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writer's block?

Posted: 21 Mar 2005, 12:17
by Delilah
I looked for the first time on Gary Marx's website last night (I followed the link from Ghosts Dance website - the only positive aspect of what happened at the weekend - I found a few good websites apart from this one :D ) . There is Gary's interesting story about what happened between him and Andrew in 1995 when they've been trying to work together again.
(http://www.garymarx.com/1995.htm) It seems to me that Andrew has had some serious writer's block if he asked Gary to provide him the fully arranged backing tracks to put vocals over them. He was not even interested in co-writing, which is quite strange.. however, in quite recent interview (2003, Teraz Rock - Polish Magazine) he says that he likes WRITING and recording... I'm quite confused by all of this.

Posted: 21 Mar 2005, 13:30
by markfiend
IIRC someone in one of the lost threads (PiB maybe?) suggested that Andrew has had writer's block more or less permanently since 1993...

Posted: 21 Mar 2005, 13:33
by Quiff Boy
markfiend wrote:IIRC someone in one of the lost threads (PiB maybe?) suggested that Andrew has had writer's block more or less permanently since 1993...
that would probably have been mik. :?:

Posted: 21 Mar 2005, 13:37
by markfiend
Quiff Boy wrote:
markfiend wrote:IIRC someone in one of the lost threads (PiB maybe?) suggested that Andrew has had writer's block more or less permanently since 1993...
that would probably have been mik. :?:
Could have been. :?: ;D

Posted: 23 Mar 2005, 19:11
by mik
Quiff Boy wrote:
markfiend wrote:IIRC someone in one of the lost threads (PiB maybe?) suggested that Andrew has had writer's block more or less permanently since 1993...
that would probably have been mik. :?:
Yup. A reliable source.
Now; when Mr Eldritch says he likes writing you've got to take into account that theres a great deal of difference between writing and song writing, a gap that is only made worse by the quality of the previous work and the writers own personal high standards of his craft.
I have no doubt that he can churn out correspondence, essays, and articles for fun but when it comes to Sisters lyrics then there is a weight that I doubt will ever be lifted, and in some respects that might not be a bad thing per se.
There were threads running through the catalogue from (imho) the finest work in the pre-FALAA era, right through to 'Vision Thing' and to a lesser extent 'Under The Gun' which arguably relied on an unhealthy mixture of amphetamines and failed relationships - an emotional seam that I suspect is mined out. Happy Healthy Andy = No Sisters Lyrics ?
Do I win a prize for the most metaphores in one post? Or are thay analogies?
Any way up, my only grumble is that there is the pretence of a work in progress that I think they should come clean about, and the fact that a man of his undoubted intellect can't find a role within, or without, the industry that would still allow him to strap some shades on and fire up the Doktor once every now and then to blow the cobwebs from our memories.
Heartland sing the faces shining
In the failing failing failing
Heartland make the places mine
Too much but never enough
Tear it up and watch it fall
Fooking genius :notworthy: Ah. No more rood wurdz aloud.... But 'fook' is ok. Thank fook for that...

Posted: 23 Mar 2005, 23:48
by Delilah
mik wrote: Now; when Mr Eldritch says he likes writing you've got to take into account that theres a great deal of difference between writing and song writing, a gap that is only made worse by the quality of the previous work and the writers own personal high standards of his craft.
I have no doubt that he can churn out correspondence, essays, and articles for fun but when it comes to Sisters lyrics then there is a weight that I doubt will ever be lifted, .
I was thinking more in terms of composing - I'm not sure how many songs has he written or co-written in total (meaning music) - I'm far too lazy to look it up! But I'm sorry to say I'm slightly disappointed by the new songs - I'm sure most of the Heartlanders would not agree - but in my opinion some of them are just average. I mean - I love "Crash&Burn", "Slept" and 'Suzanne" (which are really beautiful and I think would sound great recorded in the studio) , but then you have songs like Summer and Will I Dream - which sound very similar, and every time I listen to some gigs' recordings I'm very tempted to press FWD button when they start. I wonder if he realises that some of the "new" songs still need working on and is unsure how they should sound. In one of the Polish interviews he mentioned that the new material sounds like a mixture of Vision Thing and Floodland, I think there is too much Vision Thing in some of the songs. This is obviously only my opinion and I know it is quite controversial one. I just hope he'll provide us with a brilliant new album sometime in not too distant future...

