^That's a great lyric. Note to self: listen to more Eitzel
― spellcheck is really advanced these days (cajunsunday), Wednesday, 12 October 2011 11:20 (twelve years ago) link
To restate the obvious: Mercury is awful. Holy shit, I can't make it through a single song.
Mercury is a complete classic. Not as much as Everclear but means almost as much to me, for various other reasons.
― akm, Wednesday, 12 October 2011 16:38 (twelve years ago) link
now listening to an AMC album through for the first time (Mercury). I like it a lot. Reminds me a bit of Red House Painters although a bit more hard edged.
― spellcheck is really advanced these days (cajunsunday), Wednesday, 12 October 2011 17:45 (twelve years ago) link
Mercury is great. Means a lot to me too -- still remember buying it when it came out.
― Duke, Wednesday, 12 October 2011 19:47 (twelve years ago) link
Mercury is certainly an extremely 90's sounding record, with too much Froom calliope circus noise and chamberlain and tympani and oompah and crap but the songs on it are, from top to bottom, great, and I like Froom's work on this album, in fact, I think it's his best production work. But there is an alternate, Kevin Killan version of the album around if you prefer that. The big change was making If I Had a Hammer 3/4 rather than 4/4.
― akm, Wednesday, 12 October 2011 20:04 (twelve years ago) link
I astonished by all the hate for Mercury. It might be my fave and it is certainly one of the most important albums in my life.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Tuesday, 15 May 2012 20:53 (twelve years ago) link
incidentally I saw mark last week or the week before in SF, he played with Marc Cappelle and a pickup band that included a bassist and the drummer from Loquat, and it was wonderful. Mark and Marc together are really great. It's not AMC but he's worked with Cappelle longer than anyone in his career at this point and they ahve their shit down. Mark is finishing an album right now (Vudi is on it and a bunch of other people are as well but it's not coming out as an AMC record) and I expect it will be very good.
― akm, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 04:02 (twelve years ago) link
Mark is finishing an album right now (Vudi is on it and a bunch of other people are as well but it's not coming out as an AMC record) and I expect it will be very good.
I'm sure it will be as well but unfortunately I would only buy it if it came out as an AMC record
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 10:02 (twelve years ago) link
If I snap my fingers what will I get?If I snap my fingers what will I get?If I snap my fingers what will I get?That's right, anything I wantAnything I want
God, that song. Easily one of the best things Mark and the band ever did. I'm resigned to buying everything that he ever puts out, just because, but I'd love it if AMC could have another one-last-hurrah, with Kaphan back because their sound was never lovelier than with him. Can't imagine it will ever happen though.
Mark and Marc together are really great
co-sign. I saw their man and piano show in the UK a few years back and it was wonderful.
― that mustardless plate (Bill A), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 10:19 (twelve years ago) link
I think Mercury may be my favorite AMC album, I'm surprised it is so hated.
― Moodles, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 15:28 (twelve years ago) link
one more rep for 'California'
great album. sad, lonely, and drunken, but great.
― nicky lo-fi, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 17:56 (twelve years ago) link
Tim Mooney (AMC's drummer on Mercury, San Francisco, and Love Songs for Patriots, as well as being drummer for Toiling Midgets and others) passed away last night. he was 54.
― akm, Thursday, 14 June 2012 23:41 (eleven years ago) link
sad news! he was an amazing drummer, also in The Sleepers.
― nerve_pylon, Thursday, 14 June 2012 23:52 (eleven years ago) link
Oh no! I enjoy his drumming in Toiling Midgets.
― Evan, Friday, 15 June 2012 01:04 (eleven years ago) link
What?!? That sucks, so sad. He was a great drummer. I was bummed when he didn't appear on The Golden Age after producing and playing on Love Songs For Patriots. Was hoping he'd get back with them some day, but I guess that won't be happening.
RIP
― Moodles, Friday, 15 June 2012 06:03 (eleven years ago) link
I've just discovered this. Really gutted.
― Duke, Tuesday, 26 June 2012 21:24 (eleven years ago) link
Damn. RIP.
― that mustardless plate (Bill A), Tuesday, 26 June 2012 22:26 (eleven years ago) link
Mark and Vudi are selling the original paintings by Jean Lowe for the Everclear and San Francisco covers, with all proceeds to Tim Mooney's family. Wonderful paintings, and a beautiful gesture by them - if had sufficient funds to spare I'd love to own either of those pieces (but esp. San Fran).
