Re: Gerard Q&A pt. II

[Paul Vearncombe <paul_vearncombe@ho...com>]

I told myself I wouldn't be drawn into this, but...
 
I must make the comparison of the latest Radiohead album which I was led 
to believe would ONLY be available as a download.  I paid me cash, 
downloaded it, which was easy, struggled with Bastard Windows Media Player 
(full title) for bloody ages to burn it onto a CD because I'm not that 
clever anymore, and listened to it.  Then they released it on CD anyway.  
I have learnt something from this experience.
 
I love the Blue Aeroplanes.  I want to hear the album.  It's being 
released on vinyl.  I don't own a turntable.  I won't hear it right away, 
but someday I have no doubt it will become available on CD or download at 
some point.  Gerard said he would never re-release Bagpipe Music, but 
there it is on my shelf in all its shiny digital glory.  It doesn't sound 
as good as the vinyl, but at least I can play it and enjoy it.
 
Let Gerard make his artistic statement, which has got us all talking about 
the album, and let's just wait until the dust settles.  A little less 
anger and a bit more tolerance for the whim of the artist, I think.  
Meanwhile I might play Bagpipe Music now, just because I can.
 
PV2
 


Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 14:13:32 -0400
From: cjkemp@gm...com
To: blueplanes@bl...org
Subject: Re: [BluePlanes] Gerard Q&A pt. II

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
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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