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Frog in the Sand
-+ Le premiere frog +-
France
2715 Posts |
 Posted - 01/10/2004 : 05:16:16
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| Not my favorite SMYT song, but a great closer though. The intro and the ending are fantastic. |
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paintmeister
= Cult of Ray =
USA
347 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2004 : 08:54:09
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I love the way he pronounces "follow" and then "hollow".
If I could close my eyes, I might be able to visualize the Sartre connection. |
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Jason
* Dog in the Sand *
1446 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2004 : 09:44:58
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| I'm glad there's at least one set of mysterious lyrics on Show Me Your Tears. |
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dougit
- FB Fan -
87 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2004 : 00:41:46
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| Frank's Being....and Frank's Nothingness....hell-of-a long read. Maybe that's why the song is 7 and change. |
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andyn
- FB Fan -
United Kingdom
169 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2004 : 05:03:15
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| Not a big fan of this one. The last time I saw him play, this was the final song of the set which was a bit disappointing. |
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Adnan_le_Terrible
* Dog in the Sand *
France
1973 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2004 : 05:19:28
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Man, Sartre is everywhere.
 ["Beautiful, beautiful girl from the north" |
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harringk
- FB Fan -
USA
202 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2004 : 12:54:49
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This is the WORST song on SMYT hands down in my opinion. Nothing else even comes close to its mediocrity.
Probably the worst chorus Frank has ever written. It makes me sad that he can write a song like this and think it belongs on an otherwise amazing album.
Oh well, it sounds like he was pretty drunk most of the time he was putting this album together so I'll give him a mulligan. |
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George42
- FB Fan -
USA
188 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2004 : 15:26:40
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| harringk that is too bad you don't like the song. the music, if not the words, are what make the song great. i highly doubt that he was drunk most of the time while putting the album together. his lyrics may tend to reference drinking and whatnot but i doubt he writes his songs hammered. the guy is 38 years old and has probably outgrown any sort of drinking phase.....at least i hope so. |
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Cheeseman1000
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Iceland
8201 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2004 : 15:33:33
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quote:
Originally posted by andyn
Not a big fan of this one. The last time I saw him play, this was the final song of the set which was a bit disappointing.
I was hoping and praying that he would close with this, but he didn't even play it both times I saw him play. I was gutted, its a classic track.
 "I joined the Cult Of Cheese/E-Damn!" |
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andyn
- FB Fan -
United Kingdom
169 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2004 : 05:54:20
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| It's a decent enough song, I just don't think FB's voice is well suited to delivering a tune in the lower register. I'd have preferred it transposed up half an octave. |
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FrankfanL
- FB Fan -
USA
98 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2004 : 13:55:47
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| Brilliant. One of my faves on SMYT. |
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Little Black Francis
> Teenager of the Year <
3648 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2004 : 15:42:12
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Definitely one of least favorite tracks on SMYT, I just don't like the chorus. I like the rest of the song, but I'm not crazy about the chorus, however, this is again one of those songs I'm sure I would enjoy more if I was to hear it live.
I heard it live once at the last show I went to but I had never heard the song before and I don't remember what I had heard, and that was over a year ago... |
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echo park
- FB Fan -
Saint Barthelemy
128 Posts |
Posted - 01/15/2004 : 03:16:51
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What can I say, whenever I hear it I flashback to one of the most amazing nights of my life! Cynthia and Charles had a good talk about the lyrics between takes that night, but she says I have to go to bed now. It's 3 AM. But you really can get the story from what's there in the words. More later!
eric |
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VoVat
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
9168 Posts |
Posted - 01/16/2004 : 20:18:27
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I'd say this is my second favorite song on SMYT, after Massif Centrale. I tend to like grand-sounding songs ("Velouria" is my favorite Pixies song), and this definitely is one. Is this the first Frank song to use accordion, by the way?
-Nathan
And how does lemur's skin reflect the sea?
http://vovat.blogspot.com/ |
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echo park
- FB Fan -
Saint Barthelemy
128 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2004 : 03:48:36
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quote:
Originally posted by ramona
It's alright. I don't love it - mostly b/c of the out of key singing by the broad at the end. I like the idea of a chorus singing - but someone should have had them all sing TOGETHER.
