croup, it's long been my opinion that Telephono is the best one, and I'm sure I've said so at least once in every Spoon thread ever started on ilm. Opinions, I got 'em.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 20:54 (ten years ago) link
I'm a big Telephono/Series of Sneaks fan but Gimme Fiction might be their best? Girls Can Tell is the worst.
― Immediate Follower (NA), Tuesday, 5 August 2014 20:54 (ten years ago) link
Ithink I'd go
GCT > GF > SoS > TWMS > GAx5 > KtM > Transference > Telephono
― Simon H., Tuesday, 5 August 2014 20:55 (ten years ago) link
well shut my mouth! though that just goes to reaffirm that this isn't a band with an obv canonical pick
5Ga and KTM are my least fave (a challop i treasure) and I usually say Gimme Fiction's my fave though I could make arguments for any of their first 3 too
― da croupier, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 20:55 (ten years ago) link
i guess Kill the Moonlight was their first album to get pazz'n'jop style ass smooches from day one, though that was cuz enough people'd got on board with GCT
― da croupier, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 20:57 (ten years ago) link
I can't imagine what someone who finds "Everything Hits At Once" too precious must think of, like, "Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine"
― Simon H., Tuesday, 5 August 2014 20:58 (ten years ago) link
I will take "Two Sides..." over "Everything..."
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 5 August 2014 20:58 (ten years ago) link
they both rule obv
― call all destroyer, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 21:03 (ten years ago) link
i really enjoy series of sneaks, never even really play telephono, but even though sneaks is certainly a full-fledged album it seems kind of undeveloped in comparison with the ones that follow. i never really even listen to 'girls' since they still seem like they're not fully themselves yet. people who pick the earlier ones seem to me to want to place the band in some other context than the one they earned by developing a consistent sound of their own.
would probably go transference > fiction > kill = ga > soul > sneaks > girls > telephono at present.
i didn't mean before that the music is kind of wallpapery, or that people use it that way, but that they seem to develop a really intensely personal but obscure and quotidian affection for the records that does seem like it correlates in some way with the cryptic and guarded emotiveness of the songs and the stylishness of the sounds, like the records are destined to be these things from the listeners' lives that move them deeply 10 or 20 years from now without their understanding why at all
― j., Tuesday, 5 August 2014 21:04 (ten years ago) link
people who pick the earlier ones seem to me to want to place the band in some other context than the one they earned by developing a consistent sound of their own.
I'm placing them in the context by which I was introduced to them. At some point, we decided to split up and go different directions. It's cool. Every once in a while I check in to see what they're doing now, and I'll always remember the good times we had early on, but Spoon really isn't a part of my life now.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 21:18 (ten years ago) link
re: cryptic / guarded nature of their stuff, I think for me a big part of that is the unique mix of generalities and specifics in Daniel's lyrics, like the distinct use of proper names and locations, real or imagined, vs. the occasional plainspoken pronouncement (eg "I'm in need of someone to take care of me tonight"). He's got a good sense of balance, such that I don't think they've ever had an embarrassing set of lyrics. xp
― Simon H., Tuesday, 5 August 2014 21:18 (ten years ago) link
i didn't listen to them early on because i got sick of indie rock around then and they were fashionable, so when i did get around to them it was on my terms xp
― j., Tuesday, 5 August 2014 21:21 (ten years ago) link
people who pick the earlier ones seem to me to want to place the band in some other context than the one they earned by developing a consistent sound of their own
people pick the album they enjoy. If Please Please Me floats your boat more than Sgt Peppers it's not like you owe it to the beatles to respect their desire to have mustaches
― da croupier, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 21:23 (ten years ago) link
when i say Slim Shady LP is my favorite Eminem album because it's the least turgid, its not that i want to place him in some other context than the one he earned by being consistently turgid later
― da croupier, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 21:26 (ten years ago) link
There are definitely some bands I'll go the mat in arguments for because I'm really invested in my own feelings about them. Spoon isn't one. I like the first two albums (and the stray tracks from the same era) and I don't have any attachment to the ones after the first two. If anybody else does, that's great. In fact, it seems like most people do favor the rest of the Spoon catalogue over the first two. I just always chime in to make sure early Spoon isn't entirely overlooked.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 21:29 (ten years ago) link
it's totally fair to prefer when they were more Doolittle than Glass Houses
― da croupier, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 21:32 (ten years ago) link
damn, they do sound super Doolittle on telephono (listening for first time)
― Sufjan Grafton, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 21:40 (ten years ago) link
haha yeah i love "don't buy the realistic" but they were asking for all the shit they got by putting such a shameless (if awesome) pixies rip at the beginning of their first album in 1996
― da croupier, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 21:43 (ten years ago) link
closer to Voices than Glass Houses, if only because of Daniel's hair.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 5 August 2014 21:59 (ten years ago) link
I'm a latecomer who only started with 5ga (it's still my favourite) and having only just heard of the divine fits (yeah I live in a cave) I'm stoked I have two new albums to discover, albeit one where they have a guest vocalist and britt decides to channel early 80s synth rock (apologies to dan boeckner for downplaying his contribution for the purposes of weak humour).
― ledge, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 22:02 (ten years ago) link
hi5(ga)
― Sufjan Grafton, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 22:06 (ten years ago) link
After a couple of listens I think this is about on a par with Transference, in other words a solid 7/10 containing some of their best songs but also some stuff that doesn't work for me at all (e.g. the one with the whistling). My favourites are Girls Can Tell and Ga Ga etc fwiw.
