Babybird-The_Original_Lo-Fi_(Box_Set)-6CD-2002-NuHS

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MP3/FLAC

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NuHS

Size

418,94 MB

Files

98

Date

2003-04-06

NFO

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   ..... Info ........................................XHHHI.....
   :                                                   I+      :
   :   Artist: Babybird                                        :
   :    Album: The Original Lo-Fi (Box Set)                    :
   :   Tracks: 98                                              :
   :     Time: 304:13hours                                     :
   :  Bitrate: 192kbit True Stereo                             :
   :   Source: CDDA                                            :
   :    Genre: Indie                                           :
   :    Label: Baby Bird Recordings                            :
   : Str.Date: 11/30/2002                                      :
   : Rip.Date: 04/05/2003                                      :
   :   Ripper: Starlette                                       :
   :                                                           :
   :...........................................................:
   .. About This Release .......................................
   :                                                           :
   :  Whether you love or detest Baby Bird, no one could       :
   :  argue that he is not prolific. After a period of         :
   :  well-deserved rest following the slight disappointment   :
   :  of 'Bugged', the last 6 months have seen two boxed sets  :
   :  and a new album awaiting release. The 'Original Lo-Fi'   :
   :  boxed set will come as great relief to those who have    :
   :  discovered the magic of Baby Bird at a later date as     :
   :  these previously severely limited edition CDs are now    :
   :  available for everyone to enjoy, with the bonus of a CD  :
   :  of previously unreleased material to tempt the           :
   :  die-hards.                                               :
   :  1995 was a hugely busy year for Baby Bird AKA Stephen    :
   :  Jones and 'I Was Born A Man' immediately set the tone    :
   :  for just how brilliant home recordings could sound. The  :
   :  first three tracks couldn't be more different: the       :
   :  angry electro-rock of 'Blow It To The Moon', the cute    :
   :  novelty of 'Lemonade Baby' but between them is the       :
   :  outstanding cut of 'Mans Tight Vest', it is Jones in a   :
   :  nutshell with sexual confusion ("I'm shaped like a       :
   :  knocker on the door of mankind. Bang me once or          :
   :  twice.") and vocals that cut like a knife which reveal   :
   :  - unusually for 'bedroom boffins' - an                   :
   :  emotionally-wracked man that makes these disturbing      :
   :  tales all the more believable. Cunningly, Jones slips    :
   :  the same melody on to the end of the album with          :
   :  'Alison'; a sign that he knew what his best work was     :
   :  rather than a lack of new ideas. 'Baby Bird' and         :
   :  'Farmer' reveal the most commercial potential as both    :
   :  have warmth in abundance. Also included is the first     :
   :  outing for the later hit 'Cornershop' only here it is    :
   :  in a caustic, frazzled form. This release sets the       :
   :  agenda for soft-sounding songs enriched - rather than    :
   :  spoiled - by uneasy lyrics of sexual perversion and      :
   :  dark matter.                                             :
   :                                                           :
   :  Opening up with Jones's assertion that he is a 'church'  :
   :  it is clear that the man has no little amount of         :
   :  confidence. Even more confrontational than 'I Was Born   :
   :  A Man', 'Bad Shave' holds nothing back by debunking ZZ   :
   :  Top and Heaven 17 to the off-kilter discordant sounds    :
   :  of 'Bad Jazz'. His love for alt-pop, without losing his  :
   :  trademark melancholic croon is well presented by 'Steam  :
   :  Train' (daft but cherishable lines such as loving        :
   :  someone like a fleshy brain, a tea stain and - perhaps   :
   :  more disconcertingly - Michael Caine). 'Shop Girl' has   :
   :  a gorgeous throwaway melody but it's preceded by the     :
   :  chilling strains of 'Valerie' in which Jones curiously   :
   :  affected vocal suggests a dangerous obsession with the   :
   :  titular female. More standouts are on the agenda with    :
   :  the soft electronic touches/depressing lyric formula of  :
   :  '45 & Fat' and 'Sha Na Na' is the beautiful work of a    :
   :  crazed mind. Moreover, Baby Bird was beginning a knack   :
   :  of producing consistently diverse and enjoyable work     :
   :  that was regularly receiving attention from major        :
   :  record companies.                                        :
   :                                                           :
   :  Fittingly for an album named 'Fatherhood', Jones         :
   :  delivered his most mature work to date even if the       :
   :  album cover of the artist "with child" is a little       :
   :  disquieting. 'Cooling Towers' may possess a wealth of    :
   :  electro-beats but its roots are set in the pure          :
   :  psych-pop of the late 60's. Yet the overall mood on the  :
   :  album is that of lullabies and slightly-warped love      :
   :  songs, none of which are more appealing than 'Dustbin    :
   :  Liner' and 'Iceberg'. Jones is in self-effacing and      :
   :  reflective mood throughout as he pleads "Just me put me  :
   :  down as another fool" on 'I Was Never Here', the only    :
   :  one of the tracks later to appear on his masterpiece     :
   :  'There's Something Going On'. With the guitar just as    :
   :  dominant as the keyboards, Jones revealed there was      :
   :  another string to his bow on this incredibly intimate    :
   :  album.                                                   :
   :                                                           :
   :  As the fourth album released in 1995, a tailing off in   :
