Ys discussion thread
 

Let's give Ys some love.

I think it's still my fave Joanna, if only by a hair. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...s/loveicon.gif. I listened to it in full a couple of weeks ago and was wrecked at the end, as usual. "Only Skin" is a perfect song from start to finish. I think it may be my favorite song by anyone ever.

This one remains my favourite as well. Overcrowded with brilliance.

Emily is such an amazing song *_*

It is a perfect album on all counts.

I first heard clips from Ys round when it came out. It was receiving such a lot of attention so I think I did the 30-second clips on Amazon and didn't particularly like what I was hearing. This was the case for about three years; I just didn't feel compelled to check it out, thought it was probably a case of over-hype. It took the excitement about the Have One On Me announcement, with the comic strip, and then the Drag City streaming clips, to lead me back to Ys with new ears.

I think sometimes it's really good to be wrong about something and then discover it on your own. I didn't feel like 'I've missed out on three years of this,' I think I just wasn't ready or maybe wasn't open to enjoying this album until then. When I listened to it for the first time, I listened free of any of those prejudices or preconceptions I might have had before and consequently it was a bit of a revelation. It's such a complex and focused and strange record. I think I like Have One On Me more, but Ys is great. "The meadow lark and the chim-choo-ree and the sparrow" is such a strong opening - feels like the beginning of a story, and I love the way she sings it.

Sorry. That was really boring.

I love Emily.

The rest of the songs I can't get through. They're just not that good or interesting.

The only thing that's slightly wrong with this album is the studio version of Cosmia. While it is one of my favorite songs, she improved upon it so much in the EP version that I can no longer listen to the one on Ys.

This is one of my favorite records of all time, and it will remain that way forever, I am sure.

Really? I don't care for the Ys Street version all that much. It goes on wayyyy too long for me (that extended jam session at the end is too much for me, and I think her vocal on the record conveys the grief in the song).

I prefer the album version of Cosmia as well, but I do love the Ys Street EP as well. It's nice to have the two versions.

Does anyone else get the feeling that this album takes place in a magical, other kingdom? Everything about the packaging, the myths and the atmosphere it creates makes me feel like I'm listening to a storyteller from that other land. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...s/loveicon.gif

That's exactly how I feel about it. I mean, it's completely rooted in very real, VERY INTENSE human emotion, and it's not like it's a stereotypical mythic land with trolls and dragons, but it has the...WEIGHT of myth. Or something.

Emily and Cosmia both break my heart in a wonderful way. Emily live this winter was just holy crap.

Yes, but then something so outrageously human and almost...modern (for lack of a better word) happens that you are brought right back into the personal/grounded nature of the songs. Every song has a moment like that, but for me it's the whole "stay with me for a while/that's an awfully real gun" part of Only Skin. Her voice gets all low and becomes much less otherworldly than it had been just a moment ago, and it gives this huge human heart to a fairytale of a song. It's really amazing how she does that.

I really think you must have terrible attention span. Every one of the songs on this album are wonderful compositions and incredibly interesting. Perhaps they're just not what you're into. Is there anything of Joanna's that you do actually like?

I don't think I can pick a favourite of Ys anymore. I used to just say "Only Skin", but "Sawdust And Diamonds" blows me away and was the favourite for a while, and then "Cosmia" was reignited by the "Ys Street Band" version, and "Monkey And Bear" was perhaps the last one that I really loved, but I love it hard now. Last time I was driving down from Dublin, "Emily" came on and reminded me just how well crafted that song is too.

Sure they're long songs, sure they're lyrically complex, and yeah the musical structures seem to be complex because each section is longer than most people are used to in contemporary popular music, but it's a magnificent suite of 5 songs and the best music compositions in popular music that I've heard in a long time.

I don't think Ys can be communicated by 30 second clips at all; it's not like, say, hearing a clips from Tori Amos's latest, where it gives you an idea of the entire song.

Take the "meteorite / meteor / meteroid" climax of Emily. If you heard that as a clip without hearing everything that came before it'd be like "what is this woman screeching about" but when it is built up to, it's just this devastating emotional and musical climax.

