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The official Regina Spektor thread; New album May 2012
Topic Started: Apr 29 2012, 09:11 PM (285 Views)
Riverwide
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The first single "All The Rowboats"

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Riverwide
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I really like "All The Rowboats", but I actually prefer track 1 on the new album though. It's called "Small Town Moon". Gorgeous.



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johnnox
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This woman has never cropped up on my radar.
For a complete beginning, what would you suggest I listen to first?

* hints that a certain clothed eared Irish sex badger sends me a link to download some Regina shizzle *
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Itty Bitty Piggy
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I'm not sure how I feel about Regina nowadays. I posted a rant a while ago over on PopJustice about how I think she's been completely ruined by beefing up the production on her recent albums.

This was my melodrama:
Quote:
 
I honestly think that she should go down in history as an amazing, Joni Mitchell-esque singer and story-teller. The bare bones of her songs are absolutely magical and her songwriting, at its core, is incredibly unique. Listening to her chord progressions and vocal ticks, you can actually hear her history - how she was brought up on Rachmaninov and opera, before her Russian father started ordering cassettes of The Beatles, and finally her moving to New York and being influenced by the then-fashionable folk scene. It's all there in the songwriting.

For her first three albums (11:11, Songs, Soviet Kitsch) the magic is there in abundance. But as soon as the "updated production" started coming in (with Begin To Hope) the great moments on her albums became few and far between.

This is how Regina Spektor is supposed to sound - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrrHXB4jFtU

The above link is a song called Small Town Moon, which is about to appear on her new album, and (ignoring a few off-key moments) it's an incredibly charming and soulful piece of music. I'm now terrified that this is going to be another brilliant song that is going to be destroyed by adding "plonky" synths and "kooky" beats. In trying to translate her individuality into a production style, they more often than not completely drain the songs of all their life, and drown out the Regina's subtle and vulnerable vocals.

Now it's not always that her songs end up turning into some sludgy, heartless, "we're trying to make her be Lily Allen" sort of mess. For example, I think that All The Rowboats is nu-Regina done right, and Aprés Moi wouldn't have half of the impact if it wasn't for the gradual build-up and orchestral flourishes. But these are rarities. And it makes me sad.

Please, just lock Regina in a studio with nothing but a piano and a drumstick. Let her produce it herself, flaws and all. And we would probably have a masterpiece on our hands by now. Alas...


I actually don't think they've done a bad job with the final version of Small Town Moon, but I really do long for an album with NO DRUMS!
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Itty Bitty Piggy
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And as a Regina beginner I would recommend starting with Soviet Kitsch. It's probably her most well known and widely acclaimed album, and includes the stunning 'Us' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fczPlmz-Vug&ob=av2n

Begin To Hope and Far are her two albums since, which embrace more of her "new" sound, and the two albums prior (11:11 and Songs) are far more raw and bluesy. I think Songs is probably my favourite album from her, as it just sounds completely unique, to me.
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Riverwide
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I know what you're saying Itty, but I just don't really agree. I prefer her style now to her early style. It's not as cloyingly "quirky".The melodies are much more focused and polished. It's all a matter of taste I guess, but I'm not a fan of her early records.

Oh and I think "Us" is rather an annoying song. Nowhere near as good as any of the three songs from the new album that we've heard. She may not be as hipster cool now(thank God), but she's all the better for it in my book.
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johnnox
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Hey, everyone ignore me ..... NOW!
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Itty Bitty Piggy
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Samson - A gorgeous lullaby based on the 'Samson and Delilah' story. Two official recordings of this exist; one is the cleaner-sounding and faster version on her major label debut Begin To Hope, the other is a slower and rawer recording from her self-released album Songs. There's really very little difference, and it's gorgeous in both forms, but I personally prefer the earlier recording.

>>Modern version<<
>>Older version<<


Aprés Moi - This sums Regina up in one song, really. Russian influence, odd vocal tics, story-telling lyrics. I can't imagine anyone else who would write/record something like this.

>>Aprés Moi<<

Fidelity - None of her songs are particularly well-known, but if you have heard one it will either have been this or Us (which i posted above). It's cutesy modern Regina.

>>Fidelity<<

Lady - Her most bluesy song, and a wonderful ode to Billie Holiday

>>Lady<<

Eet - is very pretty - >>Eet<<

A few more gorgeous ballads:
>>Laughing With<<
>>Braille<<
>>Ode To Divorce<<


Some of her weirdest moments:
>>Palov's Daughter<<
>>Chemo Limo<<
>>Daniel Cowman<<
Edited by Itty Bitty Piggy, May 2 2012, 01:36 PM.
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johnnox
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Thank you.
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