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

I won’t be able to hear this until it’s streaming. Any chance of giving a few more days to become familiar with it?

Or am I the only streamer here? If so, carry on.

 

Yes, I will wait a couple of days. So...how about on Saturday the 26th? but I'm so busy on Mondays and Tuesdays that I don't want to start it on one of those anyway and, weirdly, the 21st is a Monday.

 

Yes, that’s good. Thanks.

 

Good idea. I have the vinyl in hand already, but will still appreciate the extra time to get more familiar with it.

 

Yeah, I appreciate that, I won't have it until the digital drops.

 

Here's a nice interview with Robyn on guitarplayer.com :
"None of the Groups I Liked Best Had Conventional Guitar Heroes": Psychedelic Folkster Robyn Hitchcock Talks New ‘Shufflemania!’ LP

 

I found this in my files, I like this one! Old sea chantey I guess.

I just listened to the new one. First impression is I'm glad it exists, but it's not great. First run favorites are Socrates in Thin Air and The Man Who Loves the Rain.

I also found a couple demos probably from when he was doing the Patreon thing, one is there that didn't make the cut--Upgrade Me. It's OK.

 

Today I'm going to start holding up songs from Shufflemania!, Robyn's latest album.

Shufflemania! was largely recorded initially by Robyn in his home in Nashville, Tennessee. And then stems were emailed to various musicians who added their parts to it, making it the latest (and hopefully the last) of the rash of "Covid" albums that we've seen cropping up by our favorite artists over the last few years.

Shufflemania! is Robyn's first bonafide new album since his self-titled masterpiece in 2017, and his first proper album release since the release of The Man Downstairs album and "The President" single in 2020.

He's slowing down to "normal release pace" in his old age.

The tracklist is:

1. The Shuffle Man
2. The Inner Life of Scorpio
3. The Feathery Serpent God
4. Midnight Train to Nowhere
5. Socrates in Thin Air
6. Noirer Than Noir
7. The Man Who Loves the Rain
8. The Sir Tommy Shovell
9. The Raging Muse
10. One Day It's Being Scheduled

The album was released on Robyn's own Tiny Ghost records in mid-or-late October on vinyl and CD and digitally on November 21st. Reviews of the album have been positive.

 

Today's song is "The Shuffleman", written by Robyn Hitchcock and produced by Robyn Hitchcock and Emma Swift; mixed by Charlie Francis.

Robyn Hitchcock – The Shuffle Man Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

This was released as the lead single from Shufflemania! on July 21st, 2022.

Line Up:
Robyn Hitchcock: vocals, electric guitars
with
Brendon Benson: Electric guitars, organ, bass guitar, drums, percussion, vocals (credited for bass twice on the liner notes)

 

The Shuffle Man

This album has only been available to me for a few days, so I’m far less familiar with it than I would like to be, but I’ll give it a shot anyway.

The Shuffle Man has quickly grown on me. I didn’t like it much at first, but it has an infectious rhythm that’s really very good. I have absolutely no idea what he’s talking about in the lyrics, but what else is new? *laughs*

This is a good song. I may even grow to like it more.

3.75/5

 

"The Shuffle Man" is great, one of his zanier songs: I also have no idea what the hell he's talking about, the couplets are so funny, it never fails to bring a smile to my face when I'm listening. Teh breakneck speed and sort of headlong rush of the music reminds me of both "Wading Through Your Ventilaor" and "The Yip Yip Song". The latter of those is a good example of what is actually a really heavy lyrical message that feels and sounds like a zany goof-off. Maybe this is the same, but I don't know: I think Robyn was just having fun. And how about that Brendan Benson. Brilliant guy, if seems like the track is all built by him!

I just love this song and I think that thiis excellent album is being kicked off in a rather unexpectedly awesome style.

4.6/5

 

Agree that this is an excellent album...haven't time at the moment but will be back on to comment later. Some really outstanding tracks on this :>)

 

The Shuffle Man - I can't say I'm familiar with all RH's work but this is his best opening track I'm aware of. This song is infectious and has spent a lot of time buzzing around my head over the past month. I have no idea what it's about, I just know it rocks and I love it. Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, oh yes!!! 5/5 Rating.

 

Shuffle Man - 4/5 - No idea what the lyric here is about but the melody is strong and the rhythm is nicely propulsive.

