They tried to keep me down! First Muxtape goes down. Then 8Track says I’m too radical for their little “system.” Yeah, I bent the rules by choosing songs from all one artist, but I follow the P-Funk/Burger King philosophy “Have it Your Way!And we'll figure out a way to do it.

http://anywhere.fm/NDRU (upload in progress as of 5:03 pm--my third attempt at this!!

Some of you will surely not like this mix. There’s something kind of off about Damon Gough, aka Badly Drawn Boy. Maybe it’s the voice (I actually thought that he was a woman for a brief moment, partly due to the name). He never really blasts a tune like Lennon or Stevie. His lyrics often don’t rhyme, and they don’t read like normal rock cliches. His music is largely mid-tempo, and it has odd changes.

It took me a long time to get into him, but slowly his albums have become nearly as important to me as anyone. That’s saying a lot, I think, because my collection is not too obscure, but is rather superstars & legends of their genres. The richness and originality of the arrangements, the melodies, the utter sincerity with which he presents it has made up for the fact that it’s not always cool. Every time I hear one of his albums, I’m not quite ready for it. It has to seep into my soul gradually, where it eventually finds permanent residence.

I know maybe it’s not that creative to present only one artist. But that’s how I made so many mix tapes way back when, and the guy I’ve chosen gets no love in America (and I imagine he doesn’t get nearly enough in the UK either).

I called this mix Year of the Rat after a song that nearly made the mix, and because this is the year of the Rat, and I was also born in the year of the Rat!

All Possibilities—this song actually had a little success in America, in the form of a Target commercial. This is BDB at his most accessible & upbeat. It’s a beautiful melody, beautiful sentiment, and a beautiful arrangement.

Another Devil Dies—A slow builder. I think one of the things I like most about him is his use of real instruments, and lots of different ones at that. The organic feel of his music is what Prince merely hinted at in Musicology. The lyrics are not out of left field, yet they are highly original.

Welcome to the Overground—This song is unusual for him in that it buries his voice behind the big arrangement. Instead of being personal, it’s like a new age operatic anthem. That sounds terrible, I know, but I love it anyway!

Once Around the Block—jazz? Folk? Honestly it’s like nothing I’ve ever heard.

Nothing’s Gonna Change Your Mind—Does this one try too hard? Maybe, but it captures a big feeling, and by the end I’m hooked.

Promises—By contrast this one hardly tries at all, and yet it builds to a great intensity. The lyrics are so powerful and his performance is so sincere.

The Further I Slide—this one gets into your head. My girlfriend & I are always singing “do do do do do…” He shows on this song (and album) that he’s capable of some radio friendly stuff.

How—BDB’s third album Have You Fed the Fish had a lot of these bigger productions. Love the way this is essentially three songs in one. It takes me back to A Day In The Life.

Pissing in the Wind—one of the songs that made people talk so much about his debut. Simply a great pop song, it sets the tone for all of his music.

Holy Grail—Here he pulls out all the stops. You might hear why a fan of Lovesexy would like this one. It reminds me of Positivity in a roundabout way. The strange children’s choir singing strange lyrics and a tricky, yet still singsong melody are why I love this guy. I can’t imagine anyone else getting away with it!
[Edited 9/1/08 17:03pm]
[Edited 9/15/08 15:38pm]

NDRU said:

Punk-rock! I mean the attitude, not the music...

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love how everybody has their own take on this project. An one artist mix:

And Badly Drawn Boy to boot. I have one album, loved it but haven't listened to it in years. I think I'm ready for a re-evaluation.

looks like anywhere.fm randomizes the order

One artist, eh? Ballsy. I can't wait to listen tomorrow. Thanks, NDRU.

I haven't heard your mix yet, but given that it's Badly Drawn Boy, I doubt that I will sit through it..... I've tried to get into this artist's stuff, I simply couldn't!

On a far less important note: can someone please peal off his stupid hat????

