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From: owner-mobility-digest@lists.xmission.com (mobility-digest)
To: mobility-digest@lists.xmission.com
Subject: mobility-digest V1 #359
Reply-To: mobility
Sender: owner-mobility-digest@lists.xmission.com
Errors-To: owner-mobility-digest@lists.xmission.com
Precedence: bulk
X-No-Archive: yes
mobility-digest Thursday, April 1 1999 Volume 01 : Number 359
(mobility) letter from overzealous blur/john mcentire fan
(mobility) Got It!!!!
Re: (mobility) moby @ transformation 2, Cleveland 4/17/99
(mobility) blur/john mcentire fan
Re: (mobility) Got It!!!!
(mobility) Play, Run On, Acapella Fractal (was Got It!!!)
(mobility) Play
Re: (mobility) Play, Run On, Acapella Fractal
(mobility) Play review...
(mobility) Play 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 11:43:20 -0800 (PST)
From: Paul Simpson <techno_gpig@yahoo.com>
Subject: (mobility) letter from overzealous blur/john mcentire fan
>
> Yes, indeed the Moby remix of Beetlebum on Blur's
> album Bustin' + Drownin'
> is really really really great!! I have the album too.
> The 2nd cd is a live
> cd recorded at 'Peel Acres' (a club?) The other
> remixes stink except for the
OH SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!!!!
The John McEntire remix fucking kicks ass. John McEntire is a
god!!!!!!!! i know it sounds absolutely nothing like the song its trying
to remix, but it is still fucking awesome, and is one of my favorite
remixes ever.
john mcentire, of course, is a member of Tortoise, one of the greatest
bands ever, and he worked with Stereolab, on their latest album _Dots
And Loops_. if anyone disses anything that has to do with Stereolab, I
WILL KILL THEM! I have decided that Stereolab is the greeatest band on
the planet right now. I listen to them even more than Moby now, which is
a lot. Anyone who is not a Stereolab fan should go out and buy Mars
Audiac Quintet immediately, it is quickly becomig one of my favorite cds
of all time. Dots And Loops is also a fucking great album, everyone
needs a copy of it too.
sorry. none of that has anything to do with Moby. but i really love
those artists, and i hate to hear anyone say absolutely anything against
them. i'm desperately sorry, and i know nobody even mentioned Stereolab,
John McEntire, or Tortoise, and i really just exploded for next to no
reason. so sorry. but still, in my opinion, the John McEntire remix is
definitely the best thing on the cd, next to the live version of
"Popscene". i like it even better than the moby mix. and as for track 5,
the Thurston Moore mix of "Essex Dogs", that one is pretty fucking good
too, and its pretty funny that "it starts with the most horrible sound
on earth". get this: It's a guitar, OK?
its funny tho, nobody seems to like that song, "Essex Dogs". im sure
people over on the Sonic Youth lists probably hate it too. anyone here a
SY fan? they rock.
> My CD includes some nice Blur stickers. This CD was
> originally meant for the
okay, where the fuck did you get this? mine doesnt include
stickers!!!!!
oh yes, anyone who cant find it and wants to get it cheap, ask me. Music
Box has a whole clearance section of em for like 13 bucks. down from
like 22. cheep!
sorry i dont have a cool April Fools day thing to say. but definitely
look in the archives last year under April 1, what i did was hilarious,
right?
bye!!!!!!
dont take any of my flamings personal toady? please? no wars, man,
peace in the eastern europe.
===
"Trying is the first step toward failure." Homer Simpson
>>>>>>>>>>PAUL<<<<<<<<<<
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 12:29:45 PST
From: "Michael Matos" <rockersuptown@hotmail.com>
Subject: (mobility) Got It!!!!
Dear Mobyites:
I am the proud owner as of today of Play!!!
I am reviewing the album for Request magazine. I have played it once. It
sounds OK--not great at all, though it may gain in stature the more I
play it.
