SMC: Adorable - Against Perfection

barcoach

Hi everyone, here it is my pick for this round of the SMC,
*damn, don't know why my entire post's been reduced to this, go to next post*

barcoach

This is a pick that I think Echoes might enjoy, Adorable is a British band that appeared in 1993 and Against Perfection is their debut album. They were called part of the "shoegazer" sound, though I think they have poppier sensibility than most bands said to be "shoegazer"

For this turn I really wanted to expose you to some band that sings in spanish, but that will have to wait, the happiness of finally having this album on CD is just too much to not share it with you. I discovered Adorable back in the day through the show "120 minutes", I remember watching the video to Sunshine Smile and immediatly falling in love with the song and its overdramatical lyrics: "The way I feel, doesn't feel quite real, how does it feel to feel?", I remember having written those words in almost all my high-school notebooks. On that time I used to buy cassettes from the bands I didn't know too well, so in case I didn't like the whole album I wouldn't regret it as much. And so it happened that over the years this album grew a lot on me, I found myself going back to it not only to listen to the perfect pop song that is Sunshine Smile, but the rest of the tracks were equally charming, Favourite Fallen Idol, Sistine Chapel Ceiling, Homeboy with that voice full of despair singin' "you're so beautiful", as if beauty was this monster that fascinates as much as it hurts. So a few weeks ago, I finally made up my mind and ordered the cd second-hand from an amazon seller. It just happened that this album became like some sort of personal healing listening, but in my view this is also a great underlooked piece of music from the 90's, I always thought this band had the potential to be huge, but for one thing or the other it never happened, I think they recorded a second album and then they broke up.

Now, this is a record that really makes me think of its music in terms of colour, I don't know but those guitars building a tender melody to finally blast passionate distorsion just make me think of some impresssionist painters or remind me the work of Jackson Pollock and other abstract expresionism artists. The lyrics may seem a little too sentimental, maybe simplistic but I just think they suit perfectly the overall sound of the band and the particular mood of this record. The tunes have pretty fine hooks and most of them are so catchy that just get stuck in your head.. This is a record that has been with me for more than a decade, it just holds so many personal memories, but aside that I think it could have been released yesterday and sound fresh, it doesn't sound dated at all for my taste. I wish there were more bands like Adorable around: YOU'RE SOOOOO BEAAAATIIIIFUUUUULLL!!! Against Perfection (gotta love that title) in my mind is actually very close to perfection.

Now the surprise: As you know, PJ has just finished their tour in the loved-hated Mexico City where I live, I went to both concerts and had some of the most amazing days of my life, so as a way to share these feelings with my beloved SMC fellows, I have an extra poster from those concerts that I want to give away to one of you. The thing is I haven't thought of the mechanics to do it fairly so that everyone has a chance to earn it and keep track of the logistics used. I'd really like to do it on the most open way, a way in which everyone could be aware of how this is gonna be decided. I think some sort of raffle will do it, but don't know how to get it done so that it's clear for everyone. If you think in something please tell me.

Cheers and enjoy!!

transplant

sweet. downloading now. as far as the posters go, I'd just have people PM you that are interested in one, throw those names in a hat and pick one (or two). incredibly cool of you to do this.

barcoach

Thanks for the idea, transplant, thing is I would really like to do it in a way everyone could be clear on how it's done, so there won't be any doubts. Will keep this one in mind, but if someone thinks of something better, something that everyone can keep track of, please tell me.

trappedinmyradio

downloading now. gonna give it a listen in about 5 minutes probably. this is exciting to me. weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! here we go!

homeboy (track 6) reminds me of BRMC - the lead riff on bass is becoming more and more popular as people are trying to get into something new...here it comes!

VEDHEAD27

Downloading now as well. *joins trappedinmyradio* Weeeeeeee!!


On a sidenote...barcoach, I'm much intrigued by that Stone quote in your sig. Do tell my friend!

barcoach

VEDHEAD27 wrote:

Downloading now as well. *joins trappedinmyradio* Weeeeeeee!!


On a sidenote...barcoach, I'm much intrigued by that Stone quote in your sig. Do tell my friend!

And I'm glad you asked!!
Will tell you on a PM...

