Wey Wey Hep a Hole Ding Dong: Robyn Hitchcock the song by song, album by album thread

I agree that the first half of this record is far superior to the second and this track is one of the better ones. For me though, it's pleasant rather than interesting or challenging but that's a criticism of the album generally.

Pulse Of My Heart 3/5.

I fear there are going to be a few 3/5s in the days ahead.

 

League Tables

Jewels For Sofia

1. No, I Don't Remember Guildford 4.87

2. I Feel Beautiful 4.08

3. Sally Was a Legend 4.0625

4. Jewels For Sophia 4.04

5. Dark Princess 4.0143

6. Antwoman 3.7688

7. Gene Hackman 3.6438

8. You've Got a Sweet Mouth On You Baby 3.5722

9. Mexican God 3.31875

10. The Cheese Alarm 3.25

11. Viva! Sea-Tac 3.19

12. Elizabeth Jade 3

13. NASA Clapping 2.8438

14. Mr Tongs 2.5444


A Star For Bram

1. 1974 4.75

2. I Saw Nick Drake 4.625

3. Daisy Bomb 3.87

4. I Used to Love You 3.7583

5. The Green Boy 3.6143

6. Judas Sings (Jesus And Me) 3.5833

7. Nietsche's Way 3.55

8. The Underneath 3.45

9. Adoration of the City 2.9143

10. Antwoman 2.83

11. The Philospher's Stone 2.55

I Wish I Liked You 2.2222

 

Yes you can make a 14 song playlist from the “bolded” songs in my collated ratings of only songs we collectively think are great. I am very much beginning to believe that Robyn’s greatest weakness is his inability to choose what not to release.

 

"Pulse of Your Heart" is a better than average song --even by Robyn's standards --with some good guitar work on it. But the production is very much without any edge and I honestly think this (gulp) might sound better as a solo song. The band treatement weakens what is a very nice song.

3.5/5

 

Composite table for JFS/ASFB favourites:

1. No, I Don't Remember Guildford 4.87

2. 1974 4.75

3. I Saw Nick Drake 4.625

4. I Feel Beautiful 4.08

5. Sally Was a Legend 4.0625

6. Jewels For Sophia 4.04

7. Dark Princess 4.0143

8. Daisy Bomb 3.87

9. Antwoman 3.7688

10. I Used to Love You 3.7583

11. Gene Hackman 3.6438

12. The Green Boy 3.6143

13. Judas Sings (Jesus And Me) 3.5833

 

Yeah, I dunno man. I like some of the “lesser” songs more than some of you do. I’ll take the full albums please.

 

Pulse -- the solid pop tune on the album. I almost want to give this a 4 but I'm trying to keep overall consistency. So a very strong 3 that comes so close to moving to 4.

 

Pulse - 5/5 - I actually like the production on this album. I wish Underwater Moonlight showed the guitars this cleanly. This album sounds like a later-day Television and the Hitchock/Rew interplay is great. My one complaint is that the bass could be up in the mix more. Also, this is an excellent tune.

 

Pulse is a really good song, but I don't think it's a great one. I like the guitars quite a bit, though, which bumps it up. For some reason I've never listened to this album much, so my ratings here could change....the only song I could sing from looking at the title is "Mr. Kennedy" (if that's what it's called!).

3.7/5

Nextdoorland doesn't even have a Wikipedia entry....must not have done that well. I see that Pitchfork liked it....

I can see both what people mean when they say they don't like the production, and when they say they do....it sounds great, with everything clear....but at the same time it may have been possible to give it a little extra punch somehow, or something.

Anyway I still may go back and fill in the Shadow Cat tracks I didn't rate....I feel like I should try to get everything in before we finish this....other than maybe some Dylan covers that don't stream which I don't care much about...