Everclear on ebay now, San Francisco to follow
― that mustardless plate (Bill A), Thursday, 23 August 2012 18:56 (eleven years ago) link
wow, wish I could buy the everclear one
― Moodles, Thursday, 23 August 2012 19:13 (eleven years ago) link
Have had the pleasure of listening to Mark's new album, "Don't be a Stranger". It's very nice. Maybe too nice for some people; it's a mature work, that recalls 60 Watt Silver Lining more than anything else he's done. It's missing some of the fire and intensity of Love Songs for sure, and probably has more incommon with the Golden Age, so if you liked that album (I loved it; it wasn't really meant to come out as an AMC album either) you will probably like this. He is doing a short promotional tour of the UK now with a bigger tour (backed with a band) to follow this fall.
― akm, Tuesday, 11 September 2012 03:28 (eleven years ago) link
Just picked up 'Don't Be a Stranger' this weekend, really enjoying it. '60 Watt Silver Lining' a good reference point, was listening to it earlier in the week and the new one has a similar mood to it.
FWIW 'Mercury' and 'San Fransisco' were the first full albums I owned by AMC and they didn't put me off. Easily available at the time! It was actually hearing "Another Morning" on an Uncut CD that first piqued my interest, but I'd known of them well before then.
― michaellambert, Sunday, 28 October 2012 21:08 (eleven years ago) link
Gotta get this new one, I never got Brannan Street, that one had a smaller print
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 17 November 2012 16:30 (eleven years ago) link
One of my favorite songs of the year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfJKHr-OaOc
― Simon H., Saturday, 17 November 2012 20:56 (eleven years ago) link
His voice is fucking amazing. I saw him live two years ago in a bar in Berlin, on his two-man with Marc Capelle, and it was one of the most memorable gigs I've attended because it suddenly occurred to me (embarrassingly, after 20 years of fandom) that he is such a great singer.
― Duke, Saturday, 17 November 2012 21:33 (eleven years ago) link
*two-man tour*
― Duke, Saturday, 17 November 2012 21:34 (eleven years ago) link
yes, the piano + mark thing totally reveals his voice as being UNBELIEVABLE.
― Jamie_ATP, Saturday, 17 November 2012 22:19 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN6SpTqYeL8
― Jamie_ATP, Saturday, 17 November 2012 22:25 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NPsfv6IuWQ
― Jamie_ATP, Saturday, 17 November 2012 22:38 (eleven years ago) link
yes
― Duke, Saturday, 17 November 2012 22:42 (eleven years ago) link
yes yes yes fuck
― Jamie_ATP, Sunday, 18 November 2012 00:00 (eleven years ago) link
as sad as it is, mark eitzel is totally my perfect life soundtrack right now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1VHrK2267Y
― Jamie_ATP, Thursday, 8 August 2013 10:15 (ten years ago) link
not an official video.
― Jamie_ATP, Thursday, 8 August 2013 10:16 (ten years ago) link
beautiful song
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Thursday, 8 August 2013 13:25 (ten years ago) link
I preferred the solo Candy Ass version of "Sleeping Beauty". But that AMC version is great too.
I think the solo Ugly American version of "Last Harbour" is superior to the AMC original.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 8 August 2013 17:46 (ten years ago) link
No AMC/Eitzel news and I've not been listening recently either...
I just wanted to talk about how strange and wonderful United Kingdom is and that it really doesnt get enough praise. The first track "Here They Roll Down" must be one of the most mysterious songs I've ever heard and I'm scared of knowing what it is really about because those words really stick in my head and come back to me every now and then and I feel like they carry so much weight that might not stay if I find out what they really mean. The mood in it is really really incredible.
It really taken me a while to find out what people liked about it so much; I've still never really got into California like other people love it.
There are some songs that the idea of them being covered or used inappropriately scares me. I hope "Kathleen" gets treated well forever.
