Earthquake Weather LP

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Telecaster
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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by Telecaster »

Kimmelweck wrote:
23 Feb 2021, 6:44pm
I’ve always loved Leopardskin Limousines. It has such a hazy-day mirage feel to it. Absolutely beautiful, just a quiet, soulful lullaby. Like sitting under palm trees with a cool drink and watching the sun set at the end of a hot day, while dream-like image fragments from a lifetime of road trips flicker by. It’s on par with Sleepwalk for me, almost its twin. Those two, along with Island Hopping and Ride Your Donkey, are the EW tracks I find myself playing the most.
Leopardskin Limousines is a favourite of mine also. It sounds like it has a double bass played with a bow at the end of the song.

Low Down Low
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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by Low Down Low »

drowninghere wrote:
24 Feb 2021, 12:44am
Really like Gangsterville as well. But also like most of the album just fine. Favourites would be Leopardskin Limousines, Sleepwalk and King of the Bayou (just a great song melodically and lyrically, imo). Least favourites would be Boogie, Shouting Street, Ride the Donkey and Sikorsky Parts, which are some people's faves. I also think the lyrics are mostly interesting and fun. Different strokes for different folks.

Rushing through the rush hour on an all-nighter / Never seen you look so young
The world really looks from this donut store / Such a funny colour in the sun
Different strokes is right. I like gangsterville and king of the bayou too. Also highway one. Not brilliant tracks, but they're quite playable. I think joe was maybe trying too hard with the writing, like he'd so much to say, but i agree it's interesting. Overall, i tend to like it that i think he was consciously determined to not make a quasi clash album which would have been easy to do and which would have been well received. I think he wanted to move on and be more expansive. And if he ultimately failed, as a lot of folk believe; then i at least heartily applaud the intent and ambition of it. Boogie apart that is. Thats just plain failure, pure and simple.

JChampion
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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by JChampion »

Low Down Low wrote:
24 Feb 2021, 5:32am
drowninghere wrote:
24 Feb 2021, 12:44am
Really like Gangsterville as well. But also like most of the album just fine. Favourites would be Leopardskin Limousines, Sleepwalk and King of the Bayou (just a great song melodically and lyrically, imo). Least favourites would be Boogie, Shouting Street, Ride the Donkey and Sikorsky Parts, which are some people's faves. I also think the lyrics are mostly interesting and fun. Different strokes for different folks.

Rushing through the rush hour on an all-nighter / Never seen you look so young
The world really looks from this donut store / Such a funny colour in the sun
Different strokes is right. I like gangsterville and king of the bayou too. Also highway one. Not brilliant tracks, but they're quite playable. I think joe was maybe trying too hard with the writing, like he'd so much to say, but i agree it's interesting. Overall, i tend to like it that i think he was consciously determined to not make a quasi clash album which would have been easy to do and which would have been well received. I think he wanted to move on and be more expansive. And if he ultimately failed, as a lot of folk believe; then i at least heartily applaud the intent and ambition of it. Boogie apart that is. Thats just plain failure, pure and simple.
Exactly what I was trying to pin point.. "I think joe was maybe trying too hard with the writing, like he'd so much to say"
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the whole album (just not Boogie)!

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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by Silent Majority »

I think EW was let down by substandard collaborators in the main and a captain calling the shots with no faith in himself.
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dave202
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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by dave202 »

Silent Majority wrote:
24 Feb 2021, 12:37pm
I think EW was let down by substandard collaborators in the main and a captain calling the shots with no faith in himself.
Any album which features 'Island Hopping' has at least one saving Grace.

drowninghere
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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by drowninghere »

Having lived through/experienced Cut the Crap and the Love Kills, Walker and Permanent Record soundtracks sequentially, those albums obviously shaped or tempered expectations somewhat, but in that context, I never thought of EW as a let down (or had any idea people regarded it as such). No doubt a few superior songs and some better production on some of the earlier releases, but on the whole I'm not sure how people could have been expecting much more from a songwriting perspective, and despite some of the cluttered lyrics, I think Joe gets to some real world places on EW that are absent on most of that earlier material.