Posted: 24 Mar 2005, 02:37
by Scardwel
Delilah wrote: I'm slightly disappointed by the new songs - I'm sure most of the Heartlanders would not agree - but in my opinion some of them are just average. I mean - I love "Crash&Burn", "Slept" and 'Suzanne" (which are really beautiful and I think would sound great recorded in the studio) , but then you have songs like Summer and Will I Dream - which sound very similar, and every time I listen to some gigs' recordings I'm very tempted to press FWD button when they start.
A recent poll conducted by a certain ex-HL member concluded that Crash & Burn and Suzanne are the favourite "new" songs among the HL fanbase, closely followed by War On Drugs - that is a hugely under-rated Sisters song IMHO which showcases a very hard-edged side to the band. I feel they could have developed this sound alot further, but then they started playing sh*te like Will I Dream, Romeo Down and Slept....
War On Drugs was played at almost every gig on the '97 and '98 tours but was then virtually dropped before the US "Planet Edge" tour in 1999, only to be aired once on said tour IIRC. It's been in and out of the set ramdomly ever since, never fully "in" the set like "Will I Dream" or "Romeo Down" - both of which are weak songs IMHO. "Slept" is crap as well IMHO. "I've slept with all the girls in Berlin, and you're next!" It's not exactly "Marian" is it! I rest my case.

Posted: 24 Mar 2005, 09:28
by mik
Scardwel wrote:A recent poll conducted by a certain ex-HL member concluded that Crash & Burn and Suzanne are the favourite "new" songs among the HL fanbase, closely followed by War On Drugs snip...
Yeah but there's not much of a choice is there? What are there, six or seven 'new' songs since 'Under the Gun'? That's like asking which one was your 'favourite' Spice Girl ffs :twisted:

And if you did a similar poll of favourite songs overall I'd bet the house on the 'new' songs struggling to make the top 50.. :eek:

It wouldn't surprise me if our man isn't propping up his pension plan by either writing pop songs for Stars in their Eyes manufacture clones, but I suspect that it's more likely that he pays his rent with freelance proofreading and research.

When he runs out of excuses he'll stop paying the hosting fees and do a Keyser Soze:
"And like that - he was gone. Underground, no one has ever seen him again. He becomes a myth, a spook story that goths tell their kids at night. Rat on your pop, and Andrew Eldritch will get you. And nobody really ever believes."
:lol:

Posted: 24 Mar 2005, 10:13
by andymackem
Maybe it's not so much writers block as lack of interest?

Posted: 26 Mar 2005, 01:09
by Correl
Not to hijack the thread, but an intresting (and depressing) Idea is that perhaps vons Incredibly unhealthy lifestyle has caught up with him andthe reason he isnt touring or writing is health problems? 20 years of amphetamines smoking and booze have got to be catching up fast at 46?
I was actually going to post something about this. Does anyone know if he's actually healthy, Or atleast as healthy as someone like him could be?

Posted: 26 Mar 2005, 10:29
by _emma_
I've been thinking about it a lot too, Correl. 20 years of amphetamines, smoking and booze, and didn't he mention something about being diabetic? :?
Indeed if someone well informed could assure us that everything's okay with him, I'd be very very happy.

Posted: 29 Mar 2005, 12:57
by mik
_emma_ wrote:Indeed if someone well informed could assure us that everything's okay with him, I'd be very very happy.
Like he was ever a picture of health :lol:

On a more serious note I've never heard any mumblings about diabetes but late onset, or type II, diabetes does start to affect people in their 40's although he's a long way from being overweight so unless there's family history I doubt that he's in any particular risk clicky

Trying to imagine Eldritch exercising and I keep getting a mental "Does not compute" error. I can't even get as far as the track suit before it all falls apart.
Much the same as the man himself I expect. :twisted:

Posted: 29 Mar 2005, 13:40
by markfiend
I think the diabetes thing comes from someone in a "what would/did you say to Eldo" thread saying they asked :von: "what keeps you so thin?" and his reply was "maybe it's the drugs, maybe it's the diabetes."

Posted: 29 Mar 2005, 14:30
by Gottdammerung
Well don't know if its of much relevance regarding the health thing.. but I do have it on good authority that man himself doesn't react well to Red Bull.... :wink:

Posted: 29 Mar 2005, 14:33
by Quiff Boy
mr marx once said that he always was "a sickly child" :lol:

Posted: 29 Mar 2005, 20:55
by _emma_
markfiend wrote:I think the diabetes thing comes from someone in a "what would/did you say to Eldo" thread saying they asked :von: "what keeps you so thin?" and his reply was "maybe it's the drugs, maybe it's the diabetes."
Why am I somehow pretty sure I've read about it more than once quite a while ago - long ago enough to indicate it's type 1 rather than 2? :?