Nashville Moon by Magnolia Electric Co - good stuff!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Davey, Oct 18, 2007.

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  1. Davey

    Davey NP: Hania Rani/Dobrawa Czocher ~ Inner Symphonies Thread Starter

    Location:
    SF Bay Area, USA
    Anyone pick up the 4-CD and DVD Sojourner pine box by Jason Molina and the band? Some great stuff on these discs, but my favorite by far at the moment is the one he recorded with Steve Albini in Chicago, Nashville Moon. Really channels that early NY & Carzy Horse vibe he's so good at (maybe sometimes too good at, but anyway I can get that early Neil Young sound, I'll take it). Good music, good lyrics, great players, and goes without saying, but another nice recording by Albini, very sensibly mastered by Nick Webb at Abbey Road. Really have to crank the volume up, just like the good old days that most of us still remember, right? Hehehe, it is nice when you can play a new CD and actually have to turn the volume control more than a few degrees from the off mark. Goes to show, just like some people keep saying, the mastering engineers aren't always to blame for the crap we get these days :)

    Anyway, vintage Molina on here, like on the last Songs:Ohia record, that brilliant one that ushered in the new power company band name. Literally comes packaged in a very cool pine box with sliding birch plywood cover. And a medallion. Went out of print almost immediately when his label offered them for preorder at $37 postpaid. Missed the announcement, so had to pay a few buck more, but still got a pretty good deal at $45 compared to what some people are apparently willing to pay (over $100 ???).
     
  2. nail75

    nail75 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Germany
    It is an excellent set that far too few people will be able to listen to, because they do not know the band or because the set is already oop. Anyways, a wonderful collection by a band that deserved far more recognition.
     
  3. Davey

    Davey NP: Hania Rani/Dobrawa Czocher ~ Inner Symphonies Thread Starter

    Location:
    SF Bay Area, USA
    That's pretty obvious if you go by response to this thread, eh? :)

    Hard to soak it all in, so I tend to fixate on one of the discs, and then almost like an epiphany it hits me how much I love what Molina does. Even in his later guise as the new Neil Young and Crazy Horse, his own song craft and personality still comes through. Doubt he can ever top the best of those two last Songs:Ohia records (at least for me), the amazing "Farewell Transmission" followed by "Riding with the Ghost" may have been the best opening song sequence on any record I heard in the last decade. But really glad to have this box. From what I've heard since the Songs:Ohia days, Black Ram is his best CD since becoming the Magnolia Electric Co., and I love Nashville Moon almost as much, although it is more like a best of Magnolia than a new record. The short Sun Sessions EP is playing now, and I like it a lot too. Great sound on that one. Recorded at Sun Studios with James Lott. Usually have to play it a few times. The whole thing sounds very nice. Probably not the place for a newbie to start wandering around, but man, eez gut sheet for fans like me to catch up on where he's been riding the last couple years or so. Might be my favorite release of 2007.

    Mama here comes midnight with the dead moon in its jaws
    Must be the big star about to fall
    Long dark blues
    Will o the wisp
    The big star is falling
    Through the static and distance
    A farewell transmission...
     
  4. bord

    bord Member

    Location:
    St. Louis, MO
    Too bad the Sojourner stuff wasn't released on wax.

    What a great band. That final Songs:Ohia disc is one of my all time favorites. Not to be missed.
     
  5. Graham

    Graham Senior Member

    Location:
    Perth, Australia
    Yeah, Sojourner is a great boxset. Although the material could all have fit on two CDs, it's nice to have it separated by session.

    I always find it strange that the last Songs: Ohia disc, Magnolia Electric Co., is referred to as a Songs: Ohia album at all. There's no mention of the band's name on the sleeve - it's simply called Magnolia Electric Co. so I always thought it was that band's debut. And it sounds like Magnolia Electric Co.'s debut too, marking a significant departure from Molina's earlier sound in Songs: Ohia.
     
  6. jedilips00

    jedilips00 non-exist-ent

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    Crossing my fingers for a vinyl release of this box set.
     
