no country for old wainds
Active Member
- Nov 23, 2002
- 26,680
- 9,655
- 113
Bjork - Bachelorette
categorically the wrong bjork song in my opinion, single version of 'all is full of love' is both better and more fitting than anything on HOMOGENIC, as are half a dozen songs on VESPERTINE. this album is pretty heavy-handed and overrated in general, but i do still like this song rather a lot. i remember falconsbane talking it up around here like ten years ago lol. super sexy lyrics, makes me think of IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE which is a good thing. 7/10
Frans Liszt - Liebestraum (Love Dream) No. 3
not gonna make an ass out of myself by trying to talk about classical in detail, but this is lovely. i've heard it before but not really thought about it or become familiar with it. to me it feels less like the blooming of first love than old people love, that tenderness and devotion and intimacy and shared knowledge that it's all gonna end soon but it was a life well lived. at first i thought this'd be too gentle and elegant for my tastes but nah i felt it. 8/10
Robin Trower - In This Place
this is one of those songs where the individual melodies and sections are quite familiar but the way it's structured means it packs a punch. i love that this resists the temptation of easy resolutions or some big cathartic climax and just wallows in its prayers before gently fading to nothing, the way a song aimed at a dead loved one must. sounds heartfelt and personal to me, the absence and heartbreak are palpable. avoids all the pifalls of combining this thematic material with a groovy guitar jam; its melancholy spell never breaks. 9/10
Yes - I See You
this is too wanky for me and i don't really connect to it, but honestly half the battle is already won with production and musicianship this great. just sounds too fucking good, plus it's super creative and agreeably free-spirited. another fine choice for the theme too. 7/10
Sera Cahoone - Baker Lake
sup mort. a lot of the saddest love songs are characterised by misguided optimism, and this is one of those. my only criticism would be it doesn't really distinguish itself that much, and if i listened to more stuff like this on a regular basis it may not stand out, but in its own modest, restrained way it's pretty perfect. 8/10
Swans - Miracle of Love
spotify servers are down atm, ugh i'm paying for this shit you cunts. will rate later. ok it is now later. i'd rather listen to CLOSER or something, but this carries its mood just fine. i enjoy the drumming when it gets heavy. 6/10
Buena Vista Social Club - Chan Chan
ballsy to pick something in a different language. this sounds totally authentic and is probably a great example of what it is, but i don't really feel anything. probably too chill and just culturally alien to me. 6/10
Townes Van Zandt - Our Mother the Mountain
brooding, obsessive little tune in the len-co tradition. again this isn't particularly distinctive within its particular style but it works just fine here. 7/10
Punishment of Luxury - Obsession
sup hamburgayboy, you fucking maniac. trust you, in a love-themed mixtape game, to pick a song by a bunch of guys on acid having fucked up rape/murder fantasies. my enjoyment is probably like an 8.5 or 9 but you're getting a 10 for the sheer brilliance of choosing this. 10/10
Lee Moses - Bad Girl
lord have mercy. 10/10
Coil - Tattooed Man
this seems intriguing on a conceptual level and might work better in context, but as a stand-alone i don't really get it either. 4/10
R.L. Burnside - Someday Baby
acceptable feel-good song, not something i'd ever reach for. prefer more traditional blues. pompey's right it'd probably sound good on JUSTIFIED. 5/10
Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply
i would literally rate 'to the moon and back' like an 8. unfortunately, this is truly madly deeply fucking shite. god dammit arg. 1/10
Lisa Ekdahl - Love for Sale
oh hey here's that random song again. i mean, how many other more notable people have done versions of this song? like 100? i assume someone scandinavian submitted this. it's a classy rendition and her voice is aight, but showtunes are showtunes are showtunes. 5/10
Leonard Cohen - Dance Me to the End of Love
so theatrical it makes the bjork song sound like, uh, early cohen. i find this kinda cringy in all honesty, like i usually do when old guys who used to be relevant start trying too hard. blurgh this playlist took a turn for the worse huh. 3/10
Seal - Kiss from a Rose
hated this when it came out, hate it now. 7 year old me knew what was up, man, he was busy listening to steeleye span and cream. the best descriptor of this is found in the first line: grey. also maudlin and self-serious. the way he says 'ooooh' in the chorus sometimes makes me wanna punch him in his pissant mouth. actually it kinda reminds me of nickelback lol, which ties in nicely to how chad kroeger soundtracked spiderman in similarly shitty fashion. 2/10
Blue Cheer - The Hunter
i'm not at all on board with this idea of downrating anything that could be deemed proto-metal. anyway, the pleasures of this tune are all in the sound rather than the actual songwriting which is pretty rudimentary. love that bludgeoning fuzz. 6/10
Despondent Visions - To My Love
lol did someone pick this on behalf of themselves or their friends or something, it totally sounds like something a UMer would make. production's pretty naff yeah, sounds like a ps1 game or something and listening loud is kind of headache-inducing. i think it'd be a 5 or 6 with better production but this kind of vibe is a dime a dozen. still, there's probably a market for it the same way there is for all those samey depressive BM bands out there. 4/10
