Knuckleball Suite

So, who's got the new mulvey album? Any initial thoughts? I haven't listened to it enough yet to form a solid opinion, which, in and of itself, is telling. I keep listening to it... and ... forgetting it's on.... and then I put it aside to listen to something else, and forget it's there. A very very unusual thing for a mulvey album, for me.

Good, but definitely not my favorite. The new style is interesting, but it doesn't really have that spark of dark energy that drew me to his music in the first place.

There are some great tunes that are classic Peter (Simon Stimson, Abilene, 10,000 Things, Horses, Knuckleball). But there are some really less-than-brilliant blues tunes (The Fly, Brady Street) and some tunes that are lyrical duds (Marty and Lou, Thorn). And the one song that's in the style I think he does best (The Fix is On) is a slightly below par ripoff of "29 Cent Head".

I guess I'm picky because he's probably my favorite artist, coming off the heels of what I think is his best album to date. It's a great album, just a little below average for Peter in my book.

Lotta ditto. I see some people calling it his most brilliant ever and I'm just like..."um..?"

It's good. I like it. But I don't love it. Part of me feels like he's becoming Greg Brown. And that's not a positive in my book. :)

I really love some of the songs. But not all. And that's not normal for me with a Peter album.

> Part of me feels like he's becoming Greg Brown.

That's an interesting point, and I see what you mean. I hear it in his vocal style, which has become more strained and lower in the past few years, and I hear it in those pesky blues songs. "The Fly" and "Brady Street" are the only two songs that I really dislike, and those are the most GB-influenced.

Greg's one of those guys who I adore 10% of his songs, and am neutral-to-negative on the other 90%.

Yeah...and he "sings" less these days. It's becoming more and more spoken. Which...has its time and place. But I like to hear him sing!!

Yeah, "The Fly" is definitely one of the worst covers he's ever done. That track is always a skip for me. It's not even one of my favorite U2 songs and this actually managed to make it worse. :)

Sounds like we pretty much have the same favorites, though I would add "Girl in the Hi-Tops" just because I like a good catchy pop tune now and then.

Yeah, I almost listed that one as a favorite, but something about the lyrics seems a little sub-par. I can't put my finger on it. But musically I love it. Very Dar Williams.

BTW, I hadn't looked much at the CD case, and didn't notice that was a U2 cover. I'm listening to the original now, and I like their version a lot more. It doesn't sound like... Bonnie Raitt with a head cold.

wait a minute...peter covered "the fly"? that's just...odd.

Oh man, I reaaally dislike that song.

Yeah, well you're ugly and that's sad.


:)

*snort*
:D

I just thought the same thing.

I might have to get the album just to hear how that works.

Whoa.

I don't mind it at all...but I never really knew the original. :)

I agree, except I'd switch Abilene out of the good column (the song does nothing for me. I just don't feel like he's saying anything new, or anything old in a new way. There just seems to be a lack of imagery to it. However, I do like the refrain ("And the wind howls through the fields of Abilene"), but that's about it. Actually, I think Marty and Lou says the same thing, only much better.
Also, I really like Brady Street Stroll.

Oh, and I get the feeling that The Fix Is On is the same speaker as 29 Cent Head and Bright Idea.

Granted, this is all from my first listen. My opinions have been known to change...

One other non-musical observation:
I tend to hate paper/cardboard CD cases (because if they get damaged, I can't just switch the case), but I think the mat-finish works really well with this cover.

...and I think, after a number of listens, I agree with the general concensus - It's alright, but it's not his best.

A lot of the songs I dislike because of how they are lyrically, not musically, the exception being Girl in the Hi-Tops. I dislike that lyrically and musically. But something about the lyrics in a few of these just bugs me, which is disappointing somewhat since I usually really like his lyrics.

That said, as far as tracks go, I'm liking Simon Stimson, Ten Thousand Things, Horses, Lila Blue, and Knuckleball Suite. The Fix, Abilene, Brady St. Stroll, and Thorn are in the "good, but not great" column. The Fly, Girl in the Hi-Tops, and Marty and Lou are just... mneh. *shrug*

I'm going to go down in history as the only person who likes Marty and Lou much better than Abilene, aren't I? ;-)

Probably. :)

Although if it means anything... they're very close, Marty and Lou I just like a little less less musically.

Yeah, girl in the hi-tops is the one that is just cringe-worthy.

Lyrically, it's got some major problems. But I'm a sucker for a grunged-out Telecaster rocking out to a simple pop song. It's got a nice Dar Williams feel. Who you probably hate, now that I think about it. ;)

So you like GitHT less than "The Fly", huh? Iiiinteresting.

Like the Nields! :D

well.. okay.. not that bad....

heh, no... NOTHING else is that bad. :)

Ok, The Fly is my least favorite Peter Mulvey version of a song EVER.

But I don't get all the hatin' for Girl in the Hi-Tops. Yeah it's not in my top 10 Mulvey songs, but I just don't see it as that BAD.

What exactly bothers you about the song? The pop style of music? The subject matter?

Hmm, no comment, I guess.

Oh, didn't see the first comment.

I don't like the style or the performance or the lyrics. the rest is alright. ;)

Well I was hoping you'd elaborate a little more on that but I guess it doesn't really matter anyway. :)

well, I guess the song is kind of a scapegoat. it was the track that I heard on the album that really made me go "wtf?" and dismiss it.

it's like peter trying to cover a weak pop song, and failing miserably. :( I dunno... I hate to give it so much shite, seriously, but, this really was one of the main things that made me form my opinion of the album.

Obviously, the subject matter I have no issue with..... it's just all the delivery. As one person I'd just introduced to peter put it, "Wow.... this doesn't even sound like him." Not that I want him to stick to a genre.... one thing I love about him is the versitility.... but... this is just so.... forced.
I guess it just runs counter to everything I love about his music.