Customer Reviews

69 Love Songs 1

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Stephin Merrit is a poet, and the 69 Love Songs are a testament to his skill. In them he wades through the viscissitudes of love from many vantages. I can't decide between volume 1 and volume 3 as my favorite. Volume 1 of course is a logical starting point and contains simple, majestic tunes like #2 "I Don't Believe in the Sun," #6 "I Don't Want to Get Over You," #8 "The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side," and #12 "The Book of Love" (I like the lyrics here a lot). The album contains not only marvelous lyricism but also appropriate instrumentation and ornamentation. The occasional electronic flourishes are reminiscent of the great Magnetic Fields release Holiday and provide just the right touch at times. Volume 1 of the 69 Love Songs is a recommended album for those who are new to the Magnetic Fields as well as long-time fans who haven't gotten into the box set yet.

But this is great stuff. The lyrics are clear, funny and poignant. The melodies are smart and beautiful. You can't help but get a kick out of it, which is surprising for something so stark, minimalist, dark, and sad underneath. Your kids would probably love it, if you don't mind the occasional bleep word. I keep this one in the cd player in my kitchen so I can sing along while chopping up potatoes.

i bought "vol.1" on a whim, not really knowing what to expect and, well, let me put it this way: I'M BUYING VOLUMES 2 AND 3 FIRST THING TOMORROW. this is excellent stuff -- sort of sounds like a cross between leonard cohen and belle & sebastian, or maybe cole porter as produced by tom waits. i don't know. all i do know is that this is songwriting of a very high order with a keen sense of humor running throughout. i'm simply fascinated by this mysterious enigma. check it out!

Wow. How did I ever miss this album. These guys are just the best. Sardonic, romantic, beautiful music, can't be bagged. This stuff is just not normal. It is very very American, very carolina, very beatnik cafe, very outdoor picnic, very replay in your room with the door shut. Real musicians, real instruments, real voices, adorable lyrics that are not predictable, I can't believe they are not famous. I guess I'm glad they're not. I want to keep them as a secret.

then disc one is probably the one to get. The ratio of brilliant to merely good songs is higher, perhaps, than on any other Magnetic Fields CD; favorites include "I Think I Need a New Heart," "Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side," and "All My Little Words," an irresistably hooky psuedo-bluegrass lament about the futility of clever songwriting (penned, of course, by pop music's supreme ironist). Come to think of it, if you buy disc one and you have any taste at all, you'll end up getting the others as well -- you might as well get the box set.

I can't imagine not wanting the whole box set, but if you really only want to get 1/3 of this set, either for yourself or as a gift for someone, I would definitely recommend Vol.1. It has the catchiest songwriting and the most easily accessible melodies. Start here!

Today, when most pop songs are simple to the point of vapidity, both musically and lyrically, it is refreshing to find something like this album. Merritt blends perfectly the beautiful melodies with clever, witty lyrics as he explores all forms of love from the disguised lament of the ugly teenager and the hopelessness of the spurned lover to the joyous proclamations of those that have found true love. He matches musical genre to the message of the song and makes effortless transitions between each. The voices of the songs have true emotion in them and successfully vary in tone so as to augment the lyrics. Claudia Gonson's voice is beautiful and brilliant, constrasting nicely with Merritt's deep bass. My only complaint is that Claudia ought to sing more. To summarise as best I can, this music is poetry, philosophy and melody. It is dark and insightful, naive in places, cynical in others, but never depressing. A true masterpiece.

I really enjoyed this album. It's really different, quirky, trippy [choose a pertinent adjective]. I am not, perhaps, the most cool and in the know person to talk to about music, so I had never heard of The Magnetic Fields before. I was reading a review of the new Belle & Sebastian release FOLD YOUR HANDS... (which I liked, too ~ though perhaps not as much) and there was review suggesting TMF, so I bought it and was positively surprised. I just bought Vls. 2 and 3. Stephen Merritt is a really gifted songwriter/performer and I will definitely be looking for his work with the Gothic Archies, etc. He reminds me of Morrissey, somewhat, but better and not as smug. Some of the highlights of Vl. 1 are I Don't Believe In The Sun, Chicken With It's Head Cut Off, Nothing Matters When We're Dancing, etc. The only songs out of the 23 that I didn't like were Reno Dakota and How F*cking Romantic.

I don't have much to say that hasn't been said....I bought volume 1, and after hearing it three times, I went and bought the other two volumes. I can't imagine any musical taste not accomadating these albums, they seem to be completely out of any time and genre....do pick one up.

Oh, man, can this guy write a pop song. My "this guy," I'm referring to Merritt himself, because, let's be honest -- he is the heart and soul of this band, which is the best of his several musical projects.

I like Magnetic Fields a lot, and chose to review this album because, out of all his work, this one is his finest achievement. There are about a dozen tracks in this collection that I've been listening to for years that have never grown tedious, which would seem to contradict the notion that it is mere bubble gum pop (a la the Gothic Archies). There is more emotional and musical complexity than meets the eye (or ear) upon the first few listens, when you'll find yourself humming along and tapping your toes (or steering wheel).

The only problem with this 3-album set is that it includes about 20 songs too many. Maybe even 25 or 30. The moments of pop brilliance are interspersed with gimmicks and throw-aways, and this is unfortunate.

But really, who can write 69 pop masterpieces? I don't expect that from anyone. I just think the collection would be even more memorable if Merritt hadn't insisted on including 69 songs (yeah, yeah, we get it -- 69. heh heh.) and had instead made this a two album set.

But this still deserves 5 stars, without a doubt.