Stranger than Fiction, Larger Than Life: the Finn Brothers song-by-song discussion thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Lance LaSalle, Jan 21, 2019.

  1. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    Yes, if you search, click on "This thread only" in the search box and then thread look for "Today's song is [name of the song]." That will take you to the first post 99% of the time. If you are curious about overall ratings search for "collated ratings for [ name of the album]. Note there have been a few "non-album playlists" that we've gone through: in 1987 (Tim), 1995-6(Neil), 1995-6 (Tim), 1999 (all of them.) The rest are generally neatly divided into extra tracks for albums.
     
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  2. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    Our votes for "Never Feel the Same"

    1-0
    2-0
    3-6
    4-3
    5-0
    Average: 3.2944
     
  3. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    Today's song is "Oh, I know", which was another bonus track that purchcasers of the Yep Roc issued album could download from the YepRoc website with a code.

    It doesnt seem to stream anywhere, but it does circulate in the digital dimension.
     
  4. drewrclv9

    drewrclv9 Forum Resident

    ‘Oh, I Know’ - Nice little breezy sounding acoustic song that reminds me a bit of Tim’s song “Comet” from the ‘I Like it Rare‘ fan club CD, at least in the guitar. I don’t feel like it ever really goes anywhere, but a nice listen nonetheless.

    3.2/5
     
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  5. HitAndRun

    HitAndRun Forum Resident

    Oh I Know

    This sounds like an acoustic demo rather than a finished version. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

    As a song it's pleasant enough. It's another song that Neil could have written, but perhaps not as refined as a NF song would be. It lacks a definitive high point or hook line.

    I haven't got a lot more to say about it, so I'm phoning it in as well.

    3/5
     
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  6. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    It's a nice folk song, with a nice acoustic guitar solo too. I think the melody is pretty distinctively Liam's, doesn't sound like Neil to me, and it's more developed than a Neil demo in terms of sound. Overall, though I agree, that the melody is not quite strong enough to raise above mere goodness, but it is a nice, melancholy folk song.

    3.1/5
     
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  7. brownie61

    brownie61 Forum Resident

    Oh I Know - This is a pleasant acoustic song that sounds pretty typical of Liam. His songs in this style always remind me of another artist, though I’m not sure who. Is it Elliot Smith? It definitely has a demo quality to it, particularly the guitar solo, which sounds under-rehearsed.

    3/5
     
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  8. KangaMom

    KangaMom Queen of the Quokkas

    Oh I Know - What a very good song. It's really hard sometimes to reconcile that Liam can put together such a beautiful song as this and also ChiChiChaChaCha...

    Anyway back to the song at hand. I actually think it sounds pretty finished. I would have liked the guitar solo to be a bit more developed - maybe a lap steel or perhaps a little like the stuff Mike Chunn did on the Imaginary Kingdom DVD/classical guitar style. I actually think it's a little better when Liam doesn't try and over-produce/think his songs.

    3.8/5
     
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  9. dthomas850

    dthomas850 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cleveland, Ohio
    Oh I Know - another track I haven't heard of until now, this sounds very good, Liam obviously had an abundance of material at the time, what a nice little outtake.
    3.5/5
     
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  10. jimbutsu

    jimbutsu WATCH YÖUR STEPPE

    "Oh I Know" is right up my alley with the jangly guitar and the voicing. This song, to my ears, would be even more convincing evidence of Liam's paternity than a DNA test.

    4.3/5 - and if I'd heard it more times I wouldn't be surprised if I rated even higher than this.
     
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  11. jcr64

    jcr64 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Indiana
    "Oh I Know" is the kind of thing I would play at open mic if it had a slightly more interesting melody (and if not for the pandemic). It's not bad, but it alternates between repetitive and meandering and never quite settles in.

    3/5
     
  12. BeSteVenn

    BeSteVenn FOMO Resident

    Oh I Know is just just the right length, Liam says everything he needs to say and doesn't complicate things trying to overreach. The song might have been improved had he left out the brief guitar overdub, but it sounds like a demo that he would have expanded upon in the final iteration of the song, and it's tantalizing to imagine what he might have done with it. Again, he has an embarrassment of riches that he can set aside a song of this quality and move on to other songs.

    3.8/5
     
  13. robcar

    robcar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver, CO
    "Oh I Know" is pretty good, although it sounds a lot like a lost Elliott Smith song (not the first time I've commented about this similarity with Liam). It feels like part of a song though in that it doesn't vary much from start to end. It needs another piece to elevate it. Still, it's a solid bonus track.

