'80s-era Verlaines: C/D

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Please note the heading. I'm only asking about the material on Hallelujah, Bird Dog and Juvenilia; the rest, I wouldn't touch at bazooka-point (nor, I suspect, would most people on ILM if they knew how it sounded).

― thurgood, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ready to Fly roolz, and don't you forget it. That said, Bird-Dog is a thing of glory and wonder, and a life without "Makes No Difference," "Slow Sad Love Song" and "CD, Jimmy Jazz and Me" is a poor life indeed. As would be a life without "Death and the Maiden" and "Pyromaniac," of course.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm one of those twisted bastards that has a hard time getting into _Juvenilia_, and totally LOVES their last two albums. Of course, I'm for all things Verlaines, slow, fast, loud, soft, ballad-like, raucous. As long as it's shameless, I don't mind one bit.

― Daver, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

All the Verlaines albums have amazing songs on them but the last few has them scattered amongst a pile of crap. How can anyone not love Dirge and Hanging by Strands and Jailhouse 4am? Hallelujah All the Way Home is one of my favourite albums of all times, although i have a few problems with it (intellectual elitism in the lyrics, the fact that its almost in complete denial that it was made in the South Pacific, Robbie Yeats occasional out-of-time drumming). I haven't heard Juveilia itself ('cos i have the original records) but apparently the 2nd version of it (the one with Doomsday on it) has a superior mastering and mixing job so look out for that. And of course its essential for having Joed Out on it.

― hamish, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Juvenilia RULES (and can be had, including air-mail postage to the U.S., for less than ten dollars, I believe, through smokecds.com). Three cheers for "Doomsday," "Joed Out," "Pyromaniac," and to a lesser extent "Death and the Maiden" in particular.

I confess I first heard "Lying In State" from Hallelujah All the Way Home through Superchunk's cover, but I wouldn't part with either version of it.

― Douglas, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I remember hearing about the Superchunk cover and thinking, "Yeah, that is about the only song they could cover by the Verlaines." (Ned = not a Superchunk fan.)

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

what's elitist about making references to your artistic heroes in pop songs? i lik ehis archness, his later material suffers, only slightly and probably only for me, from the lack of "elitism". what is more brilliant than using verlaine shooting rimbaud as a metaphor for telling someone you aren't right for them, nothing. some disenchanted evening is fantastic as well, one of the rockin' for sure but loads of great songs including 'it was', 'funniest thing', 'come sunday'. but 'hallelujah' is still the best.

― keith, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

ah! "hallelujah all the way home" and "bird dog" are masterpieces. "bird dog" was one of teh first flying nun records i ever heard and stoked up a long standing and continuing obsession. the string arrangement for "CD jimmy jazz and me" is extraordinarily wonderful. and the video for "death and the maiden" with all the rabbits is fantastic as well. i love the clean and the able tasmans more, but the verlaines at their peak - wonderful stuff. and as with all late period efforts by the flying nun bands (aside from the clean who just get better and better) there are diamonds in the rough of their later albums as well...

― commonswings, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I see there's been a quiet backlash to my comment about post-Bird Dog Verlaines. The original statement will thus be qualified: I do, in fact, really like the comp-only song "Some Fantasy"--through which I discovered them--but as it's a cover, it probably doesn't count in the band's canon. The tracks I've heard from the last four albums are not awful in a vacuum, but they all seem derivative of (and much more subdued than) what came before.

― thurgood, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I will also concur that Bird-Dog is a ker-lassick and one of my favourite records ever. I prefer the version of "CD Jimmy.." on that album to the one on Juvenilia.

― electric sound of jim, Sunday, 19 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

All Verlaines is great, so's the Downes solo album on Matador from last year. All great, all great. To further clarify my position on this I would just like to say here that everything Graeme Downes writes is great, and to resolve any ambiguity in that statement, I would like to restate it using slightly different phrasing: all Graeme Downes is great.

