On Fri, 16 Apr 1999, William F. Silvers wrote:
> probably isn't the best criteria. I'd add the Posies FROSTING ON THE BEATER,
> dismissed by too many pop critics and fans as a betrayal of the pure
> Hollies-clone pop of DEAR 23, but in fact an even better record that
> successfully merged the early 90's guitar sounds (you know, "before grunge
> became an epithet" as Tom Krueger once said) from up your way with the Posies
> exemplary melodies and harmonies. It's always seemed to me that the Blood
Bill, No more...."Can I get a witness?" requests for you. I couldn't
disagree with a statement further than the one I snipped below. I find
the textured beauty of _Dear 23_ to be so wonderful, that it easily creeps
onto a Desert Island short short list. As for _Frosting....._, I find the
sonic dissonance (along, with the heinous masturbation reference of the
title) to be damn near a betrayal of everything I thought the band was
about.
That record basically, made me lose a lot of faith in The Posies. Faith,
I never ever fully recovered. I would equate my disappointment in this
record to my disgust with the Rank & File record that came out on Rhino.
You know, good-bye cowpunk, hello heavy metal (Rank & File). Good-bye
lush pop, hello grunge meets powerpop (Posies).
Unfortunately, I think the Posies "cooked their goose" with this record
and moved into an area that other bands were doing much better. Too bad
they left their strengths behind. Funny, we were just talking about this
very same subject on the Audities poplist but we could discuss it
philosophically. The consensus is that the Posies received so much grief
about being "uncool" in a town enraptured with grunge, that they altered
their sound. It's a real bitch when you dig a type of music that either
1) was never considered "cool" or 2) is now considered passe'.
I miss the Posies and hope to goodness, they one day reform and revisit
those heady _Dear 23_ days.
Sorry Bill, we'll have to chalk this one up to our rather severe "edgy
pop" vs "lush pop" asthetic taste differences.
NP: Don's Swingin' Doors show on Real Audio
JC
