Law & Order: An Analysis - Page 4

bluefox4000 · #46 02-04-2012, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nico

Here's the real question, Mick...

Could you imagine Bryan Ferry singing this song?

With his new wife. Oh snap.

Oh I'd kill to hear Ferry do this song. I'd bust a gut

Mick

PenguinHead · #47 02-04-2012, 01:06 AM

Stevie and Lindsey both put out their first solo albums in the same time frame. I was completely blown away by Stevie's Bella Donna, so polished and atmospheric. Then when I got Lindsey's Law and Order, so odd and quirky, I didn't know what to think! It took me years to finally appreciate it.

At the time, I was comparing it to the sheen of Fleetwood Mac, and the only song that fit the bill was Trouble. But I remember being very impressed that he played all the instruments on it. Yet his avant-gard leanings seemed to stretch far beyond his Tusk musings. I wished the album would have been more mainstream, like Stevie's album. But all these years later, my perspective has completely turned.

Like Tusk, Law and Order was Lindsey's declaration that he no intentions of of being a conformist: he was going to be an artist on his own terms, and not one to pander to expectations. He was out to defy the status quo and, in turn, challenge his audience.

In reference to the body of work he has done since then, this album makes sense to me. The cover itself was designed to throw people off, making him look like a bronzed-up movie star from the fifties. Yes, it looks weird, but it serves its intention. And the music it contains laid a platform to establish the fact that he was never going to be an average, predicatable artist.

My favorite songs from the album are:

Bwana
Trouble
Shadow of the West (with Christine's background vocals)
Mary Lee Jones
That's How You Do It In LA (love the "hot tub" vocals -brilliantly funny)
Johnny Stew
Love From Here, Love From There
(notable for very suggestive lyrics, and his amazing talent to make guitars sound like horns)

Nico · #48 02-04-2012, 01:14 AM

Fantastic synopsis Penguin! I have to re-listen to this album tomorrow with your thoughts in the back of my mind. Thank you.

Nico · #49 02-04-2012, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluefox4000

Oh I'd kill to hear Ferry do this song. I'd bust a gut

Mick

I think it'd be brilliant. He has a gift of making songs his own. I also think he would give it a very different type of swag.

michelej1 · #50 02-04-2012, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nico

I kind of like the "come and keep your daddy warm" lyrics better...don't ask me why.

You make those linguistic changes naturally, when you become middle-aged and marry a woman 20 years younger.

I don't mind the lyric in Trouble. I do mind Sugar Daddy and Oh Daddy though.

As for the song, I love it. I feel that the way he sings it live now has a little more gravitas. I mean I don't feel he's saying "oh-oh, I'm in trouble", so much as he sounds almost sad, as if he really does have a heart to lose. I feel the loneliness of someone who has almost forgotten what love is for. I think today's live version is a little deeper than the original, but I loved the original too. Lindsey seems to eschew the song as a commercial success and I feel he shouldn't. Be ashamed of Holiday Road if you want, but there's no shame in Trouble.

The video with all the drummers is a lot of kooky fun too.

Michele

Nico · #51 02-04-2012, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michelej1

You make those linguistic changes naturally, when you become middle-aged and marry a woman 20 years younger.

I don't mind the lyric in Trouble. I do mind Sugar Daddy and Oh Daddy though.

As for the song, I love it. I feel that the way he sings it live now has a little more gravitas. I mean I don't feel he's saying "oh-oh, I'm in trouble", so much as he sounds almost sad, as if he really does have a heart to lose. I feel the loneliness of someone who has almost forgotten what love is for. I think today's live version is a little deeper than the original, but I loved the original too. Lindsey seems to eschew the song as a commercial success and I feel he shouldn't. Be ashamed of Holiday Road if you want, but there's no shame in Trouble.

The video with all the drummers is a lot of kooky fun too.

Michele

I so agree re: "Trouble." I love the original and I love the live version. It's just a pretty song to me, what can I say?

McTrouble · #52 02-04-2012, 06:48 AM

I love Law & Order

lbfan · #53 02-04-2012, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nico

Here's the real question, Mick...

Could you imagine Bryan Ferry singing this song?

With his new wife. Oh snap.

Not to "beat a dead horse" but Bryan Ferry covered "September Song" as well (although the quote above is referring to "Trouble").

bluefox4000 · #54 02-04-2012, 10:37 AM

We're not anywhere done disusing this album.....but i'll say this. I've played it non-stop for this......and it's moved up several notches in my eyes. To quote Lindsey......"isn't that WEIRD???!!!!!!.

Mick

Fiver · #55 02-16-2012, 12:34 AM

This is still my favorite Lindsey solo album. I guess I just like the more out there side of his music. Once this one grows on you, you start to notice how jam packed it is with all these little sounds and textures that blend so well on first listen that I barely noticed them. Makes for interesting repeat spins.

elle · #56 02-17-2012, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fiver

This is still my favorite Lindsey solo album. I guess I just like the more out there side of his music. Once this one grows on you, you start to notice how jam packed it is with all these little sounds and textures that blend so well on first listen that I barely noticed them. Makes for interesting repeat spins.

it's also jam packed with typical lindsey quirkiness that either followed his Tusk patterns or that he kept further developing throughout his subsequent releases...

vivfox · #57 02-17-2012, 03:12 AM

I bought L&O when it was brand new and instantly loved all the songs but I did laugh really hard when I would play Johnny Stew. My favorite song is Shadow of the West and I will wait til that song is discussed for me to talk about it.
Bwana always reminded me of Tusk, the song.

Nico · #58 02-17-2012, 08:27 AM

I'm really impressed that some people actually love this album the way that they do. Dear L&O fans, you go on! That is giving me more incentive to take this album with me on a road trip and just...appreciate it's quirkiness.

Ok, FINALLY we move along. MLJ is the next song.

I don't know who "Mary Lee Jones" is, but I have wondered. Like, did Lindsey really want to write about some woman and just think up, "yep, Mary Lee Jones will be her name."

Or is she someone I actually should know and don't.

One of his past flames? Some random washed-up star? One of his pets?

In any case, this is one of the strongest, most catchy songs on the album for me. I love it. I guess LB's musicality and arrangement as well as the backing vocals make this song SO awesome to me. I love it. I think, if Lindsey made a career retrospective box set, this song should definitely be on it!

bluefox4000 · #59 02-17-2012, 12:48 PM

I kinda love it. It....Again, to my ears sounds like it could be On Tusk, It's got that vibe. Catchy, in a quirky Lindsey way

Mick

elle · #60 02-17-2012, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nico

MLJ is the next song.

I don't know who "Mary Lee Jones" is, but I have wondered.

no idea. but you are right - it seems many of songs with woman's name he wrote were about some woman in his life, just with a bit distorted name version (Caroline, Miranda).

i like this song - it's one of the 6 songs i like / find most fun on this album:
Bwana
Mary Lee Jones
Shadow of the West
That's How We Do It in LA
Johnny Stew
A Satisfied Mind