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 Song discussion: Silver Bullet
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coastline
> Teenager of the Year <

USA
3111 Posts

Posted - 09/27/2019 :  03:38:09  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
This song sounds like what The Golem would have sounded like if it had been a Pixies album. The quiet parts are very Golem, and then Joey comes in and makes it a Pixies song.

I love Paz's aah-aahs that start around the 3-minute mark.


A few dark words you said to me
I drew a blank and then I flew
I walked the plank into the blue
My heartbeat in leagues of silence

I walked along the coral snow
I saw some lights, an old hotel
The bell was rung, the glasses filled
That cloudy drink that blackens bile

The shade is drawn with stem and vine
Burned in the flame of a man condemned
With venom wine and golden dawn
A silver bullet in the chamber turning

You said at last, "Let's have a duel
Out by the pines, the day is warm"
I played the fool and when it passed
The gadflies swarmed and then they dined

The shade is drawn with stem and vine
Burned in the flame of a man condemned
With venom wine and golden dawn
A silver bullet in the chamber turning

johnnyribcage
* Dog in the Sand *

USA
1290 Posts

Posted - 09/27/2019 :  03:43:14  Show Profile  Visit johnnyribcage's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I love love love this song. The atmosphere, dynamics, story - all of it is outstanding.


I had a bad reaction to your public hobby writings.
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billgoodman
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<

Netherlands
5976 Posts

Posted - 09/27/2019 :  05:45:24  Show Profile  Click to see billgoodman's MSN Messenger address  Reply with Quote
The rhyming scheme and choice of words of the chorus is splendid

Shade is drawn = golden dawn
stem and vine = venom wine
condemned = venom (backwards)
flame = shade = chamber
burned = turning
golden/silver

I'm missing a lot too, I guess


---------------------------
BF: Mag ik Engels spreken?
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The Maharal
= Cult of Ray =

953 Posts

Posted - 09/27/2019 :  13:55:38  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I've come around to this song a bit more. It's his End of the Summer / Leonard Cohen singing voice which I usually don't care for but he pulls it off here. I think of it as a superior Silver Snail, but find the "western-y" guitar slightly grating.

Paz's aah-aahs are indeed excellent on this.
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Troubles A Foot
= Cult of Ray =

USA
802 Posts

Posted - 09/27/2019 :  20:45:48  Show Profile  Visit Troubles A Foot's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I was just thinking today this song is kind of like an inferior Silver Snail. Shrug.
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sdon
= Cult of Ray =

France
779 Posts

Posted - 09/27/2019 :  23:24:05  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
For me, better production than Silver Snail, but less interesting as a song

--
"Aristophanes! (gong sounds)"
"Fucking up my devotion!"
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Stevio10
* Dog in the Sand *

United Kingdom
1062 Posts

Posted - 09/28/2019 :  00:05:13  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
One of my favourites from the album, love the atmosphere. The way the song builds in the second half reminded me of is she weird during one listen, anyone else hear that or should I seek help?!

But love Joey's playing, the crashing guitar / drum bit reminds me of Copperhead Road by Steve Earle but better.

I put this on a playlist with Snakes right after and it works really well.

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Troubles A Foot
= Cult of Ray =

USA
802 Posts

Posted - 09/28/2019 :  11:08:14  Show Profile  Visit Troubles A Foot's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sdon

For me, better production than Silver Snail, but less interesting as a song





The production of Silver Snail is what I like...it sounds awesome and huge and atmospheric.
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sdon
= Cult of Ray =

France
779 Posts

Posted - 09/28/2019 :  23:26:59  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Troubles A Foot

quote:
Originally posted by sdon

For me, better production than Silver Snail, but less interesting as a song





The production of Silver Snail is what I like...it sounds awesome and huge and atmospheric.



Hear this 2013 solo version of Snail, with a raw electric burning sound

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGotzgVDc3A

I can hear Silver Bullet in here, but the chorus is better in Snail




--
"Aristophanes! (gong sounds)"
"Fucking up my devotion!"
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johnnyribcage
* Dog in the Sand *

USA
1290 Posts

Posted - 09/29/2019 :  02:27:53  Show Profile  Visit johnnyribcage's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I’ve never been a Silver Snail fan. I can see they’re definitely cut from the same cloth. Hell they might be directly related for all I know. I get the impression Charles and the band dig it, as they’ve played it every time I saw them since it came out. But there’s just something about it. I find it kind of tedious. Whereas Silver Bullet is riveting. For me, if Snail is the original Evil Dead, Bullet is Evil Dead 2 + Army of Darkness.


I had a bad reaction to your public hobby writings.

Edited by - johnnyribcage on 09/29/2019 02:29:19
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Bedbug
> Teenager of the Year <

2940 Posts

Posted - 09/29/2019 :  03:32:40  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Where is that one acoustic Silver Snail that Frank did in a radio studio I think? I dig that one especially. The snail has grown on me. The bullet has been great since day one.

