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[music, albums] Monday, 7. October 2002, 21:30 Montgolfier Brothers - The World Is Flat  They did it again. Mark Tranmer and Their first album Seventeen Stars drew me in immediately after ten seconds of listening to the song pro-celebrity standing around and I wrote a glowing review for amazon.de which I later translated here in my old blog sax & sunshine. The World Is Flat is full of outstanding tunes and lyrics (please feel free to suggest corrections, I didn't get all of them). It has a perfect flow. Up to now my album of the year. By far by the way. In the past months I was a little fed up with current music and wanted to stop buying CDs. This album has kindled the fire again and now I am back into music. The World Is Flat is a soundtrack to a film on a love gone wrong. Extremely romantic and irresistible for me. In one word: precious. Everything is simple about this music: - the magic minimalistic tunes - the sensitive striking words - the soothing and captivating voice of Quigley An intimate tender record I prefer to listen to with people who are very close or entirely on my own. Listening to it with strangers seems to be like an intrusion into emotional private territory. Almost frivolous in a sense. It is one of those CDs I am afraid of ruining by playing it too often. I don’t mean the physical CD trace of course. Like all really good things in life be it sex, drugs, food or whatever this music has to be consumed in moderation to appreciate it for a long time. The voice of Quigley and his lyrics are a very important part of this music. Gnac, ie Tranmer doing ambientish instrumentals on his own is not as thrilling. The melancholic mood is close to Belle and Sebastian and Nick Drake but more mature and calm. If Nick Drake had lived a little longer and had had a broken up love story to sing about it would probably have sounded very much like this record. In places the Montgolfier Brothers make me think of the baroque pop of Divine Comedy though their music is not as lush and orchestral. They don’t suffer from production overkill. Purely instrumental music in a similar vein was made by Durutti Column though Vini Reilly doesn't have the tunefulness. Beck who covered similar ground this year in Sea Change in comparison sounds tired and lifeless. A syrupy and sticky album, over-produced. Music just passing by, not holding the attention of the listener. A failed attempt to redo Harvest. Coldplay, another inhabitant of this part of the musical landscape are even paler in comparison. I will never and actually don’t want to understand how a band with an insupportable falsetto singer with empty embarrassing lyrics and average tunes can have such a success as Coldplay. Whereas a nice intense voice coupled with simple but profound lyrics about relationship and breathtaking melancholic melodies stays an insider tip. That again reminds me of Nick Drake so much. I nevertheless hope and think that unlike Drake Tranmer and Quigley can live with their non-success. A song by song account: 1 2.55 newbury It all starts with street noises again which segue into Quigley humming a light and sunny melody and the guitars and ambient synthesizer/keyboards slowly joining in. At the end a young woman with a strong Northern accent says I'll be the apple of your parents eye. 2 the understudy This is already slower and sets the theme of the album, the ending of a relation which was doomed from the beginning. Chances are if I could change, I’d do it all the same but differently I would have asked you early on, just what the chances were, Not sat around and wasted half a life time Understudy to the main man in your life 3 be selfish One of the highlights. It has this Cocteau Twins otherworldly night music feel. I find it astonishing that the melodic line is so simple and repeated about a million times without ever getting boring or annoying. In the beginning the guitars have this liquid cembalo sound. Together with the dominating piano they breathe a lightness into the music which is confronted by a certain gravity coming from the bass and synthesizer. The Montgolfier Brothers take all the time of the world to create a relaxed beautiful sentimental tune with a forward looking optimistic take on the situation. Move on and leave the past behind
There is even a winking kind of humour recited by an incredibly tender and smooth voice.Start thinking of your future Be selfish to be kind I‘ll miss the midnight rows and the morning smiles
which can also turn into sensitive despairing irony:and the world feeling safe holding you the conversations fueled by gin and the angry mood it gets you in We’ll cry ourselves to sleep at night in separate beds 4 the world is flat The title track and centerpiece. It starts as a calmer more settled guitar song. Rather down to earth and rational. Quigley sings of how the relation was meant to be. We will raise a family
