Goodnight Oslo

Robyn Hitchcock, Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3 | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 17, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Yep Roc Records
• ASIN: B001LOR3EU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #79,438 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Tom Waits and Elvis Costello get all the props, but fellow veteran eccentric Robyn Hitchcock's recent work is easily as consistent as theirs. This time out, the British singer-songwriter tapped three R.E.M.-related players guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Scott McCaughey and drummer Bill Rieflin to be his band. Hitchcock brings Hollies-ish harmonies, horns and tastefully distorted guitars to 'Saturday Groovers' and a Western twang to 'Hurry for the Sky.' His dark, absurdist wit is intact: 'Pharaoh's tomb is empty now,' he sings, 'you can come right in, bandage up your grin, bandage up your sin.' --rollingstone.com

Product Description

Reinvention reigns supreme in the elastic world of Robyn Hitchcock. His latest incarnation with the Venus 3 (Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey & Bill Rieflin) spawned the critically acclaimed Olé Tarantula in 2006. Three years later this confection of rock stars and underground legends is back in 2009 with the postmodern pop masterpiece Goodnight Oslo. Stabbing horns from compatriot Terry Edwards swim alongside gorgeous harmonies throughout this 10-track snapshot of Hitchcock's version of pop music in a perfect world. Goodnight Oslo features guest vocalists Colin Meloy, Sean Nelson and Morris Windsor who help Robyn sing his way through a dreamy remembrance of 16 years of intoxication. An album of nearly unwavering positivity, Goodnight Oslo shines down with the beautiful 'I'm Falling' and the beatific 'Up to Our Nex,' the latter written for the soundtrack to the stirring Jonathan Demme film Rachel Getting Married. A new era in an already fabled career, Robyn's latest work strengthens the pull of his lunar-like gravity and adds yet another chapter to the myth of one of rock music's most influential undercurrents.

'Tom Waits and Elvis Costello get all the props, but fellow veteran eccentric Robyn Hitchcock's recent work is easily as consistent as theirs.' - ROLLING STONE

'Hitchcock has a vibrant, accommodating and well-explored musical aesthetic.' - PITCHFORK

'4 Stars' - THE TIMES OF LONDON

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars His Best Record in Over A Decade!!, March 9, 2009

By 

AngelTunes (Huntington Beach, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Goodnight Oslo (Audio CD)

I can't remember the last time that a record actually made me drop everything I was doing to stop and concentrate on it. This evening I loaded "Goodnight, Oslo" into the cd player and then sat down to work on my art. But by the third song, I had to stop and move to the couch and just listen. That's the kind of album this is.

"Goodnight, Oslo" rings out bright and confident from the start. There's a drive to this record, an energy, an honesty, that's been lacking on some of his more recent efforts. The 1st track, "What You Is," will remind Dylan afficionados of Mr.Zimmerman's "Shot of Love" phase, resplendent with gospely background vocals. "You might have been a villain with a capital V," Robyn scolds, in his best Dylanesque finger-wag. "Your Head Here," has a similar blues/country drive you might find on Dylan's "Modern Times." But the chorus is pure Robyn, accompanied beautifully as ever by Venus 3'r and R.E.M. guitarist, Peter Buck. Robyn's love of the Kinks is in evidence with the charming "Saturday Groovers," which opens with a chorus of harmonies the Beach Boys would've been proud of.

It's funny, because Robyn started his music career in the late 1970s proffering some of the most wicked observations of human nature. Reference songs of his such as "Sandra's Having Her Brain Out," "Old Pervert," or "I Wanna Destroy You!" His acerbic wit, his edge, his anger, was unmistakable astride his catchy pop melodies. But the story of how Robyn Hitchcock then transformed from one of the angry songwriter's of rock into someone who has written some of the most heartbraking and jaw-droppingly gorgeous love songs is one that is sure to keep future generations of grad students busy with their theses. I say all this as I'm listening to "I'm Falling," yet another one of his devastatingly beautiful ballads. One that will make you pause, that will penetrate you straight to your heart. If it doesn't then you don't have a soul.

"Hurry for the Sky" and "Sixteen Years" returns us back to Robyn via Dylan. "Sixteen" may be the darkest song here, melodically and lyrically speaking. Interesting, since the liner notes state that Buck actually penned the melody, proving he's got Robyn's number!

Continuing on, the song "Up to Our Nex," was featured in the latest Jonathan Demme film "Rachel Getting Married." "Intricate Thing" is sweet and simple, a gentle break from the darkness. But that doesn't last long. We're right back into there with "TLC," which references the logey, druggy psychedelia of Syd Barrett, with lovely, woozy cello breaks. Maybe this song should have been called "THC!" Ha, I kid...

