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Unsung Forum » Lee Is Free |
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Paul Higgins 85 posts |
Edited Aug 23, 2017, 13:15
Aug 23, 2017, 13:12
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I''m guessing there's gotta be some Sonic Youth fans on this forum right??? Been loving the post SY solo albums by Thurston and Lee lately - so much so that it gave me the idea for this post... Although Thurston's latest album "Rock N' Roll Consciousness" is probably the best of the lot and absolutely superb and is a great showcase for his band (especially James Sedwards) and "The Best Day" was a treat too I wanted to turn my attention to Lee here... I'm sure SY fans were sad about the band coming to a grinding halt and perhaps even more so about Kim & Thurston's marriage break-up after sooo long together... Divorce after so long married (and when kids are involved) is not something we should perhaps celebrate but in this instance perhaps we should as their relationship breakdown leading to Sonic Youth ending resulted in the band's answer to George Harrison being unleashed into the world able to at last get his songs out there after the one-song-an-album treatment he often had in the Youth. Of course his solo career started way back when he was still in the band but this was mainly weird experimental stuff (no singing) - his real singer/songwriter solo career started with 2012's "Between The Times & The Tides" after the SY split. A real over-looked gem of an album I feel and one that works it's magic over you easily after repeated plays. Rather than take the manic "Hey Joni" SY-styled guitar route this album is lighter guitar pop heaven (obviously in a Ranaldo way) and even his guitar playing is relatively conventional. It's clear to see his mainly 60's influences all over it (Dylan, Mitchell, Velvets, Young, Beatles etc..) but perhaps more than anything these are real great straightforward songs showcasing his singing and songwriting in superb style. For those craving a bit more of his guitar magic the long, stretched-out more jam-like songs on next-up album "Last Night On Earth" from 2013 should suffice. Technically not a solo album as credited to "Lee Ranaldo & The Dust" it's another great record but perhaps not quite as immediate as "Between..." There is a clear Neil Young & Crazy Horse influence on some tracks and overall I think the album is a winner (although "Between.." has the slight edge). "Acoustic Dust" is maybe a hardcore-fans-only release or stop-gap and is basically a live acoustic record. Drawing on tracks from both previously mentioned albums it's basically Lee the folk singer but contains wonderful covers of The Monkees' "You Just May Be The One", Sandy Denny's delightful "Bushes & Briars" and best of all... Neil Young's "Revolution Blues." So that brings us pretty much up to date! In only a few weeks though comes his third solo/singer/songwriter album proper release in "Electric Trim" which I for one am very, very excited about. So far there has been three tracks from it that have appeared on YouTube. The first has a very Beatlesy flavour to it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2HWSUaqPd4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2XRnzj-YmE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKY7c07-H0E Would love to see him play live in this country but no dates announced as yet only ones elsewhere. 2018 maybe??? And here is my home-made wrap-up of some of Lee's fine Sonic Youth moments collected available for you to download here.... https://mega.nz/#F!lNZRUKxA!i2rnqHR6lzz02NY1Zlo_iw There was a few more I wanted on it but I made this as a CD and with those it ran over the CD time length... sorry! Saucer Like In The Kingdom 19 Pipeline/Kill Time Eric's Trip Mote What We Know Wish Fulfillment Genetic Hey Joni Rats Paper Cut Exit Rain King Skip Tracer Walkin Blue Lee Is Free NYC Ghosts & Flowers It makes for a nice Lee album in itself I'm sure you'll agree. Lee is free!
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necropolist 1689 posts |
Aug 23, 2017, 13:25
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Saw him at the 'penultimate' (at the time) ATP. Was a fine set, very Beatlesy, with more than a hint of Neil, as you say. Hadn't seen the links before, so I'm enjoying them, ta. Thurston Moore was on the same day, they were fucking mindblowingly good.
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elegant chaos 2390 posts |
Aug 23, 2017, 13:48
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James Sedwards has been around for a long time - I've seen his band Nought several times over the years and seen him about in Stoke Newington a fair bit. Prior to this in 1999 he was featured on John Peel's Sounds Of The Suburbs when he was living in Oxford (I dimly remember there was a connection with him and early Radiohead.....) anyway - check towards the end of this clip..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHqomE-MRpY
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Paul Higgins 85 posts |
Aug 23, 2017, 13:59
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Yeah I've seen that and he looks very young there. Amazing guitarist and I'd love to have seen Nought they look/sound mind-blowing. Saw him with Thurston in 2015 which was ace and recently with This Heat which was life-changing!!! Yeah very talented guy!!!!