First impressions: Mostly slow, if it were a new artist you'd probably
file it under trip-hop. To be honest it's kind of disappointing: not all
that memorable, nothing too exciting (downtempo can be just as exciting
as up, if done correctly). Some of the navel-gazing that trips up his
Mimi Goese collaborations IMHO; some fairly dumb lyrics. Not an
ambitious album; you get the feeling that with this one he was just
making music for its own sake, kind of as a hobby. Though it's probably
overstating it to say it's way too long at 18 songs, it feels that way
to these ears--it would probably be better cut down to 12 or 13. But
remember, this is a first impression and a first impression only.
BTW, in response to some of the recent discussion on this list, "Run On"
is fucking AMAZING. On the other hand, "Bodyrock," which sounds like the
most obvious hit single (it's very in the big-beat vein), is pretty
disappointing.
As I've said, though, I've only played it once. I will listen to it lots
more (of course!) and maybe it will sound better. But it sounds pretty
nice already--not among his best works, but a new side to an already
multifaceted talent.
I will get specific soon, with in-depth track descriptions. Till then,
take care.
Matos
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 15:29:58 EST
From: LEG518@aol.com
Subject: Re: (mobility) moby @ transformation 2, Cleveland 4/17/99
I saw this email that had been forwarded and was from a nonsubscriber and
noticed that it has a performance in Cleveland, Oh by Moby.....I live in the
cleveland area...so first of all thank you very much for posting it......is
there a place where i can get more information about it? Thanks.
~Lauren
kandork@msn.com wrote:
"Transformation 2
Brought to you by:
Badass Productions
Date: 1999-04-17
Moved?: N
Cancelled?: N
Shutdown?: N
Venue Type: Non-Club
Price: $ (USD)
Venue:
Address:
City: Cleveland
State: Ohio
Country: United States
Estimated Attendance:
Notes:
Last Updated: 1999-03-18 19:33:01
Flyers:
With Performances by:
7up
AK 1200
Bizz
Dank
Danny the Wildchild
Dig Dug
Doughboy
Ground Zero
Heretic
Highlanders
J. Smooth
James Christian
Matt B
Moby
Richard "humpty" Vision
Rob Riddem
Run DMC"
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 09:04:52 +0100
From: mark reed <mar@markgenius1.demon.co.uk>
Subject: (mobility) blur/john mcentire fan
>k except for the
>
>OH SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!!!!
manners please boys...
>its funny tho, nobody seems to like that song, "Essex Dogs". im sure
oh but I do.. shame their new LP seems a bit derivative though
- --
mark reed
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 16:37:19 -0500 (EST)
From: "Jared M. Willig" <jmwillig@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Subject: Re: (mobility) Got It!!!!
Wait a minute... whats the date again?
On Thu, 1 Apr 1999, Michael Matos wrote:
> Dear Mobyites:
>
> I am the proud owner as of today of Play!!!
>
> I am reviewing the album for Request magazine. I have played it once. It
> sounds OK--not great at all, though it may gain in stature the more I
> play it.
>
> First impressions: Mostly slow, if it were a new artist you'd probably
> file it under trip-hop. To be honest it's kind of disappointing: not all
> that memorable, nothing too exciting (downtempo can be just as exciting
> as up, if done correctly). Some of the navel-gazing that trips up his
> Mimi Goese collaborations IMHO; some fairly dumb lyrics. Not an
> ambitious album; you get the feeling that with this one he was just
> making music for its own sake, kind of as a hobby. Though it's probably
> overstating it to say it's way too long at 18 songs, it feels that way
> to these ears--it would probably be better cut down to 12 or 13. But
> remember, this is a first impression and a first impression only.
>
> BTW, in response to some of the recent discussion on this list, "Run On"
> is fucking AMAZING. On the other hand, "Bodyrock," which sounds like the
> most obvious hit single (it's very in the big-beat vein), is pretty
> disappointing.
>
> As I've said, though, I've only played it once. I will listen to it lots
> more (of course!) and maybe it will sound better. But it sounds pretty
> nice already--not among his best works, but a new side to an already
> multifaceted talent.
>
> I will get specific soon, with in-depth track descriptions. Till then,
> take care.
>
> Matos
> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 13:45:30 PST
From: "Steve Giles" <power_hymn@hotmail.com>
Subject: (mobility) Play, Run On, Acapella Fractal (was Got It!!!)
