At my wake, please make sure everyone is getting drunk, listening to Will Oldham on the stereo.

NOT FUCKING CRAP.

Connor

...

West Palm Beach is part of my DNA now that I have listened to it so many times. There was a time when I really loved this guy. Some of his singles and early stuff really spoke to me in a very sincere and profound way that bordered on fervor. But, when I hear him now on his new records, he almost seems like a friend I had to let go, and it's best he is gone now. I associate my feelings with Will with one of the more dark and painfull periods of my life that I really don't like revisiting, and hearing him warble about his favorite horse, a brute choir, and all gone is too much.

the first show I ever played was opening for Will in St.Louis, while he was supporting "Arise Therefore". i was definitely a fan at that point and have to say he was very cool and comfortable to hang out with.

that will always be a special night for me, but almost every other time i've seen him live, it's been hmmmmm...horrible.

he's sloppy (live).

he's not a great guitar player.

what's worse is he's seemingly cocky about it.

i had all but given up on him before "Master and Everyone" came out and that record kinda blew me away. Then, i saw him open for the Dirty Three @ the Metro and he seemed to be struggling through the songs. Almost as if he didn't actually know the songs that he is credited for playing. I have friends that have toured in his band and had to help him remember his own chord progressions.

I have heard horrible stories about an in-store "performance" he gave on tour last year, and the way he acted was just ugly. It seemed as if he takes this all (his fans) for granted.

I do think he is an amazing songwriter, and really like the "Superwolf" record. I think the "Palace Greatest Hits" bullshit is simply bullshit shit crap horrible shit.

All in all, he has had such a huge impact on me and made me feel so many things that i think he is purposefully antagonizing his audience. so, i'll leave him be.

NOT CRAP.

"Come In" may be one of my favorite songs ever written.

I see a Darkness is Amazing and some of it downright scary I think. And I love the new Super Wolf Album. He seems so carefree about what he does and all his music seems like a drifting amorphis blob (but in a good way).

I haven't seen him live but I know that can change a prespective. I saw Phil Elevrum from the microphones once and I still feel all wierd about it. Even though I think the glow Pt. 2 is an interesting piece of recorded chop house sounds and I enjoy it, I still think about that show and wonder why do I enjoy it?

But Will Oldham Not Crap.

I was introduced to him throughViva Last Blues, but i see a darkness is my favourite record of the BPB. Eeerie. All these stories about Bonnie prince Oldham being poopy live yet no "great show story?" Did anyone see that monumental Lounge Ax show for the first leg of the darkness tour? He and his band rocked all of the Darkness songs in a "power blues" way and it was surprising and great and great.

i think it's funny that he did all those Bjork arena dates with just an autoharp.

i'm rambling. not Crap.



Faiz

kerble wrote:I think it's funny that he did all those Bjork arena dates with just an autoharp.

Before the Bjork tour, Will met with Bjork and all of her "people" to iron out the details of the tour. When the promoter (or whomever) asked Will how many people he'd have in his band, he said, "Just one--just me."

"So," the guy said, "you'll be accompanying yourself on the guitar then?"

"No," Will replied. "I'll be accompanying myself on the autoharp."

There was a period of total silence before the guy said, "I can't tell you how bad of an idea I think that is."

What's even funnier is that, when I told that anecdote to Darren Rappa, he said, "Yeah, I was over at Will's right before he flew out to join that tour. He was pacing back and forth, waiting for an autoharp to arrive by Federal Express. Then, after it had come and he was ready to leave for real, he darted back into the house and grabbed a 'How to Teach Yourself the Autoharp' book off of his coffee table and tossed it into his bag."

I might add that I have seen Will play close to fifteen times, and I can only think of one performance that was not totally enthralling. And even that show was pretty fucking funny, especially when he kicked the monitor off the stage after the umpteenth burst of excuciating feedback. At least 3 of those shows are among the best live performances I've ever seen. And no, they weren't all in Louisville, either.

I was lucky enough to hear Mr Oldham early on (due to a Courtney Love review in the pages of Melody Maker for crying out loud!). I must admit, like others here I kinda got lazy around "I see a Darkness" but have since realised my mistake. He's getting better, I think, if the autoharp show I saw in London for Domino's 10th anniversary was anything to go by. Although the Garage gig in 1995 will take some beating.

I think it's great that he's experiencing some kind of success (at least over here. The press fucking adore him and believe it or not this makes a sales difference in the UK) My Mum bought "Master and Everyone" last week.

On a personal note, his records can seem bleak and depressing to some listeners, but I hear a degree of resignation, relief even, that I relate to on some level. This has led to Mr Oldham helping me out of a few emotionally tight spots in my time.

I believe (hope?) that he will one day be considered one of our generation's finest.

Errrrr.... not crap.

Oh Yeah, my "amusing" Will Oldhm anecdote.

I spoke to him at the bar at ATP a couple of years ago and he was a very humble, nice bloke. Ten minutes later he propositioned my girlfiend with his beard in plaited ponytails. Ten minutes after that he was headbanging, arms aloft, on the edge of the stage to "Angel of Death" by Slayer. One minute later he fell off the stage and didn't get up until the song was over.
The drugs were supplied, allegedly, by a member of the Oxes. Last time I saw him, he was pleading with the camp staff to unlock the death slide on the adventure playground. Safe to say, He didn't seem overly concerned with the fate of his bambino or whose horse he would be riding home at this stage.

Still, a lovely man.

He was in Chicago recording a single with T_______ a month or so ago.


hm.