Heartland

There's a lot of harsh words and opinions floating around here

99.5% of which I agree with

I'm also afraid I have to agree with most things being said about AE. It's a shame. But we also have to be honest, everything since FLA has been mediocre. We're all living in the glory of the first five years trying to find the original magic in the new realeases.

(I'd still go and see him live though - the sad, pathetic, living in the past, twit that I am)

Gollum's Cock wrote:But we also have to be honest, everything since FLA has been mediocre.

I completely disagree. What's wrong with me ?

And I still don't really like half of FALAA.

I'm not saying the rest is s**t, I'm just saying it's mediocre compared to...

(Walk Away, No Time to Cry, Rock and a Hard Place and Possession are wank though...)

Gollum's Cock wrote:
(Walk Away, No Time to Cry, Rock and a Hard Place and Possession are wank though...)

Gollum's Cock wrote:I'm not saying the rest is s**t, I'm just saying it's mediocre compared to...

I know, but still... Hit me.

(Walk Away, No Time to Cry, Rock and a Hard Place and Possession are wank though...)

You have a point : FALAA ain't beyond reproach. I like Possession, but I can do without the other three. And as said : iffy production. Not enough guts.

Sounds to me like you've only heard the remastered/remixed version.

mh wrote:Sounds to me like you've only heard the remastered/remixed version.

You guessed wrong.
For a band that quoted Motörhead, the Velvet Underground, Suicide... as influences, I think it sounds surprisingly clean and thin.

Ramone wrote: you expect your hardcore followers to stand by you as your media popularity

Does he? I wonder if he gives a s**t!

Nevertheless; call me stupid but I will always love this band to death....also after FALAA!

Having read a number of interviews of Eldo, I get the impression that he actually is a bit touchy with his work, that it actually bugs him as mad when a record company ignores his wishes as to what should be on a CD and what not. Remember: Never Land, Torch and Colours weren´t made to be part of Floodland.
Complaints of him for The Sisters lacking support from their company on touring and other aspects seem to be resonable, too. The audiences bought his stuff like that, too, so why should they put work into it? You pay radio DJs for powerplaying crap until people start buying it. If people will buy without promotion, why pay for it?
I guess having made experiences like that, I´d rather feed cats and do a different job than making records, too.
But who knows what went on behind the curtain? Those who do hardly ever drop a line out here.

eotunun wrote:Remember: Never Land, Torch and Colours weren´t made to be part of Floodland.

Only Torch and Colours IIRC. And I do think the whole album is better off and more consistent without those two. Otherwise it just has too many slow songs.

Badlander wrote:

eotunun wrote:Remember: Never Land, Torch and Colours weren´t made to be part of Floodland.

Only Torch and Colours IIRC. And I do think the whole album is better off and more consistent without those two. Otherwise it just has too many slow songs.

Aye! I never owned the vinyl, I guess that´s why I got it wrong.

I found DLTS, Never Land (a fragment) and Torch to be the best tracks on Floodland. Though Mother Russia comes close.

But Colours..?

Dark wrote:I found DLTS, Never Land (a fragment) and Torch to be the best tracks on Floodland. Though Mother Russia comes close.

But Colours..?

Get the knife, James.

The addition of Torch and Colours onto Floodland, is a typical A&R/Martketing tactic of any major label.

They're both B-sides to This Corrosion (and Colours appears on Gift).

IIRC Torch is on the cassette and both Torch and Colours are on the CD. It's that whole idea of "bonus tracks" to encourage mainly casual listeners (who may or may not have bought the singles) to buy as many formats as possible, thereby recouping the cost of recording faster. In Layman's Terms - money for old rope.

All good points here, if a bit depressing. I suppose one of the reasons I always liked Von is his contrarian nature. He's the frontman who doesn't want to be a frontman; the writer who dislikes writing; the drummer who uses drum machines. I wonder what would have hapened if he had died in 1985/6; from what everyone says, it was not a distant prospect. Already the ultimate cult band, imagine how the legend would have spread with Von cold in his grave, still young and with all his own teeth.

