[Powderworks] Capricornia!
Jeff & Louise
jefflou@bigpond.com
Thu, 7 Mar 2002 18:47:11 +1100
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_0053_01C1C608.7E0FFEA0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Good to hear some reviews from over the other side of the world.
The new CD is what it is.=20
All the discussion on the list re song order, Poets 'n' Slaves, lack of =
variation, the Oils running out of ideas etc cracks me up.
Jeff (Melb)
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Bjorn Blomquist=20
To: Midnight Oilers=20
Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2002 10:36 PM
Subject: [Powderworks] Capricornia!
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
------=_NextPart_000_0053_01C1C608.7E0FFEA0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Good to hear some reviews from over the =
other side=20
of the world.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The new CD is what it is. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>All the discussion on the list re song =
order, Poets=20
'n' Slaves, lack of variation, the Oils running out of ideas etc cracks =
me=20
up.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Jeff (Melb)</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A href=3D"mailto:bjorn.blomquist@mbox301.swipnet.se"=20
title=3Dbjorn.blomquist@mbox301.swipnet.se>Bjorn Blomquist</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
href=3D"mailto:Powderworks@cs.colorado.edu"=20
title=3DPowderworks@cs.colorado.edu>Midnight Oilers</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, March 05, 2002 =
10:36=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Powderworks] =
Capricornia!</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<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...=20
Is 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"=20
cd 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=20
track has to be the closest to "bubblegum pop" the Oils have ever =
recorded! I=20
would call it their most accessible and "commercial" release since at =
least=20
*Blue Sky Mining*. It's not up there with the Tremendous Trilogy - =
DAD, BSM=20
and E&S&M - but I think it ranks up to their best collection =
of songs=20
since *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=20
it comes to the middle part. That song in particular disappointed me a =
little,=20
as the first bit sounds like an "One country" kind-of-song. I wish it =
had=20
moved on 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=20
the piano playing with the main riff and a darker mood. (I guess the =
lyrics=20
were very different as well.) </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The weakness of the album is the lack =
of=20
variation. Most of the songs are similar in style and tempo, and I =
think that=20
the choruses on songs like "Too much sunshine" and "Been away too =
long"=20
are too simple and repetitive. They could have worked more with =
the=20
lyrics there, or have they simple run out of ideas? Of course that =
wouldn't be=20
very surprising. In spite of the chorus, "Too much sunshine" is one of =
my=20
favourite tracks. The 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"=20
is only one minute of length! I would love to hear more of that =
wonderful=20
piano tune. Well, it reappears at the end of the album anyway. "Poets =
&=20
Slaves" is kind of odd at the first impression, but is very different =
from the=20
rest of the album. It has the same kind of weird harmonies as "Drop in =
the=20
ocean" but is a much better song than the former album closer, as =
it's=20
not that 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=20
title of a book, but what exactly does the word refer to in the =
lyrics?=20
</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></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_0053_01C1C608.7E0FFEA0--