After the piano interlude the song twists. She starts to turn awayI’ll be the apple of your parents eyes and They’ll raise a glass to us and I won’t drink the bottle dry We’ll wake each morning and We’ll count our lucky stars There’s no relationship as strong as ours and We’ll share in half our problems We’ll talk our worries through There’ll be no little secrets That I hold back from you You’ve got suspicions and
and it all turns out to have been a dream.You say you’ve got proof That my commitments float That I can’t speak the truth That I am lost and I am scared and The lawyer’s waiting so I meet you there We’ll never share our problems Or talk our worries through and All those little secrets will make their way to you You’ll find fulfillment I’ll play and lose the way and We won’t raise that family 5 the second takes forever A meandering instrumental. The piano plays a sort of scale up and down. The atmospheric acoustic guitars are wrapped around. 6 swings and roundabouts This is something like a crossover of a lullaby and a ballad. It starts with this simple musical box theme and then the bass kicks in and this daydream chorus comes on: I was like you I was strong Full of life and happy as the day was long Cause no one would deceive me And nothing could go wrong Head safely buried in the clouds Life and I just got around and it finishes with these rather mysterious lyrics with new age keyboard background Stop giving up Stop giving in And give away your secrets But keep the blueprint safe Sell your soul Don’t learn by your mistake 7 dream in organza Another intermezzo instrumental. An instrument sounding like an electric xylophone and later the piano are like colour blobs in a repetitive soundscape. Very nice background music. 8 i couldn't sleep, either A bukolic nostalgic song about the end of the relation. All which is left are memories and the question what went wrong. I pull through the photographs
The not understood break-up shows up in the music through the briefly stroken guitar chords during the chorus which don't resonate.And look beyond the smile Inch my way through your diary And hope to find some lies Some friend Some way to explain 9 think once more One of the most impressive instrumentals I have ever heard. Calm and with a simpleness of the melody reminding me of Satie though it has a very melancholic undertone. It must be one of the musical pieces with the most chord changes. In the first two minutes I counted about fifty. They sound like a briefly screeching door and add a human almost painful touch to the track. The repeated chord changes are like a never ending hiccup. 10 inches away A worthy closer in slow motion. The album condensed into one song. It sounds like watching a rose opening its petals in the morning. Beauty unfolding very slowly. Music and lyrics can only be referred to as perfect. The metronome which can be heard throughout the song gives the song this transient character. After the end of the lyrics the song turns into an instrumental with the tune blossoming in full bloom. I have to quote the complete lyrics as they can't be split. A love song to the beloved who leaves you. Inches away and not knowing The space we share Keeps us both apart We will waste our whole life Just missing each other We’ll stand an eternity Just passing each other by Inches away from never been lonely A chance to share Another human being‘s time Needing to belong To something or someone Some point of reference And some peace of mind Inches away from waking beside you Seeing god’s flashlight Turn your sleep and smile into the frown As you come round The world outside spins slowly Slowly and all the time is hour Time to redress you Undress you all that time is hour Inches away from learning to master The tricks required The magic compromise I‘m failing to hold on To that precious someone Aching your way through at last once A final unintended smile Inches away from watching you leave me I never quite understand all the reasons why
ak,
Thursday, 10. October 2002, 21:15
Re: Montgolfier Brothers - The World Is Flat
Holla, was ein Entree hier bei Antville! ... link
alex63,
Thursday, 10. October 2002, 22:08
Re: Re: Montgolfier Brothers - The World Is Flat
Na, da übertreibst Du aber etwas. Die nächsten Posts werden kürzer, versprochen. Danke für die Blumen, nevertheless.
... link ... comment
musicforgirls,
Tuesday, 10. December 2002, 22:35
Re: Montgolfier Brothers - The World Is Flat
also, erstmal riesiges kompliment ob der umfassenden review der letzten platte. da kann man absolut nichts weiter anmerken, außer vielleicht, daß roger roger heißt und nicht richard. :) ansonsten kann ich nur allen empfehlen, auch mal in die solo releases von rpmq aka quigley reinzuhören und sich darin zu verlieren. diese musik ist wie magie und läßt einen nicht wieder los...a kind of loving eben.
... link
alex63,
Wednesday, 11. December 2002, 07:57
Re: Re: Montgolfier Brothers - The World Is Flat
danke für den hinweis. schon verbessert. ich bin also doch nicht der einzige, der diese musik liebt.