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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by Heston »

drowninghere wrote:
24 Feb 2021, 7:34pm
Having lived through/experienced Cut the Crap and the Love Kills, Walker and Permanent Record soundtracks sequentially, those albums obviously shaped or tempered expectations somewhat, but in that context, I never thought of EW as a let down (or had any idea people regarded it as such). No doubt a few superior songs and some better production on some of the earlier releases, but on the whole I'm not sure how people could have been expecting much more from a songwriting perspective, and despite some of the cluttered lyrics, I think Joe gets to some real world places on EW that are absent on most of that earlier material.
I thought it was regarded as a critical and commercial flop? I must admit I'm not a fan of the album. It has a claustrophobic sound and a general lack of melody. And Boogie With Your Children.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by drowninghere »

Heston wrote:
24 Feb 2021, 8:27pm
drowninghere wrote:
24 Feb 2021, 7:34pm
Having lived through/experienced Cut the Crap and the Love Kills, Walker and Permanent Record soundtracks sequentially, those albums obviously shaped or tempered expectations somewhat, but in that context, I never thought of EW as a let down (or had any idea people regarded it as such). No doubt a few superior songs and some better production on some of the earlier releases, but on the whole I'm not sure how people could have been expecting much more from a songwriting perspective, and despite some of the cluttered lyrics, I think Joe gets to some real world places on EW that are absent on most of that earlier material.
I thought it was regarded as a critical and commercial flop? I must admit I'm not a fan of the album. It has a claustrophobic sound and a general lack of melody. And Boogie With Your Children.
Yeah - I'm more talking about the reaction of fans who would have bought the record at the time. Critically, my recollection is that only Walker generated any real critical buzz or acclaim. But I don't think EW received any worse reviews overall than Cut the Crap, Love Kills or Permanent Record, is my point.

In terms of commercially, even BAD were total non-factors at that point (radio, video shows, charts) and I can't believe anyone would have expected this album to have any chart success, so I don't think there was any sense of failure associated with this album that anyone other than perhaps record company insiders would have known about.

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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by JohnS »

drowninghere wrote:
24 Feb 2021, 7:34pm
Having lived through/experienced Cut the Crap and the Love Kills, Walker and Permanent Record soundtracks sequentially, those albums obviously shaped or tempered expectations somewhat, but in that context, I never thought of EW as a let down (or had any idea people regarded it as such). No doubt a few superior songs and some better production on some of the earlier releases, but on the whole I'm not sure how people could have been expecting much more from a songwriting perspective, and despite some of the cluttered lyrics, I think Joe gets to some real world places on EW that are absent on most of that earlier material.
I agree 100 per cent. In the context of the time, and the audio landscape most new (well, major label artists) were inhabiting, I never regarded EW as a a mis-step in any way. I knew it would never be 'A Clash Album', same as the BAD records. I thought Gangsterville and Trash City were decent singles, and Combat Rock had prepared me to expect some some trippy wig-out stuff from Joe. Island Hopping and Sleepwalk are still sublime, timeless pieces of music to this day.
And - deep breath - I am in the tiny percentage who never really minded Boogie! Seriously. It was of its time, all those 12" remixes and chopped-up hip-hop riffs that many bands were bashing out on record. Nowhere near as powerful as Mag 7, say, but I'd take that over any of the CtC album any day. :mrgreen:
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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by coffeepotman »

I bought it when it came out and loved the cover but was truly disappointed in the music. Saw him live at the Palladium on that tour, was ready to walk out before the encores but stayed. I'd love to hear a boot of that show just to see if I think differently now with perspective.

Chairman Ralph
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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by Chairman Ralph »

Gangsterville is one of my favorite tracks on Earthquake Weather. I liked the tempo changes when I first heard it. Two of my favorite bands around 1989 (The Fall, Salem 66) had a some songs with similar arrangements. I do think Zanders guitar solo is too busy though.
Agreed, although I don't think it should have been a single -- to me, Shouting Street would have been a better pick, because it's less cluttered, and more to the point. As I've said elsewhere, the more straightforward stuff (King Of The Bayou, Shouting Street, Island Hopping, Sleepwalk, Leopardskin Limousines -- and Gangsterville, with a less busy solo) works better for me, the other tracks, less so.
I bought it when it came out and loved the cover but was truly disappointed in the music. Saw him live at the Palladium on that tour, was ready to walk out before the encores but stayed. I'd love to hear a boot of that show just to see if I think differently now with perspective.
So did I, but -- sonic issues aside -- I also remember feeling underwhelmed by the lyrics, which suffer from Joe cramming way too much into them, or lines that just don't fit whatever's going behind them melodically. I heard a lot of herky-jerkiness that cramped my enjoyment, to the point where I hardly play it now (and if I'm tempted, I'll reach for a favorite live tape from that era, instead).

It's like the I Ching, almost -- pick a random couplet here or there, and you'll be scratching your head (Sikorsky Parts: "Can't you see I'm twisted?/I don't dig donuts/dig Perry Como" -- huh?), other times, the overall feel is closer to a bargain basement Dr. Seuss who didn't bother checking his rhyming dictionary on the way to the session ("Standing there in the living room/You can hear the cars on the freeway/Going zoom zoom zoom boom boom boom").

