Discussion
Mojooo said:
Had the misfortune to see them as a support band once.
Just watching them at the IOW Festival. Boring. Lead singer is average.
Are they living off one song? Wasn't even that good FFS.
Must have had a bad night then. One of my abiding musical memories of the last few years was of Elbow playing Newborn. It was a 'hair on the back of your neck' moment, and will stay with me forever.Just watching them at the IOW Festival. Boring. Lead singer is average.
Are they living off one song? Wasn't even that good FFS.
They ARE average and very common... But I suppose that's where the appeal lies. Some people just like the sound of Guy's voice, even if he can't quite hit the notes.
They're alright though. Some of what they do is quite ambitious if slightly beyond their reach, but I suppose you have to respect them for having the balls to try. I have four of their albums and I regularly listen to approximately none of them, but they've had their moments. They were arguably more inventive during their more obscure phase, IE. the 20 odd years they spent knocking about/grafting away before the press started licking them out.
They're alright though. Some of what they do is quite ambitious if slightly beyond their reach, but I suppose you have to respect them for having the balls to try. I have four of their albums and I regularly listen to approximately none of them, but they've had their moments. They were arguably more inventive during their more obscure phase, IE. the 20 odd years they spent knocking about/grafting away before the press started licking them out.
Edited by CrabDan on Sunday 24th June 01:06
AdeTuono said:
I guess that's the problem, or probably the appeal, of music. It polarises opinion. For me, Asleep In The Back is in my top 10 albums. But then, I think Zappa should be revered as a deity, so what do I know?
Those really are polar opinions. Elbow are almost as "safe" and radio friendly (re. bland) as you can get while Zappa was a crazily inventive and highly influential musical genius who barely managed to write a single commerically accepted song (for the better).Mojooo said:
Had the misfortune to see them as a support band once.
Just watching them at the IOW Festival. Boring. Lead singer is average.
Are they living off one song? Wasn't even that good FFS.
You are correct OP. They did a reasonably OK set at glastonbury a few years back, then everyone thought what a great unkown band they were and how cool and trendy it will be if i like them, and off they went and purchased their album/s (i was one of said fools). Needless to say, everyone was disappointed. A mediocre band. If a group stays unnoticed for years and years like Elbow did, it is usually for a reason i.e. they were not good enoughJust watching them at the IOW Festival. Boring. Lead singer is average.
Are they living off one song? Wasn't even that good FFS.
Edited by gbbird on Sunday 24th June 19:07
Elbow came up in a conversation at work once
Friend = 1
Me = 2
1 "Mate, what sort of of music are you into?"
2 "Oh, the heavy stuff you know?"
1 "Anyone I might have heard of?"
2 "Black Dahlia Murder, Morbid Angel, Nile etc"
1 "Oh, ok. I've got that new Elbow album, it's pretty heavy stuff!"
2 "Ok
"
Not really a fan!
Friend = 1
Me = 2
1 "Mate, what sort of of music are you into?"
2 "Oh, the heavy stuff you know?"
1 "Anyone I might have heard of?"
2 "Black Dahlia Murder, Morbid Angel, Nile etc"
1 "Oh, ok. I've got that new Elbow album, it's pretty heavy stuff!"
2 "Ok
"Not really a fan!
I've seen them probably 8 - 10 times, and I've been a big fan for many years. Having said that, the last album was a little bit of a let down. Asleep In The Back, A Cast of Thousands and The Leaders of the Free World (and to a slightly less extent The Seldom Seen Kid) are brilliant , though, and those first 3 albums are the records that the long-term fans like me have long known and loved them for.
The song "One Day Like This" from the album The Seldom Seen Kid seemed to strike a chord with the masses, and as a result their profile increased ten-fold. Suddenly people who'd never heard of them knew who they were. However, they are not really a mainstream band, so those approaching Elbow for the first time who expect albums full of sing-alongs like ODLT are often disappointed to find that they're really nothing like that. They're somewhat a victim of their own unexpected success in that regard. I also think they wrote the last album with the recognition of TSSK (mainly down to One Day Like This) very much on their minds, and tried to write a record that appealed to the older fans as much as trying to embrace the new listeners - which they achieved to an extent, but it was a little bit fractured as a result.
Garvey's voice is very good IMO and he's an extremely talented song writer, although in recent years the fags and booze have taken their toll on his voice a little when he's aiming for the higher notes. They are, however, an incredibly talented group of experimental musicians but as much as us older fans are happy to see them making more money and selling lots of records, secretly (or not so...) I think most of us would prefer to have our little band back to ourselves and be happy enough to let the detractors forget about them and move on.
edit: grammerz
The song "One Day Like This" from the album The Seldom Seen Kid seemed to strike a chord with the masses, and as a result their profile increased ten-fold. Suddenly people who'd never heard of them knew who they were. However, they are not really a mainstream band, so those approaching Elbow for the first time who expect albums full of sing-alongs like ODLT are often disappointed to find that they're really nothing like that. They're somewhat a victim of their own unexpected success in that regard. I also think they wrote the last album with the recognition of TSSK (mainly down to One Day Like This) very much on their minds, and tried to write a record that appealed to the older fans as much as trying to embrace the new listeners - which they achieved to an extent, but it was a little bit fractured as a result.