NDRU said:

I see. It started with 'another devil dies' when I clicked it.

I guess it's the same as with 8tracks; it's some legal rule. You cannot have free music online unless it's at random like radio. Otherwise you can pick your own songs in your own time and that's something you have to pay for. This must be the reason why the RIAA went after muxtape...

I actually thought 'Another devil dies' was quite the good opener!

For the correct order a might help.

Am I right, NDRU?

abierman said:

God, no! The beard, the hat, the more he covers himself the better!

I can definitely understand not liking him, but as my mom said about eating my vegetables, "just try it [again tonight], then you can have bread."

Sander said:

I'm not exactly sure

Even though I knew very much in advance that this mix was all about BDB, I still can't help thinking of Al Stewart whenever I see the thread title.

sextonseven said:

actually that's not too far off!

Once around the block, has that insane open wah guitar line!

Great song, loved his About a Boy sounds.

aalloca said:

Yes the About A Boy album was a huge step forward. His first album is incredibly creative, but the songwriting was more solid and the confidence seemed greater on About a Boy. Plus the music is, for better or worse, a lot easier to listen to.

But the first album (Hour of the Bewilderbeast) has many great songs, and has a cohesiveness, a completeness, that is greater than the sum of it's parts.

There are videos to many of these songs. His videos, like his music, rely on old technology. Sometimes they are very low budget, but in the spirit of older videos they're like short films.

All Possibilities has one that I couldn't find, but this performance is really cute.



Once Around the Block



Nothing's Gonna Change Your Mind



Promises



Pissing in the Wind



and for extra credit, this is the title track Year of the Rat

NDRU said:

That was awesome! Hilarious! Touching!

Sander said:

thank you for your sympathy post!

NDRU said:

I'm playing catchup. I only reviewed Sander's mix last night! I'll write about Paligap's this weekend and then I'll get to yours.

All Possibilities - The interesting thing about this song, I think, is that it's so darned optimistic! Not that that's a bad thing. But I think this being my introduction to BDB -- and with so many artists exploring such dark territory these days -- it's simply foreign, and almost offensive, that this guys sees the bright side of things. Challenging... but I think I might like that.

Another Devil Dies - Smart lyrics. I appreciate that. Somehow, though, those lyrics, combined with things like tempo changes, woodwinds and brass, and the faux-live environment complete with crowd noises and applause strikes me as unforgiveably self-indulgent.

Welcome to the Overground - OK, by now I see this guy is pretty friggin' weird. I'm sure I should hate this, but the Steely Dan-esque opening spiraling into an "Age of Aquarius"-brand proclamation makes this one of my favorite songs of the mixtape.

Once around the Block - Unremarkable. Not at all bad, but unremarkable.

Nothings Gonna Change Your Mind - I was ready not to like this song after the first few stanzas, but, you're right, by the end of the song, I was kinda diggin' it. It evolves into a rather epic production, but oddly, Gough's quirkiness carries it well.

Promises - I could like this track if only because against the grandiosity of those that precede it, this one seems relatively -- pleasantly -- subtle. But I also really like the chord changes, the piano work, and a memorable melody (FINALLY! ) And the lyrics remain smart here, if they are considerably more melancholy here than elsewhere on this mixtape.

The Further I Slide - A review I read online complained this was a pretty blatant rip-off of Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing." I suppose I can detect some similarities in the chord progression and the tempo, but I don't feel the rip-off elsewhere. That said, like "Once Around the Block," this song is OK... but just OK.

How - The disjointed movements here are annoying. I can't grab onto anything here.

Pissing in the Wind - I was ready to comment again about how unremarkable this song is... until that nutty keyboard solo (is that a friggin' celesta? ) at 2:03. It's an accessible enough song, and I suppose I can see why its country tavern aesthetic would appeal to some.

