I like how that one builds but yeah, probably one of the weaker tracks.
My favourite Jason Molina song;
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Definite 9 from me. This was my gateway into Molinaās work after reading the DiS slowcore piece in 2019.
This was an expensive discography to get into !!
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I used to have the whole gig recording from the soundboard. I think itās on a laptop that no longer works
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I went for a 10.
Iāve never been one for rating records really, but I think if I look at it as being unique in its context within the wider music world and then a completely gripping listen when youāre right there inside of it, itās up there with anything else. Does that even make sense?
Itās just so sad and beautiful and affecting. I was on a twelve-hour overnight bus journey when I learned heād passed away. I put Didnāt It Rain on and watched the night roll by. Just one of those moments that has stuck with me over the years.
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Not quite my favourite Songs: Ohia album (that would be The Lioness) but itās still a beautiful thing, as are all of his albums tbh. Would love to have caught him live, really wish Iād got into him before he died.
Going for a 9
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Incredible LP. Favourite? not sure. A tie between this and The Lioness but i think this pips it. Just floors me this album
Nine
Man wasnāt capable of doing less than a 9, this was a 10 though.
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I donāt need any excuse to dive into Jason Molinaās catalog for a few hours, so this threadās triggered a day of Molina (interspersed with Iggy/Stooges courtesy of todayās HGATR)
What an absolutely stunning record. Nailed on 10.
Has shades of On The Beach, no higher praise IMO.
Would like to shout out the backing vocals throughout, but most especially on Blue Factory Flame.
Would be nice if this thread encourages folks who are unfamiliar with JM to give him a tryā¦ although Iām not sure that Didnāt It Rain is the best entry point (Magnolia Electric Co or The Lioness are better fits in that regard)
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He might not be the best singer Iāve ever heard but Iām damn sure heās the most evocative. Canāt think of anyone else, male or female, working in any genre you name who is sing the word āChicagoā or a phrase like āswings like a bellā and have it sound like your own personal end of the world.
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Some personal favourites from JM
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Is there much of a story behind āSteve Albiniās Bluesā? I note that he recorded the next album so I wasnāt sure if there was something significant to it.
Really loving this. Actually strongly reminds me of Brushes with Happiness by The Wave Pictures although obviously if thereās any reminding it will be that they are like Songs: Ohia.
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I know you love your black metal. I also love my heavy stuff, and I think thereās something about the sound of this album thatās appealing to fans of heavy music. It creates a great vibe of being at once isolated and at the same time part of nature, just like a lot of great black metal (like Alcest for example). Some of the lyrics also have a great sense of place: āset my pulse to the Great Lakesā pulseāā¦ Do you agree?
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I was aware of who Jason Molina was but donāt think Iād ever listened to any of his musical output.
Threw on the title track of this album and had a quick shuffle of a playlist containing his larger work and I am very very impressed.
Question now is whether to start with this album or find another means of getting up to speed with a very large back catalogue.
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I started with last yearās posthumous Eight Gates and it seemed a fine place to begin!
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They were fans so not that surprising that there are similarities. They feature on this tribute album that I have still yet to listen to:
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8 gates has some wonderful moments but overall its quite slight compared to most of his catalogue, there are sketches for songs but few as completed as in his best albums.
Iād start with the lioness personally or go for magnolia electric Co (the album) if you prefer the Rockier stuff.
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I canāt say Iāve ever thought about it to that extent but you may be right. There is a bleakness to his output that appeals to me the same way the inherent bleakness in a lot of black metal, even when heās singing about love you can tell itās not all sunshine and roses.
I find it very hard to explain or rationalise, even to myself, why certain music or genres or even specific albums resonate with me. The Lioness for example can reduce me to an emotional wreck if Iām in a particular frame of mind, but not due to any memories associated with the album like other albums that can achieve the same effect. As much as I love Molinaās output, no other release of his has quite the same effect, and I canāt explain why. It just tweaks exactly the right sections in my brain.
Good comment this