superchob wrote:

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Good lord, up late working (working from home opens up new problems) and in the stress this had slipped my mind. Had meant to hold-out until the vinyl plopped onto the mat but fcuk it... First impressions are very good. It'll get me through the next 40mins

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I have been doing this late night listening a few times for new albums.  I cancelled my physical vinyl order as the dates were so up in the air.  But will order it at some point.  Not fussed about special editions, I will take the black.

As for working from home, I need to get out and go somewhere.  I only go to the park for a bit of exercise and the station to get a newspaper.  Food gets delivered.  Haven't been more than a mile from home.  Just sat in the spare room for last 4 months.

My only complaint is that it seems to be in the wrong order. I think Swanky Modes is instantly a classic. I didn't recieve my extra CD. Now wondering if I ordered a bundle that includes it.

weed wrote:

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My only complaint is that it seems to be in the wrong order. I think Swanky Modes is instantly a classic. I didn't recieve my extra CD. Now wondering if I ordered a bundle that includes it.

 

  

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Same here re: the bonus disc. I ordered directly from Rough Trade (a CD and an LP/cassette bundle), and the site says all versions of the album come with one, so not sure what's happened. I did get some badges and a postcard with mine, though, so that's a nice little bonus.

Ahhhh. The live CD is an exclusive to Rough Trade SHOPS, available from their online stores. NOT to be confused with Rough Trade RECORDS who also just so happen to have their own separate online store! So obviously people will be confused on account of it being so flippin' confusing!

weed wrote:

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Ahhhh. The live CD is an exclusive to Rough Trade SHOPS, available from their online stores. NOT to be confused with Rough Trade RECORDS who also just so happen to have their own separate online store! So obviously people will be confused on account of it being so flippin' confusing!

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 My order hasn't arrived yet but it clearly said it comes with the bonus CD. I'll be complaining to Rough Trade if I don't get one. They already made an enemy of me when the Likely Stories 7" didn't come with a download so people would buy it twice.

pulped wrote:

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There is another edition with a different bonus CD. Fucking business!

 

Sorry, I can't copy/past the link.

 

 

It's on discogs.com.

 

 

 

 

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 I thought the one listed on discogs is the only one? The score music live at the BFI?

Bonus CD arrived too

https://ibb.co/198pjF3

Glad to see a lot of the love for the album from fans/critics alike. For me, it falls a little short. I can understand why it was originally imagined as a live thing only. Some of the lengthy songs get swept away with energy when you see them in concert but on record, that age-old issue Jarvis often has with his songs - that they're too long, rears its head on at least half the tracks.

I think a lot of this comes from Jarvis' struggle with making music and finishing songs - it takes a long time for him for things to come together. The other thing is that consciously or not, it feels like he has this weight of "lyrical maestro/liberal figurehead" pressing down on him and every song has to have a BIG IDEA.

For me, Must I Evolve/Am I Missing Something/Children Of The Echo could all be pruned by at least a minute if not more. Either the verses are too long or there are too many of them or in the case of Missing...the pay-off climax goes on a bit too much. Although that is the one part of the album with Emma sawing away on violin which Russell would surely approve of, where I felt that this could have been made in a 1987 session as a sister song to Rattlesnake.

For me, HouseMusic was a joy from the moment I heard the intro in Chats Palace at its live debut a year ago. But I'd be happy for the song to end at the three and a half minute mark (repeating the fantastic "Lost in the land of the living room" intro) rather than more than two minutes of breaking down and building up the song's mantra. I get that he's evoking the house feeling but again, personally I find this works much better live. This timely song got a decent amount of airplay during lockdown spring on 6 Music and Radio 2 but was always faded-out long before the end. And the radio edit didn't seem to make much difference when it arrived!

...Echo has a great chorus and the arrangement is spot-on but the way Jarvis builds-up to it from the second verse "Are you the one? *electronic squelches* all repeated a few times...I dunno, it grates a bit and I find it a little on the naff side. The last line, again so clever that it has to be repeated three times "The echo fades to diminishing returns" is also a bit...on the nose/over-thought.

Save The Whale works best for me because it's got a stirring percussion and violin rhythm that doesn't get boring and the chorus works smoothly with the verses (maybe the key could have been raised a couple of notes - Jarvis' vocals are very deep on the "Move beyond the pale" refrain). And the "Crinkly world, smooth world" part is well-judged and has a novelty that is also enduring repeated plays for me. Four and a half minutes is enough for it to create a mood, convey a message and be memorable in doing so.

Similar in terms of length is Swanky Modes which was the song I was most looking forward to hearing because its quality was immediately apparent from hearing it live.

