[Powderworks] Capricornia!
Bjorn Blomquist
bjorn.blomquist@mbox301.swipnet.se
Tue, 5 Mar 2002 12:36:10 +0100
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Capricornia to you all!
Yes, it has finally arrived in Sweden too! Got my copy in the post =
yesterday, and I was surprised to get the "Golden Age" promo single =
along with the album. Whatever the point is with that one, as it only =
includes the same song as on the album. If there had been a b-side or =
two... Is this one-track single also available as an "official" release?
Otherwise I like the digipak package, but I can't help wondering if the =
booklet wouldn't make a nice front cover of a "normal" cd case. What =
does the American release look like, is it a digipak too?
I've listened to the album four times so far and here are my thoughts =
about it:
Overall this album is very "catchy"; the choruses as well as the many =
guitar hooks. The title track has to be the closest to "bubblegum pop" =
the Oils have ever recorded! I would call it their most accessible and =
"commercial" release since at least *Blue Sky Mining*. It's not up there =
with the Tremendous Trilogy - DAD, BSM and E&S&M - but I think it ranks =
up to their best collection of songs since *E&S&M*.
Also, the sound of *Capricornia* seems like a mix between the "Trilogy" =
albums as well as the earliest ones. "Under the overpass" sounds very =
much *Breathe* though when it comes to the middle part. That song in =
particular disappointed me a little, as the first bit sounds like an =
"One country" kind-of-song. I wish it had moved on that way.
What has happened to "Tone poem"?!? It doesn't sound at all like the =
live version we heard last year.
The chorus of the old version is now just working as a bridge before the =
new chorus, which I think is a bit "Beds are burning" like. It's still a =
good song, but I preferred the earlier version, which had the piano =
playing with the main riff and a darker mood. (I guess the lyrics were =
very different as well.)=20
The weakness of the album is the lack of variation. Most of the songs =
are similar in style and tempo, and I think that the choruses on songs =
like "Too much sunshine" and "Been away too long" are too simple and =
repetitive. They could have worked more with the lyrics there, or have =
they simple run out of ideas? Of course that wouldn't be very =
surprising. In spite of the chorus, "Too much sunshine" is one of my =
favourite tracks. The guitar riff in the verse rocks!
"World that I see" is another one with a catchy chorus, which I prefer =
to "Been away too long".
It is Bones singing a solo part in "Luritja way"? That is interesting to =
hear. It's one of the best tracks as well.
I am really disappointed that "Crocodile cries" is only one minute of =
length! I would love to hear more of that wonderful piano tune. Well, it =
reappears at the end of the album anyway. "Poets & Slaves" is kind of =
odd at the first impression, but is very different from the rest of the =
album. It has the same kind of weird harmonies as "Drop in the ocean" =
but is a much better song than the former album closer, as it's not that =
repetitive.
To sum it up, I agree with those who prefer the first half of the album. =
All of the first 5 tracks are very strong, while the songs after the =
interlude are a bit weaker.
We all know by now that "Capricornia" is the title of a book, but what =
exactly does the word refer to in the lyrics?=20
"Capricornia, show me to the back of your hand" - the hand of whom/what?
Maybe it's been explained here before but if so I've forgotten about it: =
what/where is "Luritja way"?
And all those cows...
/Bjorn
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Capricornia to you =
all!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Yes, it has finally arrived in Sweden =
too! Got my=20
copy in the post yesterday, and I was surprised to get the "Golden Age" =
promo=20
single along with the album. Whatever the point is with that one, as it =
only=20
includes the same song as on the album. If there had been a b-side or =
two... Is=20
this one-track single also available as an "official" =
release?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Otherwise I like the digipak package, =
but I can't=20
help wondering if the booklet wouldn't make a nice front cover of a =
"normal" cd=20
case. What does the American release look like, is it a digipak=20
too?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I've listened to the album four times =
so far and=20
here are my thoughts about it:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Overall this album is very "catchy"; =
the choruses=20
as well as the many guitar hooks.</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> The =
title track=20
has to be the closest to "bubblegum pop" the Oils have ever recorded! I =
would=20
call it their most accessible and "commercial" release since at least =
*Blue Sky=20
Mining*. It's not up there with the Tremendous Trilogy - DAD, BSM and=20
E&S&M - but I think it ranks up to their best collection of =
songs since=20
*E&S&M*.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Also, the sound of *Capricornia* seems =
like a mix=20
between the "Trilogy" albums as well as the earliest ones. </FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2>"Under the overpass" sounds very much *Breathe* =
though when it=20
comes to the middle part. That song in particular disappointed me a =
little, as=20
the first bit sounds like an "One country" kind-of-song. I wish it had =
moved on=20
that way.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>What has happened to "Tone poem"?!? It =
doesn't=20
sound at all like the live version we heard last year.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The chorus of the old version is now =
just working=20
as a bridge before the new chorus, which I think is a bit "Beds are =
burning"=20
like. It's still a good song, but I preferred the earlier version, which =
had the=20
piano playing with the main riff and a darker mood. (I guess the lyrics =
were=20
very different as well.) </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The weakness of the album is the lack =
of variation.=20
Most of the songs are similar in style and tempo, and I think that the =
choruses=20
on songs like "Too much sunshine" and "Been away too long" are too =
simple=20
and repetitive. They could have worked more with the lyrics there, =
or have=20
they simple run out of ideas? Of course that wouldn't be very =
surprising. In=20
spite of the chorus, "Too much sunshine" is one of my favourite tracks. =
The=20
guitar riff in the verse rocks!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"World that I see" is another one with =
a catchy=20
chorus, which I prefer to "Been away too long".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It is Bones singing a solo part in =
"Luritja way"?=20
That is interesting to hear. It's one of the best tracks as =
well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I am really disappointed that =
"Crocodile cries" is=20
only one minute of length! I would love to hear more of that wonderful =
piano=20
tune. Well, it reappears at the end of the album anyway. "Poets & =
Slaves" is=20
kind of odd at the first impression, but is very different from the rest =
of the=20
album. It has the same kind of weird harmonies as "Drop in the ocean" =
but is a=20
much better song than the former album closer, as it's not that=20
repetitive.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>To sum it up, I agree with those who =
prefer the=20
first half of the album. All of the first 5 tracks are very strong, =
while the=20
songs after the interlude are a bit weaker.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We all know by now that "Capricornia" =
is the title=20
of a book, but what exactly does the word refer to in the lyrics? =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"Capricornia, show me to the back of =
your hand" -=20
the hand of whom/what?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Maybe it's been explained here before =
but if so=20
I've forgotten about it: what/where is "Luritja way"?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>And all those cows...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>/Bjorn</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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