VEDHEAD27

EXCELLENT! Stone rocks my socks! I'm always happy to hear a positive story about the man as I've heard many others. :rolleyes: Looking forward to your PM..and to this pick. Sounds right up my alley. I love music that's painted with lots of colors and I'm already lovin the lyris...one thing that really means a lot to me musically.;) Also...awwww, SO very cool of you to share the poster love. Wow! That's beautiful barcoach.

trappedinmyradio

barcoach wrote:

And I'm glad you asked!!
Will tell you on a PM...

i would be more than glad to hear it as well. i love your signature - not the stone part...but the lyrics...two of my favorite songs (one of them being my favorite...Untitled...for so many reasons). anyway...this album is good. you were right on about the instrumentation!

trappedinmyradio

have i mentioned that this is my favorite album since jose gonzalez? great pick! carry on, all. first time through. hitting it again!

barcoach

trappedinmyradio wrote:

have i mentioned that this is my favorite album since jose gonzalez? great pick! carry on, all. first time through. hitting it again!

Glad you're liking it, trapped. Beware, it may become addictive, specially on certain states of mind/feeling.

psycosmic

yes, TELL THE STORY!!!!

just downloaded the album and quickly skipped through a couple of tracks... i really like this kind of music... a bit like jesus and mary chain or my bloody valentine with audible lyrics...
review in a couple of days... i still have to comment on lydia's pick first though (sorry, i'm a bit behind)...



as for the poster... that's such an incredibly nice thing for you to do... so generous...
i don't know how you should go about this... drawing a name out of those who are interested would be the fairest thing... but you could also turn it into some kind of competition or quiz... but i don't know...

Echoes

Donwnloaded, will post impressions when I'm not being destroyed by final exams

barcoach

psycosmic wrote:

yes, TELL THE STORY!!!!

ok, for everyone asking, reading it maybe isn't as exciting as what really happened: I get the chance to meet 2 wonderful persons from this board due to the Mexico concerts, with one of them I made it to the first row on the 2nd. concert -luckiest girl I've known-, so Mudhoney rocks, then comes PJ, and I was so into it, you know, in the 2nd. song Stone stares at me, I put one hand on my heart the other pointing out him, he smiles and moves his head like "yeah, i know", and from there on we just exchange smiles and gestures and he nods his head in good mood like saying "you're insane". Yellow Ledbetter comes, I hug this beautiful person that I get to meet for this board and for PJ music, just like you guys, and ask Stone a pick for her. He throws one, didn't get it. I hug her again, "a pick for her", and Stone laughs, puts her hands on the pockets like saying "I'm out of 'em, man!", but then ge goes back the stage, comes back toward us, gives the pick to a security guy and tells him to give the pick to this friend. It was just the sweetest and most wonderful action. I jumped now ttrying to get "one for me", he just keeps smiling and throws a couple my way before leaving... and I couldn't catch them. And though this great person offered me to keep the pick, I refused to do so, after all I asked Stone to give it to her, and the simple memory of him doing what he did, and smiling with me all night through, and that sort of secret connection established through the music he played that night and the way it touched me is just enough....
And this is just another reason to love you all, because when you less expect it magic happens, because though I love the band, sometimes is not much about PJ but about what they generate in people... but then again that wouldn't be possible without their music. Just goes beyond words...

viggs20

barcoach - Its 1:45 am and I'm dead tired after packing and repacking all through the weekend (more about that later) but your post just put the biggest smile on my face. Thank you for sharing your experience.

transplant

great story barcoach! karma my friend.....

I have given the disc 1 spin. I am a little nervous about any CD that I like a lot the first go around. Midway thru Homeboy I am in pretty much full on rock mode. Some CD's like this I tend to play the crap out of and then file away and forget for a few years. I like this plenty more than Pablo Honey so I can see why you said what you said.