Garvey's voice is very good IMO and he's an extremely talented song writer, although in recent years the fags and booze have taken their toll on his voice a little when he's aiming for the higher notes. They are, however, an incredibly talented group of experimental musicians but as much as us older fans are happy to see them making more money and selling lots of records, secretly (or not so...) I think most of us would prefer to have our little band back to ourselves and be happy enough to let the detractors forget about them and move on.
edit: grammerz
Edited by Embryonic on Tuesday 26th June 20:04
I have to agree with Embryonic, I think there are 3 types of people in the world, those that don't like elbow, those that like what they've heard of elbow and those that 'get' elbow. I'm definitely in the 'get' group.
To me its their ability to not only fill a stadium or festival with anthemic tunes such as One day like this, Grounds for Divorce, Bones of you, Station Approach etc but to also be able to play hauntingly beautiful songs such as Mirrorball, The night will always win, Scattered Black & Whites etc. Guy has an amazing voice and ok on the odd occasion he may struggle to get those top notes but at least he pushes himself.
I saw them the night after IoW at Jodrell Bank and they were excellent, I've also seen them in small intimate venues and they are equally at home their too.
To me its their ability to not only fill a stadium or festival with anthemic tunes such as One day like this, Grounds for Divorce, Bones of you, Station Approach etc but to also be able to play hauntingly beautiful songs such as Mirrorball, The night will always win, Scattered Black & Whites etc. Guy has an amazing voice and ok on the odd occasion he may struggle to get those top notes but at least he pushes himself.
I saw them the night after IoW at Jodrell Bank and they were excellent, I've also seen them in small intimate venues and they are equally at home their too.
Embryonic said:
I've seen them probably 8 - 10 times, and I've been a big fan for many years. Having said that, the last album was a little bit of a let down. Asleep In The Back, A Cast of Thousands and The Leaders of the Free World (and to a slightly less extent The Seldom Seen Kid) are brilliant , though, and those first 3 albums are the records that the long-term fans like me have long known and loved them for.
The song "One Day Like This" from the album The Seldom Seen Kid seemed to strike a chord with the masses, and as a result their profile increased ten-fold. Suddenly people who'd never heard of them knew who they were. However, they are not really a mainstream band, so those approaching Elbow for the first time who expect albums full of sing-alongs like ODLT are often disappointed to find that they're really nothing like that. They're somewhat a victim of their own unexpected success in that regard. I also think they wrote the last album with the recognition of TSSK (mainly down to One Day Like This) very much on their minds, and tried to write a record that appealed to the older fans as much as trying to embrace the new listeners - which they achieved to an extent, but it was a little bit fractured as a result.
Garvey's voice is very good IMO and he's an extremely talented song writer, although in recent years the fags and booze have taken their toll on his voice a little when he's aiming for the higher notes. They are, however, an incredibly talented group of experimental musicians but as much as us older fans are happy to see them making more money and selling lots of records, secretly (or not so...) I think most of us would prefer to have our little band back to ourselves and be happy enough to let the detractors forget about them and move on.
edit: grammerz
Pretty well sums up my thoughts on them too.The song "One Day Like This" from the album The Seldom Seen Kid seemed to strike a chord with the masses, and as a result their profile increased ten-fold. Suddenly people who'd never heard of them knew who they were. However, they are not really a mainstream band, so those approaching Elbow for the first time who expect albums full of sing-alongs like ODLT are often disappointed to find that they're really nothing like that. They're somewhat a victim of their own unexpected success in that regard. I also think they wrote the last album with the recognition of TSSK (mainly down to One Day Like This) very much on their minds, and tried to write a record that appealed to the older fans as much as trying to embrace the new listeners - which they achieved to an extent, but it was a little bit fractured as a result.
Garvey's voice is very good IMO and he's an extremely talented song writer, although in recent years the fags and booze have taken their toll on his voice a little when he's aiming for the higher notes. They are, however, an incredibly talented group of experimental musicians but as much as us older fans are happy to see them making more money and selling lots of records, secretly (or not so...) I think most of us would prefer to have our little band back to ourselves and be happy enough to let the detractors forget about them and move on.
edit: grammerz
Edited by Embryonic on Tuesday 26th June 20:04
Zod said:
Pretty well sums up my thoughts on them too.
Same here. I wasn't really inspired by them when I saw them at Leeds Festival a few years ago, but gave them a go when I heard Grounds for Divorce. Garvey's lyrics are genius and I love the sound of his voice. The live show they did for the BBC where they played the full length of Seldom Seen Kid with the BBC orchestra is my most played music DVD.
Elbow are brill, you won't much other music that is so widely played (on the radio) and yet so laden with feeling, in my opinion.
Their first two albums are excellent, I am not so big a fan of their later albums, the songs got a bit less interesting and a bit more 'stadium' as far as I am concerned, but I still love the band.
as for Garvey not having a very good voice? I always thought it was excellent.
Their first two albums are excellent, I am not so big a fan of their later albums, the songs got a bit less interesting and a bit more 'stadium' as far as I am concerned, but I still love the band.
as for Garvey not having a very good voice? I always thought it was excellent.
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