Bill Callahan/ Smog

[holyzombiejesus]

Really didn't like his latest but it's just clicked and rather than discussing in the shit sleeves thread, thought a new thread should be started

The new one does take a while to get in to. He seems to avoid the obvious melody in some songs which I found frustrating at times but having listened to it a few times (and at a louder volume) it's really great.

Just looking at his discography on wiki. It's such a brilliant body of work.

As Smog
Sewn to the Sky (1990)
Forgotten Foundation (1992)
Julius Caesar (1993)
Burning Kingdom(1994)
Wild Love (1995)
The Doctor Came at Dawn (1996)
Red Apple Falls (1997)
Knock Knock (1999)
Dongs of Sevotion (2000)
Rain on Lens (2001)
Accumulation: None (2002)
Supper (2003)
A River Ain't Too Much to Love (2005)

As Bill Callahan
Woke on a Whaleheart (2007)
Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle (2009)
Rough Travel for a Rare Thing (2010)
Apocalypse (2011)
Dream River (2013)
Have Fun with God (2014)
Bill Callahan Live at Third Man Records (2018)
Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest (2019)

My friend thinks he is really sexy and goes all wobbly if you play her Song from Rain On Lens. I used to put it on to try and get her to get off with me but not even Bill Callahan is that powerful.

[phantom_power]

I really like what I have heard from him and really should investigate more. I have only heard a few smog songs and Woke on a Whaleheart

[holyzombiejesus]

I really like what I have heard from him and really should investigate more. I have only heard a few smog songs and Woke on a Whaleheart

Up until '94, his output was quite scratchy and lo-fi. The 'A Hit' 7" (which is on the brilliant Accumulation: None compilation) marks the end of this period (for me, at least) and is pretty great. There are some good songs from this era (especially on Julius Caesar) but a lot of pretty unforgettable stuff.

Next came Wild Love which is fun, it's a lot lusher with plenty of strings (and contains Prince Alone In The Studio).

The next two albums and the Kicking a Couple Around EP are, for me, are more consistently 'proper' Smog. The KACA EP is pretty indespensible, with Your New Friend being particularly fucking heartbreaking.

The Doctor Came At Dawn is the sparser of the two albums with Red Apple Falls containing the pop bangers.

The poppier more immediate songs continued on Knock Knock with it's (Bill's ex) Cat Power referencing sleeve.

I never really got in to the follow up, Dongs of Sevotion, and I still feel it's a bit stodgy (although Dress Sexy At My Funeral livens it up a bit).

Happily, he followed this up with 2 really great consistent LPs, Supper and Rain On Lens, the former containing Vessel In Vain (gorgeous live version here) which is still one of my favourite examples of songs in films that work well together and the latter containing the aforementioned Song.

Then came the near perfect A River Aint Too Much To Love which I always think of as being more of a Bill Callahan album rather than Smog, although I have no idea why as it's not. Rock Bottom Riser alone is such a perfect song.

[sevendaughters]

Red Apple Falls is the one to go for if you're going to go for one, but don't limit yourself.

[phantom_power]

I am pretty sure I will like most of it as I have loved everything I have heard from him. It is one of those back catalogues that seems so imposing that you never get round to starting on it. I think I will just go through on Spotify chronologically, starting with Forgotten Foundation, which I am doing as we speak

EDIT: Yeah skipped that after a few lo-fi fuckabout songs and moved onto Julius Caesar

[hummingofevil]

I've got Dongs of Sevotion on double vinyl and the six track first disc is great. I think I've listened to the second disk once.

Saw him tour a 2-3 years back and he was magnificient. Try to convince myself to go to Paris to see him in October.

[good times]

Used to be well into him, bought all his records. Now just find him a bit too smug (pun intended)

Something a bit too knowing about a lot of his latter output.

[Twed]

I liked "I Am Star Wars" (discovered via Lee & Herring's Radio 1 shows) but nothing else has really stuck.