>Some of the navel-gazing that trips up his
>Mimi Goese collaborations IMHO; some fairly dumb lyrics. Not an
>ambitious album; you get the feeling that with this one he was just
>making music for its own sake, kind of as a hobby.
Navel-gazing is a phrase I'm unfamiliar with. I can't derive it's
meaning from thinking of it literally, what do you mean? Do you like the
lyrics to Run On, or the sound of them?
Are you comparing to his EIW Mimi collaborations, or are there new songs
with her singing?
Any liner notes w/ the promo? Cover image? Essays?
>BTW, in response to some of the recent discussion on this list, "Run
On"
>is fucking AMAZING.
Bluntly but accurately put. I wholeheartedly agree!
>On the other hand, "Bodyrock," which sounds like the
>most obvious hit single (it's very in the big-beat vein), is pretty
>disappointing.
I look forward to your detailed review/criticism, Matos. You said he's
approaching music like a hobbyist. Just making fun music for fun
purposes, without redefining the meaning of the universe. Good. I liked
The End Of Everything, which was extremely plain and simple. If Play is
simple Moby tunes, I'll enjoy it. I certainly enjoy the feet to the
floor feeling of Honey and the involutary mental groove of Run On.
I'll review the Run On 12" with the remixes early next week! :) I'm told
that the Dave Clarke remix is surprisingly the slowest on the 12", which
means slower than Run On. Hmm. I'm also told that it's an excellent
piece of wax all-around. I beleive it.
I noticed that the Play page on moby.org doesn't list Tom & Rob's mixing
credit for Run On. Is that a single mix I have on CDMute221? Is it
different than the Play version, Dan or Damian?
To follow up Bart's Fractal Zoom review from yesterday, the Acapella mix
on the US 12" is a spooky little thing, 2:11 in length. It's build atop
a menacing sound that defies description. The vocals, which are spoken,
(by Brian Eno I assume) are given a sharp edge and pre & post echoes. It
makes each phrase hit your ears like a tripping locomotive. There's no
beat, really, but there are some evenly spaced tones that repeat in the
far background. Sorry for the lack of clarity, this 'mix' is difficult
to describe.
- -S
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 14:57:41 -0700
From: Daniel Cerman <dcerman@verinet.com>
Subject: (mobility) Play
[was Re: (mobility) Got It!!!!]
Michael Matos wrote:
> I am the proud owner as of today of Play!!!
Cool! That makes two of us now. Is your copy from the US or the UK?
Does it have any cover art or liner notes? If it's from the US, what
is its catalog number?
> I am reviewing the album for Request magazine. I have played it once. It
> sounds OK--not great at all, though it may gain in stature the more I
> play it.
What?! Well, we're all entitled to our own opinions. I think it's
great. I was planning on posting my review of _Play_ and "Run On" in
the next week or two, but maybe I'll do it sooner.
_Play_ was certainly not what I expected, but I love it. If I could
go through those 200+ songs Moby wrote for this album, I probably
would have created a completely different album, with more uptempo
songs. But I respect what Moby is doing here, and think that he did
a great job with this collection of downtempo songs.
I consider _Play_ my favorite Moby album from the Mute era, to say
the least. Yes, that's right. I like it better than EIW, AR, and
ILTS. And those albums were pretty good. But none is as easy and
fun to listen to as _Play_.
> Though it's probably
> overstating it to say it's way too long at 18 songs, it feels that way
> to these ears--it would probably be better cut down to 12 or 13. But
> remember, this is a first impression and a first impression only.
Actually, to my ears, these 18 songs feel more like 12 songs. And
since the album is 63 minutes long, I would gladly add three more,
and/or extend the songs that are already on the album. In particular,
I would *love* "The Sky Is Broken" to be twice as long.
As for the "fairly dumb lyrics", I would say that they are no worse
than most lyrics out there. A little obscure at times, but mostly
dealing with a theme of cold and darkness, which fits this downtempo,
bluesy album well.
> BTW, in response to some of the recent discussion on this list, "Run On"
> is fucking AMAZING. On the other hand, "Bodyrock," which sounds like the
> most obvious hit single (it's very in the big-beat vein), is pretty
> disappointing.
