noticed this post while catching up after days of icky school work personally i think that swerve is Giant Sand's blandest record of those that I've heard (those being: "Ballad of A Thin Line Man", "Valley Of Rain", "Purge And Slouch", "Love Songs", "Glum", "Center Of The Universe", "Long Stem Rant" (unbefriggginleavable), "Ramp" "Swerve" and "Backyard BBQ Broadcast") Swerve has a couple good songs but songs that Howe did much better versions of on "Backyard BBQ Broadcast" (maybe my fav GS album) and a solo record he did 91 which i randomly came across in Boston called "Dreaded Brown Recluse" which is no doubt out of print though they're sposed to be reissuing everything soon (YIPPE YIPEEEE YAAAAY) dunno if youve heard "Backyard BBQ Broadcast" buts its the most recent Giant Sand (under that name) album, its mostly recorded live whrere the name suggests, recorded in someonee's backyard in jersey (i think) for a radio station, will Bill Elm the bastard steel player from friends of dean martinez who kicked Joey and John out of the band so he could take over, aboslutely incredible album including the studio trakcs, a couple remix type things including a song called "Lester Is A Lampshade" which is wonderfully happy silly um i suggest buy any giant sand album you find (hard to find, less so on the west coast of america, i found "Purge & slouch", "Ramp", "Valley of rain", "Ballad of A Thin Line Man", "Long Stem Rant" and all in seattle (Celophane square for the first two, Tower recrods (go figure) for the second two which are on one cd, and Nothing Major (a wunnerful indie store in Tacoma, WA with sspiffy yello buttons that say "it's Nothing major" i have one on my backpack with my "world's greatest?" button and they have a little kid with funny hair named Sage (after the band i think) um yeah BBQ isnt too hard to find, Valley of Rain/Ballad of A Thin Line man has been showing up and Center Of The Universe too, you can order most of them online if you wanna ruin the fun of finding them in a tower records playing gansta rap and ungodly decibel levels wowie this is long, can you tell i like this bandd a little bit? as for live ramshackle isnt a word i would use, chaotic maybe, unpredictable yes, godly most definitely I saw Mark Eitzel play with them at SXSW in 96 that was incredible (that was my intro to Giant Sand), first Joey and John backed up Mark then Howe came on to a big ass grand piano and mark left after a song or two i didnt know any of the songs so couldnt teell you what they played but it was insane, it wasnt crazy loud it was quiet and mellow, they're getting old and mellowing out a bit (their first few albums are kinda scary, pre-joey and john) which is a good thing i think, howe got up and did his strumming the piano strings bit that he does on several songs on various records oh and before Mark Eitzel came on to sing it was Calexico (Joey and John of course) by themselves, just a surfish guitar and drums, Calexico live is indescribable, John's drumming is...ahhhh...it has to be experienced, no horns or cello, or bass or accordian or anythbing else from teh records just guitar and drums doing all a guitar and drums can do without hurting your ears ok i think thats finally all i have to see <a href="http://www.giantsand.com">www.giantsand.com</a> has info on the band and the label they finally formed to reissue their albums, Howe's new solo record Hisser which is mighty fine is on this label but distributed through V2 yeha thats all i have to say, these boys are gods in my mind (warped as it is) ----ev np-Mercury Rev-Deserter's Songs (a record hasnt blown my mind in this way with this type of music since I heard Tindersticks' 2nd, as someone said in some magazine about that record "totally fucking godhead", that always summed it up nicely, and applies to this one too, wowie) -- I'm just a shy boy sitting in a house When everyone's gone
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