For me the sound of this album is a little too smoothed out. It's too slick. I think if anything they got a little too "professional" sounding at this stage, like there are a number of points where it's all tastefully arranged trumpets and ridiculously proficient bass playing. My favorite stuff by them always had a looser edge. Even when they tightened things up on stuff like "Ping Pong" there was still a lot of air in there. The production on Cobra feels really suffocating.
― Position Position, Friday, 24 March 2017 15:41 (seven years ago) link
no it's good that's it's smooth and slick
― a but (brimstead), Friday, 24 March 2017 15:44 (seven years ago) link
Yeah.
How can you hate on tasteful horn arrangements and ridiculously proficient bass playing?
― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 24 March 2017 15:49 (seven years ago) link
Whoa! I never noticed that Dancing Queen horn quote in The Free Design. Definitely O'Rourke
― flappy bird, Friday, 24 March 2017 17:15 (seven years ago) link
I think it's O'Hagan TBH.
― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 24 March 2017 17:24 (seven years ago) link
Could be, but O'Rourke has gone on record calling Dancing Queen one of his favorite songs:http://stevestate.blogspot.com/2006/07/visiting-this-planet.html
― J. Sam, Friday, 24 March 2017 17:30 (seven years ago) link
flappy bird, I'm glad you found that live collection, cool to see it still has some life. It was put together over 15 years ago by Stereolab forum members
― Moodles, Friday, 24 March 2017 17:48 (seven years ago) link
this is a sweet cover version by Mifune
https://open.spotify.com/track/1fX95f0Gm8L2Q29Rcr8XpU
― Moodles, Friday, 24 March 2017 17:52 (seven years ago) link
I think it's definitely O'Rourke - he recorded the track, arranged the horns, and yeah Dancing Queen is one of his favorite songs ever.
― flappy bird, Friday, 24 March 2017 18:36 (seven years ago) link
O'hagan did the brass arrangements, not O'rourke, fwiw
― a but (brimstead), Friday, 24 March 2017 19:38 (seven years ago) link
maybe I misread something
― a but (brimstead), Friday, 24 March 2017 19:39 (seven years ago) link
That's how I'm reading it, but I looked into the Abba connection and can't find anything suggestion O'Hagan is a fan, whereas O'Rourke seems to talk about "Dancing Queen" in quite a few places.
― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 24 March 2017 19:41 (seven years ago) link
Fab Four Suture may be Stereolab on autopilot but it still has the magic-eye seeing puzzle like "Kyberneticka Babicka", "Interlock" and "Excursions Into Oh-A-Oh" which is one of the few latter day Stereolab tracks to actually rock.
― Carlotta's Portrait (Ross), Friday, 24 March 2017 19:44 (seven years ago) link
"Exercusions Into Oh-A-Oh" is definitely the highlight.
― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 24 March 2017 19:50 (seven years ago) link
^ totally agree. Also happy to see you're into Sound Dust, very underrated abum
― Carlotta's Portrait (Ross), Friday, 24 March 2017 19:50 (seven years ago) link
So, I've decided to give this a quick re-listen to see if I've missed anything, and nope, it's exactly the same as I remember it being, overly slick and quite samey from top to bottom and it's failing to excite me in the way that Mars Audiac Quintet or Emperor Tomato Ketchup do... although the breakdown on 'Italian Shoes Continuum' is quite nice.
― Coolio Iglesias (Turrican), Friday, 24 March 2017 20:21 (seven years ago) link
Anyway, voting for 'Puncture in the Radax Permutation', which strikes me as being the painfully obvious highlight.
― Coolio Iglesias (Turrican), Friday, 24 March 2017 20:27 (seven years ago) link
Didn´t know about this extended version of Blue Milk.
― EvR, Friday, 24 March 2017 20:53 (seven years ago) link
Turrican OTM
― Carlotta's Portrait (Ross), Friday, 24 March 2017 21:21 (seven years ago) link
xp whoa thanks for finding that! yeah extended Blue Milk is not on youtube afaik, and vinyl copies with it are v expensive
― flappy bird, Friday, 24 March 2017 21:29 (seven years ago) link
It's a shame that one has to listen for roughly about 8 and a half minutes before 'Blue Milk' generates any excitement.
― Coolio Iglesias (Turrican), Friday, 24 March 2017 21:39 (seven years ago) link
I sold this album and Dots and Loops a while ago. I ripped them first, and the 3 songs mentioned by Ross at the top of the thread are all in my library, but I can't remember how any of them go.
It's a shame because I had the chance to see Stereolab around this time and passed it up because I wasn't a fan of this period but I never saw them again. In fact I only saw them once around ETK time.
― Colonel Poo, Friday, 24 March 2017 21:58 (seven years ago) link
Just realised I've never even heard Margerine Eclipse or Fab Four Suture (didn't even know the latter existed!). I will rectify that at some point.