― John Darnielle, Sunday, 19 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

So do you think he's great, then? ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 19 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Graeme Downes was my teacher. He is very nice - listen to this, he tried to sing 'Staying Alive' in falsetto to the class to explain a point - he had no falsetto but for some reason he persisted through the whole song! Even though he had to try twice for nearly every note! Not only is he great, he is so nice that he will try to illustrate a point about classical music at the piano and if he looks up after he's finished at the class, and everyone's just looking back at him like Whatever Graeme, he says 'no wait, listen to it again!' and plays it more slowly and emphatically. In addition to these points, he has had a haircut. Now he looks like a real gentleman. Instead of a fake gentleman. Anyone who saw his previous haircut will know exactly what I mean. As for his music, I've only heard 'Death and the Maiden' and the song that goes 'It was raining ...' And 'Slow Sad Love Song.' When I was a teenager I thought 'Slow Sad Love Song' and 'Death and the Maiden' were great. Maybe he should be a librettist. He oughnt't to take half measures. The people in my class were like this: one of them said to this girl, 'Hey I wrote a song called 'Beefcake,' yeah, the chord progression goes 'B-E-E-F.'

― maryann, Monday, 20 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I feel really guilty about writing all that because I've just been reading Susan Howe saying 'Write about Emily Dickinson's poetry in terms of what she read, not where she lived.' But even Howe couldn't resist writing about Emily Bronte walking through the garden before she wrote her essay about nature as a killing machine.

― maryann, Monday, 20 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

walked into RG & while browsing the listening posts discovered a just-released Verlaines best-of/compilation on Flying Nun, You're Just Too Obscure For Me.

(I'm more-than-content with my hardly-listened-to copy of Juvenilia, although since leaving dunedin I'm no longer exposed to random "Death & The Maiden" playlisting @ radio one as I walk through the quad at 3am)

― etc, Monday, 18 August 2003 10:02 (twenty-two years ago)

get it @ smokecds, if you want.

― etc, Monday, 18 August 2003 10:05 (twenty-two years ago)

m4rc3l ended up loving them, though - both he & GD share a classical background & I suspect he could hear a lot more in their sound/songs than I was able to decode.
(I'd like to think a lot more about the preceding sentence but I'm not currently capable)

― etc, Monday, 18 August 2003 10:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Just listened to Ready to Fly for the first time in years. It sounded much better than I remembered, a very pleasant record. In fact I listened to it twice.

I never heard Way Out Where but now I really want to.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 04:58 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

Listening to Juvenelia at work today, it seemed completely obvious that the Verlaines were once the greastest band in the world. Graeme Downes should surely be made king of the world solely for writing "you say you," should he not be?

How popular were they in the late '80s anyway? I seem to get the vibe that they were "college rock" favorites here in Amerika, but I was only a lad. Did the geek youth really dig them? And why does the overbearing seriousness of their music not ever seem overbearing to me?

― randall, Friday, 10 September 2004 01:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Bird-Dog is the greatest album in the world, evah! Especially side 1.

― mentalist (mentalist), Friday, 10 September 2004 02:03 (twenty-one years ago)

"bird dog" needs a reissue something severe. LTM?

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Friday, 10 September 2004 02:11 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't think the verlaines ever had any status here in the USA. 'ready to fly' was bargain bin material for many years, sad since everyone should hear 'war in my head'.

― keith m (keithmcl), Friday, 10 September 2004 02:31 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

Yeah, "War in My Head" is great. I interviewed Downes when it came out, and he was very proud of its because that long intro was through-composed (if that's the right term).

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Sunday, 7 November 2004 03:44 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't think the verlaines ever had any status here in the USA.

Barely any. I did see them live, though, in early 1992 on their Ready to Fly tour -- not a full house, but an enthusiastic one, and I wear the T-shirt (sold to me by Graeme himself!) to this day.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 7 November 2004 03:59 (twenty-one years ago)

i saw them when they were opening for buffalo tom, this was when he had the unfortunate haircut and i think that was around 'way out where' which has one of the worst album covers ever but it is totally excellent.

― keith m (keithmcl), Sunday, 7 November 2004 04:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I interviewed him around that time, late 1993. Didn't see that show but then again I think Buffalo Tom are one of the most tedious bands ever, so there ya go.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 7 November 2004 04:22 (twenty-one years ago)

i didn't stay for tom. i remember it was on a sunday night. the verlaines only played 7 songs. they came on at about 6pm. end of diary.

― keith m (keithmcl), Sunday, 7 November 2004 04:39 (twenty-one years ago)

*"proud of it"

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Sunday, 7 November 2004 07:22 (twenty-one years ago)

no one has mentioned the first ep, '10 o'clock in the morning'.. which is stella btw..