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Citizensmurf 1703 posts |
Aug 23, 2017, 18:50
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Paul Higgins wrote: I''m guessing there's gotta be some Sonic Youth fans on this forum right??? Been loving the post SY solo albums by Thurston and Lee lately - so much so that it gave me the idea for this post... Although Thurston's latest album "Rock N' Roll Consciousness" is probably the best of the lot and absolutely superb and is a great showcase for his band (especially James Sedwards) and "The Best Day" was a treat too I wanted to turn my attention to Lee here... I'm sure SY fans were sad about the band coming to a grinding halt and perhaps even more so about Kim & Thurston's marriage break-up after sooo long together... Divorce after so long married (and when kids are involved) is not something we should perhaps celebrate but in this instance perhaps we should as their relationship breakdown leading to Sonic Youth ending resulted in the band's answer to George Harrison being unleashed into the world able to at last get his songs out there after the one-song-an-album treatment he often had in the Youth. Of course his solo career started way back when he was still in the band but this was mainly weird experimental stuff (no singing) - his real singer/songwriter solo career started with 2012's "Between The Times & The Tides" after the SY split. A real over-looked gem of an album I feel and one that works it's magic over you easily after repeated plays. Rather than take the manic "Hey Joni" SY-styled guitar route this album is lighter guitar pop heaven (obviously in a Ranaldo way) and even his guitar playing is relatively conventional. It's clear to see his mainly 60's influences all over it (Dylan, Mitchell, Velvets, Young, Beatles etc..) but perhaps more than anything these are real great straightforward songs showcasing his singing and songwriting in superb style. For those craving a bit more of his guitar magic the long, stretched-out more jam-like songs on next-up album "Last Night On Earth" from 2013 should suffice. Technically not a solo album as credited to "Lee Ranaldo & The Dust" it's another great record but perhaps not quite as immediate as "Between..." There is a clear Neil Young & Crazy Horse influence on some tracks and overall I think the album is a winner (although "Between.." has the slight edge). "Acoustic Dust" is maybe a hardcore-fans-only release or stop-gap and is basically a live acoustic record. Drawing on tracks from both previously mentioned albums it's basically Lee the folk singer but contains wonderful covers of The Monkees' "You Just May Be The One", Sandy Denny's delightful "Bushes & Briars" and best of all... Neil Young's "Revolution Blues." So that brings us pretty much up to date! In only a few weeks though comes his third solo/singer/songwriter album proper release in "Electric Trim" which I for one am very, very excited about. So far there has been three tracks from it that have appeared on YouTube. The first has a very Beatlesy flavour to it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2HWSUaqPd4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2XRnzj-YmE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKY7c07-H0E Would love to see him play live in this country but no dates announced as yet only ones elsewhere. 2018 maybe??? And here is my home-made wrap-up of some of Lee's fine Sonic Youth moments collected available for you to download here.... https://mega.nz/#F!lNZRUKxA!i2rnqHR6lzz02NY1Zlo_iw There was a few more I wanted on it but I made this as a CD and with those it ran over the CD time length... sorry! Saucer Like In The Kingdom 19 Pipeline/Kill Time Eric's Trip Mote What We Know Wish Fulfillment Genetic Hey Joni Rats Paper Cut Exit Rain King Skip Tracer Walkin Blue Lee Is Free NYC Ghosts & Flowers It makes for a nice Lee album in itself I'm sure you'll agree. Lee is free! I have not yet checked out his latest solo works, but I've had his From Here > Infinity L.P. for years and often let those loops play on and on. I've always loved his SY songs, and his voice. Too much good music coming out all the time, can't keep up with all of it. Thanks for the links.
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Paul Higgins 85 posts |
Aug 23, 2017, 19:17
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Thanks for the thanks and replies all! Actually acoustic live versions of the new album title track are all over YouTube too so that's four songs I've heard from it now... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnBiFPUyE34
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Mark1971 252 posts |
Aug 24, 2017, 16:55
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Good stuff. I was a massive SY fan, after hearing them on Peel in about '87. After a while I realised that the Lee tracks were often growers which ended up being favourites. His first solo LP (ep?) was mad as well. I forget the title, but it was on clear vinyl & mainly lock grooves! On a slight tangent, when I first heard recorded stuff by new-ish band Drenge, I described them as a bit like Lee's SY tracks. Though not as good IMHO
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Paul Higgins 85 posts |
Aug 24, 2017, 20:05
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"From Here To Infinity" it was called and was mentioned by someone else on here already. I bought it when it came out but never played it much - maybe I'll give it a spin again. Lee's guest spot with The Cribs was pretty good too... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s59rx_VBCY8
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