categorically the wrong bjork song in my opinion, single version of 'all is full of love' is both better and more fitting than anything on HOMOGENIC, as are half a dozen songs on VESPERTINE. this album is pretty heavy-handed and overrated in general, but i do still like this song rather a lot. i remember falconsbane talking it up around here like ten years ago lol. super sexy lyrics, makes me think of IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE which is a good thing. 7/10
Frans Liszt - Liebestraum (Love Dream) No. 3
not gonna make an ass out of myself by trying to talk about classical in detail, but this is lovely. i've heard it before but not really thought about it or become familiar with it. to me it feels less like the blooming of first love than old people love, that tenderness and devotion and intimacy and shared knowledge that it's all gonna end soon but it was a life well lived. at first i thought this'd be too gentle and elegant for my tastes but nah i felt it. 8/10
Robin Trower - In This Place
this is one of those songs where the individual melodies and sections are quite familiar but the way it's structured means it packs a punch. i love that this resists the temptation of easy resolutions or some big cathartic climax and just wallows in its prayers before gently fading to nothing, the way a song aimed at a dead loved one must. sounds heartfelt and personal to me, the absence and heartbreak are palpable. avoids all the pifalls of combining this thematic material with a groovy guitar jam; its melancholy spell never breaks. 9/10
Yes - I See You
this is too wanky for me and i don't really connect to it, but honestly half the battle is already won with production and musicianship this great. just sounds too fucking good, plus it's super creative and agreeably free-spirited. another fine choice for the theme too. 7/10
Sera Cahoone - Baker Lake
sup mort. a lot of the saddest love songs are characterised by misguided optimism, and this is one of those. my only criticism would be it doesn't really distinguish itself that much, and if i listened to more stuff like this on a regular basis it may not stand out, but in its own modest, restrained way it's pretty perfect. 8/10
Swans - Miracle of Love
spotify servers are down atm, ugh i'm paying for this shit you cunts. will rate later. ok it is now later. i'd rather listen to CLOSER or something, but this carries its mood just fine. i enjoy the drumming when it gets heavy. 6/10
Buena Vista Social Club - Chan Chan
ballsy to pick something in a different language. this sounds totally authentic and is probably a great example of what it is, but i don't really feel anything. probably too chill and just culturally alien to me. 6/10
Townes Van Zandt - Our Mother the Mountain
brooding, obsessive little tune in the len-co tradition. again this isn't particularly distinctive within its particular style but it works just fine here. 7/10
Punishment of Luxury - Obsession
sup hamburgayboy, you fucking maniac. trust you, in a love-themed mixtape game, to pick a song by a bunch of guys on acid having fucked up rape/murder fantasies. my enjoyment is probably like an 8.5 or 9 but you're getting a 10 for the sheer brilliance of choosing this. 10/10
Lee Moses - Bad Girl
lord have mercy. 10/10
Coil - Tattooed Man
this seems intriguing on a conceptual level and might work better in context, but as a stand-alone i don't really get it either. 4/10
R.L. Burnside - Someday Baby
acceptable feel-good song, not something i'd ever reach for. prefer more traditional blues. pompey's right it'd probably sound good on JUSTIFIED. 5/10
Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply
i would literally rate 'to the moon and back' like an 8. unfortunately, this is truly madly deeply fucking shite. god dammit arg. 1/10
Lisa Ekdahl - Love for Sale
oh hey here's that random song again. i mean, how many other more notable people have done versions of this song? like 100? i assume someone scandinavian submitted this. it's a classy rendition and her voice is aight, but showtunes are showtunes are showtunes. 5/10
Leonard Cohen - Dance Me to the End of Love
so theatrical it makes the bjork song sound like, uh, early cohen. i find this kinda cringy in all honesty, like i usually do when old guys who used to be relevant start trying too hard. blurgh this playlist took a turn for the worse huh. 3/10
Seal - Kiss from a Rose
hated this when it came out, hate it now. 7 year old me knew what was up, man, he was busy listening to steeleye span and cream. the best descriptor of this is found in the first line: grey. also maudlin and self-serious. the way he says 'ooooh' in the chorus sometimes makes me wanna punch him in his pissant mouth. actually it kinda reminds me of nickelback lol, which ties in nicely to how chad kroeger soundtracked spiderman in similarly shitty fashion. 2/10
Blue Cheer - The Hunter
i'm not at all on board with this idea of downrating anything that could be deemed proto-metal. anyway, the pleasures of this tune are all in the sound rather than the actual songwriting which is pretty rudimentary. love that bludgeoning fuzz. 6/10
Despondent Visions - To My Love
lol did someone pick this on behalf of themselves or their friends or something, it totally sounds like something a UMer would make. production's pretty naff yeah, sounds like a ps1 game or something and listening loud is kind of headache-inducing. i think it'd be a 5 or 6 with better production but this kind of vibe is a dime a dozen. still, there's probably a market for it the same way there is for all those samey depressive BM bands out there. 4/10
I think I could've gone me entire life without missing out not hearing this. Totally wasn't expecting this at all. It sounds like Celine Dion or one of those 90s romantic singers. Ha, ballsy for sure. An extra point for ballsiness.