à propos quigley. wo kriegt man seine soloalben? ich konnte weder über google noch beim deutschen bzw. englischen amazon was finden. ... link
musicforgirls,
Wednesday, 11. December 2002, 10:34
Re: Re: Montgolfier Brothers - The World Is Flat
also ich habe meine scheibe von www.unisex-musicmail.de mailorder. kalle ist echt nett, und kann dir bestimmt noch ein paar tipps geben, wo es vielleich noch ein paar 7" gibt.
das album wurde ja, nachdem es vespertine ja nicht mehr gibt, auf acetone rereleased und es sollte dementsprechend noch ein paar exemplare geben. ansonsten einfach mal bei www.gemm.com vorbeisurfen, bzw. bei www.normanrecords.co.uk; da habe ich meine quigley singles gefunden. gute andere indie pop mailorder sind www.clairecords.com; www.tweekitten.com und www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk wenn du willst, brenne ich dir meine quigley mp3 cd-r, da sind alle bisher veröffentlichten sachen von ihm drauf; quasi als dankeschön für die aufwendige review. es ist echt schön, andere leute zu finden, die auf diese art von musik stehen. ... link
alex63,
Wednesday, 11. December 2002, 13:27
danke für den tip
und das angebot. 1969 TILL GOD KNOWS WHEN..... is back in stock. als großer fan kaufe ich mir die cd aber lieber selber, sonst hört er wegen mangelnden verkäufen noch mit dem musikmachen auf und das will ich nun ganz bestimmt nicht...
... link
musicforgirls,
Wednesday, 11. December 2002, 17:00
Re: Re: Montgolfier Brothers - The World Is Flat
tja, da muß ich leider sagen, daß roger mit der quigley-sache für sich schon abgeschlossen hat und die alten 7" so gut wie nicht auffindbar sind, weil deleted. aber trotzdem viel glück.
sein neues projekt ist at swim two birds (dachte ich jedenfalls bis jetzt, wobei auf der web site was von vespertine son steht), aber ich denke, er konzentriert sich jetzt hauptsächlich auf die monties. seine solosachen klingen nicht so nach gnac wie bei den montgolfier brothers (was wunder, mark's hintergrundmusik fehlt ja auch), sondern haben einen sehr intensiven organischen, fließenden touch. irgendwie experimenteller - bei gnac hört sich doch alles nach ner weile gleich an - aber nicht unharmonisch. im gegenteil! :) neben dem album würde ich dir empfehlen, die split mit lazerboy 'spring will be a little late this year' zu kaufen. bei normanrecs gibt's die noch, allerdings in einem etwas staubigen und leicht zerkratzten zustand. aber da sind großartige songs drauf, ein absolutes muß... ... link
alex63,
Wednesday, 11. December 2002, 18:40
Re: Re: Montgolfier Brothers - The World Is Flat
auf opalmusic habe ich LAZER BOY/ QUIGLEY (Deleted UK split 10" with insert) ... 5.99 gefunden. ist das "spring will be a little late this year"? bei normanrecs war nix mehr in der datenbank.
... link
musicforgirls,
Wednesday, 11. December 2002, 20:24
Re: Re: Montgolfier Brothers - The World Is Flat
ja, das ist sie. wunderbar! :) lazerboy ist nicht sooo spannend, aber die 5 songs (es sind nur 4 gelistet, aber ein instrumental erschient nicht als eigener track) von rpmq sind großartig.
... link
sharethemusic,
Sunday, 9. February 2003, 21:32
Re: Re: Montgolfier Brothers - The World Is Flat
vespertine & son gibt es wieder und am 17. März erscheint dort das Album 'Quigley's Point' von at swim two birds, einem Projekt von Roger Quigley.
Info dazu wird es demnächst geben unter www.vespertineandson.com. @musicforgirls: Ich wäre sehr interessiert an der Sammlung der älteren Quigley-Solosachen... ... link ... comment |
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last updated: 2008.11.22, 21:18 subscribers: 347 contact: alex63 at bigfoot dot com 40 years, 40 albums why this is called close your eyes some photos Youre not logged in ... Login
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