Holy Grail - By the time I arrived at this song, I was pretty ambivalent about BDB. I'd heard overly gimmicky tracks; I'd heard utterly forgettable tracks; and I'd heard pretty enjoyable, if quirky, ones. The first half of "Holy Grail" fell in line with the forgettable stuff. And after the recorder solo and the impending change in movement at 4:12, I was ready to chalk up the second half as more gimmick. But I actually liked where he went -- catchy piano riff, fantastic wailing guitar, fun children's chorus and a wash of bizarre sound effects for a really odd close. In many ways this track reminded me more of "A Day in the Life" -- or even the opening sequence of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon -- than "How."

....Thanks, NDRU. I'd never heard of Badly Drawn Boy. Having heard him now, Damon Gough (I did some reading up ) impresses me as an artist whom I'd enjoy live more than recorded. He apparently is celebrated for his melodies, but I honestly don't see this as his defining mark. Rather, Gough's stuff (here at least), with its sound effects, odd instrumentations and diverse movements and tempo changes, gives me a far more theatrical energy.

Top 3 favorites:
1. Promises
2. Welcome to the Overground
3. Holy Grail.

Lammastide said:

great review, thatnks! I had issues of what to choose here, as I wanted some stuff that people could get in just one listen, but that much of his best material is just not meant for that. So I just tried to make something that I liked and sounded like maybe it could go together.

I'm glad you liked any of it at all! I'm a little surprised at the ones you chose as your favorites, however. Just goes to show you can't predict peoples' taste (not that yours was bad or wrong). In my mind you chose the more challenging songs, either from a potentially "pretentious" standpoint--Holy Grail & Welcome to the Overground--or from a more subtle standpoint--Promises--as your favorites.

NDRU said:

It's funny, but you're correct, I think... I definitely liked "Promises" because it didn't have some of the bombast of the other stuff. But while the melodrama of other songs lost me, it was the very thing that drew me to "Welcome to the Overground" and "Holy Grail."

I suspect maybe in my mind, if you're gonna do something pretentious, it should be SOOOO pretentious that people are willing to almost chalk it up to camp... and, thus, forgive you for it.

Sander said:

I say we need MORE rules,


No, but seriously. Seriously, I kinda like this. Badly Drwan Boy is one of those hyped artists people tell me I'l like and I never got around to get into him.

A week late, I know; due to some personal stuff I can't give the latest tapes the attention I would like... But I am playing it NOW. Hurray for insomnia.

First thing I always do is listen to it while doing other things. Then I listen to the tape while reading the text on the thread, to see if my thoughts on the songs are in one line with the person's thoughts.

I listened to it twice now and there wasn't one song I skipped, but neither was there a song that made me go 'Uhm, what was THAT?' in a way that makes me wanna play it again or search for more info on the artist or song/

I liked the flow of the tape alot, though. Like you said yourself; BDB did not catch on immediately with you either.
What I also liked lots was how he composed songs, using background noise. I feel BDB being a studio artist, a shy man (might be the pic) tinkering away in the studio, secretly recording people stirring their coffee in cafe's.
I feel BDB is someone I will return to, but he does not draw me in immediately.

What is his best album, in your opinion? Should I start with the first, or is there a jump-start album?

Lammastide said:

I think you're right, too, some people can get away with goofy if they fully buy into it.

HamsterHuey said:

This was the reaction I was expecting more. I was very “meh” on BDB (though I found him unique & interesting), and if my girlfriend hadn’t bought his second album, I think his first, Hour of the Bewilderbeast, might have been forgotten. I don’t know how to recommend, though I got them all in order myself, I think different people would like different ones. I’ll try to describe them for you, though.

Hour of the Bewilderbeast—He got a lot of hype in England for this one, I think. It’s so different, a connected piece of music nearly, with goofy segues, and interludes. Not so much in the way of “proper”songs, save for the ones I included; Pissing in the Wind and Once Around the Block, and a few others. This album is kind of a low budget masterpiece, and it will appeal to people who don’t like normal albums. I can think of very few albums that took me so long to like, but that is often a good thing for me. My favorite stuff takes time to grow on me, and some would say this is the very best.

