late sleeper on sarah, where do i start
― kolakube (Ross), Tuesday, 2 January 2018 02:52 (six years ago) link
fumbling then solace then surfacing then the others if you want more
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Tuesday, 2 January 2018 02:54 (six years ago) link
disagree
surfacing first, then fumbling, then touch and solace
essential non-album cuts include the immortal "i will remember you" from the brothers mcmullen soundtrack, which is possibly her finest song. other ones to look out for include the electric version of ice and the tom waits cover from the freedom sessions and the delerium collaboration "silence"
while listening to surfacing you may be interested to know that the album was referred to in the starr report in the context of an note monica lewinsky wrote to bill clinton after he had a copy in his office. she said the song "do what you have to do" really reminded her of him.
― james brooks, Wednesday, 3 January 2018 05:20 (six years ago) link
surfacing is the only one i've heard, and i love that one
know some of her other tracks (like Silence and Fear). Thanks for the recs
― kolakube (Ross), Wednesday, 3 January 2018 05:22 (six years ago) link
Second "Silence." But Fumbling remains my favorite -- "Elsewhere" is so good.
― Leee. Earl Grey, hot. (Leee), Thursday, 4 January 2018 20:45 (six years ago) link
i mean my reasoning behind recommending solace second is that after you hear fumbling you gotta hear "path of thorns"
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Thursday, 4 January 2018 21:08 (six years ago) link
these days I'd actually recommend people start with her dance remixes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2cR7AORkMU
― sick, fucking funny, and well tasty (katherine), Thursday, 4 January 2018 21:10 (six years ago) link
I don't think there's much reason not to admit that Fumbling Towards Ecstasy is far and away her greatest record; though the ones before and after are also great, they feel like a practice run and a slight comedown respectively. Everything just snaps into focus almost without any flaws on FTE.
― Tim F, Thursday, 4 January 2018 21:18 (six years ago) link
hoo boy that is great xp
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Thursday, 4 January 2018 21:19 (six years ago) link
yes fumbling is a great classic album. none of the others quite measure up.
― akm, Thursday, 4 January 2018 21:21 (six years ago) link
To be clear I do think that Surfacing in particular is an excellent and very interesting record in its own right (see my discussion of it w/r/t "Lost in California" in my 2017 round-up thread).
― Tim F, Thursday, 4 January 2018 21:27 (six years ago) link
i genuinely prefer surfacing to fumbling
it's tighter, darker, more stylish, more atmospheric, more distinctive
i've never felt otherwise
― james brooks, Thursday, 4 January 2018 23:47 (six years ago) link
I’d say at best some of those are a draw and otherwise (darker, more atmospheric, more distinctive) those qualities are stronger on fumbling.
But then the darker songs on fumbling (in particular Wait, Plenty, Elsewhere, Ice, Fear) are basically my favourite of hers, so...
In dearness to Surfacing there is more distinction between the songs, though equally you could chalk that up to Fumbling mostly seeking to establish a sustained mood.
― Tim F, Friday, 5 January 2018 00:11 (six years ago) link
Meanwhile, talking about Sarah always makes me want to know whether people have listened to the first Jonatha Brooke album.
― Tim F, Friday, 5 January 2018 00:12 (six years ago) link
I have a few Jonatha Brooke records, my favourite is 'Back in the Circus' (the European version) tho' the first is great too, particularly 'Inconsolable' aka 'The Saddest Song Ever Written' (well, one of!).
― Bloody Snail, Friday, 5 January 2018 00:24 (six years ago) link
I do like Surfacing, but obviously the ubiquity of some songs makes overcoming them a little harder. That said, "Building a Mystery" is one of her best melodies outside of FTE.
― Leee. Earl Grey, hot. (Leee), Friday, 5 January 2018 18:14 (six years ago) link
when i was a teenager i bought surfacing from a video game/used CD shop. this track was always my fav
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b57Ie6L9oy844\
i grew up with muchmusic playing her singles but never gave her the proper due, thank you all itt i will go further
― kolakube (Ross), Saturday, 6 January 2018 05:21 (six years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9PGl5RjXHA
― kolakube (Ross), Saturday, 6 January 2018 05:22 (six years ago) link
Possession always kills me, i think there's a sense via the performance that there's something gauzier about the song but there is a real nightmare at the heart of it.
Into this night I wander,It's morning that I dread,Another day of knowing ofThe path I fear to tread,Oh, into the sea of waking dreamsI follow without pride,Nothing stands between us hereAnd I won't be deniedAnd I would be the oneTo hold you downKiss you so hardI'll take your breath awayAnd after I'd, wipe away the tearsJust close your eyes dear
And I would be the oneTo hold you downKiss you so hardI'll take your breath awayAnd after I'd, wipe away the tearsJust close your eyes dear
the song is heard so frequently that it's probably underrated as a horror story.
― omar little, Thursday, 14 February 2019 02:17 (five years ago) link
the story of how that song was written and then the consequences are even scarier to me
― boxedjoy, Thursday, 14 February 2019 08:47 (five years ago) link
Surfacing is a good album but one of the unintended consequences of its success was to obscure just how dark about two thirds of Fumbling Towards Ecstasy was.
― Tim F, Thursday, 14 February 2019 11:02 (five years ago) link
I only listened 'Fumbling Towards Ecstasy' two years ago and it was such a blessing.
― Nourry, Thursday, 14 February 2019 12:51 (five years ago) link
https://x.com/dfriend/status/1782171991107051550
― paisley got boring (Eazy), Monday, 22 April 2024 02:59 (four days ago) link
I should probably visit (revisit? I can't remember now if I have listened to any of them) Sarah's post-Surfacing work before I decide whether to be excited or not about a new album.
However the revival of this thread is always a good opportunity to point out again that ivy's review of Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (linked above) is a work of absolute brilliance/genius/etc.
(also lol @ me in 2004 being quite curmudgeonly about Sarah's music aside from FTE - that was probably the highpoint of me second-guessing my teenage aesthetic predilections)
― Tim F, Monday, 22 April 2024 05:40 (four days ago) link
saw her tour ‘solace’ in 1992 and it was a fantastic show but then i never really kept up
― mookieproof, Monday, 22 April 2024 05:52 (four days ago) link
The “in the aaaaaarms of an angel” song popped into my head this week and I was thinking about how it was a bizarro world Trinity Sessions. Slow it down a hair and make it more lofi.
― papal hotwife (milo z), Monday, 22 April 2024 07:36 (four days ago) link
Sarah's post-Surfacing work
The absolute highlight of the last 27 years are the two new songs she put on her greatest hits in the wake of her sinking marriage; they also appeared on her next album Laws of Illusion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v33gY7HqlQ
― Halfway there but for you, Monday, 22 April 2024 12:29 (four days ago) link
i did refresh my opinions on her post-surfacing work and came away very impressed by laws of illusion... can't remember any of it now of course
― ivy., Monday, 22 April 2024 13:56 (four days ago) link
Haha apt revival, last night I was speaking with a friend about Lilith Fair and how stacked their lineups were particularly those in 1998.
I don’t know if I’m excited about a Mclachlan album at this point because I don’t think I’ve heard anything past Surfacing either… but sure I’ll give it a try and approach it with low expectations.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Monday, 22 April 2024 15:12 (four days ago) link
her working with tony berg is encouraging
― ivy., Monday, 22 April 2024 15:16 (four days ago) link