FELT (Go Kart Mozart, Denim)... Lawrence is amazing!

Got my copy (from Amazon) a few days ago. New overdubs (and in some cases new lyrics) and better quality mean the Denim Take Over songs sound a lot more vital here. And the non-DTO songs kick ass too, especially White Stilettos in the Sand, Spunky Axe, and Electrosex. Whoever said upthread that they were expecting this to be more of a Denim on Ice-style epic was right on. It's funny, before I heard it, I was thinking I didn't draw much of a line between GKM and Denim (post-Back in Denim, anyway), but this definitely feels more like a Denim album. Much bigger sound than either of the previous GKM records.

Album of the year

Only played this a couple of times, have to say I'm a bit disappointed. Something about the production that is a little messy in places. I thought this would be Denim On Ice part two but the songs are lacking something. Really hope this is a grower, those first two Denim albums are two of my favourite albums ever.

Ah yeah, those are two of the best albums ever, so I'm not really surprised this isn't quite at their level. But as much as I like the other GKM albums, I'm really appreciating the grandiosity of this one. Can see what you mean about some of the production messiness, but the songs are there imo.

I think after all the waiting I was expecting a bit more from the album. I have no doubt it will grow on me but I'm pretty sure all the Denim and GKM albums were really instant with me. It is really nice to have him back though, can't believe it's been seven years since the last album.

This album is really very good. Early days, but probably my fave of the GKM records (recycled or not!).

Lots of "funny" here, but... as with Sparks, the songs seem just as harrowing as they are humorous (often at the same time).
Like "I Talk With Robot Voice" is funny, but...

That make any sense?

Two thirds through the new CD and it sounds to me like the peak of of GKM and the natural successor to Denim On Ice in terms of sound and songwriting.

What was due to appear on the mini album? If OTHDS uses up all the the remaining Denim Take Over songs, then what's left?

Think the mini album is supposed to have New World in the Morning on it. Not sure what else...more new stuff I guess.

This has grown on me a lot. It's not the masterpiece I was hoping for but I'm getting a lot more out of now. I really think it could do without a lot of those extra vocals especially at the end of The Sun and the shouting in Come On You Lot, it sounds a bit clumsy in places. Some songs and moments sound a bit too similar to those on Denim On Ice especially when the kids choir comes in and he says solo for the solo in one song. I think White Stilettos In The sand and Retro Glancing are my two favourites at the moment but it keeps changing.

Hope the mini album still comes out soon, I think it is supposed to follow three months later but I'll believe it when I see it especially as these were both supposed to be out years ago.

yeah the toasting on the sun is horrid, but the rest of this is a total triumph. total lawrence.

I really wonder what Lawrence's distinction between Denim and GKM is these days. This album sounds like it should say 'Denim' on the cover.

and while there may not be any 'hit singles' on here, I could easily imagine 6Music playlisting 'Retro-Glancing' or 'Electrosex' if they had any taste left

Greetings from Denmark. Great to have Lawrence back with a superb album. He has not lost his grip despite all the hardship he seems to have been through. Personally I prefer the new songs (especially, Electro Sex, White Stilettoes..., Come On... and Retro-Glancing), but it's kind of Lawrence to include the last unreleased Denim Take Over songs for his longtime fans. Anyway, the Denim and GKM songs blend together well (like the 70s and 80s retro aesthetics of the cover), and in this way the album is a perfect way for him to say goodbye to his "mustard" period of the last 20 years (cf. some of the latest interviews) - although I'm not sure I want him to do that, especially not when, as is the case on ...Hot Dog Streets, the material is consistently good (i.e. not silly, grating or anonymous).

Well, so much for my opinion, here's a question I hope someone can help me with: What's Mickie Made the Most about, i.e. who are all those people mentioned? I've been googling some of them, but I'm not sure I've been on the right track.

Actually, any thoughts on the the lyrics of the album and insight into their references would be much appreciated.

Definitely Michael Head of Shack, for one

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rak_Records

Mentioned: Mickie Most, Ricky Wilde, RAK Records, Mick Head, Gary Shaw. Wikipedia can tell you who they are but knowing doesn't necessarily help explain what the song is about.

Just another collection of Lawrence icons.

I think it's a bit of a "kids these days" rant. ie. back in our day we had great icons like Mickey Most and Gary Shaw, now the kids just go the club and come back and play FPS games. It's a rewrite of "City of the Dead" from Denim Takes Over which emphasises this theme a bit more.

New interview:

http://thequietus.com/articles/09948-lawrence-interview-felt-go-kart-mozart

it's a good 'un. Lawrence is very open about certain things, other stuff not so much.

