Just because.
Robyn Hitchcock came through Chicago–by far the largest suburb of the town I live in–just yesterday for a show at the Old Town School of Folk Music in which he performed the whole of I Often Dream of Trains, probably his best album. I was not present because I am an ass and didn’t learn of the show until it was too late to get tickets. I have been consoling myself with repeat viewings of this video of Hitchcock in his back yard (or “back garden,” as I believe they say over there) playing Sid Barrett’s “Dominoes.” He notes that “Dominoes” is a good song for when it’s raining. It’s raining in my soul–or would be if I had one.
Posted by in 18:27:53
I often dream of trains when I’m awake…
I’d agree that IODOT is among Robyn’s strongest solo albums. However, the correct answer is “Moss Elixir”. It’s not quite as self-concious. Stuff like Ye Sleeping Nights Of Jesus and Furry Green Atom Bowl are very tiresome after a few spins because they reach so hard. Also, IODOT was made on a thin budget, and the production suffers (the album has a lot of spruced- up demos, and they’re a littie rough in some spots).
I’ve found that the production and music are fuller in ME (due to the use of Tim Keegan’s old band Homer), and Robyn’s a lot more at ease on ME. Vocally, he’s much stronger, and he stretches a bit with “Heliotrope” (I think it’s the only one he’s recorded in non-standard tuning) and the sheer fun of De Chirico (sp) Street, up against a love song like Beautiful Queen or a survey of life like This Is How Ot Feels… Well, it’s definitely worth a listen.
Good job! …You did it!