Well, someone's got to say it...

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

ARSE MORE LIKE.

Comments

[jel-bugle.livejournal.com]

I was shocked because I didn't even know Elbow were still going!

I don't think I've ever seen a room full of more boring skinny tie wearing indie dullards before.

I only really like symphonic metal these days.

[agincourtgirl.livejournal.com]

The jury seem to specialize in nominating some good music, then ignoring it for whatever reasons. This award seems, at best, like one of those 'oh you're still around' Oscar wins that come about a decade or so too late.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

(I should mention btw that I have never knowingly heard any Elbow in their recorded format - once walked past 'em at Glastonbury and was faintly horrified - but this is the compulsory joke that must be made every time the band do anything notable.)

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

(such as continue to shovel it out after ten years of music based around Blur's Tender)

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

SRSLY??? Dear lord it's worse than I thought.

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Actually I haven't heard their earlier funnier stuff, it's possible they've progressed to the point described.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Haha I like 'Tender'. I don't actually hate Elbow, unlike 99% of indie bands they have a singer who can sing, but they're so dull and uninspiring. Elbow are better than the Klaxons, for example, but it's a lot more baffling that they won.

[koganbot]

No, Elbow are not better than Klaxons, and you are wrong not to hate Elbow. I am now on my third song of theirs (the single, the song recommended below, and another chosen at random), and this guy sounds like Oh, I am so overcome with emotion I can barely express it (in fact can barely express anything).

(OK, fourth song, "The Fix," sounds like music hall or chanson or something channeled through a sigh. Too precious, of course, but actually enjoyable even if probably not a tick.)

Kiss me like we died tonight

[koganbot]

Ha ha, I haven't heard Blur's "Tender" but I'd be impressed if it were worse than Elbow's "One Day Like This" - which as far as I know is the only Elbow I've heard, but if you imagine the worst of show-biz vacuous meaninglessness (think of "We Are The World"* if it had been a terrible song rather than a somewhat catchy song) with the worst of indie vacuous meaninglessness, you have still not imagined this song. But maybe I'm just overreacting to the heartwarming video.

*Though the subject matter is the redeeming power of love (rather than the ennobling effect that starvation has on the not starving).

Re: Kiss me like we died tonight

[koganbot]

"Tender." Hmmm. Singer is going into retreat mode; the arrangement does the Mekons trick of refusing to bring the lead melody into focus. But the sideways slip and slide of the various elements is compelling, even if the rest refuses to be. Vastly more interesting than what I've heard of Elbow. (Which may not be representative, but I'm stopping at four.)

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I still like their first album (which was also nominated for the Mercury Prize) an awful lot. I can't really stick up for this album though as I haven't heard it apart from the underwhelming singles.

I actually watched Lauren Laverne present it all in her nice red dress last night - some of the acts were surprisingly good in the snippets they showed (Adele, Laura Marling, Portico Quartet) and some did pretty dire performances (Radiohead, Neon Neon). I quite liked British Sea Power's air raid siren but the rest of their song was uninteresting.

The best bit though was the bed music when they were reading out the nominees - some sort of boshing minimal which I vaguely recognised and am desperate to identify so I can hear it again on repeat x1000.

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

I actually watched Lauren Laverne present it all in her nice red dress last night

Did you REALLY like her dress? I thought she looked like she was wearing a tablecloth. And not a nice tablecloth, but the sort that you get in a greasy spoon.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Nothing wrong with greasy spoon tablecloths!