About A Boy Soundtrack—A huge step forward in production and (In my opinion) songwriting, but it may also be a step back in creativity. I don’t believe he’s ever matched the sheer creativity of the first album. This one jumps out at you with strong songs and lush arrangements, but being a soundtrack, it also has the little segues that he is so good at. This is a very easy and enjoyable starting point, and perhaps his most popular album.

Have You Fed the Fish—His pop star album. Some of the personality may be missing from this, but the songs (All Possibilities, How, Year of the Rat) hold up. Production is excellent (I think he used one of Beck’s guys) and the tone is whimsical. Maybe my favorite, actually, though it is also possibly his most shallow album. I’m just superficial, I guess.

1 plus 1 is 1—A step back, it seemed, but only on the surface. This album goes back to the personal, and to my initial disappointment is very slow & dark. I have grown to love it very much. Year of the Rat (whatever it is about) Another Devil Dies, Holy Grail are some of my favorite BDB tunes.

Born in the UK—Sort of an in-between album. Some songs (Welcome to the Overground, Nothing’s Gonna Change Your Mind) are in your face with their huge-ness, while Promises is one of his most subtle and beautiful songs. The tone is more upbeat, but the mood is serious. It was apparently inspired by Bruce Springsteen, and you can hear that in some of the music, though definitely not the vocals!!

Tom Waits was once asked what album of his a newbie should start with. He said “this new one!” Then asked which one after that, he replied “the one before it!” So there’s a wise suggestion, too
[Edited 9/7/08 22:18pm]

NDRU said:

Thanks for the tips!

aalloca said:

Yeah About a Boy had great songs. I didn't pick any from it because I couldn't find the damn disc!

I love the melody to Once Around the Block. It feels so odd, yet effortless. Goes to those odd notes, Major 7's I guess. In that way it reminds me of Joni Mitchell a bit. Just love that it can be unconventional and catchy at the same time.

HamsterHuey said:

That was the exact emoticon I used when NDRU sent me his mix in advance to mail to MoonSongs.

ya lazy bastid! Well I can tell you straight away, my favorite artist on your mix is Badly Drawn Boy! Now nobody can complain about my hidden track, which was my idea from the very beginning. My presentation is going to have another twist but ya gotta wait until my week

I have heard this name a thousand times and have never heard a single song. Right away I could see why he would be hated but I really really REALLY like this guy A LOT! I find absolutely nothing objectionable about his voice. Then again, I'm not a "False God You"!

I love the arrangements and I totally appreciate the odd changes in the structure of the songs. There is effort in the music but it's not forced. I really like his voice and I'm intrigued by his lyrics. Since I'm not familiar it will really take me several listens to begin connecting on that level but I feel that it will be a large part of his appeal to me. Usually when you're unfamiliar with an artist or song, it's kind of hard to get in the groove but I had an instant comfort level with these songs. I am SO going to explore this guy

On first listen, my favorite was "Welcome to the Overground". I like your description and it's exactly why I love it so much. But having heard this again I go for Promises. It makes me cry There is something so tragic about it but also just something that is so genuine and pure. So pretty it's sad. Knowing you’re a Pisces makes so much sense as far as this mix is concerned.

PS - You didn't comment on "How"!

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

LOL I called How, "Why."

It wasn't just laziness that made me do one artist, I worked pretty hard on this mix. I really just wanted to introduce people to something new, and he was the best I had to offer. His music has meant a lot to me, and I thought maybe a couple people might be moved by it, too. Funny, I actually thought that you in particular might like it!

Promises is such a powerful song! So understated, but it's that seriousness that doesn't need to be noisy. It's just so heartfelt. I absolutely love the words:

"promise you will remember
promises last forever
still after the dying ember
of a fire that burns so slowly."

gorgeous!
[Edited 9/15/08 16:02pm]

This thread will need lots of help to get to "fire" status like the others. I'll post a review soon.