 

I think the production is ok but it doesn't really sound like a Soft Boys record. I prefer the angular weirdness of A Can Of Bees and the punked-up neo-psychedelia of Underwater Moonlight. Given that UM producer Pat Collier was at the helm I would have expected it to sound a little more edgy and less polished. But then again, the material is inferior so maybe a return to the previous SB approach might not have worked.

 

Our votes for "Pulse of My Heart"

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Average: 3.7429

 

Today's song is "Mr Kennedy", written by Robyn Hitchcock; produced by The Soft Boys and Pat Collier; recorded and mixed by Pat Collier.

Lyrics.

Robyn Hitchcock: vocals, guitars
Kimberly Rew: guitars, vocals, moog synthesiser
Matthew Seligman: bass, moog synthesiser
MOrris Windsor: drums, vocals

This was also released on the Yep Roc compilation Chronology.

 

I always liked this, but I like it more than I remembered....4.8/5

 

The best track on the album by an absolute country mile. A beautifully structured song with a great build up, fantastic guitar work and a really engaging chorus. The synth sounds add atmosphere to the background with tinges of sitar and theremin.

The studio version though is as nothing compared to the way this song took on a life of it s own in concert. RH and Kimberley's guitar duelling lifted the whole thing to a new level and it was the absolute highlight of the shows I saw at the time, even more so than the UM songs. The rendition at the Electric Ballroom in Camden is one of the best things I've ever seen in nearly half a century of gig going. Still gives me goosebumps now.

Mr Kennedy 5/5.

 

Now this one is a classic that truly does reach the heights of yesteryear: , great melody, catchy as heck, good sound, amazing harmonies and those delicious guitars. I really like the lyric too.

5/5

 

Kennedy -- 5/5. I agree it's the best song on the album. It was awesome live, too.

 

Mr. Kennedy -5/5

 

Catching up again...

Nextdoorland is definitely a half-burner kind of album, but there is some stuff I absolutely love on it (but at least three of the songs from Side Three should have been on it).

Once again, the tracklisting puzzles me. I Love Lucy is a fun instrumental workout, but not sure it really deserved Track 1 prominence. 3/5
Pulse of My Heart is similar - Good, but a bit too mellow to be placed as second track
3/5
The album finally picks up with Mr Kennedy. Has the drive and jaggedness of the best Soft Boys songs, but the evocative lyrics of solo Robyn. 5/5

 

Our votes for "Mr. Kennedy"

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5-7
Average: 4.9714

 

Today's song is "Unprotected Love", written by Robyn Hitchcock; produced by The Soft Boys and Pat Collier; recorded and mixed by Pat Collier.

I can't find this on YouTube. :-(
Lyric.

Robyn Hitchcock: vocals, guitar
Kimberly Rew: guitar, vocals
Matthew Seligman: bass
Morris Windsor: drums, vocals

 

More great guitars. If nothing else, you can always rely on the Soft Boys to get your guitar on. A great galloping shuffle-beat on this song

The song is generally more ordinary than the last one -- insofar as any Robyn Hitchcock song is normal. Lyrics and feel are the main thing of the verse, but the chorus, once the harmonies appear and melody kicks really nice and sweet -- and then the guitars: no one scratches an itch like Rew and Hitchcock.

3.8/5

 

A great little rocker, fast paced and melodic with some good driving guitar, which continues the solid opening to the album. In fact it strikes me that Side One and Side Three are pretty good on this collection but but it's let down by Side Two.

@MattR makes a good point about the lyrics to Mr K and I think it applies more generally. The words on Nextdoorland lack the dark, other-wordly oddness of the previous two Soft Boys records and are more reminiscent of an RH solo project.

Unprotected Love 3.5/5.

 

Unprotected Love is a surging sugar rush, a real joy. Those guitars sound great, especially the solo. Great harmonies too. Would have been a better track 2 then POMH, to kick the album into life sooner.
As a composition it's maybe only a 3/5, but as a recording, 4.5/5

 

Unprotected Love - 4/5

 

Unprotected -- solid track. 4/5. Great back-to-back with Mr. K.