smoe.org mailing lists
ivan@stellysee.de
From | plattc@optonline.net |
Subject | Re: Duckworth-Lewis Method! |
Date | Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:33:15 +0000 (GMT) |
[Part 1 text/plain us-ascii (4.9 kilobytes)]
(View Text in a separate window)
Yeah, this has had sporadic love thrown out on Audities over the past few months. When I saw it was on eMusic, I downloaded right away and was completely smitten.
My 4 ("and a HALF!") year old loves it too. One recurring theme of our recent Cape Cod vacation was singing "Meeting Mr. Miandad" as "Meeting Mr. Hermit Crab."
Eminently absorbing, engaging, toe-tapping, etc., with a host of musical forebears as Joe noted. Top notch.
Christopher
----- Original Message -----
From: J&J Giddings
Date: Friday, August 21, 2009 9:55 am
Subject: Duckworth-Lewis Method!
To: audities@smoe.org
> I can't remember if anyone mentioned this yet.
> Let me get my bearings...
> This is the best pop album ever...about cricket.
> Neil Hannon from Divine Comedy and Thomas Walsh from Pugwash,
> formed The Duckworth-Lewis Method(a complicated set of rulings
> used to score weather shortened cricket games), and have created
> a fantastic pop album flowing with lyrical genius and some of
> the most interesting and beautiful pop songs I've heard since
> Spilt Milk.
> There's plenty of harmonies and such, but it's the melodies and
> the performances that will have you hitting the play button over
> and over,
> The very start of the album is called "The Coin Toss" and it's
> gorgeous. I haven't heard a song as short with as much movement
> and emotion. The Beatles and ELO
> and Pilot and Queen and, ahhhhhhhhhhh.
> "The Age of Revolution" hits next with a great Sparks-esque
> groove over a 30's sounding orchestra loop. Great song about
> the everyday man taking up his bat and pads to play cricket even
> though he's not part of the rich and sophisticated crowd who'd
> been the games players for years.
> "Gentleman and Players" starts with beautiful harpsichord and
> has a very Left Banke feel. Some of the most compelling chords
> through the chorus bring a lump to my throat. Fantastic song.
> "Gentlemen and players play Sunday afternoon/Gentlemen and
> players play- April, May, and June."
> "The Sweet Spot" is a rocker : Gary Glitter meets Wings. A
> sultry womens voice sighs "that's the sweet spot, hit the sweet
> spot" and over pounding drums and synth bass. Not my favorite
> song, but it's not all bad.
> "Jiggery Pokery" is a whimsical-turn-of-the-previous-century-
> sounding song. Mostly a piano and vocal song it's clever lyrics
> are sung from the perspective of a batter against a
> bowler(pitcher), and how he's fooled into swinging at a
> swerving, spinning ball. It's based on a real play from a 1993
> Test match(five day game) resulting in it being called the
> "Pitch of the Century". I had no interest in the game, but after
> a near record repeated listening by my daughter(near 4), I
> became curious and wiki'd cricket and this game in particular.
> It's a fun song, apparently, or my daughter wouldn't be so
> enthralled.
> "Mason on the Boundary" brings to mind XTC, Beatles, ELO, and
> The Pearlfishers. Great harmonies and melody. Nice chiming 12-
> string Ric licks.
> "Rain Stops Play"-a short, whimsical instrumental that paints a
> picture of a beautiful sunny day filled with people jostling
> about holding tall glasses of refreshment having to stop for a
> bit while the rain passes.
> "Meeting Mr. Miandad" is a song about a famed cricket player
> calling to the singers to come out to Pakistan to play and hang
> out. It's the only shuffle on the record and it's a great song.
> Beatles, Queen, ELO...ahh, you get the idea. The video is VERY
> Monty Python should one care to visit youtube and look it up.
> "The Nightwatchman" and it's slinky "Brother Louis-esque"
> strings at the end really get me grooving. It also shows off
> Neil Hannons great vocal range which can reach both sweet
> falsetto backup's and a very low baritone/bass. A tad gloomy,
> but still wonderful.
> "Flatten the Hay" is gorgeous acoustic pop. I know this is a bit
> of an obscure reference but if reminds me of "Worthless Heart"
> and "Russian Hill" by
> Jellyfish. So calming. Under the right circumstances I tear up
> with this one.
> "Test Match Special" is one of my faves and it's fuzz-octave
> guitar lick is XTC heaven. It rocks and grooves and is filled
> with clever lyrics and breaks.
> A smattering of 80's keyboards adds a Bowie/Robert Palmer feel.
> Not in a bad way. Fantastic song that will stick in my head forever.
> "The End of The Over" cleverly uses another term from cricket
> dictionary sang over a 6-count and layered over luscious chords.
> The whole album begs to be played as it should: straight
> through. Sure I have favorites, but honestly, this is the first
> album from an unknown band
> that I've purchased and fell in love with in a very long time.
> Sorry for the length, but I felt you had to know. It would be
> uncomfortable to not spread the word on this, my NUMBER ONE
> album of 2009.
>
>
>
>
>
For assistance, please contact
the smoe.org administrators.