   :  quality could only be expected. Yet for the most part    :
   :  Jones keeps up a good ratio of good over bad songs.      :
   :  'Razorblade Shower' is probably a riotous step too far   :
   :  but 'The Happiest Man Alive' is dotted with brilliant    :
   :  moments of clarity like the creepy 'Sundial In A         :
   :  Tunnel', or the undertstated magnificence of 'Halfway    :
   :  Up The Hill' and 'Seagullably'. 'Louise's lyric of "Get  :
   :  out your shammy, I'm a fake dear. Look into my eyes      :
   :  there's a lake dear." returns to the sexual confusion    :
   :  of his earlier work. Followers of Jones's more recent    :
   :  work will probably find the original version of 'Candy   :
   :  Girl' unrecognisable; it is delivered in a resigned      :
   :  manner whereas it's hit version sounded invigorated.     :
   :  Towards the end of this set the quality control dial     :
   :  dips, signified by an overuse of drum machine and        :
   :  Jones's increasingly tired vocal. After such an intense  :
   :  period of recording activity, surely he can be forgiven  :
   :  for being slightly weary though.                         :
   :                                                           :
   :  After the commercial breakthrough of the 'Ugly           :
   :  Beautiful' release, Jones went back to his lo-fi roots   :
   :  to produce a work of quiet, semi-ambience that couldn't  :
   :  have been further removed from his newly-acquired "pop   :
   :  star" status. Keyboards are used more subtly than ever   :
   :  and with Jones reduced to a mere whisper 'Dying Happy'   :
   :  is a curious, restrained collection of music. Efforts    :
   :  like the outstanding 'Losing My Hair' possess the        :
   :  merest piano tinkle, male and female choral samples and  :
   :  film dialogue. Jones relies on his falsetto, quietly     :
   :  murmuring in the background in deference to the style    :
   :  of the music. The wondrous 'Grandma Begs To Be 18        :
   :  Again' is attractively morose whilst 'Lead Cloud' is     :
   :  all floataway dreaminess. It is perhaps a sign of        :
   :  confidence that the average song length here is close    :
   :  to the four minute mark for the first time.              :
   :                                                           :
   :  Finally, the mysterious 'Black Album' receives its       :
   :  first outing. Though cynics may argue it's a blatant     :
   :  cash-in for die-hards to delve into their pockets for    :
   :  the sake of 40 minutes of new material (they would have  :
   :  a point, but they would probably buy the box set even    :
   :  if the extra disc wasn't included), it's an extra disc   :
   :  well worth owning and sees a natural progression from    :
   :  the quiet angst of 'Dying Happy'. Amongst unnamed 16     :
   :  tracks there are a few shocks and surprises along the    :
   :  way. None are greater than the disturbing tale of the    :
   :  body of Jesus Christ being kept in a fridge and freaks   :
   :  feeding off his blood. The overriding feel is much more  :
   :  palatable with songs about "shining suns" and "pretty    :
   :  little stars". Even if these tracks are slightly sickly  :
   :  at times, the eerie lo-fi resonance is always resident.  :
   :                                                           :
   :...........................................................:
   .. Track List ...............................................
   :                                                           :
   :     Cd1i Was Born A Man                                   :
   :                                                           :
   :  01  Alison                                      03:43    :
   :  02  Baby Bird                                   03:33    :
   :  03  Blow It To The Moon                         02:39    :
   :  04  CFC                                         03:29    :
   :  05  Cornershop                                  03:09    :
   :  06  Dead Bird Sings                             04:04    :
   :  07  Farmer                                      02:58    :
   :  08  Hong Kong Blues                             03:33    :
   :  09  Invisible Tune                              03:53    :
   :  10  Kiss Your Country                           04:04    :
   :  11  Lemonade Baby                               04:36    :
   :  12  Love Love Love                              02:28    :
   :  13  Mans Tight Vest                             04:13    :
   :                                                           :
   :     Cd2 Bad Shave                                         :
   :                                                           :
   :  01  45 & Fat                                    02:41    :
   :  02  Bad Jazz                                    03:05    :
   :  03  Bad Shave                                   03:22    :
   :  04  Bug In A Breeze                             03:55    :
   :  05  Happy Bus                                   02:29    :
   :  06  Hate Song                                   02:15    :
   :  07  It's Okay                                   02:26    :
   :  08  Kwjesustv Roof Appeal                       03:57    :
   :  09  Oh My God You're A King                     02:47    :
   :  10  Past Lasts Longer                           03:11    :
   :  11  Sha Na Na                                   02:40    :
   :  12  Shop Girl                                   03:41    :
   :  13  Steam Train                                 02:35    :
   :  14  Swinging From Tree To Tree                  02:37    :
   :  15  The Restaurant Is Guilty                    01:49    :
   :  16  Too Handsome To Be Homeless                 03:22    :
   :  17  Valerie                                     02:15    :
   :  18  W.B.T.                                      03:53    :
   :  19  Why                                         02:37    :
   :                                                           :
   :     Cd3 Fatherhood                                        :
   :                                                           :
   :  01  Aluminium Beach                             04:35    :