― Gavin, Leeds, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 22:20 (ten years ago) link
good Spoon: Telephono, Sneaks, GCT, KTM-ish
boring Spoon: KTM-ish, Fiction, Ga x 5
boring Spoon trying to be good Spoon (with surprisingly decent results): Transference
oasis of awesome in the middle of Boring Spoon Desert: Sisters Jack
ain't heard this new one bc I don't exactly run to hear new Spoon albums anymore
― alpine static, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 23:30 (ten years ago) link
nobody does. they just use spotify.
― Sufjan Grafton, Tuesday, 5 August 2014 23:40 (ten years ago) link
here would be my order and i'm right ;-)
1. Kill the Moonlight2. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga3. Gimme Fiction4. Transference5. Girls Can Tell6. They Want My Soul7. A Series of Sneaks8. Telephono (own but barely played)
i would rank The Divine Fits album forth overall.
― Bee OK, Wednesday, 6 August 2014 03:30 (ten years ago) link
btw, any ilxor's going to the Hollywood show on Friday? i will be there, as you probably know by this thread.
― Bee OK, Wednesday, 6 August 2014 03:50 (ten years ago) link
Gimmie FictionGa Ga Ga Ga GaThey Want My Soul (It could be three or four, but I'm enjoying it on first listen much more then I did Tranference.)TransferenceGirls Can TellKill the MoonlightTelephonoA Series of Snakes
― DavidLeeRoth, Wednesday, 6 August 2014 14:37 (ten years ago) link
Since everyone's doing it, Kill the Moonlight and Transference are my favorites. I think I like studio fuckery Spoon. Then I think I like Series of Sneaks? I found GGGGG and Gimme Fiction to be sorta dull
― global tetrahedron, Wednesday, 6 August 2014 15:45 (ten years ago) link
GF has plenty of studio fakery!
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 6 August 2014 15:50 (ten years ago) link
and fuckery
Fiction/Moonlight/Girls > GaGa/Sneaks >> Telefono >>> Transference
Love this band. Haven't heard the new one yet, but am hopeful!
― Hadrian VIII, Wednesday, 6 August 2014 15:58 (ten years ago) link
GGGGG > Girls > Moonlight > Transference > GF > Series of Sneaks
I'm listening to the new one right now and there are a lot of classic Spoon-y tracks, not sure how it ranks yet.
― voodoo chili, Wednesday, 6 August 2014 16:05 (ten years ago) link
Oh excellent we've devolved into ranking Spoon albums again.
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 6 August 2014 19:59 (ten years ago) link
Eat is definitely the best thing they've ever done. I'm totally loving "Love Laboratory." Thought this band would never really hit on a new sound, but I was wrong.
― dlp9001, Wednesday, 6 August 2014 20:22 (ten years ago) link
Just realized: 8 albums in, & this is the first time they've done a title track!
― dont even make sense right now because of my shoulder medication (bernard snowy), Wednesday, 6 August 2014 21:30 (ten years ago) link
Xp lol
― dont even make sense right now because of my shoulder medication (bernard snowy), Wednesday, 6 August 2014 21:31 (ten years ago) link
when i say Slim Shady LP is my favorite Eminem album because it's the least turgid, its not that i want to place him in some other context than the one he earned by being consistently turgid later― da croupier
― da croupier
― a lot of really bad records changed my life (staggerlee), Thursday, 7 August 2014 01:09 (ten years ago) link
this is the first time they've done a title track!
and it's my favorite on this lp
― nerve_pylon, Thursday, 7 August 2014 01:57 (ten years ago) link
I'm in love with "Inside Out"—the rippling synth harp reminds of Final Fantasy*, in the best possible way
* the games, not the old moniker of Owen Pallett
― dont even make sense right now because of my shoulder medication (bernard snowy), Thursday, 7 August 2014 23:56 (ten years ago) link
Yeah that's my fave track too.
― Immediate Follower (NA), Friday, 8 August 2014 00:54 (ten years ago) link
Reminds me of "Who Makes Your Money" but that's their best song from the last few albums so fair enough.
― Immediate Follower (NA), Friday, 8 August 2014 01:17 (ten years ago) link
yeah some vibe in those two songs but who makes your money is maybe my fave spoon song ever
― call all destroyer, Friday, 8 August 2014 01:21 (ten years ago) link
They do "trippy" sonics v.well, when they want to.
Is there anything on the Divine Fits album in that same vein?
― dont even make sense right now because of my shoulder medication (bernard snowy), Friday, 8 August 2014 01:29 (ten years ago) link
(Go ahead & "Paper Tiger", the 'original' lightly-psychedelic Spoon groove)
― dont even make sense right now because of my shoulder medication (bernard snowy), Friday, 8 August 2014 01:57 (ten years ago) link
"The Salton Sea" is on the groovier end of that axis.
― Simon H., Friday, 8 August 2014 02:44 (ten years ago) link
Bought this yesterday & haven't properly listened to it (sober, that is) but first impressions are excellent. "I Just Don't Understand" seems very much of a piece with their (Britt's? I can't remember) cover of "Bring It On Home To Me".
― a lot of really bad records changed my life (staggerlee), Friday, 8 August 2014 18:47 (ten years ago) link
i'm (irrationally) annoyed that after laffitte etc. they still left merge for a pseudo-major
sounds cool on initial listening, tho, if busier than i'd have expected. i guess more band members does generally imply more space filled in
― mookieproof, Friday, 8 August 2014 23:35 (ten years ago) link
lovvveee this album. especially tracks 2,3,4,6,7,10. TWMS> KtM >etc etc etc they're all good.they're the only cool indie rock band
― cerealbar, Saturday, 9 August 2014 00:35 (ten years ago) link
listening to 'do you' and man this band still makes me so happy 10 years later
― ciderpress, Sunday, 10 August 2014 22:21 (ten years ago) link
yeah this album is great
― iatee, Sunday, 10 August 2014 22:28 (ten years ago) link