Entertainment For Lively Minds
John Grant - Queen of Denmark
Posted by Steve Turner on 20 April 2010 - 6:52pm.
Believe all the reviews you are likely to read about this album. It is sensational. Perfectly crafted pop songs with Midlake and some excellent orchestration providing a superb backdrop. If you can locate it, make sure you get the version with a 4 track bouns cd. It is not like the album proper but the first song is an unbelievable (and funny) pastiche of Krautrock - it highlights the complexities of the man and I am pretty positive this early in the year that it will be a strong contender for the year end best ofs. If your Word subscription is up for renewal it is free with a new subscription this month (you can pay me later David).
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Hear hear...
just don't start singing Chicken Bones in Tescos though.
http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/james-grant.
I've bitten
It's on emusic, Hooray!
Got it off emusic
this morning [they were calling it 'Queen of Dark' but have now fixed it I see]. On first couple of plays it sounds strong and I agree is a cert for the best of lists come year end.
Here's 'I Wanna Go To Marz'
and here's the Czars beautiful cover of 'Song To The Siren'
Uh oh
Amazon one-click is a dangerous thing: read thread, go to amazon, see deluxe edition, buy. Process took less than a minute. If it all goes wrong, you 4 owe me £2.24 each.
If...
you don't like it you can give us all chinese burns
Agreed
Already one of my albums of the year. You'll be fine Uncle Monty but be sure to come back and tell us what you think.
May take time
His voice is extraordinary and do download the extra four tracks (I got the album on emusic and downloaded the extra tracks on iTunes).
Have been listening to the album and, while individual tracks are great, overall it sounds very much the same. If that makes any sense. However. I have a feeling that it will grow on me.
Love The Czars and if you like this, get "Goodbye" and "Sorry I Made You Cry". Pretty amazing records.
This guy's
supporting Midlake, too, on their tour. Really looking to the Roundhouse gig in November, now.
No Chinese burns
CD arrived yesterday afternoon and has been played several times since. It's excellent! Really unusual, managing to be both melancholic and summery all in one go. The Midlake influence is obvious without being overwhelming.
Well done all of you for recommending it.
Oh - and he's playing Latitude on the day I'm going! Marvellous stuff...
It's ace.
Best of the year so far, deffo!
Official Video for John
Official Video for John Grant's 'I Wanna Go To Marz' -
Thank You!
I'm an irascible old cynic. But this really is beautiful.
Its helping me out of my early summer depression brought on by a broken foot and continued umployment.
Thanks again for pointing me in John Grant's direction and a massive thumbs up to Spotify for letting me listen for free!
Mind You
the start to I Wanna Go To Marz sounds exactly like 'Steven' from Alice Cooper's 'Wecome To My Nighmare'...
thanks
for recommending this album. It's brilliant. Really looking forward to seeing him at Latitude.
Odd question
But does anyone else's CD crackle with static for few bars on Track 11. it's during a bit of synthery and doesn't sound like it should be there. 5000 CDs into my life and I nay have my first faulty one.
Don't get it...
If I had to sum up what's wrong with it in one go, it would be this: "gratuitous double-tracking doesn't cover up a thin, reddy voice."
Decent songs though. If there was still money in it, people like him would be writing for others.
Ridiculous!
You seriously think that someone blessed with a voice like that (and isn't too shabby on the ivories) should be writing for others? Thin reedy voice? Double-tracked?
Not on this evidence mate:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/video/2010/jun/17/john-grant-where-dream...
I interviewed him
for this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/jun/17/rock-rehab-pete-doherty-john...
A very, very smart and charming man. I'll transcribe the whole hour and a bit conversation when I get the chance.
And another thing
I was listening to this album again yesterday. The first half dozen songs are stunningly good. There's only a very slight drop in quality for the second half. I love his singing too.
My other realisation, which I haven't seen mentioned yet here, is about his backing musicians. How often have we heard a band back up a singer who isn't their usual singer - and it ends up sounding just like band x with another singer? One example of this: that album on which Crazy Horse backed Ian McNabb (Head Like A Stone, was it?). Queen Of Denmark sounds nothing like Midlake to me, which speaks well of their willingness to subsume their group identity and sound in service of the man who's supposed to be the star.
Where Dreams Go To Die is a gorgeous song.
Saw him support Midlake
on Monday in Liverpool with his new backing band [which unless I'm very much mistaken includes Robert Gomez on guitar - but I digress] Half of Midlake watched his set from in the crowd, lots of head nodding took place - I think they enjoyed it.
Taken me ages to finally
listen to him (it was the Latitude/Word podcast that convinced me) and he really is great. Better late than never.
Just getting to this...
Just adding to this now (rather than starting a new thread) as I bought this album a week or so before Christmas and only just had a chance to let it grow on me. It's a thing of beauty indeed, reminding me at various points of Justin Hayward, the Scissor Sisters in their more acoustic moments, and the late-lamented Gerry Rafferty. This is a Good Thing.
I don't know anything by The Czars or Midlake apart from tracks on Word CDs, any recommendations.