Outstanding Songs .... pre-'75

[Jyqm]

Originally Posted by DavidMn

As far as Penguin goes, Nightwatch and Revelation are not bad at all.

I think what really keeps Penguin from being a good album is that it feels like something of an odds-n-sods collection, which is reflected in the arrangements and production as much as the songs themselves.

In contrast, Future Games and Bare Trees are each very much of-a-piece. They really excel at setting a particular sonic mood and carrying it all the way through each album, even when the song themselves aren't especially similar. The first three songs on Future Games are incredibly different from one another, but they flow into each other almost seamlessly. Similarly, "Sentimental Lady" is a far cry from "Danny's Chant" is a far cry from "Homeward Bound," but there's a certain aesthetic that binds those songs; they belong on the same album together.

Penguin just lacks that sense of cohesion in a lot of ways. Welch's and Christine's songs are mostly pretty good, but they don't necessarily belong together - Christine's are a little too pop, Welch's are a little too spacy, and they rub up against each other in the wrong way ("Did You Ever Love Me" into "Night Watch"? What?). Of course, Dave Walker's tunes don't help matters at all in this respect; he's off in a completely different from either of the other two. But more importantly, the arrangements and production don't bring these disparate elements together the way they did on the previous two albums (as well as on the next two). There's something a little generic about a lot of the arrangements, and the production lacks a coherent aesthetic direction, and the album suffers because of it.

Them's my thoughts, anyway. Who knew I had so much to say about Penguin today?

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by Jyqm

I think what really keeps Penguin from being a good album is that it feels like something of an odds-n-sods collection, which is reflected in the arrangements and production as much as the songs themselves.

In contrast, Future Games and Bare Trees are each very much of-a-piece. They really excel at setting a particular sonic mood and carrying it all the way through each album, even when the song themselves aren't especially similar. The first three songs on Future Games are incredibly different from one another, but they flow into each other almost seamlessly. Similarly, "Sentimental Lady" is a far cry from "Danny's Chant" is a far cry from "Homeward Bound," but there's a certain aesthetic that binds those songs; they belong on the same album together.

Penguin just lacks that sense of cohesion in a lot of ways. Welch's and Christine's songs are mostly pretty good, but they don't necessarily belong together - Christine's are a little too pop, Welch's are a little too spacy, and they rub up against each other in the wrong way ("Did You Ever Love Me" into "Night Watch"? What?). Of course, Dave Walker's tunes don't help matters at all in this respect; he's off in a completely different from either of the other two. But more importantly, the arrangements and production don't bring these disparate elements together the way they did on the previous two albums (as well as on the next two). There's something a little generic about a lot of the arrangements, and the production lacks a coherent aesthetic direction, and the album suffers because of it.

Them's my thoughts, anyway. Who knew I had so much to say about Penguin today?

You know what else I thought was weird? How they put Did You Ever Love Me on the box set instead of Nightwatch or Revelation.I didnt get that at all.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by DavidMn

You know what else I thought was weird? How they put Did You Ever Love Me on the box set instead of Nightwatch or Revelation.I didnt get that at all.

Ummmm..."Did You Ever Love Me?" was a single from the Penguin album. And, "Night Watch" & "Revelation" were Bob Welch tunes. I think the Robert Welch vs Fleetwood Mac royalty recovery suit was in full-swing when they were compiling the box set...hence, other than the rare outtake of "Lay It All Down" & "Hypnotized" (did they put "Sentimental Lady" on it? I don't remember and I don't feel like looking it up at the moment), Bob Welch, as a songwriter, is pretty much absent from the box set.

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by chiliD

Ummmm..."Did You Ever Love Me?" was a single from the Penguin album. And, "Night Watch" & "Revelation" were Bob Welch tunes. I think the Robert Welch vs Fleetwood Mac royalty recovery suit was in full-swing when they were compiling the box set...hence, other than the rare outtake of "Lay It All Down" & "Hypnotized" (did they put "Sentimental Lady" on it? I don't remember and I don't feel like looking it up at the moment), Bob Welch, as a songwriter, is pretty much absent from the box set.

Fair enough.Thank you for enlightening me.

[aleuzzi]

My fav pre-75 tunes...I have so many, but here's a list of ten that suit me for today:

Rollin' Man (I can listen to this all friggin day!)
Like it This Way (ditto)
Station Man (Is this the best slow-burn rocker you ever heard?)
Honey Hush (Nothing on the Stone's Exile compares to this)
Dragonfly (simply gorgeous)
Dust (One of the most moving songs I've ever heard)
Remember Me (The piano-bass-drum unit is really tight here)
Emerald Eyes (beautiful harmonies here)
Miles Away (what a cooker!)
Why (Need I comment?)