neutral milk hotel: in the aeroplane over the sea isn't as bad as i first thought

[U2Man]

let's talk.

 

[LemonMelon]

Nah, it's a piece of crap.

 

[If you shout...]

Magnificently overrated. Peaks with the dizzying first track and just takes off on a then-unprecendented nosedive, from that point forward.

 

[U2Man]

pitchfork gave it a 10.0, and has ranked it as the fourth best album of the 90s.

 

[LemonMelon]

pitchfork gave it a 10.0, and has ranked it as the fourth best album of the 90s.

They also gave Zaireeka a 0.0 because they were too lazy to play it.

That's probably what they did with Aeroplane, except they were either drunk or just gave it the benefit of the doubt.

 

[U2Man]

They also gave Zaireeka a 0.0 because they were too lazy to play it.

well, i agree with that. an album that is only supposed to sound good when played on an amount of cd players that no one has, has deserved a 0.0.

the flaming lips would do the same if they were to rate something on their site.

 

[LemonMelon]

well, i agree with that. an album that is only supposed to sound good when played on an amount of cd players that no one has, has deserved a 0.0.

the flaming lips would do the same if they were to rate something on their site.

Well, think about this. They gave Com Lag a 4.0...an album that the site even mentioned did not work properly in CD players, yet they still gave it a chance.

Shouldn't they have done the same for Zaireeka?

 

[U2Man]

maybe. but the zaireeka thing was a joke.

why would com lag not work properly in cd players?

 

[LemonMelon]

maybe. but the zaireeka thing was a joke.

why would com lag not work properly in cd players?

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/21231/Radiohead_Com_Lag_EP

Let's imagine you're Radiohead's biggest fan.

You've just spent anywhere from $15-$30 U.S. on Com Lag. You cradled it all the way home, flipping the exquisitely designed cream-and-ink digipak end on end until you were completely certain it was real. You held it up to your nose as you slit the shrinkwrap, breathing deep the vacuum-sealed polystyrene fumes, as close to the band as you'll ever get. Awed by ambitious packaging to rival The Soul Cages, you tenderly loosed the liner booklet from its pocket, fumbling with the pages as if sudden movement would reduce them to carbon.

Gingerly, you rocked the disc back and forth to wrest it from its clear tray, trembling, breathless, in the event that, for the first time in recorded history, the CD's plastic center would pop out on your index finger, the most unholy wedding band imaginable. After dust-blasting your player with compressed air, you slowly set Com Lag into the drawer on a perfect horizontal plane, ensuring zero impact. Positioning yourself at the triangulated stereo center of your equidistant speakers, you hear...

*FFFFFFFFFFFFFT*

*SSSSSSSSSSSHHHKKKKK*

I can see the look on your face, and it is priceless.

True to published reports, there's an appalling digital glitch on Com Lag, and as of press time, EMI Toshiba's position is that they will not recall this flawed limited edition EP. Our rating disregards the failing, since the butchered track in question-- Four Tet's otherwise palatable downtempo remix of "Scatterbrain"-- is available on the UK "2 + 2 = 5" single, and since the newly released Australian version of Com Lag is said to rectify the situation. But you can't ignore the humor behind 10,000 people shelling out $20 for what's basically a bad burn.

 

[barlowdog]

Back to the original topic, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is a superb record. Not a 10 in my book, but I still pull it out once in a while, I still thoroughly enjoy it and it occasionally wows me.

 

[The OOTS]

I tried to like this album like many people said I should...and I just can't.

It's OK...nothing extraordinary.

 

[elevation2u]

I was unaware it was overrated, nobody ever mentions this album. I've had a burned copy of this for a while now, playing it every now and again. It's a pretty good album ..at least to me but it certainly isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread. The sound and the voice always reminds me of the Decemberists, which oddly enough I do find overrated. Oh the irony!

 

[-macphisto-]

I tried to like this album like many people said I should...and I just can't.

It's OK...nothing extraordinary.

 

[Jack In The Box]

one of the best albums ever

but not for everybody

 

[XHendrix24]

It's definitely pretty good (some pretty great lyrics as well).

The guy's voice kind of gets on my nerves a bit though, so I don't find myself listening to it too much.

 

[Jack In The Box]

Jeff Magnum's voice is perfect... perfect in the context of NMH, I don't see why everything has to be "nice" and "pretty", sometimes the music needs another kind of voice

Jeff Magnum, Efrim Menuck and the guy from Cursive are probably my favorite singers right now, because their voices are awful

 

[LemonMelon]

Jeff Magnum, Efrim Menuck and the guy from Cursive are probably my favorite singers right now, because their voices are awful

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

I like NMH and this record because there's some great, catchy tunes on it.

I think that's about enough.

 

[zonelistener]

Hey man!

Back to the original topic, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is a superb record. Not a 10 in my book, but I still pull it out once in a while, I still thoroughly enjoy it and it occasionally wows me.

As always...this man speaks the truth (at least in my mind).




And a true Radiohead fan would have had all the Com Lag songs BEFORE Com Lag was released.

 

[XHendrix24]

Jeff Magnum's voice is perfect... perfect in the context of NMH, I don't see why everything has to be "nice" and "pretty", sometimes the music needs another kind of voice

Jeff Magnum, Efrim Menuck and the guy from Cursive are probably my favorite singers right now, because their voices are awful

Woah now, never said the guy's voice needed to be "nice" or "pretty." I listen to Tom Waits, man. You kidding me?

I generally love vocalists that aren't too traditional. I'll take David Byrne or Win Butler over Geddy Lee or Freddy Mercury any day. Not a big fan of nasally voices, though. And too much Mangum is almost guaranteed to give me some kind of headache.

Like I said though, good record.

 

[barlowdog]

Re: Hey man!

As always...this man speaks the truth (at least in my mind).




And a true Radiohead fan would have had all the Com Lag songs BEFORE Com Lag was released.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Where you been? You should drop me an email sometime.

 

[bollox]

this is a darn good album and worthy of praise. maybe not as good as everyone says it is, but eh, whatever.

i find a lot of the lyrics to be icky though.

 

[U2Man]

Re: Hey man!

And a true Radiohead fan would have had all the Com Lag songs BEFORE Com Lag was released.

true. but a true radiohead fan would also buy com lag for the artwork alone.

 

[PookaMacP]

In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is simply a great album. Will always make my top 10 of all time, but it's definitely an acquired taste. The lyrics can get a bit odd at times, but the melodies, the overall flow of the album, and the stories are just too good to be discounted. Two Headed Boy in particular is a stand-out. Of course, I have recommended this album to others only to be told it was a pile of crap so each to their own I suppose. Check out Beirut's Gulag Orkestar too if you like this.

 

[U2Man]