― chris andrews (fraew), Sunday, 7 November 2004 09:18 (twenty-one years ago)

'10 o'clock in the afternoon' and it was contained on 'juvenalia' which has been mentioned many times. it was the first appearance of robbie yeats, something to celebrate.

― keith m (keithmcl), Sunday, 7 November 2004 16:51 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, but naming a compilation rather than the original?
yeats is a wonderful drummer, though he's not playing live with the renderers any more (he played a particurlarly sloppy show here in christchurch earlier in the year)..

― chris andrews (fraew), Sunday, 7 November 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

six months pass...

Some Disenchanted Evening and Ready to Fly should be seen as having been as great as, say, Da Capo and Forever Changes.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 21 May 2005 00:23 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, SDE in particular is not getting enough love here. That one with the vulture (?) on the cover is the only one that seems firmly D-worthy.

― Nag! Nag! Nag! (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Saturday, 21 May 2005 00:54 (twenty years ago)

Dude, the vulture album" (aka Way Out Where) is one of the best ever. It took me a while to get past the awful production and the jarring second guitar, but in the end the great great songs won me over. And the lyrics (as always with the Verlaines) are all genius, and totally cohesive. I think it's a concept album about love and death and post-colonialism. Or something...

― stewart downes (sdownes), Saturday, 21 May 2005 01:37 (twenty years ago)

I don't think Way Out Where is as good as the two before it, but I don't think I'd say dud. Haven't heard it in a long time.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 21 May 2005 06:30 (twenty years ago)

Just re-listening now, there are more good songs on WOW than I remembered, but the dense '93 US production is still a bit stifling. Of course the unfortunateness of the sleeve still cannot be overstated... [Hmm, still failing to address the 80's-era then...]

― Nag! Nag! Nag! (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Saturday, 21 May 2005 11:33 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

"Verlaine, Verlaine, Verlaaaaaainnnnneeee..."

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 24 January 2008 20:54 (eighteen years ago)

is bird-dog STILL out of print???

― electricsound, Thursday, 24 January 2008 22:12 (eighteen years ago)

Spinanes - Hawaiian Baby

― zaxxon25, Thursday, 24 January 2008 22:59 (eighteen years ago)

eleven months pass...

Anyone got a copy of Bird-Dog they want to sell second hand cheap? :)))

― rjberry, Wednesday, 31 December 2008 14:47 (seventeen years ago)

dear god no. but i could upload a rip from my copy

― Lemonade In Hammocks (electricsound), Wednesday, 31 December 2008 14:57 (seventeen years ago)

you can download it (and lots of other NZ music) from here: http://thedoledrums.blogspot.com/

― congratulations (n/a), Wednesday, 31 December 2008 14:59 (seventeen years ago)

Hey thanks very much! That's great! Couldn't find it anywhere :)

And ta, anyway, Lemonade in Hammocks!

― rjberry, Wednesday, 31 December 2008 15:05 (seventeen years ago)

three months pass...

Bought "Way Out Where" for $2 after resisting back in the day - got into dance music, hated the cover - it's great! The songs...oh boy, the songs.

― paulhw, Thursday, 16 April 2009 23:07 (sixteen years ago)

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SOMEBODY REISSUE BIRD DOG

― pale spector (electricsound), Friday, 17 April 2009 00:12 (sixteen years ago)

"Way Out Where" does have a truly ghastly cover, not sure what they could've been thinking.

Am excited for the new album which I guess they are finishing up as we speak.

― Dr. Johnson (askance johnson), Friday, 17 April 2009 02:02 (sixteen years ago)

it's out on FN already. LOVE the cover, reminds me of old tall dwarfs art, makes me quite interested in hearing it

― pale spector (electricsound), Saturday, 18 April 2009 04:28 (sixteen years ago)

'corporate moronic' is already out? i didn't much like the last one and i listened to an interview with him and i am worried about this one. supposedly he's gonna make another record in june.

― keythkeythkeyth, Saturday, 18 April 2009 05:00 (sixteen years ago)

actually i am v confused & referring to an older album. ignore me

― pale spector (electricsound), Saturday, 18 April 2009 05:13 (sixteen years ago)

he's also writing a book on the 80s nz music scene.

http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ntn/ntn-20090212-1010-Feature_guest_-_Graeme_Downes-048.mp3

― keythkeythkeyth, Saturday, 18 April 2009 05:15 (sixteen years ago)

three months pass...

