Posts by Russell Brown
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Hard News: Review: Lana Del Rey, 'Born…, in reply to Matthew Littlewood,
Going back to the Lana Del Rey record, thanks for the extra links, RB. Initial impressions suggest that their very strengths- their wilfully electic nature, the big, sweeping qality, Del Rey's blankly alluring vocals- are paradoxically, also its weaknesses. I mean, it's so removed- particularly something like "National Anthem" and "Radio". The very qualities that capture my attention give me pause for thought as to whether I would stick with them after a few more listens.
Oooh, you are insightful!
I think you've touched on why so many serious reviewers are having trouble with the record; they're expecting it to be something it's not. I'm more inclined to hear it as a series of grand pop productions that I won't be listening to for ever. I think you've nailed it in observing that its strengths are also its weaknesses.
I did like Andrew Tidball's review on Cheese on Toast:
Let us not forget, though, that the very reason why I am sitting here writing about this record is because, sometime last year, one of the most heart-breaking and fragile moments in song was warmly coo-d to us and we all wanted to believe some unlikely back-story that this beautiful girl with an equally beautiful voice was using her real name and we had just happened, by good fortune, to come across her ourselves. Suckers.
But – listening to Video Games for something like the 100th time; Del Rey sounds just as poignant, her voice as enchanting; beguiling and wonderfully disconnected, her lyrics just as pointed and frank as that time I got chills the first time I heard it. I don’t care what anyone says – you can’t undo that. Second single Blue Jeans, with those ever-so-sexily breathed vocals is, too, still a fantastic song. Both numbers smartly sonically reference pop songs that exist in our collective memories and in so doing can’t help but be hits. We’re being tricked. Yep. But, y’know what – we have a long, long, long tradition of enjoying illusions. Elizabeth Grant is, essentially an actor playing this role. Get over it. You know movies aren’t actually real, aye?
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Hard News: Review: Lana Del Rey, 'Born…, in reply to Lilith __,
Liz Phair on Lana del Rey
That's a great little blog post right there.
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Hard News: Review: Lana Del Rey, 'Born…, in reply to Matthew Littlewood,
obyn and Bodytalk- are everything Lady Gaga isn't: sharp, funny, concise and charming (I find Gaga's stuff graceless, overbearing, opressive and just not a lot of fun)
Yeah, I want to like Gaga, but I find myself barely able to remember the tunes.
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Hard News: Review: Lana Del Rey, 'Born…, in reply to Matthew Littlewood,
The four songs I’ve heard (“Born to Die”, Blue Jeans”, “You Can Be The Boss”, and of course, “Video Games”) seem to be all about the same thing- namely an ingenue attracted to seriously bad or slyly abusive men because they’re so glamorous, and she wants to be something bigger than herself.
Certainly, it fits in with the nakedly cinematic quality of the arrangements, although there is something distant about the way they’re recorded at the same time, and I wonder whether a whole record of it would be wearying, to say the least. But as stand-alone singles, they hit the spot.
Thanks to the Hype Machine, you can listen to Million Dollar Man, a vampy ballad in the I-love-the-bad-boys vein.
Radio, which is proper mad.
And National Anthem, which could hardly sound less like ‘Video Games’.
And you're right: these aren't simple, direct recordings. You'll never be able to hear Lana breathing on the mic, or feel that she's in the room with you. They're confections.
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And, before I go off to bed, scary dolls in the antique market. It looked like carnage the moment I saw it.
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I was quite inspired by my first visit to Avondale market in years today. I tried to get a different moment in each mirror here, and it came off reasonably well.
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Capture: Roamin' Holiday, in reply to Joe Wylie,
Also big ups to Russell’s heroic Avondale market background clouds. Those unimpeded Auckland skies, like living on a little island.
Well, then, you shall have more clouds and appliances.
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Hard News: Review: Lana Del Rey, 'Born…, in reply to Lilith __,
I did warn you! Hard to believe she was more sophisticated in her early 20s than she is now. Or that’s how it seems.
It is ghastly.
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Capture: Roamin' Holiday, in reply to JacksonP,
The open posts have been fun though, so need to consider topics that keep this vibe going.
I'm keen on a "markets" theme.
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Hard News: Staying Alive, in reply to BenWilson,
Ben, I could hardly agree more with what you've written above. We're not talking about cycle-fying every metre of roadway, but about addressing a clear and particular problem.