I say this in nearly every bands thread but here I go again: I've got a lot of catching up to do with Eitzel's discography. I still dont have the first two AMC records and I dont know if there are any easy to find b-side collections.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 2 January 2014 17:58 (ten years ago) link
I have "United Kingdom" and "California" on one CD, good but really, really intense. I love their debut, "The Restless Stranger", it's got more light to it, rocks a bit more too. I don't think there are any official b-side collections.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 2 January 2014 18:27 (ten years ago) link
I'm sure the band used to sell a best of/b-sides compilation on their reunion tour. I imagine the singles are hard to find now.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 2 January 2014 19:04 (ten years ago) link
Not a big UK fan although "Here They Roll Down" is indeed a good one. Still haven't ever heard The Restless Stranger.
― Ornate Coleman (Moodles), Thursday, 2 January 2014 19:08 (ten years ago) link
restless stranger is much better than it's reputation used to be. engine is an absolute classic, sometimes I think it's their best album (though I think that about each album at different times).
there is no news on the AMC front in particular except that Tom Mallon (who recorded the albums through UK and worked as drummer and bassist at different times) is dying.
― akm, Thursday, 2 January 2014 19:34 (ten years ago) link
That's horrible. I feel like every time I check up on Eitzel's blog or anything about the band, people are having a rough time.
I really had no idea Eitzel had an album out last year.
I've heard there has been efforts to get the early albums reissued. I just saw that there is a pre- Restless Stranger demo/album called Inspirational Songs. Never heard of this before. Is this recently unearthed?
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 2 January 2014 19:43 (ten years ago) link
I have no idea what that is.
Tom owns the masters. They are in some kind of state as they were returned by WB after the first attempt to reissue the albums in kind of a mess. Tom is also sitting on a lot of other unreleased stuff, at least three songs of which he shared with people last year (demos that turned into songs on Restless Stranger). Remastering and reissuing the albums was something he'd hoped to do before he got too sick to work. Last summer I worked up a proposal with Mark's manager to reissue the four albums with bonus tracks that would have been culled by Tom; we were going to give Tom complete control of these and just work on getting the financing in place to pay for the pressings (we wanted to do vinyl issues of the albums proper and cds with a bonus cd each). Tom's response was to unfriend us both from FB. He's not an easy guy to deal with. Regardless, I do respect him. I don't know what will happen with the masters when he dies.
― akm, Thursday, 2 January 2014 20:18 (ten years ago) link
I think that is something Tom was maybe putting together, looking at it. I have no idea what his plans were for it and I doubt it's something anyone else has seen or heard.
― akm, Thursday, 2 January 2014 20:20 (ten years ago) link
Tom Mallon has died.
― akm, Saturday, 11 January 2014 18:30 (ten years ago) link
RIP, I loved his production work on those early AMC records.
― bleak strategies (Matt #2), Saturday, 11 January 2014 18:45 (ten years ago) link
Thats rough esp. coming after Mooney.
Re. UK, big fan of the Here They Roll Down/Heaven Of Your Hands material. Not so much the Animal Pen stuff.
― Master of Treacle, Saturday, 11 January 2014 19:12 (ten years ago) link
California in particular has had a rough time of it with regards availability
― Master of Treacle, Saturday, 11 January 2014 19:14 (ten years ago) link
― Duke, Saturday, 11 January 2014 19:55 (ten years ago) link
UK was my first AMC album. Got it when it came out, loved it, then picked up California. Mallon played drums on California and bass on UK, right? My California LP has no info about band roles, but I seem to remember it was Mallon on drums.
― Duke, Saturday, 11 January 2014 19:58 (ten years ago) link
i knowi know
that's not really you
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Thursday, 13 May 2021 14:08 (three years ago) link
that recent vinyl reissue of The Ugly American is really really great. that is all.
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Thursday, 13 May 2021 14:12 (three years ago) link
I hope to nab that at some point.
― intern at pelican brief consulting (Simon H.), Thursday, 13 May 2021 14:22 (three years ago) link
Re-listening to Engine. I still don't quite get it. I've been listening to AMC since buying United Kingdom in 1989. For me the "canon" begins with California. But I'm probably influenced by the UK press at the time,
― Duke, Thursday, 13 May 2021 22:08 (three years ago) link
It was Allan Jones waxing lyrical about Engine in Melody Maker that first turned me onto AMC.
― yugi ex, Thursday, 13 May 2021 22:58 (three years ago) link
I recall he described it as a masterpiece.