You can hear how much Joe was struggling, based on what he was putting across -- I'm not a huge fan of what I call his Stream of Nonsense Consciousness period. I hear the same problems dogging Permanent Record, where I like the music, and the vibe, but not what happens when he opens his mouth (aside from Trash City, where both come together well).

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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by Silent Majority »

I was chatting with Jon on twitter not too long ago and I said that even the best of Strummer's writing was symptomatic of having a spliffbunker be part of the creative process. The Earthquake Weather lyrics must have emerged from some kind of spliffcountry.
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Marky Dread
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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by Marky Dread »

Chairman Ralph wrote:
26 Feb 2021, 6:50am
Gangsterville is one of my favorite tracks on Earthquake Weather. I liked the tempo changes when I first heard it. Two of my favorite bands around 1989 (The Fall, Salem 66) had a some songs with similar arrangements. I do think Zanders guitar solo is too busy though.
Agreed, although I don't think it should have been a single -- to me, Shouting Street would have been a better pick, because it's less cluttered, and more to the point. As I've said elsewhere, the more straightforward stuff (King Of The Bayou, Shouting Street, Island Hopping, Sleepwalk, Leopardskin Limousines -- and Gangsterville, with a less busy solo) works better for me, the other tracks, less so.
I bought it when it came out and loved the cover but was truly disappointed in the music. Saw him live at the Palladium on that tour, was ready to walk out before the encores but stayed. I'd love to hear a boot of that show just to see if I think differently now with perspective.
So did I, but -- sonic issues aside -- I also remember feeling underwhelmed by the lyrics, which suffer from Joe cramming way too much into them, or lines that just don't fit whatever's going behind them melodically. I heard a lot of herky-jerkiness that cramped my enjoyment, to the point where I hardly play it now (and if I'm tempted, I'll reach for a favorite live tape from that era, instead).

It's like the I Ching, almost -- pick a random couplet here or there, and you'll be scratching your head (Sikorsky Parts: "Can't you see I'm twisted?/I don't dig donuts/dig Perry Como" -- huh?), other times, the overall feel is closer to a bargain basement Dr. Seuss who didn't bother checking his rhyming dictionary on the way to the session ("Standing there in the living room/You can hear the cars on the freeway/Going zoom zoom zoom boom boom boom").

You can hear how much Joe was struggling, based on what he was putting across -- I'm not a huge fan of what I call his Stream of Nonsense Consciousness period. I hear the same problems dogging Permanent Record, where I like the music, and the vibe, but not what happens when he opens his mouth (aside from Trash City, where both come together well).

I like these...

You've got to baby the trans on the southside of Chicago
You've got to baby the trans through the bedroom trade embargo
And if you're gonna find the paradise of love
Take my advice ... just look in the glove
You've got to baby the trans for its Alice fills the station
And it's PCP land and angel dust dictation
You can't get in a quarrel
You can't trade up or down
No use breaking Allah
He sends his son to wow the town
You've got to baby the trans

No use going saying come on baby hold hands
All the time she's begging you baby the trans

Baby the trans through the Cuban Missle Crisis
Playin' it like mad through acute appendicitis
Nobody knows what the assassin ate
But it was a lot of sugar and food color eighty-eight
You've got to baby the trans
Baby the trans

Hey, no use going saying c'mon baby hold hands
All the times she's begging you baby the trans
You've got to baby the trans
Baby the trans
Baby the trans
B-B--Baby the trans, boys
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

Chairman Ralph
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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by Chairman Ralph »

Wow, some if it looks a bit better on the page, than what I heard -- or, at least, what I thought I heard back then. I don't think I'd have made out all of those lines, myself. Though I kind of wish that Joe (or whoever decided the final tracklist) could have made room for LA Turnpike and/or Plymouth Roadrunner, which were two outtakes that I always enjoyed. Ah well.

Marky Dread
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Re: Earthquake Weather LP

Post by Marky Dread »

Chairman Ralph wrote:
26 Feb 2021, 8:57am
Wow, some if it looks a bit better on the page, than what I heard -- or, at least, what I thought I heard back then. I don't think I'd have made out all of those lines, myself. Though I kind of wish that Joe (or whoever decided the final tracklist) could have made room for LA Turnpike and/or Plymouth Roadrunner, which were two outtakes that I always enjoyed. Ah well.
Yep agreed those two are decent tracks.
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

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