MONSTERS OF FOLK!!

[el_chode]

Nice one ALady!  I don't own that yet although it's on my list.  Do you?  How is it?

I think their records are brilliant but I'm biased as I loved the Jayhawks and am currently in love with Wilco.   ;D

chode, there are actually three proper albums, an EP, an unreleased/rarities record, and a best-of:

On Golden Smog
Down By The Old Mainstream
Weird Tales
Another Fine Day
Blood On The Slacks
Stay Golden, Smog

I'd also add the New Pornographers to the list.

Don't forget Big Star (for being awesomely part of Golden Smog)

And I didn't know they were that extensive. All I have is Weird Tales and DBTOMS. That's nifty

I figure Broken Social Scene has to have at least 3/19ths of their band as respected singer songwriters, right?

[BH]

I'm not saying they don't, but do the New Pornographers have three people that sing, write and all had albums prior to their formation?

I need evidence to qualify of any submission.  

Name - Previous Work (Band or Solo) X 3. :)

[BH]

On Golden Smog
Down By The Old Mainstream
Weird Tales
Another Fine Day
Blood On The Slacks
Stay Golden, Smog

Wow, I had no idea.  Which one should I start with?   (Sorry, don't want to get this thread off track but give me one and I'll move on.)

[ALady]

Don't forget Big Star (for being awesomely part of Golden Smog)

I figure Broken Social Scene has to have at least 3/19ths of their band as respected singer songwriters, right?

Aw, yeah, good call on Big Star.  Dave Pirner and Dan Murphy from Soul Asylum, too.

And good call on BSS as well!

New Pornographers, definitely.  Neko Case, Carl Newman, and Dan Bejar all had records out (with Maow/Zumpano/Destroyer, respectively) prior to the Pornographers, though they were probably more successful post-Pornographers.

BH, I really like Down By The Old Mainstream, though Weird Tales is a pretty good place to start too.

Thanks for indulging my geek-out on the Smog, y'all    ;D

[Soulshine]

I'm loving this album. The voices at the end of His Masters Voice sound like "throat singing." I've been to this yoga/meditation/chanting/music event and they do a lot of it there.

[capt. scotty]

Overall Im really digging this, but Magic Marker, Baby Boomer, Goodway, and Slow Down Jo hold it back from being 1 of my few favorites of the year. Its up there though  :)

Please please give Slow Down Jo a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chance. I wanted to hate it when I first heard it but I can't. I wanted to hate it like I wanted to hate Radio Cure by Wilco, but if you just press the headphones tight against your head, or turn up the volume on your stero super loud, you will melt.

The rest you mentioned, I'm pretty "meh" about, especially "goodway" and "magic marker" though Baby Boomer is slowly growing on me more and more

Oh, I'll give it a chance...Im not saying Im going to start skipping any songs anytime soon, just that those ones didnt seem near as strong as the rest of the album to me.

Alright, ignore what I said about Slow Down Jo...I like it a good bit now, and it sort of hits home since I just turned 25 and am living a kinda fast life. Maybe i'll take heed. Dear God and Say Please have grown into 2 favorites off the album after not liking them much on first listen. This album has a few growers IMO.

Goodway is okay, but I can live with it as what it is - a little intermission between awesomeness.

Baby Boomer and Magic Marker I dont think I'll ever enjoy..I like the musical aesthetic, but for me the lyrics just come off as mindblowingly cheesy and dumb.

[capt. scotty]

Temazcal is so hot...

"A temazcal is a type of sweat lodge which originated with pre-hispanic Indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica. The word temazcal comes from the Nahuatl word temazcalli ("house of heat")."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temazcal

Yeah, first thing I did on wednesday was look up what a Temazcal was..same with Ovnis, spanish for UFO  ;D

That song is just incredible. That guitar line just sinks into your head, and the rest of the song rolls on like a hypnotic, hallucinogenic dream through the history of the world.

I think the backup singing, mainly JJ, add more to this song than the backup vocals on any other track as well.

[capt. scotty]

I didnt notice this today, but Losin' Yo Head sounds like it could be a Warren Zevon song almost, especially lyrically, but even the melody.

Just kind of randomly popped into my head today when I wasnt even listening to it....anyone else notice this or hear what Im saying?

[Janet]

I am sooo digging this album.  It is much better than I thought it would be.  I'm super excited to see them in Oakland next month!

Now I need to go revisit my Golden Smog CDs.  [smiley=beer.gif]

[Sparkle]

Really, really digging this album, given it a few days to sink in and it has really grown on me. Can't stop going back to Temazcal and Man Named Truth, great songs. Jim's backing vocals on Temazcal are something special.

