From: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org (seven-seas-digest) To: seven-seas-digest@smoe.org Subject: seven-seas-digest V4 #502 Reply-To: seven-seas@smoe.org Sender: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Precedence: bulk seven-seas-digest Friday, October 28 2005 Volume 04 : Number 502 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 11:45:24 +0100 From: "jswee" Subject: Re: seven-seas blogcritics.org/ Hi, In my imagination Siberia is a referenceto Flydoor Dostoevsky's "Crime & Punishment" where Raskolnikov is sent to siberia after his confession of mudering the Alena & Lizaveta. There he meets peasant prisoners & nihilists. It's a great book & he finds his soul in siberia! Just a thought, Jon Sweeney. - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kristin Smith" To: Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2005 10:34 PM Subject: seven-seas blogcritics.org/ > http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/27/142620.php > > CD Review: Echo And The Bunnymen - Siberia > Posted by Wally Bangs on October 27, 2005 > The front cover of the latest Echo And The Bunnymen album, Siberia, is a > non-descript photo of pincipals Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant peering from > what appears to be an abandoned building. The inside cover shows the word > "verboten" written in red paint on the structure which left me wondering > what the connection between a German word and Siberia would be. Trying to > match an album cover up with the music inside may seem a bit much to some, > but Echo is a band that always seemed to me to be wrapped up in symbols and > mythology. They were more than a rock band during their halcyon days when > they wore military anoraks to the stage and the promise of youth seemed > eternal. > An album like Porcupine lived up to its cover with music suggestively > prickly and cold. Ocean Rain looked to be wondrous and enchanting and it > was. Siberia's cover is prosaic with the only promise perhaps one of > haunting echoes. The appearance of Hugh Jones as producer is notable. He > co-produced Heaven Up Here. Another echo from the past. Which could be a > very good thing. Since Ian and Will have revived the Bunnymen name each > succeeding release has been a pale imitation of past greatness heavy on > ballads and rockers that sound more of mid 90's Britrock than classic > Bunnymen. Those albums were all of decent quality, but they all seemed to > miss the mark. Where was the serpentine shards of guitar and the propulsive > bass? The dynamic pauses had all been shunted aside for some seamless weld > that held no spark. > Siberia makes attempts at reconciling the old with the new making it the > best release since Will and Ian decided to take Peaches and Herb's advice. > McCulloch's vocals have long since transcended the days when they regarded > as aping Jim Morrison. They possess a burnished sublime beauty all his own > well showcased on "All Because Of You Days"; a slow burner of sentimentality > given a real ache by Ian. "Parthenon Drive" is being touted as the song most > like the past and it does have the muted slippy drive of old giving it a > recoil and snap I wish they would embrace more often. Hints of the old > dynamic tension surface fleetingly on "In The Margins"; a good example that > it's the notes you don't play that sometimes makes a song. > McCulloch also has a way with those "in between" songs; those tunes that are > neither ballad nor rocker. "Of A Life" is the best of this sort. A mild > Madchester bass lopes under the title track reminding me that Echo never got > the proper credit they deserved for helping to inspire the "baggy" scene. > Some hard rock flourishes show up in "Sideways Eight" and get full blown on > "Scissors In The Sand" which manages to meld The Who, Joy Division, and Echo > And The Bunnymen into one monolithic screamer. The album tumbles back down > to a fitting soul searching end for "What If We Are?" where even the > sappiest of questions deserves an answer. > Siberia is less I'll meet you halfway there as it is taking a few steps back > before going forward. We'll just have to accept that they sound more like > "Bring On The Dancing Horses" than "The Cutter". The promise of youth may > not be eternal, but McCulloch and Sergeant are aging gracefully without > tarnishing their past. I bet they would still look cool in military garb > though. Echo And The Bunnymen will begin a North American Tour in November. > > > > ===================================================================== > Bunnymen Online Presence: > http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info > * > http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ > * > http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ > * > http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 > * > > ====================================================================== > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.361 / Virus Database: 267.12.5/149 - Release Date: 25/10/2005 ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 * ====================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 11:45:11 +0100 From: "KPJ" Subject: Re: seven-seas blogcritics.org/ .......and I got some new shoes :-) > Hi, > > In my imagination Siberia is a referenceto Flydoor Dostoevsky's "Crime & > Punishment" where Raskolnikov is sent to siberia after his confession of > mudering the Alena & Lizaveta. There he meets peasant prisoners & nihilists. > It's a great book & he finds his soul in siberia! > > Just a thought, > > Jon Sweeney. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Kristin Smith" > To: > Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2005 10:34 PM > Subject: seven-seas blogcritics.org/ > > > > http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/27/142620.php > > > > CD Review: Echo And The Bunnymen - Siberia > > Posted by Wally Bangs on October 27, 2005 > > The front cover of the latest Echo And The Bunnymen album, Siberia, is a > > non-descript photo of pincipals Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant peering > from > > what appears to be an abandoned building. The inside cover shows the word > > "verboten" written in red paint on the structure which left me wondering > > what the connection between a German word and Siberia would be. Trying to > > match an album cover up with the music inside may seem a bit much to some, > > but Echo is a band that always seemed to me to be wrapped up in symbols > and > > mythology. They were more than a rock band during their halcyon days when > > they wore military anoraks to the stage and the promise of youth seemed > > eternal. > > An album like Porcupine lived up to its cover with music suggestively > > prickly and cold. Ocean Rain looked to be wondrous and enchanting and it > > was. Siberia's cover is prosaic with the only promise perhaps one of > > haunting echoes. The appearance of Hugh Jones as producer is notable. He > > co-produced Heaven Up Here. Another echo from the past. Which could be a > > very good thing. Since Ian and Will have revived the Bunnymen name each > > succeeding release has been a pale imitation of past greatness heavy on > > ballads and rockers that sound more of mid 90's Britrock than classic > > Bunnymen. Those albums were all of decent quality, but they all seemed to > > miss the mark. Where was the serpentine shards of guitar and the > propulsive > > bass? The dynamic pauses had all been shunted aside for some seamless weld > > that held no spark. > > Siberia makes attempts at reconciling the old with the new making it the > > best release since Will and Ian decided to take Peaches and Herb's advice. > > McCulloch's vocals have long since transcended the days when they regarded > > as aping Jim Morrison. They possess a burnished sublime beauty all his own > > well showcased on "All Because Of You Days"; a slow burner of > sentimentality > > given a real ache by Ian. "Parthenon Drive" is being touted as the song > most > > like the past and it does have the muted slippy drive of old giving it a > > recoil and snap I wish they would embrace more often. Hints of the old > > dynamic tension surface fleetingly on "In The Margins"; a good example > that > > it's the notes you don't play that sometimes makes a song. > > McCulloch also has a way with those "in between" songs; those tunes that > are > > neither ballad nor rocker. "Of A Life" is the best of this sort. A mild > > Madchester bass lopes under the title track reminding me that Echo never > got > > the proper credit they deserved for helping to inspire the "baggy" scene. > > Some hard rock flourishes show up in "Sideways Eight" and get full blown > on > > "Scissors In The Sand" which manages to meld The Who, Joy Division, and > Echo > > And The Bunnymen into one monolithic screamer. The album tumbles back down > > to a fitting soul searching end for "What If We Are?" where even the > > sappiest of questions deserves an answer. > > Siberia is less I'll meet you halfway there as it is taking a few steps > back > > before going forward. We'll just have to accept that they sound more like > > "Bring On The Dancing Horses" than "The Cutter". The promise of youth may > > not be eternal, but McCulloch and Sergeant are aging gracefully without > > tarnishing their past. I bet they would still look cool in military garb > > though. Echo And The Bunnymen will begin a North American Tour in > November. ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://www.villiersterrace.com * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * http://www.softskull.com/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-887128-89-6 * ====================================================================== ------------------------------ End of seven-seas-digest V4 #502 ********************************