Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

[Fawst]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

The more I listen to CAMS, the more I love it. It's different, yet it's unmistakably dredg. Someone Is Laughing has grown on me even more than before. The Tent is one of their best songs in my opinion, even though it's not "by" them. The only track I just don't care for at all is Where I'll End Up. It's this album's Spitshine.

[halcyon712]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

Excellent choice with Shannon Hoon. Car Seat makes me cry every time I hear it.

On a lighter note, I seem to feel about dredg quite differently than most of you. Yes, El Cielo was my favorite. I don't think they will, or even should, pop that one out of their asses again. I happen to LOVE Pariah as well. Every real song on it (minus "filler" songs). That's just because I don't like little snippet things (i.e Tool's Ænima and even El Cielo's brushstrokes).

This new album...I must say it took a few listens for me to like ANYTHING on it. I despised The Thought of Losing You when I first heard it, Upon Returning was ok live, but I wasn't thrilled by the direction when I saw it. But after a few listens yesterday on a 3 hour drive, I can say that I do like this album quite a bit. It's poppy, it's simple, and at times, it can be quite ear-wrenching with Gavin's vocals. There are a few bad notes in there. But all in all, I think the simplicity is quite beautiful, and the fact that this is what they wanted to present...well that's cool by me. The honesty means a lot.

I certainly don't think this is their best album to date (to me it's the worst), but I respect it for what it is.

It falls into the Catch Without Arms category for me, which was on the "eh" side of the line for me (even though there are some amazing songs there as well...one of which nobody agrees with me on, "Spitshine").

Yes, to each his own.

[buzzingwhitenoise]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

Blind Melon! Great band, Shannon's one of my favorites. And he is a great lyricist. It's also paired with amazing melodies, which never hurts. Go listen to that song Mouthful Of Cavities if you've never heard it, or any of Blind Melon's stuff really. I Wonder, Dear Ol' Dad, Toes Across The Floor, etc etc.

Too bad people only really know "No Rain." Probably their worst song and the most simple. And it's still pretty good.

[AnewKINDofFEELING]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

That's why I think poetry has no business being compared to vocals.

Lyrics and vocals are two different things. However, lyrics and poetry are very comparable. They both involve rhymes, meters, verses, allegory, etc. Yes, lyrics need to fit vocal lines. That is where talent comes in.

[FeebleFables]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

I think with each successive release Gavin gets better and better.

With the exception of Lietmotif, I believe the exact opposite.

Just curious, who are your other favorite singers or lyricists?

[buzzingwhitenoise]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

Probably an obvious one, but Jeff Buckley was/is a poet. And top 5 best male rock vocalist of all time, IMO..

[AnewKINDofFEELING]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

Blind Melon! Great band, Shannon's one of my favorites. And he is a great lyricist. It's also paired with amazing melodies, which never hurts. Go listen to that song Mouthful Of Cavities

Great minds think alike. I used Mouthful of Cavities as my example on the previous page of the thread.
---

Probably an obvious one, but Jeff Buckley was/is a poet. And top 5 best male rock vocalist of all time, IMO..

Actually, Jeff used a lyricist a lot of the time. I'll agree on the vocalist part.

[halcyon712]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

Gavin's range is lower these days. I can actually sing all of CAMS, whereas I used to crack at the thought of singing to El Cielo (Sanzen, Whoa Is Me). I'm not the best singer in the world by a long shot, but I'm glad I can finally match the range of his current work.

[buzzingwhitenoise]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

Interesting. Didn't know that. Well whoever was writing stuff like this is genius:

There's the moon asking to stay
Long enough for the clouds to fly me away
Well it's my time coming
I'm not afraid to die
My fading voice sings of love
But she cries to the clicking of time
Of time

Wait in the fire
Wait in the fire

And she weeps on my arm
Walking to the bright lights in sorrow
Oh drink a bit of wine we both might go tomorrow
Oh my love
And the rain is falling and I believe
My time has come
It reminds me of the pain
I might leave
Leave behind

[AnewKINDofFEELING]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

Interesting. Didn't know that. Well whoever was writing stuff like this is genius:

There's the moon asking to stay
Long enough for the clouds to fly me away
Well it's my time coming
I'm not afraid to die
My fading voice sings of love
But she cries to the clicking of time
Of time

Wait in the fire
Wait in the fire

And she weeps on my arm
Walking to the bright lights in sorrow
Oh drink a bit of wine we both might go tomorrow
Oh my love
And the rain is falling and I believe
My time has come
It reminds me of the pain
I might leave
Leave behind

Gary Lucas may have written those. Jeff did write Lover, You Should Have Come Over, Last Goodbye and Eternal Life, though.

[halcyon712]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

Oh, and David Gilmour is in my rankings for top lyricists. Not vocalist, because he sometimes tries to hit notes he shouldn't, but I love his lyrics. (See: "Sorrow", "High Hopes", "Yet Another Movie")

[jessepac]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

Oh, and David Gilmour is in my rankings for top lyricists. Not vocalist, because he sometimes tries to hit notes he shouldn't, but I love his lyrics. (See: "Sorrow", "High Hopes", "Yet Another Movie")

Gilmour's wife writes the majority of his lyrics, by the way, but his delivery is fantastic

[halcyon712]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

Yeah. Grace was Lucas.
---

Gilmour's wife writes the majority of his lyrics, by the way, but his delivery is fantastic

Yeah, I forgot about that. Polly Gilmour it is, then. David as a side lyricist.

[AnewKINDofFEELING]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

If you give him some leeway on his growled vocals, Mike Akerfeldt tends to write pretty good lyrics, as well. He tends to write thematically (narration many times), so that does make it a little easier.

[Fawst]

Re: Album Discussion: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy

Not that this matters at all, but Gilmour is also about a thousand times better a vocalist than Waters. Just saying. Lyricist, too.