That's odd. Our reactions are reversed, it seems. When I first
heard "Run On", I was pretty disappointed. But as it happens, I've
listened to it dozens of times since then, and it really grew on me
after a few listens. And its B-sides are first-rate. "Sunday" has
easily earned its place as one of my all-time favorite Moby tracks.
But back to _Play_... On 17 May (1 June for Americans), you will
all find out for yourselves what kind of album _Play_ is. And I
think that most of you will be pleased. This album has the added
bonus of being, IMHO, the poppiest album Moby has ever made. In
other words, I wouldn't be surprised if singles like "Bodyrock"
help propel it into mainstream recognition and appreciation.
This is neat. I can see that there's going to be a lot of
interesting discussion on this list in the near future regarding
_Play_ and "Run On", now that some of us have it. And so far the
reviews of other Moby releases for Steve's contest have been very
interesting. Please keep them coming, folks!
Daniel Cerman
http://www.moby.org/
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 15:18:45 -0700
From: Daniel Cerman <dcerman@verinet.com>
Subject: Re: (mobility) Play, Run On, Acapella Fractal
Steve Giles wrote:
> Navel-gazing is a phrase I'm unfamiliar with. I can't derive it's
> meaning from thinking of it literally, what do you mean?
I think Matos means introspection, with a negative connotation.
> I'll review the Run On 12" with the remixes early next week! :) I'm told
> that the Dave Clarke remix is surprisingly the slowest on the 12", which
> means slower than Run On. Hmm. I'm also told that it's an excellent
> piece of wax all-around. I beleive it.
The Dave Clarke Remix is slow and good. It doesn't do anything amazing
to the song, but rather restates it in perhaps a more club/mix-friendly
format. It leans more toward bluesy hip-hop minimalism. The lyrics
are sometimes easier to pick out in this remix because at times they
play with very little musical accompaniment.
> I noticed that the Play page on moby.org doesn't list Tom & Rob's mixing
> credit for Run On. Is that a single mix I have on CDMute221? Is it
> different than the Play version, Dan or Damian?
Moby.org's _Play_ page does not list credits yet (other than those I
read elsewhere) because the copy of _Play_ that I have is so early
(and cool!) that it doesn't have that information. This will soon be
remedied.
There are *five* different edits of "Run On", not counting the remixes.
Yes, that's right!
radio edit, on RCDMute221 (UK radio promo)
single version, on CDMute221
album version, on CDStumm172 (Play)
extended, on 12Mute221 (12" vinyl)
extended, on LCDMute221
A little snafu caused two different extended versions to be released,
but I don't mind! :) See http://www.moby.org/reviews/runon.html and
http://www.moby.org/reviews/play.html for approximate track times.
> To follow up Bart's Fractal Zoom review from yesterday, the Acapella mix
> on the US 12" is a spooky little thing, 2:11 in length. It's build atop
> a menacing sound that defies description. The vocals, which are spoken,
> (by Brian Eno I assume) are given a sharp edge and pre & post echoes. It
> makes each phrase hit your ears like a tripping locomotive. There's no
> beat, really, but there are some evenly spaced tones that repeat in the
> far background. Sorry for the lack of clarity, this 'mix' is difficult
> to describe.
That sounds awesome. Now I really want that 12". Moby's "Fractal
Zoom" remixes are among the finest he's done, and this sounds really
tasty. :)
Daniel Cerman
http://www.moby.org/
NP: Moby, "Inside"
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 17:04:23 -0600
From: "Robert Taylor" <phathead@flash.net>
Subject: (mobility) Play review...
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
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Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
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I think there is a pretty good chance that the review of PLAY
was an April Fools joke. Oh well.
Robert
- ------=_NextPart_000_0004_01BE7C61.B1157D00
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
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<HTML>
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I think there is a pretty good chance that the =
review of=20
PLAY</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>was an April Fools joke. Oh well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Robert</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 22:35:06 PST
From: "Michael Matos" <rockersuptown@hotmail.com>
Subject: (mobility) Play 2
Here's a response to the responses I received:
Dan is right about what I mean by navel-gazing.
No Mimi on this one, just a few tracks where Moby does a similar moody,
inward-looking lyric thing.