[Camp]

I just got the vinyl in the mail today.  It comes with a download code that says it's good for the full album and one new unreleased track, but it didn't have any extra songs when I downloaded it.  Does anyone know where to get the bonus track?

[Colonel Forbin]

I just wished I liked Oberst I find myself skipping to the parts where Jim and M. Ward sing.

[Love Dogg]

I just wished I liked Oberst I find myself skipping to the parts where Jim and M. Ward sing.

Don't do that....it's too much trouble.  Just accept it.  It's better than you think. :)

[Paulie_Walnuts]

Based purely on one listen to the whole album I'm distinctly underwhelmed. I always rate songs on my mp3 player and I found myself issuing a lot of 3 stars, some 4 stars, and no 5's.

It got me wondering. These albums where kindred spirits / friends collaborate....how often do they really work?

What are the best examples of collaborations / side projects that produce classic albums?

If you change your mind later do you add additional stars?  Or once it's a three, you have your mind made up.  NO MORE STARS FOR YOU! Like the Star Nazi?

I'm not sure about other albums but I'm not sure that's really relevant.   When you listen to it, does it make you feel good, or no?

There really are not that many examples of albums that were created by three singer songwriters.  Can anyone name some?  The criteria is that there needs to be three or more singer song writers that had at least one significant album prior to the collaboration.

1.  Travelling Wilburys

I'm no star nazi! I am more than prepared to add a star, or indeed take one away, on further listening. That's why I said it was based on one listen only. Maybe now is a time for a revisit.

It may be nerdy but the star rating system for me serves another purpose. When I make mix cd's for other people I only ever use songs that are 4 or 5 stars.

My main disappointment with this album is that there were no 5's for me on first listen. Maybe that'll change.

[Paulie_Walnuts]

Sorry, in answer to your other question. Some of the songs make me feel good, others I find quite boring, and one or two even a bit pretentious. As a whole the album doesn't excite me.

As an example, when I usually buy an album and it does make me feel good I'll play it over and over again for a good few weeks.

With this one I played it, took it out, and wondered if I'd play it again anytime soon.

[capt. scotty]

I just wished I liked Oberst I find myself skipping to the parts where Jim and M. Ward sing.

If youre just skipping when he's singing a verse, or even half a verse, youre in Oberst denial.

If youre skipping the songs that he wrote and primarily sings, youre missing a lot of the best songs on the album

[johnnYYac]

I am a 42 year old Deadhead.  In May 08 I caught this band on SNL.  I was intrigued.  While awaiting the June release of Evil Urges, I picked up one, then two, then all their albums.  I downloaded dozens and dozens of bootlegs.  I caught them in Boston, deemed by some a lackluster show, but- god damn!- it was awesome.  I now hold many gigs of video and shows, got Acoustic Chorale on eBay, burned Rockpalast DVDs for friends, and deem MMJ the best music experience I've had since tripping with Jerry in the last decade of his life.

Monsters of Folk soothes an ache for more from Yim and MMJ.  I dusted off a copy of M. Ward's Hold Time and am impressed.  I can't bring myself to get into Oberst, but his work on MoF is fantastic.  Some of my friends can't get into all this, but more for me!

I posted that I had a ticket for the Boston MoF show, but it looks like I'm takin' my mom!  I'm surprisingly psyched to have her along.  The show is on her 65th birthday.  If you're there, we need to sing "Happy Birthday" to her, hopeully with the boys kickin' in (just kidding?).

Sorry for the rant, I'm a little high, but I've listened to MoF a dozen times in the last two weeks and am so very happy to have it.  For all the mini-reviews and dissections in the last 26 pages, its just beautiful fun exceptional music.  

I know this is an MMJ forum, and appreciate those with encylopedic history and experience with their music.  I'm only in it a year and a half now, and I'm catching up.  I've seen most of the performers who were at Woodstock, Floyd, Gilmour, and Waters, Neil, The Allman Bros., the Dead (pre- and post-Jerry), Traffic, Clapton, Dylan, Hot Tuna, SRV, John Hammond, Buddy Guy, etc.  MMJ and, I imagine, MoF, are in my top 5.  That says a lot!

Again, forgive the ramble.  Would love some feedback.  See ya in Boston!

[aMillionDreams]

Welcome aboard, Johnny!

:)

[Crispy]

As a fellow +40 MMJ freak, I join Dylan in saying welcome, Johnny!

[Colonel Forbin]

I just wished I liked Oberst I find myself skipping to the parts where Jim and M. Ward sing.

If youre just skipping when he's singing a verse, or even half a verse, youre in Oberst denial.

If youre skipping the songs that he wrote and primarily sings, youre missing a lot of the best songs on the album

Well I took your advice its not as bad as I may of thought. Ill give him  a chance.