― Colonel Poo, Friday, 24 March 2017 22:00 (seven years ago) link
Margerine Eclipse is the only Stereolab album that's managed to choke me up a little... "Feel and Triple"
― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 24 March 2017 22:14 (seven years ago) link
Maybe worth noting that there's a "Blaue Milch" on the Peter Thomas Warp Back to Earth compilation – I forget what the connection is between the two "Blue Milk" versions.
― with hidden noise, Saturday, 25 March 2017 02:57 (seven years ago) link
good god they released SO much
just checked out First of the Microbe Hunters the other day, whew. so good. "Outer Bongolia"!
― flappy bird, Saturday, 25 March 2017 16:37 (seven years ago) link
First of the Microbe Hunters was actually the first Stereolab I bought, and then worked my way backwards. Was weird to then read about everyone seemed to prefer earlier material, because I loved all of the new stuff right away.
Also "Kyberneticka Babicka" is amazing. One of my favorite songs by them.
― Dominique, Saturday, 25 March 2017 16:52 (seven years ago) link
Yeah Microbe Hunters is almost as good as Cobra. "Household names" is a huge favorite of mine.
― a but (brimstead), Saturday, 25 March 2017 16:55 (seven years ago) link
The last song is great too, can't remember what it's called.
― a but (brimstead), Saturday, 25 March 2017 16:57 (seven years ago) link
"Retrograde Mirror Form." Beautiful outro.
― J. Sam, Saturday, 25 March 2017 17:12 (seven years ago) link
i can't get over the chords in 'Fuses'
― flappy bird, Saturday, 25 March 2017 17:20 (seven years ago) link
love this documentary from 2000, sweet pro-shot show with interview bits in-between
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbVk5aXheLM
Miss ModularFrench DiskoBlips, Drips & StripsInfinity GirlRainbow ConversationCome and Play in the Milky NightEscape PodMetronomic UndergroundDes Étoiles ÉlétroniquesAnalogue RockBlue Milk
― flappy bird, Thursday, 30 March 2017 16:21 (seven years ago) link
wow, never seen this before, this was my favorite line up for live Stereolab
― Moodles, Thursday, 30 March 2017 16:26 (seven years ago) link
another new video uploaded from the Cobra and Phases tour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaFcEKARV64
1 ESCAPE POD2 THE FREE DESIGN3 AVANT GARDE MOR4 ANALOGUE ROCK5 BLUE MILK6 THE SEEMING AND THE MEANING
― flappy bird, Sunday, 23 April 2017 00:04 (seven years ago) link
Thaaaanks.
― everything, Tuesday, 25 April 2017 04:56 (seven years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Sunday, 30 April 2017 00:01 (seven years ago) link
Hi Flappy bird, have to kindly disagree that Cobra sounds the best of the post MAQ records. It's always sounded dense and somewhat muddy to me, whereas Dots & Loops sounded more bright and expressive. My favourite production is on Sound Dust where it's much more open and widescreen.― Carlotta's Portrait (Ross), Thursday, March 23, 2017 6:27 PM (one month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Carlotta's Portrait (Ross), Thursday, March 23, 2017 6:27 PM (one month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
i put Sound Dust on last week for the first time in a while- it was sitting in my 'to sell' bin -and it blew me away. it sounds very cinematic, almost like the score to Chinatown in places. i heard Cobra and Phases for the first time a little over a year ago and it took ~9 months for it to percolate and become something i was obsessed with... i'll do a Sound Dust poll soon, need to listen to it more...
― flappy bird, Sunday, 30 April 2017 16:43 (seven years ago) link
this is the fastest 1999 show i've heard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unl99JRrLos
― flappy bird, Sunday, 30 April 2017 17:08 (seven years ago) link
This fucking poll is still going!?
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Sunday, 30 April 2017 19:04 (seven years ago) link
I can't tell any album apart from any other post Ketchup. Is this one significantly distinct?
― calstars, Sunday, 30 April 2017 19:06 (seven years ago) link
much more of a band vibe than Dots & Loops, the pop songs are poppier and the experiments are bolder. it's very in your face compared to Dots & Loops imo.
― flappy bird, Sunday, 30 April 2017 20:30 (seven years ago) link
I've always thought of this as their smoothest yet most experimental album, which I know isn't saying much. Nothing else in the catalogue sounds quite like it.
― Let’s just do it and be legends, maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan (Raymond Cummings), Sunday, 30 April 2017 20:44 (seven years ago) link
it's a record of extreme contrasts, "italian shoes continuum" or "fuses" probably being the best examples. i love the way laetitia and mary's voices are manipulated throughout the record. i think it rocks a lot harder than anything post-ETK.