  7. Davey

    Davey NP: Hania Rani/Dobrawa Czocher ~ Inner Symphonies Thread Starter

    Location:
    SF Bay Area, USA
    That would be nice, but the CD mastering on all of the discs (haven't watched the DVD) is excellent. Probably not essential if you already have all of the MEC discs and bootlegs, but very nice box. Be nicer with a single booklet collecting all of the info that is on the separate disc cards, musicians and songs and such, along with the engineering/mastering credits currently printed on the discs, maybe that instead of the medallion and poster, but that pine box is pretty cool. Not likely to see that on a vinyl release :)
     
  8. antonkk

    antonkk Senior Member

    Location:
    moscow
    Folks, what are the first couple of records that I need by this guy (under any name)? Love what I heard on youtube and myspace though sometimes comes too close to Neil Young clone.
     
  9. Davey

    Davey NP: Hania Rani/Dobrawa Czocher ~ Inner Symphonies Thread Starter

    Location:
    SF Bay Area, USA
    My two favorites are the final two he did under the Songs:Ohia name, Didn't It Rain in 2002 and Magnolia Electric Co. in 2003. Both with a band backing, the first more somber, the second more full sounding. Didn't it Rain is really a fantastic set of songs.

    I know that serpents will cross universes to circle around our necks
    I know that hounds will cross a universe to circle around our feet
    They're always close
    Always so close
    Step by step, one's beside me, to kill me or to guide me
    Why wouldn't I be trying to figure which one out
     
  10. jedilips00

    jedilips00 non-exist-ent

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    So I recently (finally!) picked this up for a decent price before they all disappear. Absolutely excellent.

    Black Ram is killing me.
     
  11. CardinalFang

    CardinalFang New Member

    Location:
    ....

    The "Magnolia Electric Co." album is indeed a S:O release, at least according to the label. But Jason Molina considered it the first MEC album. It was a transitional time for him, and I think a lot of people were concerned about the name change.

    At about the same time, he released the first album under his own name, titled "Pyramid Electric Co." He toured during that period as "Jason Molina of Songs:Ohia". It probably was easier for the promoters.

    I just remember the confusion at the time... I was touring with two artists on the Jagjaguwar roster (sister label of Secretly Canadian) and a lot of people didn't know what was going on.

    I prefer Songs:Ohia. "Ghost Tropic" and "Didn't It Rain" are two fantastic records. I felt he could have developed that sound, but instead he went the trendy Americana route.

    Nobody listened to me back in 2004:
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=41521&highlight=ohia
     
  12. Davey

    Davey NP: Hania Rani/Dobrawa Czocher ~ Inner Symphonies Thread Starter

    Location:
    SF Bay Area, USA
    I have a lot of Jason Molina stuff, and really do love most of it, even in the early days of Songs:Ohia when everything hadn't yet fully coalesced, there were still some knockouts that foretold the greatness. But Black Ram is one of his best, along with Didn't It Rain and Magnolia Electric Co. It is only available within the Sojourner Box, at least that was the past. Might be different now, but that was kind of a shame at the time that one of his best records was only available within a limited edition box set. Didn't bother me too much since I had to have the box anyway, but Black Ram should've gotten a lot more attention than it did.

    Just did a quick search and there is a really nice article at the Brainwashed site about this one with some interview notes. Echoes what I said above but more eloquently, and with a few more words. He's also right about Fading Trails, it is a very good collection, but feels kind of like that, a collection. On my second listen of Black Ram today right now, this could go on for days, if I'm not careful. Once I get in one of those Molina-type places, I usually stay a while, which isn't always a good thing...

    http://brainwashed.com/index.php?op...k-ramq&catid=13:albums-and-singles&Itemid=133
     
  13. I'm just hoping that there's something good still in the archives worthy of release.
     
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  14. AlienRendel

    AlienRendel Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, il
    I bought the Sojourner box from the merch table at a MagCo gig when it had just come out. Great stuff. Sad to think that I never got to see them play again.
     