"What happened to young Gary Shaw?
Played for the Villa
He don't play for them no more"

Any word on that GKM mini album? There was a now-show 6music session a couple of months back, which was annoying

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PWxmU37HU0

Not concerned with fame, huh....

wow never seen that before. hideous shirt, I assume that was 88-89? i wonder if there's any more where that came from.

MOJO reporting on Mozart’s Mini-Mart.

The big track on the record? That would be When You’re Depressed. The lyrics feature the lines, “Never cry, never laugh / Don’t clean your teeth, don’t have a bath / This constant strain, this constant stress / When you’re depressed… you’re depressed.”

“It’s special,” says Lawrence. “One of those career-defining songs.”

Wow, kind of figured this might never come out, and now it's a 19-song album with a song called ‘I Am The Sardonic Lucifer With A Fifty Foot Wingspan’

Excited but would be surprised if it actually came out this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ0It3uOrkA

Never seen this before.

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/8-13-2013/ZgqU9L.gif

Lawrence of Belgravia showing in LA.

Please bring out the DVD now Lawrence!

http://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/159164032/felt-primitive-painters-lyric-typography?ref=shop_home_active

I spent a long time thinking the lyric was 'dragons loaf by, angels fly' and was disappointed when I realised he was singing 'blow fire'.
Don't thing Lawrence would approve of the font on that print, somehow.

Also, looking at the print again it says 'will you be sorry when I've gone', I thought he sang 'but you'll be sorry when I'm gone', was I wrong about that as well?

ugly poster.

i've always heard "gathering in galleries, we're stallions of imagery" but the internet says otherwise. on the manics version he sings "we're".

aha, i just found the lyrics printed in the absolute classics masterpieces compilation and he does say "we're".

"will you be sorry when i've gone" is the correct lyric

Anybody heard anything about the Felt albums being reissued? I want to start buying them on LP but they're fairly expensive.

is this something you've heard about or just wishful thinking? there's no reissue news that i know of...

It's wishful thinking. I'm looking around for Felt LPs and considering forking out between 30-50 bucks for a few of my most wanted LPs but I wanted to ask if anybody had heard anything about them in line to get reissued before I made a decision. It would probably take about $400-500 to buy all 10 albums on Discogs right now.

Not heard anything about vinyl reissues. I have all those CD reissues from 2003/4 (some of which are already out of print) but I would buy vinyl copies if they came out straight away. I managed to get copies of Back in Denim on Denim on Ice on vinyl in the last couple of years (cost me about $40 for both) but I've had to stop myself from looking into Felt records because as you say it would end up costing a lot.

I try not to spend too much on vinyl copies of out of print albums now as record companies seem to be realising people want all their favourite albums on vinyl and so many things have already been reissued. Not sure how long the wait would be for Felt albums, they haven't done a great job of keeping their (or Denim's) albums in print. Also his whole career seems to be full of delays so it might be a while. Still wait on that next Go-Kart album and the movie DVD release.

I'm sure I remember reading something about this somewhere, all I can find is this, though

http://feltadeclaration.tumblr.com/post/18332516457/do-you-know-anything-about-future-vinyl-reissues

deebank's solo album got reissued on vinyl recently.

regarding the sound/remastering of the 2003 remasters, is it better/different/worse than the 90s twofers? i guess i'm interested specifically about the first two albums.

http://youtu.be/wMKNPheDuhs
a little more of the interview embedded upthread.

"do you think a sense of humour is very important in all of this?"
"no"

I've always loved "Primitive Painters" and a couple of other tracks but had never really delved into their albums. I made a Spotify playlist of everything and put it on shuffle and it's all really great.

felt playing live, as featured on a spanish tv show

five songs, appearing at 0:20-9:40 and 39:45-46:40

awww man. that has made my week. what a perfect, unlooked-for time capsule. god bless televisio de catalunya. Ballad of the band sounds amazing with deebank's relentlessly gentle soloing. in fact it all sounds kindof flawless through that wall of 6th generation vhs squelch. duffy looks 7!

Amazing footage, streets ahead of the "A Declaration" concert. Some gloriously bum playing from Lawrence on "The Stagnant Pool", although might just be the murky sound.

As far as remasters I'm certain that I've read an interview with Lawrence where he bemoaned Cherry Red's tightfisted reuse of master tapes, meaning that none of the early albums exist in multi-track form any more as they were recorded over. A bit like the BBC with ancient Dr Who episodes I guess.

I'm sure there was some rumour of Ignite The Seven Cannons being remixed at Lawrence's behest