I posed the same question a few pages back and no one responded yet. Would really like to know if there's a reason!
It is strange,yes.Nevertheless,I am happy to be an owner of an original UK Matador,the year it was released. 2003 I think?
While we're dreaming of a live YLT record, let's just go ahead and go whole hog with it. I'd subscribe without hesitation to an annual Jesse's Picks tings with Jesse Jarnow selecting the best of their archival shows for a gussied up release.
It's Matador. My take on things. They are indie. Matador was one of the few labels that took advantage of the availability of presses in the 90s. Most their albums were pressed to vinyl and they were cheap. I got into YLT because I took a chance on them because there wasn't much else in new vinyl back then. I think I paid $12 for I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One for a double album. Since vinyl has become more popular I think Matador has to prioritize what goes to press. They have other artists to consider. And they still have new releases. They don't have a Legacy group like Sony, or Rhino for Warner that can focus on reissuing older stuff. I'm pretty thankful for Matador. They were a huge reason I stuck it though the 90s with buying records. Sadly I don't think they have priority over the Major labels when they can request pressing runs that are multiples of what Matador would press.
the thing is though, all the other matador ylt albums have been consistently repressed every few years EXCEPT for summer sun
For some reason this album is considered lesser than the others since Painful; reviews were lackluster and it was a mild step down in sales. From what I can tell, it's still considered conventional wisdom that it was kind of a misstep; I've never quite understood why. I fear that this contributes to a perceived lack of interest in a reissue. I lucked out on finding this and May I Sing with Me about 8-9 years ago, they've only gotten more expensive since then.
And when you're done with that, read Jarnow's newer book called Heads next. Even if you are for some reason averse to the Good Ol' Grateful Dead, the book is a fantastic journey through American 20th century cultural history as viewed through a psychedelic lens.
Budapest was fun and Yo La Tengo was great. They did two sets, the first was quiet/cerebral and the second was rocking. The crowd was attentive and knowledgeable, greeting songs like old friends. It was YLT's first time in the city. A38 is a barge anchored on the Danube. The performance space is at the lowest level, in the hull of the ship: They were held-up for nine hours at the Serbian/Hungarian border, but eventually got across and arrived at the venue at about 5:30. It was a nice-sized venue. I don't know if it was sold out, but it was full. ...a great show and a fun 5-night trip. It provided a much-needed music fix for moi.
After getting burned on 2 copies of Extra Painful on vinyl that both had the same gouge in LP1, am also curious about any opinions regarding the vinyl quality for TARGO.
I don't think there's any logic at work here. PJ Harvey is my favourite example. No reissues for ages. Except of course for..... "4-Track Demos"?! Taken out of context this is a fantastic quote!
I'm late to the thread, but oh well. I got on board with YLT when Painful came out. I was in college and it seemed like maybe they were a band poised to be one of the leaders of the pack, in terms of the alternative scene. At least as big as Sonic Youth (with whom I drew some comparisons with their sound). Didn't really happen, though. Then again, Sonic Youth didn't become as big as I thought they might, post 1991. Anyway, I think their great albums are: Painful, Electropura, Heart, And Then Nothing and Beat Your Ass, but most of their other albums occupy a space just below those. Some of their CDs sound really good as-is; I've never been tempted to supplement a number of the titles with vinyl. Glad to see some others here are fans.
Caught the Fillmore show last night and it was terrific. Highlights included Autumn Sweater and Drug Test back to back, and then The Monkees' Take a Giant Step (which I know better from Taj Mahal's version) as one of the encores.
Just picked up two copies of the "Yo La Tengo Gazette" last week on eBay and they just arrived today (#6 and #9 from '95 and '97 respectively). Anyone else have any of these? Really fun read with plenty of their quirky charm scattered throughout.
I don't have any myself but there are a few scans floating around on the Wayback Machine and I always enjoy poring over them. Wish they still did that actually.
Yea Zines are one of the more unfortunate casualties of the internet for sure. One of them I got even has a little section about their performance with Stephen Malkmus of Range Life which I've seen and never had any info about
I’ve listened to the new album several times now (finally). I like every song on it, but it doesn’t work as a whole for me. I think they need a producer to help pull it all together. Obviously they’re relationship with Roger was crucial to their development as a band. Working with John on Fade, though, breathed some fresh air into their sound and produced what is imo their best album. Using him just for mixing, though, hasn’t worked for me. I am used to YLT mood shifts, but there are a lot of random swings on this album that don’t really take you anywhere. It’s a bit like a buffet without a theme. Having seen how they interweave their songs live, I feel like something more could have been done here. And don’t get me started on the ridiculous logo...
Interesting. I do really dislike the cover... and I was hoping they at some point would see fit to talk a bit more about what they were thinking, since they're typically so conscious of graphic design and such, but I don't think a single interviewer has broached the subject. So do you feel that the album would mostly benefit from different sequencing, or different production choices altogether? I really love it -- I've ended up finding each song extremely distinct and I like the way they fit together, especially on vinyl -- but I think I understand what you're getting at, as though the record is stuck in a strange spot between ambient and pop. I personally like that contradiction; on first hearing Riot I thought of it as a full-on vibes album with barely any wavering from the quiet, but as I got more familiar with the songs I've found it barely fits that description at all.
I actually like the sound of the record. I think it is the sequencing that’s at play here. I have thought about resequencing the tracklist, but don’t feel I know the songs well enough to do so. I have the album on CD and i know sometimes a vinyl playlist can work very differently, especially over four sides. Without those three intermissions, here’s my general interpretation of the album: - the run through Polynesia is quite strong. Mostly poppy with enough downtempo moody pieces to let you know this is going to be a more somber affair -a shift to ambient works in the middle with Shortwaves as the epicentre -a string of slower songs with the random interspersing of Esportes Casuel It seems to me they had an intention to the album’s theme. Ira has been very coy about it in interviews, but the title is very suggestive. I also think that Shortwave is a crucial track. I find the string of more contemplative tracks that follow Shortwave, though, all blur together in my memory. In comparison, when they put Forever early on in the set list, it was an arresting thing of beauty. Likely moving around some of the later quiet tracks throughout the album might improve the flow. I also think Shortwave needs a better setup and denouement. Also a producer might have helped them cut a track or two and push them to write an additional song that may be the missing link in the albums flow. Who knows. At the very least, we have new material from YLT and they continue to be a band who push themselves. Can’t really complain about that!