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FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: A.M. Thomas on January 11, 2009, 03:04:48 AM

Title: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: A.M. Thomas on January 11, 2009, 03:04:48 AM
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b0/Animal_collective_merriweather.jpg)

I know a lot of posters on here are not a fan of the band, but to those who are, what do you think?

Despite still not having a great rip of the album, I've listened to it many times now and I'm confident in saying I love it.  I'm not usually a big fan of Pitchfork's review section (I tend to avoid that end of the site altogether, except for "Best New Music," which is often informative), but I really like their review (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/148230-animal-collective-merriweather-post-pavilion).  To me, Animal Collective has grown into a band that can humanize even the most layered, electronic, sample-heavy music like no other.  I love their lyrical themes.  I love their melodies.  I love their songs.

Discuss.
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: Jouster on January 11, 2009, 04:17:09 AM
3 great songs.  The rest will (is) grow(ing) on me.  More importantly, I commend them for and appreciate the fact that they sound completely like themselves and are a unique and distinctive entity in the music world.  I don't think I've ever heard a song by them and not known it was them (which I think is sort of impressive in 2009).
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: A.M. Thomas on January 11, 2009, 04:29:35 AM
3 great songs.  The rest will (is) grow(ing) on me.  More importantly, I commend them for and appreciate the fact that they sound completely like themselves and are a unique and distinctive entity in the music world.  I don't think I've ever heard a song by them and not known it was them (which I think is sort of impressive in 2009).

Right on.  Which three do you like?

For me, right now, it's "Bluish."

"I'm getting lost in your curls"  Ahhhhhhhhhhh!
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: Gibby on January 11, 2009, 05:43:54 AM
I don't like it.

I have this policy where if a band has a run of three bad records, I write them off - but I give them the benefit of the doubt because all the hype makes me feel I'm missing out. I've given them so many chances but they seem to come up with the same LP everytime; a melding of some obscure 'folk' genre with 'oddball' tendencies taking in pseudo-psych, a faint stab at 'pop' (nothing that might constitute a hit record, mind) and lengthy tendencies toward unlistenable indulgent nonsense. Their last five full-lengths have had one INCREDIBLE song and the rest is a write-off. The first few didn't even give us the good songs.

Oddly, their EPs are often quite bold and interesting, and I really rated Person Pitch. They're just like magpies, taking bits of this and that regardless of how appropriate it is, reconstituting complex ethnomusic as liberal school hippie drivel.
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: yesno on January 11, 2009, 10:54:10 AM
I liked My Girls/Summertime Clothes/Brothersport /Lion in a Coma.

The rest I don't remember being wowed by, but it could just be that I forgot to assign a rating or wasn't paying attention.

No reason for extremes with this band.  I agree that they've never released an album that's good start to finish, but they always have enough highlights for me to enjoy following them.

And true, they're forumulaic, but at least it's *their* formula.  I mean, they're inspired by the past but they're not another one of these bands that just does a hyperreal, and dead inside, facsimile of some past style.  (Hey Vivian Girls!  How are you?)
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: erika on January 11, 2009, 11:34:48 AM
Very strange that they named their album after a venue in the MD suburbs. I was so confused by this thread for a sec.
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: oilcantim on January 11, 2009, 11:41:51 AM
That album cover makes me dizzy.  I don't like it!
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: crumbum on January 11, 2009, 11:44:59 AM
I haven't really spent any time with this band in the past, but I was swayed by the hype and the awesome headache-inducing artwork.

After 48 hours and maybe 3 listens, I love it; a lot of it takes me back to 'Deserter's Songs'/'All is Dream'-era Mercury Rev. They seem to strike a similar balance between psych weirdness and a kind of sweet, innocent quality in the lyrics and singing. This is my first impression though. I suppose I need to go through the back catalogue to get the full picture.
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: Dan B on January 11, 2009, 11:50:52 AM
I think it's great.  I'm all about "Summertime Clothes" and "Bluish." The gatefold LP is pretty sweet.   
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: yesno on January 11, 2009, 11:56:10 AM
That album cover makes me dizzy.  I don't like it!

http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/~akitaoka/index-e.html

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm

http://www.illusionking.com/moving-beans-optical-illusion/

I just included that last link for the excellent comments. "its not moving to me……..peice of crap" and "i dont know if its me or the shrooms dam im seeing jesus".
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: Bryan on January 11, 2009, 01:41:20 PM
I'm just as thrilled by good optical illusions now as I was when I was 7.
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: jbissell on January 11, 2009, 06:07:37 PM
My experience with listening to this album was pretty much the same as my response when I saw them a couple times on the last tour, I like about half the songs and the rest bore me.  At least now I have the option of skipping around if I like.
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: Beth on January 12, 2009, 02:49:18 AM
I was really bored by Feels and Strawberry Jam,  but this one's awesome. I think "My Girls", and "Summertime Clothes" are my two favorites. I appreciate this record...it drops da bass and isn't shy about being big. I'm happy with it.
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: JBillington on January 12, 2009, 06:31:46 AM
I loved Strawberry Jam and Feels, and went absolutely mental over Person Pitch, so I'm guessing i'll like this? I am going to buy the CD, which came out today, but I'm guessing I'll have to wait to weekend to get a copy.
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: A.M. Thomas on January 12, 2009, 12:44:45 PM
I loved Strawberry Jam and Feels, and went absolutely mental over Person Pitch, so I'm guessing i'll like this? I am going to buy the CD, which came out today, but I'm guessing I'll have to wait to weekend to get a copy.

You'll love it then.

I assume Panda Bear's next album will also come out sometime later this year, which is very exciting.
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: emdasher on January 16, 2009, 09:02:36 PM
Does anyone remember an old SNL bit that made fun of the critical reaction to "The Sopranos"? It had all these over-the-top promotional blurbs, including one featuring a critic reaching sexual climax while screaming out "Sopranoooos!!!"

That's what I'm reminded of as I'm reading reviews for this album.

"Where before AC expertly inserted experimental snippets into relatively straight-ahead songs, Merriweather Post Pavilion sees them reach some kind of denouement where pop music ends and pure sonic experience begins -- the sound is the only structure."

Keep it in your pants, buddy!
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: orator on January 19, 2009, 03:48:40 PM
 I don't like it that much. Sounds like Person Pitch part 2, which makes for a boring Animal Collective album.
Title: Re: Merriweather Post Pavillion
Post by: JBillington on January 20, 2009, 09:52:19 AM
I like it so far. Although I have yet to have chance to listen to it all the way through. It does sound like Person Pitch, and also reminds of the recent Mercury Rev album, in the way it veers from psych noise to dance-pop. I agree that there is a lot of overly orgasmic praise, but its still very good.