From: Mark P, youamwho@yahoo.com Subject: Re: Question for less than impressed Seance reviewers.. Date: 2/7/2002 11:02:13 PM To: Hans Beckers, hbeckers@hotmail.com seance@lists.no-fi.com Hi Hans, I for one was all set to be *absolutey* critical about AENT but who knows, maybe my morning went better than I expected, maybe I had enough fibre in my diet recently, maybe the frikkin' planets are in alignment ... who knows! I was overtaken spot on ... from the opening chords of Numbers ... it was odd ... I tend to eyeball everything as critical as possible, always the skeptic and forever cynical ...HI! I don't think YOU were as critical as you can be Hans ;-)... and whatever critique you offered was constructive ... to my way of viewing it, that's the way I read it ... hell, twas y'all that set my course of thinking on this release initially. Now that should warm yr heart, huh? I couldn't stand "Numbers" from the first time I played it and it never grew on me so from yours and Tim's pre-release(sorta) reviews (two Seancers I've always regarded quite highly) I was all set to not be all that favorable in my own addressing of AENT. I got in yesterday ... day before, whenever ... that bubblepak from Whammo Kerblammo was in the mailbox and for some strange reason a more pronounced sense of elation washed over me than on any other *normal* package receiving day. Maybe it was the fact that a good percentage of you guys already had the damned album and I was still anticipating my connecting with it ... I've always been somewot charmed being able to somehow score just about anything I want a little early through some sort of connection I still kind of have. Maybe it was a sense of the frustration being released. Anyway ... that said ... that album from the first note just fell perfectly into place ... strangely enough. "Numbers" sounded like an entirely different tune than that on the CD5 and from there on out to the outer rim of the CD the album progressively got better and better and better hence whipping me into the blithering idiot that achieved his goal of helping to format and compile one of the weightiest digests in Seance history! Sorry for the extreme babble and rambling ... any future elation shall be well governed and remain a bit more private. Anyway ... If I were to give any Church album 5 out of five stars it would still be Blurred Crusade as that's the album that means *MY CHURCH* to me. After Everything Now This gets four ... the band hasn't been *my Church* for quite some time now but I'm DE-tensing to the fact that this particular Church era/direction (as of yet not a direction I'm all that thrilled they seem to be taking) is A LOT more palpable ... for me anyway ... and I was all set to be the spoiler. DAMN!!! ;-) I'm still not at all that excited about these "semi electric" gigs coming up. But who knows maybe by the end of April all the elements shall again be aligned and I'll be blown away once again. This album's release ... just the fact that after all the setbacks and remixes and absolute bullshit in general the band has been through in the past couple years ... should be enough for all of us to revel in at our own pace, on our own terms, at our own torque setting. I for one am still knocked out by AENT(24+ hours for someone w/a case of attention deficit syndrome such as I ... MAN, that's saying something!) ... listened to it about six maybe seven times now and it gets better every time ... FUCK radiotronics ... it's just word ... just an element of sound or production value or whatever ... FUCK muddy or murky or muddled ... it's still all lush and Churchlike ... ah .. I dunno, I'm just glad I still love this band ... a band that I'd for the most part given up on in a pissed off hissy-fit after a few listens to P=A way back when (I dig the hell outta that record now BTW)... I didn't succumb again (other than listening to the catalog up to P=A) until Baal was released and I spied the Seance URL on my copy's sleeve. It was the greatness of Baal(for me!) and connecting with this list (Lucky for lot, aye?) that made me believe in this band once again ... and I can say succumb once again, you SUCCUMB to The Church! I too as Hans am hoping for a bit less "nice" or "space" or ambiance" on the next one ...PRAISE _______ ... hopeful for a next one!!! ... *my Church* rocks ...*my Church* jangles ... *my Church* shimmers ... not to say this Church doesn't but I'd just love to have *my Church* back just for a brief moment. Maybe they'll pull out Bel Air or Life Speeds Up or Almost With You or It's No Reason or Disenchanted on this tour when they play NYC ... if yr there and that happens ... look up ... I'll be floating! Mark ... and *nobody* is allowed my list idiot status, Hans! --- Hans Beckers wrote: > > I didn't give it 2/5...I just thought 5/5 would be generous. As for > Radiotronics, it sounded okay on HOB but on "song for the asking" it > just > sounds unnecessary...it's a pretty song that would have been just > fine > without it. I can live with it...I'd just rather that that be the end > of > that aural experiment. > Muddy mix...don't think that was me...I was the guy who wished for > more > melodies...I stand corrected, however...I heard them all after I > cleaned out > my ears, changed my stereo, moved to New orleans, smoked a big bong, > faced > North, South, East, West, and re-listened to it one more time. > Actually, I don't mind AENT...there are some very pretty moments and > gorgeous songs on this album. I *do*, however mind that anyone who > dares > make some critical comments about it is considered an idiot. I love > the > Church...I just don't happen to love the direction of AENT. So, what? > Get > over it. I am. I'm glad Seancers love AENT...personally, I hope they > rock > out a bit more on the next album. > > Hans > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at > http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. > > ===== Sleep Well ~ Don't Burst http://www.mitchworldusa.net __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings! http://greetings.yahoo.com