should have been one in the first place!

“Cold Discovery” was a live staple then and some nights it could really catch fire. We got a pretty good one for BBC.

“Dirty Pants” here is probably better than the LP version.

And then there’s “Jesus”. Sweet, sweet “Jesus”. Here sounding like a deathbed plea shot through with visitations from the angel of mercy.”

—Bill Callahan, 2024

Bill Callahan 2024 Performances:

Oct. 25 - Marfa, TX @ Flying Island Festival