Personally, I'm glad he soldiered on, looked after himself (though I'm sure he still visits the chemist's). He was ultimately too clever to kill himself, and there have been a more than enough glorious moments to justify his existence since.

His response to this sort of criticism is typically that of the libertine, arguing that his band is different to the others, that there are no rules other than Himself doing as He pleases (see also john Lydon on Pistols reunions).

Despite his own protestations, Von is adept at the maintenance of his own legend - I believe he once used the phrase 'another succcessful absence'. Still, I'd rather see him as a rock star with dignity than some poor old soak peddling a dozen ropey new numbers every year.

However, I agree that time is running short for Von. He's let a great many prime years slide by, and needs to come back with a barnstorming release to continue his successful maintenance of the legend. With the right collaborators, it is still possible, but he's going to have to get his skinny arse in gear and stop moaning about financial instability in the music industry, 'cos nothing's changing there.

Personally, I like Floodland, but there you go.

Mokarran

@ Mokarran

James Blast wrote:@ Mokarran

I'd like to second that motion.

Badlander wrote:

James Blast wrote:@ Mokarran

I'd like to second that motion.

Me three.

The problem Von now has is that the longer he waits, the more barnstorming the release will have to be.

I think that he could regain at least some kind of success with a release of an album with some of the "new" songs, properly produced and arranged. A few more songs not previously played live on that album, and maybe remakes of "giving ground", "rain from heaven" or stuff like that as "b" sides for a singles release. With proper marketing maybe it could sell as the "slight case" compilation?
Just me speculating...

Ramone wrote:
Let's start a ..wait for it.. your gonna like this..Rosetta Stone reformation forum..all in favour say 'aye' !!


Aye. Get them back, get us more Adrenalines.

Here here. Dead good they were to. But I quite like (if not prefer) the old stuff (whispers etc.)


As for Von, well...lets hope he clues in, but hes hardly giving us anything to work with no ''we've started work'' or anything. I don't think hes dead yet, I don't think his pride will let him go out without one more release.

Maisey wrote:...no ''we've started work'' or anything.

That´s not quite like there was no news about new songs were leaking from behind the curtain. In an interview with a german music magazin in 2002/2003 Von himself said they had enough material to get an album recorded within 3 weeks. Chris confirmed this when he was talking to doc P after the cologne show, that there was enough material ready and waiting to be released. The problem lies somewhere else.
A few words on that is what I actuall ywould like to hear, so there may be more than rumors going around.
Anyway, The tour goes without breaks, maybe we´ll see still another concert? (Though it somehow doesn´t look like a good idea, Ben, Chris, Nurse, Andrew and the others whose names I/we don´t know have to keep their lifes running..) And this was a major thing this year, a big bang!
I think we sholud be more than satisfied and it is enough if we see the curtain move in december again..

As said above in numerous guises and quite correctly we would all love to see it kick off again. However the longer the "release" question goes on the more the pressure must be for it to be the "Biggest Thing Ever" I presume.

It's also so very easy to be sarcastic, but it must be a huge mountain to climb in many respects for the band.

I would just love to hear some studio quality stuff in some shape or guise and do not expect miracles - in fact even if I hated what I heard I would still appreciate the effort.

I guess the analogy is Bowie who could have hung his reputation up long ago, but still does what he feels like releasing. Some of it I have hated, some of it still struck a chord and really meant something.

Anyway, what do I know, but there are my 2 Euros worth...

I'm coming into this one late,but I've been on my Hols for a few days,so forgive me for going back to Ramone's original post most of which I agree with,but I must say Von's lack of official releases could well be a blessing in disguise.
Take Von's and everyone's best freind Mr Hussey, he has consistantly turned out total and utter wank for the past 16 years that no-one at all,even the most hardened Mishun fans,is remotely interested in.
At least you can't say that for AE.Perhaps he secretly knows the new stuff is crap and isn't willing to embarass himself on record in the same way Wayne does.