  15. osbie feel

    osbie feel Well-Known Member

    Location:
    oakland CA
    Not exactly archival, but I've heard rumor that "Didn't It Rain" is being re-released on vinyl sometime in the next couple of months (though I can't seem to find confirmation of that anywhere). If it happens, it'd be great if they included the 'Gray Tower'/'Black Link to Fire Link' 7" single with it.

    I'm hoping there will be some Molina archival releases at some point. The man wrote a lot of songs-- I'm guessing his family & friends will spend quite a while sorting out all of his home recordings & studio discards. There's guaranteed to be some amazing work in there.
     
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  16. mogambotek

    mogambotek Forum Resident

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Not sure if the Sojourner set it OOP. I just got one that I bought directly from the label. It's a really fantastic set. Shed a little tear opening it up
     
  17. mogambotek

    mogambotek Forum Resident

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Also just ordered the Didn't it Rain vinyl - any idea how many copies were repressed?
     
  18. Davey

    Davey NP: Hania Rani/Dobrawa Czocher ~ Inner Symphonies Thread Starter

    Location:
    SF Bay Area, USA
    Tragic loss that only gets worse with time. As Polly Harvey sang once ...

    My love will stay 'till the river bed run dry
    And my love lasts long as the sunshine blue sky
    I love him longer as each damn day goes
    The man is gone and heaven only knows


    Now that might've been a pretty nice collaboration.
     
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  19. mogambotek

    mogambotek Forum Resident

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Also, just popped one of the CDs into my player (think it was Black Ram) and my player detected it as an HDCD. Probably explains why it sounds so good! (The mastering is no slouch either)

    Think this is my favourite cd set that I own.
     
  20. Davey

    Davey NP: Hania Rani/Dobrawa Czocher ~ Inner Symphonies Thread Starter

    Location:
    SF Bay Area, USA
    Wow, thanks for the heads up! I didn't know the vinyl reissue was available yet. Gotta get my order in. Doesn't look like very wide distribution so I'd have to guess not many were pressed. I laid off buying much vinyl in the early 2000s, and of course the records I have come to cherish most over the years since are now oop, so it's always fun when one of my all time favorites comes back from the oop graveyard.
     
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  21. mogambotek

    mogambotek Forum Resident

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    I bought mine from Insound, looks like they still have some copies. Go grab one from there! Not seen it online in too many other places..
     
  22. Davey

    Davey NP: Hania Rani/Dobrawa Czocher ~ Inner Symphonies Thread Starter

    Location:
    SF Bay Area, USA
    Thanks, just ordered it from the Secretly Canadian distribution site.

    And just to keep it mostly about the music, was just listening to Didn't it Rain, the opening title track, and you know, right before the 7 minute mark, right after the last verse, I mean it's really such a staggeringly sad song anyway, but he tells the band, "Let's bring it back, we can sing one more", and he and the girl (think it's Jennie Benford) do one more chorus of the ooh-ooh's, and it really almost makes you cry. Just one more reason.

    If I see you struggle and giving all that you got
    I see you work all night burning your light
    to the last of its dim watts
    I’m gonna help you how I can
    If you see me struggle all night, and
    give me a hand cause I’m in need
    I’ll call you friend, indeed
    But I’m going to watch my own back
    ooh-ooh's
    Didn’t it rain ...

    Let's bring it back, we can sing one more
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2013
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  23. woody

    woody Forum Resident

    Location:
    charleston, sc
    Just ordered this, too. I hesitated when it was released hoping for a vinyl release. Life's too short.
     
  24. Davey

    Davey NP: Hania Rani/Dobrawa Czocher ~ Inner Symphonies Thread Starter

    Location:
    SF Bay Area, USA
    Yeah, if you haven't yet heard Black Ram, you'll be kicking yourself for six years lost. But life is short, and the CDs do sound good. Kind of surprising that six years hasn't brought more than one page of interest in one of my favorite artists, but I guess we all have favorites that get lost in modern times.
     
  25. mogambotek

    mogambotek Forum Resident

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    You won't be disappointed. Definitely one of the best musical related things I've ever purchased, and that's saying a lot.
     
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