 

"...I'm eating seaweed the Shuffle Man way..." yeah...and why not? It's a good opener, fairly drives along...agreed that he's probably having fun with nonsense lyrics chosen for their sound more than anything. Not in the same league lyrically as a great many of his songs where he becomes the Surrealist poet par excellence, setting an atmosphere and mood by dint of the language he uses. There are a few songs here that are among his best in that regard, one in particular that we'll come to. The Shuffle Man is in the grand tradition of his fun nonsense songs, a vehicle for a good stomping piece of rock without much of a dark edge. What about Brendan Benson (of the Raconteurs) indeed...his contributions are fantastic...digging into the beat, propelling it along...a shuffle no less :>)

 

I like this, not blown away by it but it's lots of fun. I'll say 3.8/5

 

Our votes for "The Shuffle Man"
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Average: 4.23

 

Today's song is "The Inner Life of Scorpio", written by Robyn Hitchcock; produced by Robyn Hitchcock and Emma Swift. Mixed by Charlie Francis.

Robyn Hitchcock – The Inner Life of Scorpio Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

Line Up:
Robyn Hitchcock: vocals, acoustic guitar solo
with
Johnny Marr: acoustic and electric guitar, piano, strings, bass, drums, backing vocals
Charlie Francis: electric guitar, percussion
Patrick Sansone: baritone guitar, keyboards, percussion
Anne Lise Frokedal: harmony vocals

 

Excellent new Robyn's album ( well, that cover )

 

I'm a little late to the party due to the World Cup and Fontaines DC detaining me yesterday. My thoughts on the album as a whole, having had it for two months, is that it's decent rather than exceptional; a long way short of the eponymous 2017 release. For me there are only two or three genuine classics on here and a couple I can't get on with at all. After an initial burst of listens, I haven't returned to it as much as I thought I would, although the myriad splendours of the Revolver deluxe set are partly to blame for that.

The Shuffle Man is a good, solid and pacy opener whose central riff reminds me of a watered down version of Motorhead's Ace Of Spades (not a song I'd imagine RH is a fan of). The lyrics purportedly speak of change and impermenance but are little too contrived and twee for my liking. All in all though it's an enjoyable three and a half minute slice of high energy pop and the comparisons to The Yip Song are well made.

The Shuffle Man 3/5.

I'll do Inner Life later.

 

The Inner Life of Scorpio - Love the versus (vocals in particular), like the chorus. Some good contemplative individual lyrics here, although I'm not sure what the big picture meaning is. Solid track and a pleasant listen. In my top 5 favorites on the album. 4/5 Rating.

 

"The Inner Life Of Scorpio" is beautiful, even if it doesn't really lyrically resolve -- it's kind of Dylanesque, without being a slavish pastiche -- it really sounds like nobody but Robyn himself. Just a mellow and very pretty sounding record, warm and enveloping. this is a great sounding record for 2022. Johnny Marr of course is a great talent and it's cool to see Robyn working with him. Great guitar work from both Johnny and Robyn here. I wonder who inspired this?

4.3/5

 

The lushness of this track contrasts nicely with the frantic pace of the opener but it's pleasant rather than startling given the talent on show. Johnny Marr is a hero of mine but I wouldn't have known he was on this if I hadn't been told. If anything, it's Pat Sansone's baritone guitar (whatever that is) which drives this song, while Robyn's acoustic solo is nicely understated. It's not a patch on Ordinary Millionaire, though. This may be the track which best sums up my overall impression of the album; good but not great.

Also, I find his constant allusions to astrology rather tedious and somewhat baffling (and I'm a Scorpio apparently, if you believe in that kind of thing).

The Inner Life Of Scorpio 3/5.

 

The Inner Life of Scorpio

This is the song that stands out the most to me on this album, at least as of now with less than one week of familiarity.

It has a beautiful melody and Robyn’s very deep voice sounds wonderful. The recording sounds very full and lush, particularly the guitars. I would not have picked out Johnny Marr as a player on this - although the guitar is lovely, it doesn’t sound quite characteristic of his style.

4.5/5

 

I like the ringing guitars and the stately, slightly constrained pacing; in contrast to the headlong rush of The Shuffle Man this is very tightly controlled. Backing vocals spread across the stereo field are effective without being overpowering and Robyn's vocal delivery is convincing, lending a convincing layer of meaning not immediately evident in the allusive poetry of the lyrics...something which he does very well. Personally I don't mind that he has references to astrology in his broad lexicon of imagery, an artist will find inspiration in many places and filter them through their own sensibility in order to make something new. I'm glad that Robyn's still out there mining his field (pun intended) he's a one-off and all the better for it. The Inner Life of Scorpio 4.5/5....The Shuffle Man 3.5/5