I get a Catherine Wheel vibe (whom I love). I have always liked the contrast of loud guitar paired with a beautiful vocal. My Bloody Valentine with audible lyrics....nice!

plenty more spins to come.

psycosmic

barcoach wrote:

ok, for everyone asking, reading it maybe isn't as exciting as what really happened: I get the chance to meet 2 wonderful persons from this board due to the Mexico concerts, with one of them I made it to the first row on the 2nd. concert -luckiest girl I've known-, so Mudhoney rocks, then comes PJ, and I was so into it, you know, in the 2nd. song Stone stares at me, I put one hand on my heart the other pointing out him, he smiles and moves his head like "yeah, i know", and from there on we just exchange smiles and gestures and he nods his head in good mood like saying "you're insane". Yellow Ledbetter comes, I hug this beautiful person that I get to meet for this board and for PJ music, just like you guys, and ask Stone a pick for her. He throws one, didn't get it. I hug her again, "a pick for her", and Stone laughs, puts her hands on the pockets like saying "I'm out of 'em, man!", but then ge goes back the stage, comes back toward us, gives the pick to a security guy and tells him to give the pick to this friend. It was just the sweetest and most wonderful action. I jumped now ttrying to get "one for me", he just keeps smiling and throws a couple my way before leaving... and I couldn't catch them. And though this great person offered me to keep the pick, I refused to do so, after all I asked Stone to give it to her, and the simple memory of him doing what he did, and smiling with me all night through, and that sort of secret connection established through the music he played that night and the way it touched me is just enough....
And this is just another reason to love you all, because when you less expect it magic happens, because though I love the band, sometimes is not much about PJ but about what they generate in people... but then again that wouldn't be possible without their music. Just goes beyond words...

wow, great story... it made me smile
this memory is worth more than having every pick in the world...

barcoach

I think I've decided a good method to do this... according to the last numbers of the winning ticket at the Mexican Lottery on their Xmas. prize... every member interested send a "rock on" down my way as PM. I'll let everyone know what number they are (think I'll decide it randomly by myself) around friday, and as soon as the lottery here tells the winning number, then I'll tell who the winner is... the mecahnics are easy, if for example the winning number is 386757, then the winner would be whoever got the last digit, 7 in this case, problem would be if we got more than 10 -I think we're more than 10 at the SMC-, but I think I'll find a way to work that out, so far I have 2 persons who have sent me a PM, it'd be great if anyone interested sends me the PM before friday. Well, that's it.
cheers!

burnin-candle

barcoach, man that is a wonderful story!! Made me smile from the heart.

And I'll download the pick tonight. Looks like a rocker!

Echoes

I had it running in the background earlier and it was quite enjoyable stuff. I think this is a good call.

transplant

Favourite Fallen Idol kicks ass.

transplant

Sorry for the not-so-great interpretation, I have to throw these thoughts out quick as I will not be around for most of the remaining year.

Strange (well maybe not really) my favorite tracks on here are the ones you mentioned in your first post. Homeboy, Favourite Fallen Idol, Sistine Chapel Ceiling, Sunshine Smile. So it is the more fiercely guitar driven tracks I enjoy the most.

I thoroughly enjoyed the music that came out of the early 90's, makes me wish I watched 120 minutes back then, I just didn't catch on to it until later in life.

I would be interested in a Where are they Now type of story here. I mean this is a great CD with a ton of promise. Where did they go? It makes you think that perhaps these guys are producers, still mingling around the music scene, cranking out a guitar or 2 on a Bloc Party single or perhaps the new Rob Dickenson soon to be released disc (which would be sweet).

Thanks for the selection, another band that slipped through the cracks unfortunately. I can almost guarantee Homeboy will get placed on a mix of mine in the near future.

Cheers!

barcoach

transplant wrote:

Sorry for the not-so-great interpretation, I have to throw these thoughts out quick as I will not be around for most of the remaining year.

Strange (well maybe not really) my favorite tracks on here are the ones you mentioned in your first post. Homeboy, Favourite Fallen Idol, Sistine Chapel Ceiling, Sunshine Smile. So it is the more fiercely guitar driven tracks I enjoy the most.

I thoroughly enjoyed the music that came out of the early 90's, makes me wish I watched 120 minutes back then, I just didn't catch on to it until later in life.

I would be interested in a Where are they Now type of story here. I mean this is a great CD with a ton of promise. Where did they go? It makes you think that perhaps these guys are producers, still mingling around the music scene, cranking out a guitar or 2 on a Bloc Party single or perhaps the new Rob Dickenson soon to be released disc (which would be sweet).

