Re: Gerard Q&A pt. II

[chris kemp <cjkemp@gm...com>]

Um. Right. Well, thanks to Trevor for interpreting the beliefs of the band.
However, the band that I've been listening to for twenty-five years never
seemed overly precious regarding the sound. Have they? Have you listened to
the early albums lately? They were determinedly and defiantly low-fi. The
mistakes were left in. They were the moments we valued most of all. 
Gerard's
delivery was unrehearsed and would have almost all of its charm if its
accidental hesitations and its West Country burr were removed either by
production or practice.

In fact, the more produced The Blue Aeroplanes became, the less accessible
they sounded. For its gloss, Altitude has significantly less soul and
immediacy than those early singles and B-sides collected on
FriendLoverPlane. We all have several versions of Warhol's Fifteen. The 
most
under-produced version, I think, is the one that appeared on Tolerance. And
I'm okay with that.

The Blue Aeroplanes are, I'm sure, many things to many people. But now
you're expecting me to subscribe to the theory that they are a band making
highly-produced music for sound nerds, filled with subtleties that only the
most arcane medium will allow us to appreciate?

Just like the debates here about sound and fidelity and formats and medium
and files. It's all bull. I don't believe Gerard or Rodney spend $20,000 on
speakers and worry about this stuff. Do you really think Gerard walks 
around
his house worrying about what the position of the sofa is doing to the
acoustics in his living room?

Seriously?

I don't.

On Sun, May 8, 2011 at 1:24 PM, Trevor <boyds56@ti...co.uk> wrote:

> The way I see it is that, like me, the band realise that over the years 
> the
> formats for listening to music have become like the equivalent of fast 
> food
> - convenient but mostly shit.  I've bought CD's like anyone else and they
> vary - in recent times producers have aimed to create the warmth of 
> analogue
> recordings with mixed success but it's getting better.
>
> I'm not a vinyl snob but it is for me the format that wins hands down - 
> the
> big pallette on which to do the artwork rather than the pissy little CD 
> size
> - the warmth and 'real' sound that you get and the fact that it makes you
> sit down and listen to it.  Listening to vinyl is an event - you can't 
> take
> it on the train and play it - MP3's are convernient but by comparison 
> they
> sound shit.  And there's a big sleeve to look at while you're listening 
> to
> the music.
>
> Unless you prefer the equivalent of McDonalds burgers then frankly you're
> welcome to it.
>
> Quality rather than convenience and taking the time and effort - vinyl 
> wins
> hands down.  That's the artistic statement and if their stance gets 
> people
> to buy more turntables and dig out their old vinyl records and sit in 
> front
> of their stereos then great.
>
>
>
> So the artistic statement is that
>
> On 8 May 2011, at 12:15, phil mason wrote:
>
> I've got a turntable, thanks.
> I'd hope that the music would be the greater artistic statement than the
> choice of format.
> What do you suppose the artistic statement is, Trevor?
> And, like that old tree falling in the forest, is it still a statement if
> there's noone there to hear it?
>
> Phil
>
> On 8 May 2011, at 12:00, Trevor wrote:
>
> There's a simple answer  - if you cannot see that the BA's are an art 
> band
> and releasing it on vinyl only is an artistic statement then WTF?  I 
> think
> it's a great move.
>
> Just get a turntable - simples.
>
> Just get a fuckin tirntable
> On 8 May 2011, at 01:11, phil mason wrote:
>
> Well, I haven't been grumpy on this list since, ummm, the last time I was
> grumpy on this list, but... What exactly was the point of that Q&A? 
> Gerard
> is clearly an extremely (and, as far as I can tell, an infuriatingly)
> complicated person with a brainful of fascinating ideas, some of which, 
> all
> too occasionally, manifest themselves in our ear-holes. Can no-one come 
> up
> with some questions more worthy of an answer than "wots yer faverit 
> choon?".
> Even Jools Holland could do better than that. I don't suppose Gerard 
> offers
> up such banalities when he's teaching on his songwriting course. Sorry,
> Nick, but "almost entirely devoid of any relevant content" doesn't add 
> up to
> "tantalising" in my book.
>
> The biggest Q for most of us, I suspect, which got a characteristically
> batted into the long grass A, was "why vinyl only?".  I am baffled by
> Gerard's apparent wish to make the album as minimally available as 
> possible
> while at the same time expressing such great enthusiasm for it. Unless
> anyone has any genuinely enlightening explanation for this unusual 
> marketing
> strategy then we could be forgiven for concluding that it's just 
> downright
> perverse. The story has been dragging on too long for it still to be
> credible that there is some subtle world-conquering masterplan being 
> played
> out here.
>
> Hope the gigs go well, and come and see us in King Tut's again as soon as
> you like.
>
> Yours,
> Frustrated of Glasgow
>
>
>
> On 3 Apr 2011, at 17:42, Nathaniel Mumford wrote:
>
> here's part 2:
> http://albtwo.blogspot.com/2011/04/gerard-langley-talks-anti-gravity-pt-2.html
>
> ------------------------------
> From: nickw@bl...co.uk
> To: blueplanes@bl...org
> Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2011 18:48:10 +0100
> Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Anti-Gravity
>
> Thanks for that - very tantalising little interview, makes me really want
> to hear the album NOW!
>
> Will be buying a new stylus in time for the release.
>
> NW2
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Nathaniel Mumford <nathanielmumford@ho...com>
> *To:* blueplanes@bl...org
> *Sent:* Friday, April 01, 2011 5:29 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [BluePlanes] Anti-Gravity
>
>
> OK, so some of you will know our label helped to put out 'China 
> Brilliance
> Automotive', and we're going to be doing something similar with the 
> release
> of the album. It's excellent, by the way, if that's not betraying any
> confidences.
>
> Gerard took the time to answer a few questions from us about the album &
> other stuff that you can find on our blog - http://albtwo.blogspot.com/
> I'll put the rest up over the weekend.
>
> Nat
>
>
>
> > From: nickw@bl...co.uk
> > To: blueplanes@bl...org
> > Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2011 13:38:07 +0100
> > Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Anti-Gravity
> >
> > Nice cover, though. Really unexpected.
> >
> > NW2
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Anna Slastanova" <annaslastanova@gm...com>
> > To: <stevetreacle@ho...com>; "A Discussion list for The Blue
> Aeroplanes"
> > <blueplanes@bl...org>
> > Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2011 7:10 PM
> > Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Anti-Gravity
> >
> >
> > I can see the tracklist on their website now:
> >
> > Side 1
> >
> > Sulphur
> > Angels Carter
> > 25 Kinds Of Love
> > Oak Apple Day
> > My Old Hanunts (Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood)
> > Nothing
> >
> > Side 2
> >
> > Go Along With Me On This One
> > Great Movie Clichés
> > Pretty Head (Raising Cain & Pulses)
> > One World Passport
> > Born Again, Again
> > Cancer Song
> >
> > And as much as I like vinyls, I really hope for the download link 
> > too...
> >
> > Anna
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 31 March 2011 14:48, <stevetreacle@ho...com> wrote:
> > > I've got a really good turntable! Can't wait for the new album!
> > > ------------------
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Rockerq@ao...com
> > > Sender: blueplanes-bounces@bl...org
> > > Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:41:20
> > > To: <blueplanes@bl...org>
> > > Reply-To: A Discussion list for The Blue Aeroplanes
> > > <blueplanes@bl...org>
> > > Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Anti-Gravity
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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-- 
"I am getting so far out, one day I won't come back at all."

-- William S. Burroughs

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