It's nothing special at first, but the last two minutes of the song are, to me, what going to Heaven must sound like. No exaggeration. Seriously. Beautiful.

'Kay, just had to share that. I feel better now.

That is all.

Anxiety said:

Oh God, yes...

Though I actually think that Hawaii peaks on the final 67 seconds of Peppy. If I believed in such a thing, I'd say there's a special spot reserved in Heaven for Sean O'Hagan solely for producing something as sublime as that banjo solo.

damosuzuki said:

i'll keep an ear out for that. the album of theirs that is the most like audio prozac for me is "snowbug", but that could be more for sentimental reasons than because of the music (though the tunes on that album are certainly lovely). i don't know 'hawaii' as well as i'd like, though i do enjoy it.

Anxiety said:

3:38 of track 16.

I also love the casual way Campers in Control builds to a slightly lazy climax. Hawaii is (forgive me for this - I know I hate it when people say what I'm about to say) a very special album for me.

I've yet to hear snowbug - that's the one after Cold and Bouncy, right? I went through a rather tight period financially when that album was out, and I've never gone back to pick it up. Hopefully I'll stumble across it in a second-hand shop one of these days.

'cold and bouncy'...sheesh...and i thought i had 'em all. it came out around '01 - lots of vox from the stereolab gals throughout the album. it's a really good winter album, i think. but then again, most of their albums are (to me, anyway). 'gideon gaye' is another big fave of mine, for no real personal or sentimental reason. i just like it a whole lot.

OK, the obsessive in me has been awakened.

The High Llamas discography:


1992 Santa Barbara
1994 Gideon Gaye
1996 Hawaii
1998 Cold and Bouncy
1999 Snowbug
2000 Buzzle Bee
2003 Beet, Maize & Corn

Santa Barbara and Snowbug remain unheard by me, and I didn't even know an album named Buzzle Bee existed. Gideon Gaye and Hawaii are two of my absolute, no bullshit, I-kid-you-not favourite records of all time. Though I prefer Hawaii for its over-all tone, I have to admit that Gideon Gaye is probably the finer album on a song-for-song basis - and really, how many other artists have the temerity (if that's what you'd call it) to make a ten minute flute solo the centrepiece of their record???!!!

Cold and Bouncy and Beet, Maize and Corn are very lovely records too.

oh, but that ten-minute flute solo rocks my world.

well, huh. i have all the high llamas stuff except for 'cold & bouncy' and 'santa barbara' then. 'buzzle bee' was my most recent purchase, and it's pleasant enough, though i don't know how unique or outstanding it is. i like it a whole lot than the last new album they put out, which i just can't get with at all.

they also have an EP of remixes out - all but one track being remixed by other artists, and then one new high llamas song. i don't like this disc much, but i'm not big on remixes in general.

have you ever seen the llamas live? it's amazing how well they're able to reproduce their studio sound in concert. and i saw them in a ramshackle little venue in chicago where you'd think they SHOULD sound shitty.

oh, but that ten-minute flute solo rocks my world.

Me too, me too...that's a beautiful piece of monotony.



have you ever seen the llamas live? it's amazing how well they're able to reproduce their studio sound in concert. and i saw them in a ramshackle little venue in chicago where you'd think they SHOULD sound shitty.

Unfortunately not - my city is pretty isolated, so it's pretty rare that we get gigs of any note. I have heard that they recreate their sound very well, though, right down to the glockenspiel.