The album ends on a high note. All the urgency of the opening songs is back with "Goodnight, Oslo," a haunting number, with beautiful strings that would've been at home on "Moss Elixir." Peter's guitar chimes strident and eerie over Bill Rieflin's driving drums.

"Goodnight, Oslo," seems to me, Robyn's homage to his influences, and what an homage it is. This is his most striking album in over a decade. The lyrics are sharp as ever, the melodies strong, the performances wonderfully rendered, the production crisp. I don't know that I've ever heard Robyn do quite so much roots rock/country/blues as he demonstrates on this album. And that's not a complaint. Au contraire, give me more! This album is stunning and wholly original.

Robyn Hitchcock may be one of the most prolific songwriters in the history of music. As a songwriter/musician myself who has followed his career closely, loyally, since "Fegmania," I am standing up cheering wildly, calling out "thank you Robyn and your Venutians, for this masterpiece!" I couldn't ask for a better record!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Record by Hitchcock and The Venus 3, February 17, 2009

By 

JG "wordmule" (...onward....thru the fog!) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Goodnight Oslo (Audio CD)

Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3's latest adventures into the land of Beatles influenced psychedelia starts off with "What you is" where Peter Buck lays down a steady, solid rhythm on one side, which Hitchcock then builds up and augments with a nice ripping, meandering lead guitar. To finish off the jammy feel that opens the album, female backup vocal singers round things off nicely with ooooh's and aaaah's.

By the time "(is) your head here" kicks in, they've got the listener firmly hooked into the dreamy mood of this great record. The backup vocals bounce back and forth from left to right answering: "or here?, or here? or here?", especially noticeable while listening with earbuds.

Third in line is "Saturday groovers", which could easily have been a song on Sgt. Peppers, with its cheerful "pa-pa-pa-pa-pa's" and horn section.

"I'm falling (take it away)" is next. It's another gorgeous song on which Hitchcock and the band seamlessly blend spectacular Lennonesque harmonies with a string section and jamming twin lead guitars.

Next up is "Hurry for the sky", arguably the most Dylan influenced song on the record, and another great song.

"16 years" has a superb balance of harmonica, Byrds influenced guitar courtesy of Buck, along with more great vocal harmonies. The melody has a mysterious sound about it. Notwithstanding the drug influenced sound on much of Hithchock's music over the years, he's always criticized drug use, yet here, he confesses to 16 years of drug use himself.

A couple of more Beatles influenced songs, any one of which should be a radio hit, but knowing Hitchcock's history of great pop songs which inexplicably didn't become hits, probably won't.

The record ends with the title track, which is another tale about a multi day speed binge in Oslo, Norway back in 1982. Here, a beautiful, haunting string section complements the Byrds-ian guitars and vocal harmonies. The song also beautifully captures the stark and ethereal feeling of Oslo and Norway, land of the midnight sun.

All in all, another great record by Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3. As Mr. Hitchcock said in a recent interview, his compass always points back to John Lennon.

Don't miss these guys when they come to your town.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Quite The Masterpiece Ole! Tarantula Was, March 3, 2009

By 

Charles "Charles" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Goodnight Oslo (Audio CD)

(I actually give the album 3 1/2 stars, for now at least)

Robyn is like the Energizer Bunny of music. This man has not slowed down in thirty years. He releases a lot of product and if your a fan its hard not to love it or eventually get into it after repeated listens. He's nearly impossible to define. Upon listening to Goodnight Oslo I have to admit I was hoping for the same energy that Ole! Tarantula had and was a bit thrown by some of the arrangements on this release. Once I got over that and dug into it several times I ended up getting into it more.

Is this a good album to recommend to a first time listener of Robyn Hitchcock? Probably not with all do respect to Mr. Hitchcock. With a catalog as vast as Robyn has there are other albums much more suited to this purpose. If your a fan of his already then I recommend it but be warned its not his best album by any means.

My real problem with the album other than my initial reaction to the energy level is the use of background singers on this release. They just seem to throw the songs they are used on off a bit. Horns and background singing on songs is a delicate thing in my opinion though and only work when integrated perfectly. This of course is only my opinion. It just feels unnecessary I guess. On a side point it seems like Peter Buck and company weren't even necessary for this album since the arrangments don't really let them shine as brightly as they have on previous releases.

What can I say, if you're a dedicated, long time fan as I am its a bit of a disappointment. If your new to him you may want to dig further into his back catalog first starting with I Often Dream Of Trains, Eye or even Ole! Tarantula for that matter if your interest in this release was initially raised due to the wonderful backup band he has in the Venus 3.