Customer Reviews

Propellor Time

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't know how many reviews I've read of this Robyn Hitchcock CD or that in which the reviewer makes the argument that "he's not as good as he used to be", or "this isn't anything like (insert name of Robyn Hitchcock CD from the past here).

Like his principal mentor, John Lennon, there isn't really a "better" or "worse" period in his career. Both artists had their ups and downs to be sure, but what shines through all that in each musician's case is the sheer consistency in each artist's respective work.

Mr. Hitchcock is about as prolific as any musician I can think of, and unlike many artists, there is no lack of consistency and strength from record to record.

On "Propellor Time", Lennon's spirit looms larger than it ever has. In addition to the regular lineup of his stellar band, The Venus 3, Johnny Marr, John Paul Jones, and Nick Lowe make their presence known. Peter Buck gives the proceedings his distinct jingly jangly Byrds signature, and Mr. Hitchcock also tips his hat to another big mentor of his, Bob Dylan (especially so with "Born on the wind"), but, as he himself said in an interview not long ago, his compass keeps turning back to John.

As of this writing, the US tour dates are scarce, but am greatly looking forward to hearing and seeing these fine songs on the road in the near future, Mr. H.

I bought this CD without having heard anything about it; Robyn Hitchcock is simply on my list of 'must buy' artists. When I got it home and listened all the way through, I was just delighted at how good an album it is. It's lightweight (in a good way), whimsical, beautifully played and produced, and Robyn's voice sounds better to me than it has on his last three or four outings. It's a wonderful song set, albeit quite short (ten standard length pop songs).

In my review of Hitchcock's last album, Goodnight Oslo, I said that he tends to follow a pattern of 'one for me, one for you,' and designated that album as one for him. Not to say it wasn't excellent, but it was a challenging work that took some time to get into.

Well, with no loss of artistic integrity, he's back with one for us. Propellor Time is an absolute joy from beginning to end. However, in no way is he selling out. The Venus 3, with able assists from Johnny Marr, Nick Lowe, and a former Soft Boy, lay down a warm bed of polished neo-psychedelic folk and pop that suspends Hitchcock's trademark absurdsism-with-a-point in the perfect comfort zone.

This is the type of album that everyone will hold up with their own favorite songs, but I'll share mine anyway:

"Star of Venus": "The driver's dead/His bony arms/Around the bones of his wife/And that's true love." Enough said.

"Ordinary Millionaire": Lush folk-pop.

"Sickie Boy": An ebullient chorus, tempered by cynical lyrics sung with great joy. The best pop song on the album.

"Evolove": An amazing piece of deep-thought folk, surprisingly straightforward for Hitchcock. Moving.

This is an easily accessible album that I recommend highly to absolutely anyone.

His best album in many years; actually tops Ole Tarantula and Spooked, his previous best two this decade. Only flashback: title track sounds like it was lifted from "You and Oblivion" from the 90's, and "John On The Air" is the distant sibling of "Polly On The Shore" from the same album. That's not a bad thing. My friends have been stunned to hear that both "Luckiness" and "Sticky Boy" are live recordings; the tightness of the musicians has to be heard to be believed. It's obvious why Mr. Hitchcock is so admired by his colleagues: his songmanship and sense of melody are impeccable. Peter Buck has played on many Hitchcock albums, starting with "Globe Of Frogs", and deserves a spot beside him on stage. Really, the entirety of The Venus 3 are up to the task of playing with Mr. Hitchcock. His best backing band since the Egyptians, and possibly all the way back to the Soft Boys.