― flappy bird, Sunday, 30 April 2017 21:23 (seven years ago) link
Fully aware that I am a disgusting savage, my relationship with the groop went: was a huge fan starting with SABPM up til Dots & Loops; listened to that album twice; broke up with the 'lab and never looked back.
I can't be the only one.
― rip van wanko, Sunday, 30 April 2017 22:17 (seven years ago) link
Hey, everyone has their points where they become disenchanted with a favorite band.
With Stereolab, Cobra... was the last big BIG hurrah, honestly, though I kept tuning in to the very end. (Margarine Eclipse means a lot to me, but some of that may be down to it being a tribute to Mary.)
― Let’s just do it and be legends, maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan (Raymond Cummings), Sunday, 30 April 2017 23:59 (seven years ago) link
(The last big hurrah for me, I should say.)
― Let’s just do it and be legends, maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan (Raymond Cummings), Monday, 1 May 2017 00:00 (seven years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Monday, 1 May 2017 00:01 (seven years ago) link
Flappy bird - Sound Dust poll sounds so good! There's almost a Danny Elfman like quality in the opening track, it's cinematic no doubt. I still contend this album is one of the few albums that sounds awe inspiring in snow. It's a beautiful record and sorely underrated in Stereolab's discography.
― Carlotta's Portrait (Ross), Monday, 1 May 2017 00:05 (seven years ago) link
It's their best. :)
― afriendlypioneer, Monday, 1 May 2017 00:18 (seven years ago) link
Nothing To Do With Me :)!
― afriendlypioneer, Monday, 1 May 2017 00:19 (seven years ago) link
^^^
― Davey D, Thursday, 19 December 2019 22:59 (four years ago) link
Margerine Eclipse has a handful of tracks I really love, and a bunch more that bore me
― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Thursday, 19 December 2019 23:29 (four years ago) link
I have always thought this one and Sound-Dust are really underrated; not least of all for the very David Axelrod-reminiscent string arrangements throughout. The first section of 'Emergency Kisses' springs to mind immediately as a very much perfect musical moment in that regard.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Thursday, 19 December 2019 23:59 (four years ago) link
i think the keyboards, or the keyboard+production combo, are pretty important on cobra phases. i've been thinking for a couple days about how to describe it and it's not right but it occurred to me that dylan's 'wild, thin mercury sound' gets in the right ballpark
― j., Friday, 20 December 2019 00:46 (four years ago) link
In the liner notes, Tim makes special mention of the Farfisa electric harpsichord, which they began using a lot starting with this album.
― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Friday, 20 December 2019 00:57 (four years ago) link
Cobra is far from their worst. Basically post Margerine Eclipse they ran out of gas. Chemical Chords sounds like demos, and Not Music is an absolutely unceremonious last album.
― the public eating of beans (Sparkle Motion), Friday, 20 December 2019 04:29 (four years ago) link
Chemical Chords has a beguiling sweetness, girl group bounce, post-'60s on the shoreline sunsets, love heightening just as its potential recedes, triumphal sadness. Such gushing probably points to ultimately personal associations; and as we've discussed elsewhere, Sadier hated making it... but I love it dearly. In retrospect, with the brevity of its songs, it seems to be accelerating toward a conclusion. (This makes Not Music rather anticlimactic, I'd agree, though there are some dandy bits on it too). 2008 was no longer Stereolab's moment, and so their backward gazes seem more bittersweet.
Cobra was also my first "new" 'Lab album and holds a special place for me as the sole album I ever bought at a midnight release-day sale. I hope I still have the little promo poster I got with the groop lying down in a circle. The album seems a clear candidate for their most ambitious, somewhere between its ornamentation and its length; it's not quite as endlessly relistenable as Dots & Loops but it's pretty neat.
― eatandoph (Neue Jesse Schule), Friday, 20 December 2019 05:47 (four years ago) link
I am a little disappointed that the liner notes suggest that the title should be "Italian Shoes/Continuum" rather than "Italian Shoes Continuum".
― with hidden noise, Thursday, September 19, 2019 10:06 PM (five months ago) bookmarkflaglink
Italian Shoes Continuum is almost too much as a title - like something a Stereolab Title Generator would come up with
― Zelda Zonk, Thursday, September 19, 2019 11:29 PM (five months ago) bookmarkflaglink
actually this really helps me bc italian shoes is the first downer for me on the album and to know that i should hear this as one fused song rather than two (since i usually don't pay attention to the track breaks) gives me some motivation to try to see the value in italian shoes
with the slash it's more like, a strange occurrence that must be explained, how the shoes lead to the far more abstract and compelling phenomenon of a continuum
― j., Saturday, 29 February 2020 02:51 (four years ago) link
the spiracles also pretty draggy
― j., Saturday, 29 February 2020 02:58 (four years ago) link