Thanks for the selection, another band that slipped through the cracks unfortunately. I can almost guarantee Homeboy will get placed on a mix of mine in the near future.

Cheers!

Yeah, transplant, glad you enjoyed it... Adorable certainly deserved such a better luck, I mean I've been listening to this albums obsessively in the last 3 months, and it still sounds better and more clever than most new bands getting all the hype. I think they remained an obscure band mainly because the indifference of their record company (Creation) to give them good promotion on both sides of the Atlantic. All I know, as I told, is after this album they released a second that I've never seen anywhere and an EP. Then they split and the singer, Pete Fijalowski, with his brother formed a band called Polak, that according to rumors I've heard followed on the steps of Adorable's sound but with not so good tunes. I'm just grateful I discovered them on time, as I told you this album grew on me with time, just to find after many years I was coming back to my old tape too often to not grab the cd, but then I also remember every time I went to my local record store I saw this album on the bargain bin, so I thought "will get it sometime soon, none's gonna grab it", and when I finally wanted to get it, it was gone... until this year that I finally decided to order the cd because this was an important 90's album for me. Since I have it not a day has gone without blasting at least one track from it, specially Homeboy, but also I'll Be Your Saint, Favourite Fallen Idol, A To Fade In... I think is great from beginning to end.

A final note on the 120 minutes thing... I just looooooved that show back in the day, when Henry Rollins and other "indie" artists used to be the VJ's. I think my whole teenage years could be defined by the music played at that show back then, I remember sundays sleeping late just to catch the show and take note of all the bands I discovered there. I just love that time of my life because it's exactly the same time when I realized music was my salvation, and it wasn't only a "teenager thing", as I remembered my father put it, but that this addiction, this love for music would remain with me forever, because my life would be lacking something. The later versions of the show sucked pretty much, and now you see MTV... do they even play music now? But that time... that time was beautiful, and wild and naive... I really miss having a show like that. But well, everything gets old, I guess.

transplant

barcoach wrote:

A final note on the 120 minutes thing... I just looooooved that show back in the day, when Henry Rollins and other "indie" artists used to be the VJ's.

you had 120 minutes, I had Headbangers Ball I still have an '87 episode with Metal Church VJ'ing. lol.

barcoach

transplant wrote:

you had 120 minutes, I had Headbangers Ball I still have an '87 episode with Metal Church VJ'ing. lol.

I was also a metal freak, thing is that was at a younger age and didn't have cable tv at home... when I was like 17-18 I started to change my music orientation to a more "alternative" (hate that definition) scope, and that's when they got cable at my house and got hooked with 120... I still had heart for Headbanger's though. Today... man, so many memories from the past, just a few seconds ago I was watching this photo we're gonna publish of an 80's "robot" that I had as gift on some Xmas. Is almost scarry how time goes by... but you still can call me a "young dude", ok?

barcoach

Come on, don't tell me only 3 persons are interested on the poster... or should I consider all the members of the SMC without asking?
Anyway, I can wait 'til next week to do this. Please if there's more people interested send me the PM.
take care.

VEDHEAD27

Well I am definitely interested in that poster barcoach. If more people aren't then hey, it's all good...less competition.

Anyways, onto a review of your selection. I've listened to it about 3 times through now and each time I'm liking it more and more. I will tell you one thing...I'm definitely gonna be passing this onto a few friends that I KNOW will absolutely LOOOVE it. This sound so takes me back. It really does capture a certain feeling from the past but it also has a fresh, modern sound that fits with the current times as well. It's familiar and fresh all at once. I did find myself loving the lyrics and the emotion behind the songs the most...words & music alike. It's poppy & sincere. The songs are definitely well written.

I think this was very nicely summed up...

barcoach wrote:

Now, this is a record that really makes me think of its music in terms of colour, I don't know but those guitars building a tender melody to finally blast passionate distorsion just make me think of some impresssionist painters or remind me the work of Jackson Pollock and other abstract expresionism artist

I completely agree with this! This is music drenched in color for sure. These sounds just twirl around you and paint you into the picture it seems. I can't stop hearing it in the background of a movie ya know? Images go along with this without a doubt. It creates quite the mood. I actually really enjoyed the way it mixed with these cloudy, beautiful, rainy days over here. The passion behind the disorted guitar is perfectly in sync with the passion behind these emotionally driven vocals & lyrics. It's such a great match. The 2 feed off each other in a beautiful way.


