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Red House Painters

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by Pad1
How fooking brilliant is 'Songs for a Blue Guitar' !!??
Pad1 | 08 May '05, 18:05 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: Red House Painters

The only RHP songs I've heard are Grace Cathedral Park, Katy Song and Mistress, and all three are brilliant. I've been wondering which album to start with actually.

Re: Red House Painters

'Have you forgotten' is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard.

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Yeah I listen to them all the time. They are AMAZING. I was so gutted when Mark Kozelek pulled out of ATP. GUTTED. 'Make Like Paper' is amazing from that album too.

Re: Red House Painters

It's on my list to get. I have Old Roman, and I, both also great albums

Re: Red House Painters

Pitchfork's Ryan Schrieber, mr brainlove and others seem to love these guys. Mark Koz-something, eh? I'd put it off cos they're always compared with Neil Young and I'm only a marginal fan of NY. I shall add to my Things To Buy list too.

Re: Red House Painters

Red House Painters first 3 albums are unmatched in my eyes for their shredded emotional starkness - Mr Kozolek has got patchy in recent years and I guess I've moved on from my introspective student days a bit as well but if you want music to cry to whilst at the same time being stunned by aching beauty then soulseek 'Dragonflies', 'Medicine Bottle' and 'Uncle Joe' and go buy the LPs.
Mark Kozolek is also one of the finest lyric writers EVER! and the best gig I ever saw was Red House Painters at Camden Underworld years ago - just after Ocean Rain came out - He began the set by singing 'Michael' from 'Down Colourful Hill' ACAPELLA WITHOUT THE MICROPHONE! just straight into the air over all of our heads and it was truly awesome. I have never before or since in my life been at a gig where every single member of the audience was silent and breathless and full of adoration.
Not sure about the Neil Young comparison - maybe somewhere between Neil Young and Jeff Buckley - and Buckley was definately influenced by them...

Re: Red House Painters

You could go for "Retrospective", a compilation of some rarities, demos and finest moments (some of). Would act as a good introduction.

Re: Red House Painters

I've heard some more songs now and it's just incredible. The melodies are just so gorgeous and the lyrics hit ridiculously close to home at times, and the man's voice is a thing of beauty. Have You Forgotten makes me want to cry.

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This is a band i know i should like ( as it is in my favourite 'genre' of music ), but each time i tried to listen to them, i just found something lacking.
Maybe i should try harder ?

Re: Red House Painters

Definitely. They're such a subtle band in terms of sound(which would explain why the song All Mixed Up was once used in a Gap ad...blah), but Mark Kozelek's voice and lyrics are something else entirely. Kozelek's solo release What's Next to the Moon(all AC/DC covers -- you will suddenly imagine that Elliot Smith was Bon Scott reincarnated...for awhile, that is) is a must as well. And, who can resist self-pity when Have You Forgotten is around? Lovely.

Re: Red House Painters

"You're as good as dead, New Jersey and the whole world..."

Re: Red House Painters

absolutely stunning band, definitely got one defined style, but its a very good one

Kozelek's most recent vehicle, Sun Kil Moon, made a superb album in 03 called 'Ghosts of the Great Highway'
I really like the 'Old Ramon' RHP album, Byrd Joel is a beautiful tune

was in grace cathedral park in January, felt a bit 'special' (sad as fuck, I admit)

Re: Red House Painters

Wow. Where is it?
That's one of my favourite songs of all time, for sure.

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San Francisco, didnt click until i walked past it, the cathedral's immense, really appropriate for RHP, there were some choral vocals going on when i was there and it definitely suited,

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Isn't it "New Jersey ain't the whole world"? Don't tell me I've been singing the wrong words for 12 years.

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they are amazing aren't they?
heard them a couple of years ago, and never get sick of them. it's something i always reach for, still, when in certain moods. it's music you need sometimes, for some reason. bit like bonnie prince in that respect.
bless that man and his voice and his ways.

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