I have another book in that series, for The Beach Boys . It’s not great to be honest especially if you know a lot already. Just reviews. Basically a thread like this on paper. It is not as good as the “All the Songs” book series by the French guys: those have multiple references and are loaded with information and analyses. The Beach Boys book was just this guy writing his opinion and bitching about Mike Love. But it is the only book on Aimee I’ve ever seen.
yea, BB's that's something I would not want to waste coin on! I'm not into opinion books whatsoever...just the facts jack... I have never come across any books on Aimee..I lover her! wish there was more. Hopefully Amazon will have an "explore this book"!
Today's song is "Rip In Heaven", music by Kit Hain, "additional music" and words by Aimee Mann. Produced by Rhett Davies. Lyrics. This song was released in 1989 as the second single from the album. Aimee Mann: vocals, acoustic guitar and bass Robert Holmes: guitar, vocals Michael Hauman: drums, percussion, Michael Montes:keyboards
Rip in Heaven A surprisingly cheerful sounding song given the content. It sounds like the break up was in the past, so that probably explains why there's some distance and perspective tempering the regret of it not working out. Average on this album is still very good, and I'd say this is about average for this album. I find it nice to listen to and I actually play this album front to back maybe 3-4 times a year, liking it and appreciating it each time. Still, all that being said, there's a lot better stuff to come. 3.9/5
Regarding Magnolia: I see it as a sort of collection more than an album (though it certainly works as an album). And I also see the unique songs to the album as being sort of connected to Bachelor No. 2. My plan is to do the unique songs to Magnolia as "extra album" tracks after Bachelor No. 2.
I love the Magnolia songs and that was my real introduction to Aimee as a solo artist. One thought is to actually do the Magnolia songs before Bachelor #2 since it was released before and some of the songs are from even earlier (e.g. Wise Up from Jerry McGuire soundtrack in ‘96). But it’s all good, whichever way you decide to do it.
"Wise Up" and "One" are both earlier and I plan to do those after I'm With Stupid. That leaves only a few songs that aren't on Bachelor No. 2, so it makes sense to me to do it then: it seems kind of plain to me that the songs were recorded around the same time, and the latest vinyl edition of Bachelor No. 2, a double album, actually integrates the Magnolia songs into the track listing...I"m not planning to do that, I'm planning to do the original US track-listing with the Magnolia songs afterwards.
Wasn’t either (or both) “Momentum” or “Build That Wall” also an older b-side as opposed to a song done specifically for the Magnolia soundtrack?
Just checked. "Build That Wall" was indeed originally released on the Magnolia soundtrack album. However, "Momentum" first appeared four years earlier as a b-side on the "That's Just What You Are" European/Australian single.
"Rip In Heaven" is very good and even stronger than the opening title track, at least to me. There's a wistful melancholy to the song that, of course, would become one of Aimee's trademarks. I love the sound of the band here; the production team captured them perfectly. Excellent track. 4.1/5
I only have the book on Aimee and it only arrived yesterday so i haven't had much chance to go through it yet. From what i've heard, these books are very hit and miss due to the fact that the authors are so widely varying. I have a friend who has the Genesis one and says it's full of inaccuracies. From the brief flick through the AM book it seems fairly accurate and even lists the vast majority of the obscure collaborations, I even found some that i wasn't aware of. I do think i know of at least 1 that is not listed though.
Rip in Heaven is one of my absolute favorites from this album. This is a great example of the up-tempo song mixed with lyrics that you wouldn't necessarily associate with up-tempo, yet the match of lyrics to music works wonderfully well. I love the syncopated chorus melody with the melodic skip on "sorry", and how the melodic line moves from ascending to descending on the word "ascended". This is the first 5/5 song on the album but not the last!
I'll give it a 5. Stellar pop music,mature, intelligent; a bit of that country feel but I think the new keyboardist's style clashes less than Pesce's. It's notable that this song is led, music-wise by Kit Hain the second song on the album that isn't dominated by Aimee Mann -- lyrics, in contrast to the last song is about a break up but I don't hear the mournful forlorn F*ckbuddy of previous albums. There's almost a celebratory nature to this song,a feeling that life goes on and we learn our lessons from the knocks. There's no bitterness. It just didn't work out, even though there was love. Love isn't really enough. 5/5
Everything’s Different Now.. Stunning- easy 5/5 Rip In Heaven.. Slightly less than stunning.. slightly more stripped would have made it stunning. Still a great track: 4.5/5
Today's song is "Why Must I", written by Aimee Mann; produced by Rhett Davies. Lyric. Aimee Mann: vocals, bass, acoustic guitar Robert Holmes: guitars Michael Hausman: drums, percussion, programming Michael Montes: keyboards
Why Must I For me, the start of the real classics of this album (and luckily, there are many on this album). Lots of great lines in this one, self-reflective, wondering why you can't not feel things quite so deeply. "It's my fault for wanting too much Going deeper than most, Getting harder to touch." "Why must I take it so hard Other people get by With either bourbon or god" And realizing that other people may not be able to empathize or identify and think that you're being overly dramatic. "It's the way that I'm made Do you think I enjoy it?" and a little parting wisdom for those listening: "Be careful of the love you find" A really great song, yet not there's even better to come. Deeply felt songs, both catchy and melodic, yet genuine and self-aware, with nothing too dated or limiting production-wise. Not clearly of it's time, just clearly a great song. 4.4/5
Opening with a very catchy synth-piano hook, this understated song doesn't have the big airplay-ready quality of the first too songs: it's also less country-ish in melody -- and, I note, it's Aimee's first real melody of the album, as first two were either externally penned or were co-written by someone else providing the lion's share of the music. I want to empahsize not only the tasteful (though slightly dated) keyboard sounds but the great, controlled electric guitars: twelve strings and blusey lead licks....Holmes was really getting his chance to show off his prodigious chops. It seems kind of sad that his career after this would be so low-key, though I guess he's been satisfied with it. But the main star here is the startlingly personal and vulnerable lyric. It's self-pitying, but it's self-conscious in a way that makes it feel like Aimee is truly working out something, trying to figure out exactly why she's as dependant as she is. Why must I take it so hard Other people get by With either bourbon or god But my world became this one boy It's the way that I'm made Do you think I enjoy it? This is beyond just whining, this is some true soul searching, and the acknowledgement that she is looking for fulfilment: the same fulfilment that others get from substance abuse or religion....which implies some sort of aching hole. 5/5
