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

Our votes for "Noirer Than Noir"
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Average: 3.45

 

Today's song is "The Man Who Loves the Rain", written by Robyn Hitchcock; produced by Robyn Hitchcock and Emma Swift; mixed by Charlie Francis.

Robyn Hitchcock – The Man Who Loves the Rain Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

Line Up:
Robyn Hitchcock: Vocals, acoustic & electric guitars
with
Charlie Francis: keyboards
Ryan Brewer: piano, drums & percussion
Emma Swift: harmony vocals

 

Rats I'm late to this, but I love this album so i'll add my two cents.

The Man Who Loves The Rain - 5/5. Utterly gorgeous and top draw Hitchcock. If I'd bought the album and this was the only song I liked I would still have been overjoyed to get this one!


The Shuffle Mn - 5/5 Great start. Rocking and great lyrics. A joy.
The Inner Life of Scorpios - 3.5/5 I like it. Nice languid groove.
The Feathery Serpent God - 4/5. I like it more. V atmospheric. Fabulous chorus when it arrives. Tres psych.
Midnight Tram to Nowhere - 4/5. I seem to be the odd one out but I love this song. Nowhere is my jam. Let's ride....
Socrates in Thin Air - 3/5. Fairly standard Robyn fayre for me.
Noirer than Noir - 1.5/5. First miss on the album for me. I like the idea of the song but I don't like the song.

 

From here on in, the album is absolutely top notch and this song is simply gorgeous. It's a return to classic Hitchcock with it's spangly guitars, pitch perfect vocals, beautiful arrangement and superb lyrics. The opening line is among the best he's ever written. I've not always been a fan of her input but this is Emma Swift's best contribution to an RH song; her vocals really add another layer.

The Man Who Loves The Rain 4.8/5.

 

These are excellent lyrics. That opening line is so direct! Respect the dead, you will be joining them soon....

I agree, that Emma enhances this song as does the eerie wash of icy synth.

But mainly it's just that this slow languid ballad just draws me in almost completely. One of Robyn's most genuinely affecting death themed songs.

5/5 for me

 

The Man Who Loves the Rain: This is Pure Hitchcock. It could have come from any point in his career, and that's a compliment. As I mentioned earlier, his consistency has become a comfort in my life. When the arpeggiated chorused Tele rolls in it's sonic heaven to me, as it's been for decades.

 

With the world changing under your feet, it’s human to rage against the dying of the light, like the Shuffle Man (or a cloud bursting into flame). “The Man Who Loves The Rain” is the flip side, watering the flowers to nurture what will live on after we’ve gone. Beautiful sentiment and beautiful song. 4.5/5.0.

 

"The Man..." a very good (but fairly standard) RH song -- 4/5

 

The Man Who Loves the Rain - Some great lyrics and melodies here. Emma Swift and Robyn sound great together. 4/5 Rating.

 

The Man Who Loves the Rain

This is a beautiful song that wouldn’t be out of place on I Often Dream of Trains. The lyrics are intriguing. The lines about death and graves are fairly straightforward, but I’m not sure what “I am the weathervane” means. Given more time, I’m sure I’ll get some meaning for it. But it is a lovely song regardless. It could use a little less Emma, though. I am just really tired of hearing her sing with him.

4/5

 

The Man Who Loves the Rain...masterpiece 5/5

 

Man Who Loves the Rain--this is more like it! Gorgeous, fantastic....4.8/5

 

Our votes for "The Man Who Loves the Rain"
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Average: 4.5667

 

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

Robyn Hitchcock – The Sir Tommy Shovel Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

Line Up:
Robyn Hitchcock: vocals, electric guitar
with
Kimberly Rew: electric guitars
Brendan Benson: acosutic and electric guitar, bass, drums, percussion and backing vocals

 

Sir Tommy Shovell this one is growing on me--3.7/5

 

Another fantastic song; totally different from the last but just as good. Kimberley Rew's presence makes it the most Soft Boys-like track on the album and he and Brendan Benson really let rip on this one. The lyrics are great too, especially the line "and hold you like the angel in the dark abandoned silo of my soul". He does have a knack of coming out with a profound statement in the midst of fairly whimsical songs such as this.

I can almost picture the pub itself and would imagine it to be somehwere in the Cotswolds or Cumbria. I've certainly been to quite a few rural English pubs which feature wall-mounted trouts. All in all great fun and I bet this one would be sensational live. Fingers crossed for Ally Pally in February.

The Sir Tommy Shovell 4.8/5.

Meanwhile, inside the The Racist Loser yesterday:

 

The Sir Tommy Shovell: a great groover/rocker, catchy and careening. Some unexpected chords in there, and wonderful, attentive details in the lyrics. Again, I love to see phrases like "vegan casserole" creep up in the lyrics (like "Nowhere is my jam" did earlier) that create a frisson/spark for me between Robyn's classic, well loved sound, and the language of contemporary life. It connects right now with the past, our past. There's something grounding about it that I deeply appreciate.

 

The Sir Tommy Shovell - My favorite on the album. (With the possible exception of "The Shuffle Man". A tense rocker than sounds even more menacing after the previous slower tracks. I mistook "vegan casserole" for "Vegan castle walls". With that said, the lyrics are fun. I also love the guitar playing. 5/5 Rating.

 

The Sir Tommy Shovell

I swear it sounds like he’s singing “Sir Tommy Shuffle,” which is what it should be considering the title of the album.

This is quite possibly my favorite song on this album. I love the beat and the one-note guitar riff, the combination of which leaves me breathless! That and the melody twist on the “And I would drink responsibly” line gives me goosebumps!

5/5

 

The Sir Tommy Shovell ......

is my favourite song on Robyn's new record. Strong hints of The Soft Boys. Witty and penetrating lyrics. He still has it.

5/5.

 

I want a pint and a cauliflower cheese in this pub and promise to agree. Great fun track and, if only for the final line, 5/5

 

Shovell -- another great track: 5/5. I wish he had done the whole album with Brendan again.

 

This sounds like it came straight from Invisible Hits.

Great psychedelic rock.

4.4/5

 

Our votes for "Sir Tommy Shovell"
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Average: 4.7375

 

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

Robyn Hitchcock – The Raging Muse Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

Line Up:
Robyn Hithcock: vocals, electric guitars
with
Davey Lane: electric giutars
Charlie Francis: piano, bagpipe wrangler
Patrick Sansone: bass, percussion
Ryan Brewer: drums.

"The Raging Muse" was released as a digital single a month or two before Shufflemania!