The promo I (and I'll assume Dan) received was a plain jewel case with a
sticker with a tracklist on it and the CD. And a hype sheet from the
publicist so that sucker critics like me can rewrite them and act like
we came up with it ourselves. (This is the reason most record reviews
read alike: most critics are lazy and just rewrite press releases. But
another time.)
I like it when he's just relaxing, too, although I found The End of
Everything rather bland. This one (on a 2nd listen) seems to have
similar pitfalls, though they're certainly not fatal.
Dan, my copy is from the US. His promo people (Formula) sent me a copy.
I actually got it on Wednesday but didn't get my mail until Thursday
morning. The catalogue no. is: V2ADV-27049-2. (I assume the regular
release will lose the ADV part, but who knows.)
Regarding the album: having played it again, I have some clearer ideas
about it. I agree that I would probably have constructed something
different had I been given access to the tapes and allowed to choose my
own album. Certainly what Moby is doing here is creating a smart
home-listening album, one I suspect is attuned to his mood either now or
when he put it together. About a quarter of the songs have the
old-blues-sample-plus-contemporary-production feel of "Honey" and "Run
On," and I think it's a smart, fresh direction. After all, he's done it
before ("Yeah", on Moby, I think that's the one), and it's pretty
ingenious. Of course, now that "Praise You" is all over the radio some
ignorant folks will probably just think he's ripping off Fatboy Slim,
but that's the price you pay. Anyhow, I like the tracks with this effect
a lot.
Your favorite?! Really?! Only after one day?! I'd really have to take
that with a grain of salt, Dan--not because I don't believe you love it,
but because NO record can really earn that position until it's been
given some time. It took a half-dozen listens for EIW to sink in, and I
went around saying it was my favorite record of all time for awhile.
It's not--I hardly play it anymore, partly because I OD'ed on the thing
(my own fault) and partly because its flaws became more and more
apparent to me as time went on. I think something similar might happen
to you with Play. I don't mean you're wrong or stupid for saying
that--quite the opposite, I'm really happy you like it as much as you
do. But it might be to your advantage to wait awhile before you make
pronouncements like that.
I definitely see your point about the 18 songs feeling like 12--partly
that's because several tracks serve the "Let's Go Free" function and are
bridges between things (and are really short). But the thing about them
is that, for me, some of them seem like throwaways, or just negligible.
There's a lot of slow, langorous soundtrack music featuring plangent
guitars and soft strings, and while Moby can certainly make stunning
music in this vein ("Alone" is one of my favorite Moby trax ever), too
much of it sounds boring to me. A second listen to the album widened the
disparity between the cuts I did and the cuts I didn't like: I love a
lot of the vocal stuff (even the Moby-sung "Porcelain," which I didn't
care for at first), and the
picking-the-acoustic-while-sitting-in-the-wheatfields stuff seemed less
interesting than the first time, when I didn't think it was interesting
either.
You're certainly right about the lyrics not being any worse than most of
what's popular (or not). But I don't think they're obscure at all--if
anything, they're too obvious. That's the thing about Moby's lyrics (and
indeed everything he does musically and otherwise): they're right on the
surface. I don't mean he should start babbling nonsense that makes you
think he's "really deep" (like Underworld), but he's not the most subtle
of writers, and while I love him for that when it works when it doesn't
it can be faintly embarrassing. I don't like the lyrics of most pop
music that much to begin with: when lyrics I don't like are highlighted
over and above the rest of the music, they're forced to live or die on
their merits. This is a general gripe, not just specific to Play. The
lyrics on AR, for instance, are almost comically broad, but in that
context--aggression, plus a lot of them were distorted--it worked. I
don't think it works as well here. Not everywhere, but on some tracks I
don't care much for the words, and the words are plainly what he wants
us to get into.
Don't have the "Run On" single (yet). Don't know when those promos are
available--Dan, can you email me privately with some contact info?
Thanks.
By the way, I'm very happy that I'm on this list, especially now that
this discussion is underway. Writing about music is fun and very
interesting, but being part of a community of FANS for whom this
particular artist is not just good or a good story but an integral part
of their lives is really refreshing. Glad you all are out there--even if
you do like Underworld ;-).
Matos
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------
End of mobility-digest V1 #359
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