It's funny - listening to a Jarvis album for the first time after you've heard the live version dozens of times...you kind of feel like an anxious parent watching their kid in a sports competition, hoping that he'll remember all the parts that you've practiced at home together. And I got that same sinking feeling from the first play of Swanky Modes to when I heard I Never Said I Was Deep on record after being blown away by it live. His voice is TOO QUIET. It comes across as a guide vocal to me. I guess the aim is for it to be intimate, possibly even tragic/a little pathetic given the narrative of the song. But even letting that slide, at the brilliant lyrical climax, he ducks out of reaching for the word "ringtone", exclaiming it instead like he has a habit of doing with certain words when he's out of breath/range since the Pulp reunion. And then in the next line, he doesn't even try to hit the high note for the "masterplan".

Arrangement-wise, I think the song needs something else in the mix apart from the languid piano and quiet violin during the first two and a half minutes to do justice to the great story and classic wordplay. From the "Welcome to the peppermint jungle" part on, at least everything shifts in tone and a great song is almost captured really well.

I wasn't sure about the distortion effect on Jarvis' voice for Sometimes I Am Pharoh but it makes sense when you think these silent statues would suit having a disembodied voice if they could speak. Again, the pay-off for "I make you........jump" - the anticipation is funny the first time but comes across a little smug/annoying thereafter.

For me, an "adapted/redacted" version of most of these tracks plus one or two more stone-cold solid classics like Save The Whale/Swanky Modes or something else memorable and sub-four minutes like anything from Room 29/Hold Still/Disney Time from post-Pulp records would make this an essential Jarvis album for me. As it is, it just falls short of a full-blown triumph yet is still more than decent and I'm so glad he seems to be happy making music again.

The above paragraphs come across as harsh or as someone who's hard to please but like I said, this is a great selection of songs. I just think Jarvis would be better-served not producing his own albums and getting someone at the mixing desk to reign in his indulgences a little. A producer who will advise him to pare-down lyrical meandering or to introduce more musical/arrangement changes if a song is to be another six minute whopper.

Bless you, re Swanky Modes ! Blimey, hope I don't come across as too grumpy! The album version is growing on me more. Still think it's a wonderful song regardless of arrangement.

I guess I need to follow Andy's lead and stay away from hearing live versions first. Road-testing songs seems to be part of Jarvis' modus operandi now so if live gigs ever come back, I might give his a steer (I think I'd have the discipline to avoid bootleg/youtube recordings but not the chance to see him live) !

And I'm very similar to you. Even on the football thing - my team narrowly avoided relegation and it will be a good memory. Maybe a bit sad but one that millions empathise with.

As a big fan of Pulp/Jarvis, I want everyone to love the record and any review I read that isn't less than great, I get annoyed. Which is ridiculous given my own criticism of it! But he's my favourite musician and I will support/defend him as much as possible. I finally collected my vinyl copy yesterday from Rough Trade Brick Lane and am looking forward to going through the artwork and spinning the album.

I see your point regarding the production element. He knows what he wants at this stage, he's even produced other people's records (ie Serafina) and you're right re Neil Hannon. He really does give his own songs extra-whimsy when it's already turned up to ten.

I've ordered an expensive copie on the RoughTrade shop to get the bonus CD. Received it today, off course no bonus CD inside. RoughTrade =robber=liar... Fuck off! Next time, I will use P2P.

pulped wrote:

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I've ordered an expensive copie on the RoughTrade shop to get the bonus CD. Received it today, off course no bonus CD inside. RoughTrade =robber=liar... Fuck off! Next time, I will use P2P.

-- Edited by pulped on Thursday 30th of July 2020 01:23:29 PM

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Same here, what a joke. Is there a way to complain ? I'm gonna send a very rude email

Nebula wrote:

I'm all for differing opinions, but yikes. some of these are extremely bizarrely negative. 

 

Not intending to be negative, it's just that having seen Jarv Is live playing these songs they don't sound as good on record (yet).  Also with three singles already out there, it doesn't have that fresh new album feel.  I think it's good, but not as good as I expected.   That written, when I first heard His n Hers it was a bit jarring on first listen as I had heard the songs live a few times and again they weren't quite as expected. 

Despite lock down, July ended up being a very busy month so I haven't had a chance to have a proper second hearing, but now I have the vinyl, I will take some time out to listen.  

timahall wrote:

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Well, I couldn't be happier about it. I haven't felt like this about his work since 2006. Further Complications was a mild let down and Room 29 was downright boring. This is a huge return to form for me. It couldn't be further from "pedestrian and flat and dry" in my opinion, it stands amongst his best work.