Exactly. It's like hearing a 30second clip of a Mahler Symphony. How on earth is that in any way useful when each movement is 10-20 mins long?

Maybe you need to take a reading comprehension class, because I just said I loved Emily. I've also mentioned some songs I love/like from HOOM in the other thread.

I think the problem here is that some of you think that Joanna can't do wrong. That's a ridiculous stance to take, because that could be said about pretty much anything. You don't like my favorite song? Oh, it's because you don't get it. It's brilliant. Puhleeze.

Anyway, I'm just sharing my thoughts on this album because I spent money on it and have every right to share my experience of it. Unless this is supposed to be a "fawning over Joanna Newsom, no critical thoughts allowed" forum, in which case I apologize and will let you guys fawn over the perfection of everything this woman does.

Anyhow, since this is a thread about Ys, here's some more observations:

In my iTunes Emily has 6 plays. Monkey & Bear has 1 play. Sawdust and Diamonds has 1 play. The rest I didn't find compelling enough to listen all the way through, because they are not brilliant songs by any logical standards.

Emily I really like. Monkey & Bear sounds like a song that would play in a Disney cartoon. Not my kind of music at all. I remember really hating Cosmia. The rest I can’t remember.

Pray, what are those 'logical standards'?

So basically, you admit that you hate songs you a.) have never listened to all the way through and/or b.) (partially) listened to just once? And that we are supposed to take your statements about these songs as authoritative "logical" statements re: the worth/goodness of these songs?

So I assume the charge of having no attention span sticks then.

Lolz. Awesome. So you do actually like some of her songs. I honestly couldn't tell.

I think the problem here is that some of you think that Joanna can't do wrong. That's a ridiculous stance to take, because that could be said about pretty much anything. You don't like my favorite song? Oh, it's because you don't get it. It's brilliant. Puhleeze. Actually, no. you should hear some of the natter about "Three Little Babes" and stuff from MEM.

Anyway, I'm just sharing my thoughts on this album because I spent money on it and have every right to share my experience of it. Unless this is supposed to be a "fawning over Joanna Newsom, no critical thoughts allowed" forum, in which case I apologize and will let you guys fawn over the perfection of everything this woman does. Oh criticise away, but be prepared to back it up, which so far you're utterly failing to do.

In my iTunes Emily has 6 plays. Monkey & Bear has 1 play. Sawdust and Diamonds has 1 play. The rest I didn't find compelling enough to listen all the way through, because they are not brilliant songs by any logical standards. *clap clap*

What astute observations you must have about complex musical compositions that you've not managed to fucking listen through to the end, or listened to a handful of times.

*clap clap*



Emily I really like. Monkey & Bear sounds like a song that would play in a Disney cartoon. Not my kind of music at all. I remember really hating Cosmia. The rest I can’t remember. Honestly, if it's not your kind of music, fair enough. But to come and accuse the songs of being "not melodic", "not compelling", "Disney Cartoon", "not interesting", then obviously you're not willing to to be challenged by the music you listen to, and were prepared to dismiss it completely with completely inaccurate observations.

This is disney:




This is not disney:




Maybe you should stick to 3 minute pop songs filled with melodic pop hooks?

I don't think Joanna is above criticism by any means and I certainly don't mean to come off that way, but I find it difficult to engage in a serious discussion with you about music you didn't bother listening to more than once/even one time. Your assessments (of Ys especially) seem dismissive for the sake of it. Not even making it through a song is not experiencing it, and I often find with most musicians (especially her) that sometimes it doesn't click on the first listen. I didn't like Monkey and Bear at all at first and now I really love it. The only reason I question your dismissal of the remainder of Ys/three quarters of HOOM is because the songs that you DO connect with are not on some different planet than her other songs that you claim are bad/lacking melodies. I would think that someone who likes "Emily" would connect to a song like "Autumn" and someone who likes a song like "Kingfisher" would really connect to the themes in "Only Skin".

I listened to Tori Amos' last album about 5 times before I decided I hated it.

http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/laugh.gif