The general all-purpose Mark Kozelek thread?

#21

FWIW. Of his recent stream-of-consciousness ones…

Perils = Benji = Desertshore (all classics) > Universal Themes > CALALARVOB > Jesu >>>>>> Among The Leaves (if this counts)

Find the latest one hard to compare because it’s so long/dense/all over the place, almost like a Wesley Willis outsider art project to the extent it feels weird to even assess it like a LP, but it’s got some of his best stuff (and also most forgettable, definitely should’ve been left on the cutting room floor entries)

I thought UT took this style as far as it could go, but this definitely feels like the reasonable conclusion of this approach. Second Jesu collab will almost certainly be more of the same, which will probs for the first time feel like a step backwards.

#22

gustavo is probably my favourite song of his to be honest.

#23

it’s not that dense really, just a lot of words.

#24

Not a criticism but there’s no really any instrumental breaks. A lot of words that are just relentlessly neverending. 16 tracks, 2 hours 10 minutes of a fifty year old rambling from start to finish.

#25

can’t disagree with that! To me that’s why I love it, find all the stories and minutiae much more memorable than some nice lyrics about heartbreak.

#26

like lines from this will jump out at me in idle moments during the day and make me laugh which I can’t say happens with a lot of music personally.

#27

anyway sorry it’s lame to chat about what you enjoy about music.

bye!

#28

It’s really not. I’m really not enjoying this record at all but it’s great that it’s resonating with you. Which lyrics jump out at you? I’m sure there are gems in there but it’s just too much, it becomes white noise to me.

Glad we can all agree on Gustavo though. Such a brilliant song.

#29

I love the one about the butch guy who makes you clean your own piss off the fucking toilet. I don’t know some of it’s the delivery, I always feel like he walks a really fine line between deeply serious and knowingly banal. Like the whole shtick about him not giving a fuck about what anyone thinks of him is both true and definitely not at the same time and I think he knows it. I’m aware that a lot of this could be me bringing this to the table but it still makes the music really enjoyable for me and I respect his (seeming) honesty a huge amount. Just bums me out really that he got there first so making my own music is sort of pointless now but never mind.

#30

Yeah that’s one of the few I liked - I like his verbose stream of consciousness style best when he’s describing someone else, like that and Gustavo and Jim Wise. I kind of admire his honesty and refusal to give a single fuck on the rest but I don’t enjoy it so much.

I don’t see why one dude telling his own truth and nothing but his own truth would make you feel less inclined to tell your own.

#31

my truth is really boring

#32

So is his. It’s all about how you write it.

#33

I dunno, I remember when he wrote great lyrics in great songs. Memorable melodies that stuck with you, or had a deeper impact. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but got slapped down.

I’m always more interested in music than lyrics, so most SKM stuff has left me fairly cold since April. Benji and Perils were better, but his stream-of-consciousness lyrics approach with some general aimless strumming just annoys the shit out of me.

sticks on Red House Painters and grumbles old man-like

#34

guess it’s pretty marmite and there’s not a lot you can do to encourage someone to think about it in another light really.

#35

Different strokes, different folks.

Despite seeming like a bit of a dick, i’m glad he’s still managing to find new audiences.

#36

The reviews of this make it seem really intriguing, but i’m guessing 2 hours of a man rambling isn’t the best place to start with him. I do like overlong albums though.

#37

goes by really quickly though!

#38
#39

where is good to start with SKM?

#40

ghosts of the great highway probably!