Part of me kinda feels like this isn't really the type of music I listen to...yet everytime I'm exposed to it I do enjoy it. A very close friend of mine on the board here has exposed me more to bands like New Order, Joy Divison, Echo and The Bunnymen & it does sink in. I always kind of end up feeling like "why don't I listen to this more?" Adorable is no different. The more I listen to it the more I'm reminded that I want to listen to it and should more often.



Tracks I especially enjoyed....

A TO FADE IN ~ Loooove the lyrics, loove these sounds. Such a pretty song. This is the first one that really, really grabbed me. Definitely a stand out track & the one I find myself craving the most. I can't seem to get it outta my head.


HOMEBOY ~ BASS in your FACE! Wooo! What a hook! Love it. This one is veeery catchy! I love the way it picks up and kinda explodes at the chorus there. I also love the way he belts out "you're so beautiful" towards the end with extreme intensity...like he's not just saying it, he's trying to really convince & make it known, perhaps even to himself as the rest of the words are quite tortured. As gorgeous as his voice sounds, regardless that the music picks up and regardless of the actual "sweet" words he's singing in that part, there is definitely that despair. It's a mixture of emotions and you can really feel that confusion. He really lets loose at the end, waaay passionate & painful. The words also struck me here, especially this part....


I want to drown beneath the waves
I want to dig myself a shallow grave
And hold you up for all to see
I want to cut you up, I want to watch you bleed, ever so slowly


Wow!


I KNOW YOU TOO WELL ~ Another very powerful, emotion song. Amazing guitar work. I loved the sound and feel to this one. I really felt it. Love the ending!


STILL LIFE ~ This is a top fav. Everything about it just tugged at my heart. Looooved this one. So different from the rest of the album too. It just really, really stood out.


He was buried without a name
She buried love very much the same
This is not love, it's just the way things are


Gorgeous!


I'LL BE YOUR SAINT ~ What a perfect way to close the album! Mmmm more great bass times, and the layers of guitars that ooze in are awesome! This feels gooood. It sounds like a classic song, one I've heard many times before...guess it's just an instant classic like that. It definitely stuck with me and had me singing along. I always think it's great when an album ends with a very memorable track.




Thank you for exposing me to this barcoach. And thank you in advance from my dear friend that is gonna looooooooove this to pieces.




P.s.I'm gonna send you the link for Esthero right now...finally.

psycosmic

thanks again, barcoach...
i think i need some more time to write a full on review but here are some random thoughts...
what's so great about this album is that it could well be a current hit... funny how everybody seems to like the same songs... Homeboy, Favourite Fallen Idol, Still Life, etc... my absolute favourite is A To Fade In... i didn't know it before, yet it sounds so familiar... if this song was released today by editors or bloc party it would top the alternative charts everywhere, that's for sure...
i like the angular guitars, the walls of sound... i stand by it, at its most shoegazing moments the album sounds like my bloody valentine with audible lyrics - and great lyrics these are!
i could start to compare the sound to lots of other 80's indie artists but i won't go there... this album is definitely a gem and i have no idea why it's not more well known... some of the popular current indie bands should name-check them as an influence more often to expose them to a wider audience, that's for sure...
i will stick with this record for a while...

trappedinmyradio

psycosmic wrote:

i could start to compare the sound to lots of other 80's indie artists

yeah, i totally agree on that one.

viggs20

I've had this playing in the background while I disassembled the furniture and and its closer to Pablo Honey and the brit-pop sound than My Bloody Valentine or Lush. The guitars are ringing and hooks driven rather than drenched in feedback. There isn't a single bad song on the album but the ones I like the most are Glorious, I know you too well, Sistine Chapel Ceiling and Still life.

wolfbear

Ok, stupid question. Where do I download this? Everywhere I've tried says it's not available. Amazon had one for sale for $45.00. Help! Thanks in advance. Sorry if I missed something.