Silver
Bullet
Silver Snail
Silver Bullet
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billgoodman
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<

Netherlands
5976 Posts

Posted - 09/29/2019 :  06:57:53  Show Profile  Click to see billgoodman's MSN Messenger address  Reply with Quote
Silver Bullet may be my favorite BTE song

---------------------------
BF: Mag ik Engels spreken?
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johnnyribcage
* Dog in the Sand *

USA
1290 Posts

Posted - 09/29/2019 :  07:42:34  Show Profile  Visit johnnyribcage's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by billgoodman

Silver Bullet may be my favorite BTE song

---------------------------
BF: Mag ik Engels spreken?


It’s as good a choice as any as far as I’m concerned.


I had a bad reaction to your public hobby writings.
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tamefan
- FB Fan -

Canada
177 Posts

Posted - 10/01/2019 :  00:49:54  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Love this song. I still think it could be improved. Make it slightly faster and during the final two choruses (with Paz's lyrics) replace that synth with Joey. When he does his final guitar build right before Paz starts, have him hit and hold a high note -- like a rougher, high pitched version of what he does on Hey. And just bend that wailing note over and over. Would be much more dramatic than the synth and the song is begging for Joey to let loose.

Edited by - tamefan on 10/01/2019 00:50:17
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marce
- FB Fan -

USA
3 Posts

Posted - 10/01/2019 :  16:29:06  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sdon

quote:
Originally posted by Troubles A Foot

quote:
Originally posted by sdon

For me, better production than Silver Snail, but less interesting as a song





The production of Silver Snail is what I like...it sounds awesome and huge and atmospheric.



Hear this 2013 solo version of Snail, with a raw electric burning sound

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGotzgVDc3A

I can hear Silver Bullet in here, but the chorus is better in Snail




Awesome version, thanks for sharing!
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solofloyd
- FB Fan -

33 Posts

Posted - 10/08/2019 :  01:52:47  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Bedbug

Where is that one acoustic Silver Snail that Frank did in a radio studio I think? I dig that one especially. The snail has grown on me. The bullet has been great since day one.

Silver
Bullet
Silver Snail
Silver Bullet



Here is an acoustic version of Silver Snail from a solo show a few years back when we was touring with Reid Paley.

Ooops forgot the link - https://youtu.be/vGotzgVDc3A

Edited by - solofloyd on 10/08/2019 01:53:09
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Troubles A Foot
= Cult of Ray =

USA
802 Posts

Posted - 04/24/2022 :  20:42:04  Show Profile  Visit Troubles A Foot's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I had a weird brain thing with this song this week. It got in my head and I had no idea what it was. I thought it was a classic Pixies or possibly Frank solo song rattling around in there. I couldn't place it and then it hit me that it was Silver Bullet. My only conclusion is this is one of their best newer songs and should be a new classic. Another good blend of Frank solo in the songwriting/singing but with that Pixies attitude in the arrangement. I wonder what others (meaning not on this forum) think of it.
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Stevio10
* Dog in the Sand *

United Kingdom
1062 Posts

Posted - 04/25/2022 :  04:23:52  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Checking comments on youtube for any pixies song these days either get the 'no Kim no deal' comments (thankfully not as much) or 'sounds like a Frank Black song'.

I find that comment quite funny, they never say whether they like it or not. I mean, if it sounds like a Frank Black song then to me that means it's a very good compliment! Even though it is probably intended as a veiled putdown. Anyway, thanks for reminding me of this great song!
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Troubles A Foot
= Cult of Ray =

USA
802 Posts

Posted - 04/25/2022 :  08:43:50  Show Profile  Visit Troubles A Foot's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I may have left a few of those sounds like a Frank Black song comments. I find Pixies 2.0 for the most part does sound like Frank solo material, or Frank put through some weird ultra polished blender (especially BTE.) Compliment? I don't know...but it's not an insult either...just an observation, I guess. But damned if you do damned if you don't...when he self consciously tries to write classic Pixies stuff, reviews act like he's faking it (and maybe he is? But also: is that wrong?) So I have no idea what he should do because we've got ourselves an odd situation here.

I think my perfect world scenario is he just kept going with his solo material in all its various forms (how exciting was it to get such esoteric, unique stuff like The Golem, SVN FNGRS, Honeycomb, etc, etc, etc..) and put Pixies behind him, maybe come out and do an occasional reunion show/tour. More free to do anything he wants in that way. I have to say, when that interview came out where Frank said (paraphrasing) "this is my band now, I'm done with making solo records" I was genuinely shocked.
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Stevio10
* Dog in the Sand *

United Kingdom
1062 Posts

Posted - 04/25/2022 :  10:33:26  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Good point, most youtube or online comments are all about opinion it never occurred to me it's an observation at face value.

I like that scenario, I was thinking the other day in the last 10 years we've had the 3 albums (plus demos) - compare that to 93 - 03 output it's easy to miss solo Frank in a number of iterations.

Though I suppose these are different times, they've got families, gone through separations and I think I read Joey is engaged? So maybe for them staying on the touring circuit is the highest priority?

Regardless of that though I'm glad he's continuing to tour and release new music in any form.
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Troubles A Foot
= Cult of Ray =

USA
802 Posts

Posted - 04/25/2022 :  12:14:41  Show Profile  Visit Troubles A Foot's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Oh yeah, I should add in my fantasy ideal world scenario, Frank's solo work is as appreciated as the Pixies and he can be incredibly financially successful with it while also being completely free artistically and to work with whatever musicians he feels like, including the Pixies.
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