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

There's nothing wrong with greasy spoon tablecloths if they're being used for their primary purpose i.e. on a table in a greasy spoon. I'm not convinced they work so well on a 90s indie singer-turned TV presenter.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

The track used during the nominees recap was LCD Soundsystem's 'Get Innocuous'

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Really? I'm pleasantly surprised! I had sort of written off LCD Soundsytem as not worthy of general attention.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

when they're good they're great. but that's about a third of the time at best.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Even 'Yeah' and 'Losing My Edge'?! I think LCD Soundsystem are really amazing at all times except when they do albums, which then get bafflingly overrated by the music press.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

also i agree that Portico Quartet actually sounded good. love their steel drum type thing (it's called a Haang or something), and the clarinet/sax (i can't remember which it was) sounded really nice too (i wish Graham Massey had used this on 808 State's 'Pacific' now instead of that Yamaha digital version)

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I really couldn't care less about the Mercury prize generally but am still appalled that anyone could think Elbow are better than [insert name of, well, anyone here]. My main emotion is pity for those people rather than anger or even irritation.

I would also like to disassociate myself from the Popjustice prize winner. Girls Aloud AGAIN well done on that admission of defeat. Leona was robbed.

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

WRONG.

Call The Shots >>>>>> Bleeding Love

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I like 'Call The Shots' but it's only an 8/10 sort of song, kind of like Gwen's 'Early Winter' but not as good. 'Bleeding Love' is a real standard.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Funnily enough in the past I think PJ have given it to Girls Aloud unjustifiably, but this year Call the Shots deserved it.

[(Anonymous)]

bah, Little Boots should've won

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

i bought the first (? asleep in the back) elbow album just for the one track 'powder blue'.

i gave it away immediately.

sludge.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Oh god I have just remembered Elbow's actual worst crime against humanity - their Destiny's Child cover :((((

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

That was pretty unforgiveable, kittens in flat caps or no.

[ruudboy.livejournal.com]

You're both wrong, obviously. That's grate.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

MC is OTM on Popular: fix Fix FIX

Anyway, why were you lot watching this nonsense instead of listening to Resonance?

[datura800.livejournal.com]

So what we have here is a bunch of people complaining about a band they've barely even listened to?

The Elbow album is BRILLIANT. Making assumptions about it because it is some white guys with guitars is not only silly, but also rather pathetic. I've heard about 8 of the albums that were nominated and would have been happy with either Elbow or Burial.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Name a track that'll convince me: I'll slsk it and give it a shot.

[datura800.livejournal.com]

'Friend of Ours' is about the guy they dedicated the award to, and I think it's heartbreaking. Though I'm not sure 'I'LL LISTEN TO 4 MINUTES AND THEN DECIDE IF THEY'RE GOOD OR NOT' is exactly fair.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Well, when you consider:

- there are a hell of a lot of bands in the world
- most people who I trust don't seem to like this one
- they're not in an idiom I much like anymore

I think it's not ungenerous! I'll give it a listen, thanks for the recommendation.

[datura800.livejournal.com]

It’s not really a justification I can understand, because if I didn’t know much about an act who won a high profile award I would either keep quiet about them or investigate further before offering my opinion. But ho hum.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Hold on, what am I meant to be justifying exactly?

[datura800.livejournal.com]

Why were you offering me explanations then?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I think we're getting circular! I was under the impression that "investigating further before offering my opinion" was exactly what I was doing by asking you for a track - and was justifying asking for just the one.

[ijgrieve.livejournal.com]

I've only heard the single, and thought it was instantly forgettable (I don't even remember what it was called - Summer something?). Unless you're telling me that's the weakest song on there I think I'll pass.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I have now heard Elbow!! Thanks to datura800 for his recommendation. I heard "Friend of Ours", which is a long, resolutely mid-paced track with a very attractive string arrangement. It does the classic "Hey Jude" thing of saving its biggest hook till the end and repeating it a lot - this can sound rather bullying, but doesn't here. It feels like a track where pent-up emotions are flooding out in a big wave of good fellowship and mateyness: it's track 11, so I'm guessing it's at the end of the album, probably a bit cathartic, and maybe works in a similar way to the closing track on the second Streets record? The singer reminds me a bit of the New FADS!

Anyway, as a track, yes, I can definitely see the appeal (though why Lex doesn't hate them amazes me), though I'd like it more without the two minute huggathon. I will put the album on my "hear before I make my year-end list" list.