― yugi ex, Thursday, 13 May 2021 22:59 (three years ago) link
there's a bit about the UK reception for Engine in Sean Body's AMC book:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=4jgb3PDUuPkC&pg=PA56&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false
― building a hole (NickB), Thursday, 13 May 2021 23:15 (three years ago) link
Big night, Nightwatchmen, This year are all unfuckwithable.other than that Outside this bar, and ...maybe... Gary's song are fine but maybe rely too heavily on the solipsism of alcoholism (I used to love both).
― Tib, Friday, 14 May 2021 10:00 (three years ago) link
alcoholism and solipsism that is.
― Tib, Friday, 14 May 2021 10:01 (three years ago) link
For me At My Mercy is one of the great early AMC songs, and Asleep/This Year is a fantastic way to close the album.
― yugi ex, Friday, 14 May 2021 10:51 (three years ago) link
Actually fuck yeh the first side
― Tib, Friday, 14 May 2021 13:08 (three years ago) link
https://twitter.com/AMCofficialCLUB?s=09
― Duke, Thursday, 27 May 2021 16:50 (three years ago) link
Now on Twitter
AMC hail from San Francisco and were one of the greatest bands in the world.
no lies detected
― intern at pelican brief consulting (Simon H.), Thursday, 27 May 2021 16:52 (three years ago) link
We are here pic.twitter.com/o3CFlnHGEk— American Music Club (@AMCofficialCLUB) May 27, 2021
― Duke, Thursday, 27 May 2021 16:53 (three years ago) link
Reissue announcement imminent?
― Duke, Thursday, 27 May 2021 16:54 (three years ago) link
some of the bandcamp listings - Restless Stranger/Engine/UK/California now renamed as 'digi only release before 2022 physical remasters'
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Tuesday, 22 June 2021 09:11 (two years ago) link
Someone from Decor Records (who I assume are doing the reissues) just tweeted out a request for old (pre-1994) AMC concert photos, posters etc. Hope this means there'll be some nice illustrated booklets with them. I sent them a couple of old ticket stubs, be still my beating heart.
― joni mitchell jarre (anagram), Tuesday, 22 June 2021 09:21 (two years ago) link
wonder if i have anything. I think I had a habit of picking up posters from gigs I went to in my hitching years. So now have to wonder where they might be, if i could have actually brought them over with me.& if i have a ticket from The Tivoli in Dublin or if my chance meeting of them outside the Virgin on the Quays meant I never got one
― Stevolende, Tuesday, 22 June 2021 10:05 (two years ago) link
I'm hearing that Mark had a heart attack, but is ok right now.
― Chappies banging dustbin lids together (President Keyes), Thursday, 11 November 2021 16:59 (two years ago) link
yeah from his facebook:
Hey everybody, Mark had a heart attack yesterday but is resting now and doing ok. He is hoping to be back home soon. Sending good health to him now in bed.
― Chappies banging dustbin lids together (President Keyes), Thursday, 11 November 2021 17:01 (two years ago) link
oh jeez, I hate this
― Muad'Doob (Moodles), Thursday, 11 November 2021 17:41 (two years ago) link
That would be his second, right? He had one in 2011, IIRC. Glad to hear he's doing ok.
― Duke, Thursday, 11 November 2021 19:43 (two years ago) link
protect mark eitzel at all costs
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Thursday, 11 November 2021 20:31 (two years ago) link
yes this is his second, it was apparently worse than the first one which is troubling though he was up telling everyone about it on instagram when it happened.
― akm, Thursday, 11 November 2021 23:58 (two years ago) link
When she first saw himIn her blood she knew her roleHe'd be king of the castleShe'd be the riches he stole
Some only wander throughThe empty rooms of their soulThey need the ashes of othersTo make them whole
― ivy., Monday, 24 July 2023 17:32 (ten months ago) link
anyone with a big living room in those locations?https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02SEWmBNBbsVqeTe7LHiN2qjR6EM6Qw6MGTiKxr3n5fuRNz1ANmT1Kw198V4Cma3wHl&id=100063608964832
― StanM, Friday, 25 August 2023 07:40 (nine months ago) link
“Cleopatra Jones is an exile with a lot of class”
― calstars, Sunday, 12 November 2023 19:37 (six months ago) link