― Trip Maker, Friday, 14 August 2009 18:13 (sixteen years ago)

shit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSsh1IPAAHU

― Trip Maker, Friday, 14 August 2009 18:13 (sixteen years ago)

For the love of God, when will they reissue these? I know asking for bonus tracks is too much, but that'd really seal the deal.

Meanwhile, there's a new Verlaines album out (or imminent).

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 15 August 2009 04:05 (sixteen years ago)

three months pass...

Spread some on the ground
Have a look around
Burn it to the ground
And watch the engines rushing...

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 18 November 2009 06:59 (sixteen years ago)

Although quite why I'd forgotten about the brilliance of the instrumental conclusion to the song is beyond me.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 18 November 2009 07:00 (sixteen years ago)

ten months pass...

I just ordered Bird Dog and Hallelujah all the Way Home From Smoke CDs. I have all the others. I'm quietly thrilled. For some reason I didn't think I could do this (had been deleted?), but from NYC this seemed remarkably easy. Have they been reissued?

By the way: another vote for Ready to Fly. The songwriting is just incredible.

― paulhw, Sunday, 10 October 2010 01:01 (fifteen years ago)

Yes, I believe those two were reissued recently. Good on yer for having the full set! Pity the last couple of albums have been very weak.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Sunday, 10 October 2010 01:14 (fifteen years ago)

dundedin is cold, and by winter it's gonna get colder

― dude (del), Sunday, 10 October 2010 01:22 (fifteen years ago)

in dunedin del (dude) delete

― dude (del), Sunday, 10 October 2010 01:24 (fifteen years ago)

God I love "Tremble."

Oh, sorry, this was supposed to be about '80s Verlaines. I never figured out, does Some Disenchanted Evening count as 80s for the purposes of this question or not? Because it is classic. Sour and classic.

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Sunday, 10 October 2010 02:05 (fifteen years ago)

I think we can agree that they're a special enough interest for their entire life. My question to Otago Univesity students: what does he teach? what's he like as a lecturer? does he talk about his own music?

― paulhw, Sunday, 10 October 2010 02:09 (fifteen years ago)

one month passes...

Heard a rumor about a demos/rarities collection coming out. Anyone have any info?

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Monday, 15 November 2010 22:31 (fifteen years ago)

i don't, but putting that stuff out while bird-dog is still OOP is ridiculous.

― the barenaked ladies are the roaring night (electricsound), Monday, 15 November 2010 22:57 (fifteen years ago)

one month passes...

I don't know when this happened, but it seems all their early stuff has been re-released on CD. Waterloo Records here in Austin had multiple copies of Hallelujah All the Way Home, Bird Dog, Juvenilia, and Some Disenchanted Evening in the racks this weekend.

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Wednesday, 12 January 2011 05:07 (fifteen years ago)

oh frabjous day!

― karajan camping (electricsound), Wednesday, 12 January 2011 05:12 (fifteen years ago)

I went ahead and just bought all of 'em.

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Wednesday, 12 January 2011 05:32 (fifteen years ago)

does anyone know if these reissues are remastered?

― the journey you take with bob ross (askance johnson), Wednesday, 12 January 2011 05:39 (fifteen years ago)

Signs point to no.

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Wednesday, 12 January 2011 05:44 (fifteen years ago)

that's too bad -- was just listening to bird-dog in the car today and thinking it could probably use some sprucing up, sound-wise

― the journey you take with bob ross (askance johnson), Wednesday, 12 January 2011 05:51 (fifteen years ago)

or at least a flat transfer through some modern A/D

― karajan camping (electricsound), Wednesday, 12 January 2011 05:57 (fifteen years ago)

Haven't done a side-by-side of waveforms or anything... I am basing my guess on the fact that the cover art and liner notes of the reissues are not updated at all.

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Wednesday, 12 January 2011 06:04 (fifteen years ago)

A bunch of early FN stuff has been available on CD recently. Revolver is distributing them, so they're pretty easy to come across in the US.

― International Waters, Thursday, 13 January 2011 23:57 (fifteen years ago)

two years pass...

http://pantograph-punch.com/dont-send-me-away-the-verlaines-reformed-and-reissued/

― etc, Wednesday, 11 December 2013 00:32 (twelve years ago)

fucking awesome!

― combination hair (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 03:28 (twelve years ago)

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