If you're a regular visitor to this blog (or scores of others, for that matter), then you have no doubt come across the prolific comment artist known as Echorich. His opinions are always spot on, and yesterday he suggested "Evangeline" by the Icicle Works should have been included on my list of top songs produced by the brilliant Ian Broudie. This has stuck in my craw all day because, actually, I completely agree with his sentiment. Time to come clean. I didn't include it because I have never converted any of my Icicle Works albums to a digital format. That's a mistake I have begun rectifying tonight. So, without further adieu, here is a late addition to my favorite Broudie-produced songs. Thanks for keeping me honest, Echorich.
The Icicle Works - Evangeline (mp3)
Buy
'If You Want to Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song'
4 comments:
Thanks for the acknowledgement Brian! The past few years of blogging has really validated my taste in music - mainly because I have found so many like-minded souls celebrating the very eclectic musical which I have been on since the age of 7.
As you surely know, being a fan of the Post Punk/New Wave Era as an American has always been an uphill challenge. Record companies would constantly dismiss albums from bands that the year before they spent a fortune promoting and seeing many of the bands I enjoyed would mean journeys across highways and oceans.
In school I was then only kid wearing Ramones t-shirts or bondage tartan pants (had to leave the belts at home), whle my friends were sporting Iron Maiden and Rush t's and rushing to buy tickets to see The Eagles or Journey. Bright High School Moments for me included seeing The Clash TWICE!, The Jam, Elvis Costello, U2, Talking Heads, B52's, Gary Numan and so many others. Growin up in NYC was kind of a cheat because it was the showcase city for so many British Bands of the Era.
Of course like every good era of music, it lost its energy by mid decade and the record companies went back to putting their money behind the pop groups of the day and assisted in sidelining the careers of many of my favorites.
But I'm a stubborn music fan and have seen so many of the bands that are at the core of my music collection return in the past decade rejuvinated and with musical purpose.
The thing I dig most about our like-minded online music snob community is posts like this, and comments like Echorich. For me, and let me use this post as an example, it makes me dig out old plastic friends and not only reevaluate them but also present them to others in a light I may not have. OK, enough chin stroking, if you haven't gotten it may I suggest investing $15 and purchasing the deluxe edition of Icicle Works eponymous debut? The second disk is absolutely phenomenal, and the sound on the first is a sonic upgrade of the first order.
Ian
Hi Uncle E. I just took a look at the track list of that deluxe edition. Looks really interesting. I know you have a thing for these types of sets, as do I, but this attraction is killing me. I found myself in a shop a couple of days ago and, lo and behold, in the used new arrivals section I found the deluxe edition of 'Steve McQueen' we were just conversing about. I'm not sure it has ever even been touched. Now why would someone sell that? There must be a story there.
There are so many records I want that I have never owned and these deluxe edition repurchases are getting in the way. When you have $15, do you buy something you already have or take a risk on a new record that could be a miss?Sounds like a possible rant for a post.
Echorich,
Our formative years were similar... except I lived three hours from a Metropolis. I saw some of the artists you mentioned... except because of my age and the miles/money it took to go to a show, I ended up seeing them after their best years were behind them. On second thought, my life was nothing like yours. You lucky bastard!
Your point on the availability of some of the best British acts of the period is so right. For example, the Vinyl Villain wrote about Felt this week. Maybe you could find Felt records in NYC when you were a youngster, but the labor it took me to get an album like that was quite a sacrifice. I would go to the nearest college town, (about 45 minutes away from home) and try to special order it from the one shop that could maybe help me out. It might show up a month later... maybe not. It seems absurd now. Then again, the feeling of ultimately holding something like that in your hands can't be matched by an ebay or amazon order.
Post a Comment