So, I've seen a lot of these types of threads around, and naturally I want to do one for my favourite artists. Hopefully, I won't be alone in enjoying it (in which case it might die out). The idea is for me to go through one or two songs a day, rating them 1-10 and a short comment. Anyone else who want to can rate & comment on the songs as well. We'll start with officially released songs album by album, then dip into unreleased/only performed live/only covered by others eventually. Assuming we get that far, that is. I'll try to provide a video for each song. Hopefully this'll be a fun excercise in celebrating these amazing song writing sisters.
I'm in! The Tell My Sister comp is one of the best impulse purchases I ever made. Looking forward to learning more about their music (Heartbeats Accelerating is the only other release I own).
Kiss and Say Goodbye Rating: 7.5/10 Comment: A terrific mood booster, but not perhaps their most inspiered work. Written by Kate, it always seemed to me that it likely refered to Loudon Wainwright III and the relationship between the two.
I actually really love Kiss & Say Goodbye, and think that it makes for a stunning album opener. The piano part is insanely catchy, and the "I wanna kiss you 'till my mouth goes numb" part? Brilliant, and sexy.
I've only picked up their first two albums recently and played them a couple of times. Wonderful stuff, but there's so much more I haven't heard including playing these more.
Agree. Kate knew how to write down a good piano comp, that much is clear. And ofc, she knew how to play it too!
Love this song! Kate's personality comes through loud and clear on this song, both musically and lyrically. Love that it's a kiss and a goodbye as the first song on the first album. Tony and Steve are an incredible rhythm section and this album opener sets the tone for what they bring to the LP. Anna's backups are also great.
A most enjoyable album that flew under many people's radar for a long time. Still, in 1975, the sisters from Montreal had a real hit on their hands that got their career off to a great start and went a long way toward establishing their reputation for excellence. Everything they did afterwards inevitably ended up being compared to this album. And, for people who truly appreciate fantastic harmony, this album has to be up there with the best. Kiss and Say Goodbye is a great album opener!
It just happened that the debut LP was on the seat next to me when I posted here, so it's getting played now. I like it a lot.
So fun to see this thread taking off already! As I am prepping a few of these songs, I see that "comment" will mostly be used to tell the stories behind each song, rather than explain my opinions. I hope you shall enjoy that just as much! And maybe even learn something - who knows?
Right. They had a brief hit with that record (of which I own 3 copies - it's a personal favourite) in England. We'll get around to it and this song in about a week or two.
A good hippy friend who is older than me and never almost cut his hair loves them and had played me some of their music too, but I can't remember exactly what. I just know I always liked their sound. Such beautiful singers.
Great song from two incredibly talented ladies! I have loved their first/eponymous Warner Bros debut album since its release in 1975. One thing that continuously crosses my mind is when will some enterprising specialist vinyl reissue label licence it for an audiophile quality reissue? I have actually pitched the idea to two such labels recently, one in the U.S.A. and the other in Europe. The European label told me that, being 'a folk album', they would be concerned about potential sales which could make the project not viable from a financial standpoint. The label in question reissued 'a folk album' in 2013 and it obviously 'bombed' on the sales' front. I am not surprised as, to be perfectly honest, the album and the artist that was chosen is/are awful. Way too quirky even for the the more adventurous type of music lover. The McGarrigles' first album would have been a perfect choice and I understand that obtaining the reissue rights from Rhino would not be very difficult or expensive. I think the label head with whom I spoke will keep the possibility in mind but is not optimistic that it will come to fruition. That leaves Rhino. I, and many others, consider this album a stone cold classic and I am dumbfounded that it has not seen an audiophile quality reissue. Kevin Gray would be the perfect choice for the remastering, I think? Of course, I'd also like to see 'Dancer ..' follow that but for now, let's concentrate on the first album. Strangely, this remarkable album never saw a domestic vinyl release in Japan in 1975 or later. When you consider that almost everything and anything was released in Japan over the years, even very obscure Irish Folk acts, it is bizarre that Kate & Anna's marvellous first record was passed over, although it was available as an import.
While I do would like to see good LP reissue for the first few albums (I'll die if they do it for Dancer - I already THREE LP copies! Argh), I even more want to see reissues of their later stuff. Ryko out out The McGarrigle Hour on LP and one of these days I'll raise the funds to get it... Matapedia on vinyl would be gold! Especially with the new remaster Anna made. They own the album completely and fully, too (it was licensed to Hannibal for 8 years to allow it's intial release), so it'd be easier to get hold of. French Record and Heartbeats would also be stellar in new LP issue.
Here in the UK, it was voted album of the year by the music paper 'Melody Maker', which, at the time, was still a pretty big thing to have happen to your album. No-one was making music like this here in the UK - I remember gifting this album to a number of friends back then - it's an album that is timeless and absolutely unique. And what a fantastic album opener - I've long thought that the unheralded heroes of many a great album are the people who pull together the final track order. Whoever it was for this album, thank you, you got the track sequencing exactly right. Best Wishes, David
Would it not be cheaper to buy near mint original copies instead of a contemporary reissue? Many of the current reissues seem to have sound or quality issues. If I remember it correctly The McGarrigle Hour had quality control problems. This and Matapedia were surprisingly hard to find in Canada when released as the sisters were not as popular in the '90s.
You're like me, I have multiple copies of their records and CDs too! I am still looking for an incredible pressing of their first though, ergo my lament that there is no Japan vinyl! I got a stone mint, new old stock in fact, copy of 'Heartbeats Accelerating' on a trip to Germany about four years ago. I was playing it just last week. I have 4 copies of 'Dancer ..' which include copies of the first pressing, one is a U.K. and other is German, and both have the Sterling mastering. I have a later issue of 'Dancer ..' also on the cream WB label and while it does not have the Sterling stamp in the dead wax, it sounds very nice too, in its own way. I got a Japanese reissue CD of the first album some years ago and it sounds very good. I would buy anything these girls recorded! The icing on the cake, for me, would be if somebody like Intervention, Speakers Corner, Diverse Vinyl, Analogue Productions, Mobile Fidelity, Warner/Rhino etc. would consider reissuing some of the girls' back catalogue.
Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, I am old enough to remember that. I agree that getting Melody Maker's full endorsement was a major achievement back in those days.
Nice to see this thread starting. My first (of many) Kate and Anna show(s) was in University College Dublin in 1976. I especially remember a show with a very young Rufus at Whelan’s in October 1996.
My two first pressings of 'Dancer .. ' (U.K. and Germany) even after a thorough wet and ultrasonic cleaning are both noisy even though the German copy looks Mint, a new old stock copy in fact. My copy of the first one is pretty silent, it is a later U.K. pressing and sounds good. I'd like to see what somebody like Kevin Gray, Steve Hoffman or Chris Bellman etc. could do with it. Of course I'd also like a super quality pressing like RTI does for Intervention or Pallas for Speakers Corner. I remember seeing 'The McGarrigle Hour' some years ago but I never picked it up, maybe because I heard something about pressing defects? The remainder of my McGarrigles' vinyl collection is excellent, but I have never had 'Matapedia'. I'll look for the CD now!. I have been hoping for a great reissue of the first album for decades, though. Bring it on!
I bought the first album when it first came out after reading a review in one of the music papers. It was like nothing I’d ever heard. The harmonies are stunning. It’s a record that stayed with me ever since (even during the punk wars) and is in my all time top ten.