   :  02  Bad Blood                                   03:54    :
   :  03  But Love                                    01:57    :
   :  04  Cool & Crazy Thing To Do                    02:40    :
   :  05  Cooling Towers                              03:14    :
   :  06  Daisies                                     02:07    :
   :  07  Dustbin Liner                               02:53    :
   :  08  Failed Old Singer                           03:33    :
   :  09  Fatherhood                                  02:27    :
   :  10  Goddamn It, You're A Kid                    03:06    :
   :  11  Good Night                                  03:25    :
   :  12  Good Weather                                03:24    :
   :  13  I Don't Want To Wake You Up                 03:26    :
   :  14  I Was Never Here                            03:52    :
   :  15  Iceberg                                     03:10    :
   :  16  May We                                      03:37    :
   :  17  Neil Armstrong                              02:20    :
   :  18  No Children                                 01:08    :
   :  19  Not About A Girl                            02:32    :
   :  20  Saturday                                    02:28    :
   :                                                           :
   :     Cd4 The Happiest Man Alive                            :
   :                                                           :
   :  01  Candy Girl                                  03:45    :
   :  02  Copper Feel                                 02:53    :
   :  03  Dead In Love                                03:49    :
   :  04  Gunfingers                                  02:44    :
   :  05  Halfway Up The Hill                         04:35    :
   :  06  Horsesugar                                  02:48    :
   :  07  In The Country                              02:47    :
   :  08  In The Morning                              02:13    :
   :  09  Little White Man                            02:23    :
   :  10  Louse                                       02:31    :
   :  11  Married                                     05:06    :
   :  12  Planecrash Xmas                             03:14    :
   :  13  Please Don't Be Famous                      03:29    :
   :  14  Razorblade Shower                           04:05    :
   :  15  Seagullably                                 03:26    :
   :  16  Sundial In A Tunnel                         02:51    :
   :  17  This Beautiful Disease                      04:07    :
   :  18  You'll Get A Slap                           03:15    :
   :                                                           :
   :     Cd5 Dying Happy                                       :
   :                                                           :
   :  01  Cheap Astronaut                             05:13    :
   :  02  Grandma Begs To Be 18 Again                 02:33    :
   :  03  Homesick Satallites                         02:34    :
   :  04  It's Alright Dad, Isn't It                  02:35    :
   :  05  Lead Cloud                                  02:33    :
   :  06  Losing My Hair                              03:42    :
   :  07  Metal Waterpistol                           03:08    :
   :  08  Petrol Cigarette                            02:34    :
   :  09  The Unemployable Rub Oil On Her Coffin      02:20    :
   :  10  Tomorrow's Gone                             05:36    :
   :  11  TV                                          03:07    :
   :  12  When Everyone Speaks English, The World     06:02    :
   :     Will Explode                                          :
   :                                                           :
   :     Cd6 The Black Album                                   :
   :                                                           :
   :  01  Untitled 01                                 01:42    :
   :  02  Untitled 02                                 01:44    :
   :  03  Untitled 03                                 01:55    :
   :  04  Untitled 04                                 02:30    :
   :  05  Untitled 05                                 01:23    :
   :  06  Untitled 06                                 02:49    :
   :  07  Untitled 07                                 02:14    :
   :  08  Untitled 08                                 02:57    :
   :  09  Untitled 09                                 03:24    :
   :  10  Untitled 10                                 02:44    :
   :  11  Untitled 11                                 02:08    :
   :  12  Untitled 12                                 02:10    :
   :  13  Untitled 13                                 02:08    :
   :  14  Untitled 14                                 02:21    :
   :  15  Untitled 15                                 02:02    :
   :  16  Untitled 16                                 06:17    :
   :                                                           :
   :                                                  CD1: 46:2:
   :                                                           :
   :...........................................................:
   .............................................................
   :                                                           :
   :                WE PROVIDE THE FIREWORKS,                  :
   :                                                           :
   :                                                           :
   :             YOU DO THE OOOHHH'S & AAAAAHH'S               :
   :                                                           :
   :                                                           :
   :                                                           :
   :                                                           :
   :                                                           :
   :                                                           :
   :                                                           :
   :                                                           :
   :...........................................................:

                   .graphics.ant.no.425153254.

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