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I surely wasnt offended. Not sure where I insinuated that?

My point was some seemed a bit "overly" harsh and upon just first or second listen. That said, I think the album is great, but also could be even better if more tracks.. but after hearing that Centre of the Earth concert... that's ten times better. Something about it and the energy of it completes it. It's okay to have differing opinions. Just give it more than a couple listens or one. Plus, I think some were expecting another jarvis solo #1 or another His n Hers album. This is meant to be far different and on the more experimental, psychedelic level and to literally coincide with the live experience. Honestly they should've released the album as is along with a 2nd side of that live Centre of the Earth performance as well. 

I used to not care much for Pharoah, but then I heard that concert version and I was totally blown away and now see it totally differently. Funny how that happens. 

andy wrote:

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Fair enough!

Anyone having not received the bonus cd from rough trade, email them they told me they would send it.

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 Have you got an email address?   is it enquiries@roughtrade.com  ?

Does anyone have any ideas about what Jarvis' teaser regarding a dragonfly on his Instagram might be about?

He explained the title in an interview but I forgot what it was he said now. 

Also..the coloring etc.. it's called art. It rather fits in a synesthesia like way. 

Tho the promo art/design pieces he used for Evolve promos and on Instagram fit better. And stuff from that ediethewheel artist he uses. 

weed wrote:

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Does anyone have any ideas about what Jarvis' teaser regarding a dragonfly on his Instagram might be about?

-- Edited by weed on Saturday 8th of August 2020 02:11:32 PM

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 The non herbal-tea enthusiasts might feel anti-climactic about it...

dragonflyteauk We've teamed up with musician, BBC 6 Music presenter and JARV IS... frontman @jarvisbransoncocker to celebrate the release of his new album - Beyond the Pale with a limited edition tea collaboration. Jarvis is a big tea fan & this collaboration is a dream come true for him. Look out for our special tags featuring his lyrics so you can sing along to the new tracks! WELCOME TO THE PEPPERMINT JUNGLE 

...Imagine Russell and Mark Webber being told in 1986 when the former would make Mark try different flavours of tea and guess what they were; that this would come to pass !

andy wrote:

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ArrGee, i finally received the bonus CD. How about you ?

It's just on track, 25 minutes long, with no tracklisting or gracenotes... lazy much ?

I have not listened to it yet though.

-- Edited by andy on Wednesday 12th of August 2020 09:13:09 AM

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 No, not even got a reply to the email...

This album is the best release ever done since WLL. It could have been a great Pulp album, but 7 tracks is too frustrating. We need a volume 2 before the end of the year...

pulped wrote:

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This album is the best release ever done since WLL. It could have been a great Pulp album, but 7 tracks is too frustrating. We need a volume 2 before the end of the year...

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 I've finally made my deluxe CD version:

- 7 tracks

- Big Prinz

- Depressive Disco

- Let's Stick Around

- Straight to the morning (Hot Chip)

- Synchronize Extended mix (Discodeine).

No, because it's not music, just noise! 

I know this topic is a few years old but here's my two cents:

I really liked Beyond the Pale. Didn't have a problem with the amount of songs or song length, but what I did have a problem with was how half the album were released as singles. Releasing three singles is fine when a record has over ten songs, because there's still plenty of to-be-revealed stuff to keep people interested. If a record is under ten songs long I think it's pretty risky.
All the reviews seem very positive except for Pitchfork who gave it a mediocre score. That being said, each magazine has a different audience and this context is important to any review. Just looking at a general summary of Pitchfork's top tracks and albums of the year makes me think I'm far from their demographic. I've got more in common with mags like the NME, Uncut, Under the Radar and Q (RIP).

To me, 'House Music All Night Long' was the most conventionally single-ish in its structure. It has enough developments and changes in the instruments (adding, subtracting layers, and whatever) for it to sound like something you'd actually hear on the radio. Not that radio-friendliness is a way to tell if a song is truly good, but its a good judgement of whether something works as a pop single. A standalone song.
Split the song up into quarters or thirds and if the energy changes in each segment (with the climax typically in the last minute) then it'll make a palatable radio pop single. 'Must I Evolve?' has this feeling but I think 'Save the Whale' should've been saved for the album or made a b-side instead of those remixes.

I know nothing about music theory but this is just what I've noticed from listening to pop radio too much.
Also I've written in past tense to describe how I felt at the time. I still do like Beyond the Pale. The single releases don't impact the album's sound or anything but it did impact how I received/felt about the album.