    3.3/5
     
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  14. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    Our votes for "Oh, I know"

    1-0
    2-0
    3-6
    4-4
    Average: 3.4
     
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  15. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    Today, a song and an album.
    The album is called "Live [In Spaceland]", and it was recorded on April 30th, 2007, and released originally by Kufala Records (though it says "Spaceland Recordings") in the USA on June 1st or so, 2007.

    Playlist begins below...

    Spotify:
    LIVE [in Spaceland - April 30th, 2007]

    Live [In Spaceland] was, in fact, the first Finn-related Kufala release -- later in 2007 and 2010, Crowded House would release dozens of live records through the now-defunct indie label.

    The track list was:
    1. Fire in Your Belly
    2. Better To Be
    3. Gather to the Chapel
    4. Lullaby
    5. Noise Jam #33
    6. Wise Man
    7. Second Chance
    8. Lead Balloon
    The entire album streams on Spotify and probably other similar platforms like Apple Music. (It's also purchase-able digitally, on iTunes and other platforms.

    The only song unique to this album is "Noise Jam #33", which I will also hold up for discussion today.
     
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  16. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    Noise Jam #33


    Liam Finn:vocals, guitars, drums, loops
     
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  17. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    It seems a bit early in his solo career to release a live album -- officially released before his debut album! But I understand it is meant as a souvenir for his live shows and most of the sales probably occurred there.

    My feelings are mixed and also influenced by one of his 2008 live albums (he releaed two live albums in 2008 -- I'll hold both of 'em up tomorrow, though I've only heard one.) The thing is the 2008 album I have heard is very similar but I like it better...more on that tomorrow.

    On it's own merits this is pretty good road souvenir, and it's mainly got a lot of the more melodic songs from I'll Be Lightning, with one short noisy experiment: which you should expect from Liam Finn, at least in this era.

    It's interesting to hear him build up songs onstage using loops and various guitar parts and it's done pretty well: probably cooler to see onstage, but it works surprisingly well. I don't think the songs would come off nearly as well without the multi-tracking: voice and guitar live records usually kind of bore me, so good for him for finding a way to do a truly solo album that wasn't boring.

    Liam's banter is relatively sparse on this record, and he would get better at engaging the audience later.

    3.2/5
     
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  18. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    Noise Jam #33" sounds much like you'd expect a song called "Noise Jam #33" to sound. In the context of the album, it's a break from the brutally melodic pop and folk that he keeps bludgeoning us with, though he returns to that soon enough. It works on the album; by itself it doesn't.

    2.5/5
     
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  19. HitAndRun

    HitAndRun Forum Resident

    Noise Jam #33

    This is pretty much as @Lance LaSalle says - what you'd expect a 'Noise Jam' to sound like. The drumming is good. I'm not sure the guitar is. It sounds to me as something that could be built upon; just a start. I guess it was just a jam and never intended for more.

    2.1/5

    I don't think I'm going to get around to listening to the live album enough to rate it today, sorry. Though, I am giving it a listen right now.
     
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  20. jcr64

    jcr64 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Indiana
    I knew from the title that "Noise Jam #33" was going to be unlistenable, and, guess what, it is. as Lance and HitAndRun suggested, it might work in the context of a live concert. It works less well in the context of a live album, and on its own it's just brutal.

    1/5
     
  21. KangaMom

    KangaMom Queen of the Quokkas

    Noise Jam #33 - well it's about what I would expect from the title and from Liam of this era. What can I say, it's unrateable. The guitar actually sounds unpleasant on this song.

    Hoping to get to the whole album later this evening but don't be surprised if I don't actually find the time for this.
     
  22. brownie61

    brownie61 Forum Resident

    The title alone makes me want to sit this one out. Your review confirms it. I don’t need brutal on New Years Eve.

    Happy New Year everyone!
     
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  23. drewrclv9

    drewrclv9 Forum Resident

    ‘Noise Jam #33’ - Another experimental jam with a lot of guitar. I was wondering if anything else was coming after the first 45 seconds, or if it was just gonna continue to sound like one of those obscure My Bloody Valentine instrumentals that never end (see: “Nothing Is” from the album ‘mbv’). I may give the other songs on the live album a spin later, but probably won’t rate it.

    Not much else to say here except the song’s about on par with “I Found Noise at ATP”, and not quite as interesting as “Chichichachacha”.

    1.2/5


    (p.s.: Are-- Are there 32 other noise jams somewhere?? *shivers*)
     
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  24. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    I’d buy that compilation.
     
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  25. drewrclv9

    drewrclv9 Forum Resident

    :laugh: I’d have to as well for completion sake. Although I’d also be okay with just hearing them once on YouTube or something...
     
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