You watch it Missy!! That 'broad' happens to be my girlfriend!!
...I actually got a good kick out of that - because she gets so self-conscious about that note whenever we're playing the song, and also, Ramona, your comment echoes the discussions we had that night about how to sing the choruses. I don't believe it is at all out of key, but it does protrude a bit. We had just been talking with Van Dyke about achieving a blend with our voices and there were beautiful moments with the gals singing old favorites together with Van during breaks.
But on the last several takes Producer Stan asked us to sauce it up, and give it more character. The idea was to sound like a small town church choir - well rehearsed but not entirely tuneful!
I think on the last two takes we got character and a good blend. But the best overall take of the song was, I believe, third from last, the one you hear on the album... Such is the thrill and beauty of recording live to stereo. Man you wouldn't believe some of those early takes! There were 13 of us in 5 different rooms with no windows trying to stay together
Anyway, I'm glad some of you actualy noticed the vocal parts! Sometimes we play it for friends or relatives on their cheap stereos and they're like, "Where are you guys"?
-eric |
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echo park
- FB Fan -
Saint Barthelemy
128 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2004 : 04:19:40
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quote:
Originally posted by Cult_Of_Frank
Oh, and Adnan, Frank has said as much as a friend in Manitoba (Winnipeg?) told him a really sad story about something that happened a few years back and that was the basis for the song. What that story is, on the other hand... no idea, though obviously I can make my guesses from the song.
As I remember it, and it's pushing a year ago in the studio, Cynthia ventured a good guess of what it was about based on our lyric sheet at the time. Charles seemed happy that she got it right. I was too stunned by the fact that we were signing with the guy who was pretty much responsible for me wanting to become a performing musician to figure out the lyrics yet...guess I'm a guitar man at heart...
It was a friend of Jean's from Manitoba who told them the story of a woman up there, years ago, who was at home and I believe heard a far away crash of some kind, went outside and saw some flashing red light in the distance (possibly a police car or ambulance). So she set out into the snowy woods in the direction of the light to see what happened. The light eventually faded and darkness fell. She had become lost in the woods, under heavy snowfall. Eventually she gave up trying to find her way out and took some rest inside a hollow tree. It snowed and snowed and became colder and after a while she could no longer move. She was stuck there for three days, when someone found her and brought her to their home to revive her. She was never able to speak, possibly brain-daaged from the cold. Apparently there was no one willing to take responsibility for her, so she was put in an institution. I guess back then not being able to speak was considered a real mental problem. She may have had other 'dumb'nesses about her, but the 'dumb' in the lyric primarily is about not being able to speak.
I was almost dumb-struck, myself, when we walked in the studio and were ushered right in to meet Our Hero and start making up vocal parts while he played acoustic and sang on the lounge sofa, within five minutes of entering!
-eric |
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echo park
- FB Fan -
Saint Barthelemy
128 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2004 : 04:27:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Jayhawk
Good song. The trumpet works fine in this one.
Andy was in the vocal room with us, playing trumpet on the same mic!
That guy's got stamina! To play Trumpet like that through 18 or so takes, some 6-7 hours... he and Keith (the 6/8 guitar) were bloody beat from playing long shows and rehearsals in David Thomas' Disastodrome shows of that same weekend, still jet-lagged... then back to London the next morning! |
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Leah
= Cult of Ray =
United Kingdom
314 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2004 : 04:32:45
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LOVE Manitoba. Without a doubt my fave from SMYT.
I love the symbolism and its simplicity in describing a journey - which in some ways I feel I can relate to having made a similar trip...
Its one of those that gets bashed on repeat & reminds me of a fabulous summer - and staring at the sky in a poetic kind of way...
Every choice human being strives instinctively for a citadel and a secrecy where he is saved from the crowd -
Nietzsche |
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Old Neptuna
- FB Fan -
Ireland
200 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2004 : 05:53:46
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Hi Leah,
Got to agree - one of the questions I wanted to ask him the last time "who wandered off in Manitoba? Dave Lovering?". Usually too gobsmacked to asked!
 "I have seen the neighbours dog, and I was not afraid..." |
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