I’m delighted that another regular reader and occasional commentator has taken up the opportunity to make a contribution to the series. Jules who is behind the blog Music from Magazines gives us his thoughts on the wonderful world of Lambchop:-
Where does one start with a Lambchop imaginary album? not “I sucked my bosses dick” lyrically fine but a tad naive musically.
SIDE ONE
SUNRISE
Lets start with what else… an overture. written as part of score to played live to accompany the film Sunrise (1927). The film was directed by F.W. Murnau probably more famous for Nosferatu (1922).
mp3 : Lambchop – Sunrise
I’VE BEEN LONELY FOR SO LONG
Many years ago I worked in a pub with a CD juke box, was able to burn CDs and had the keys to said juke box (lucky customers) but one track that got a loads of plays at end of an evening was this cracking cover of Fredrick Knights southern soul classic from 1972.
mp3 : Lambchop – I’ve Been Lonely For So Long
THE OLD GOLD SHOE
NIXON is such an amazing album it could be the dream LAMBCHOP compilation on its own, but that would be a tad silly and defeat the whole point of this excercise. On a classy holiday in Teneriffe I had Nixon and The Mountain by Steve Earle on my CD walkman all the time, The number that wormed its way in though was The Old Gold Shoe.
To be honest dont often understand the lyrics, but they are funny, last line “think of me as the fifth Beatle”. Also some nice Lambchop trademark background sounds.
mp3 : Lambchop – The Old Gold Shoe
I’M A STRANGER HERE
This is from Hank, its what Lambchop is about, if you dont like this number then I hate to be the bringer of bad news but a lot of there stuff is very similar.
Me, I think its sodding brilliant both lyricly and musicly.
mp3 : Lambchop – I’m A Stranger Here
IS A WOMAN
Absolutly gourgeous song to end side 1.
Starts with the usual Kurt Wagner lyrics that confuse people like me (Love? Loss? Longing? buggered if I know) and then morphs into a lovely lazy skank.
mp3 : Lambchop – Is A Woman
SIDE TWO
THE DECLINE OF COUNTRY AND WESTERN CIVILIZATION
A review of this track (from the Prepared album) if my memory serves me right, said it was like a punk number amongst the quite; well they had a point, it comes in with a bang naming the total shitbag scumsucking filth that was Nathan Bedford Forrest. moves on to more Wagner rants and then turns into a love song at the end….I think.
p.s. and name checks Jim Nabors (more later)
mp3 : Lambchop – The Decline of Country and Western Civilization
CIGARETIQUETTE
Realesed an album called “How I Quit Smoking” then later released a song with the line ” Im smoking again”. Patches might have helped.
Nonetheless this is great pop song.
mp3 : Lambchop – Cigaretiquette
UNDER THE SAME MOON
More old school lambchop
More to the the point I think I understand the words.
“Sylvester’s three on a tin roof
Kathy Dick and the burden of proof
If you’re lookin’ at me you’re lookin’ at the truth
Under the same moon
An incense burned and a rusty comb
A name and an address of a retirement home
Two neighborhood dogs who won’t leave me alone
Under the same moon
A dollar and a donut lie under the bed
A woman with a basket and a shaved head
Pressed between the pages of the book we both read
Under the same moon
A powerful thirst and a crying shame
An old rugged cross and a lip that is lame
Two lovers that remember the first time they came
Under the same moon
A dress in the closet and some shoes on the rack
A harmonica and a hat that is black
If you leave this town you ain’t never comin’ back
Under the same moon
A car alarm and a bottle that breaks
A receptionist and a creek full of snakes
Stay up all night if that’s what it takes
Under the same moon”
The Boo Hoo bits at the end have thrown me a bit though.
mp3 : Lambchop – Under The Same Moon
UP WITH PEOPLE (LIVE)
Because if you have got this far you will expect nothing less.
mp3 : Lambchop – Up With People (live)
THEONE
Not one to quote The ToryGraph regulary but I was there, and its true….
“The power to still a beery crowd with beauty”
“Backed by just string quartet and bassist, with a beautiful song for his wife. Wherever he may be creatively, he had the power to still a room and touch everyone in it very deeply.” Andrew Perry
And yes it is a truly Beautiful song.
And yes I was truly Beery.
And yes I shed a tear.
mp3 : Lambchop – Theone
p.s. the line “Gomer Pyle was just a man” refers to a TV character played by (you guessed it) Jim Nabors.
Jules
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Weirdly, I was sent a press release about their new electronic project yesterday.
I’m slightly dubious.
Love these mixtape posts.
Lis / last year’s girl x
What an excellent post! I’ve always been curious about Lambchop — very hard band to pin a label on. This is a great introduction. So far I downloaded ‘How I Quit Smoking’ and ‘What Another Man Spills’ and will work my way forward. Very well done. Although it’s getting a bit embarrassing having all these imaginary albums by American bands posted on the Superscot site TnVV. Going to have to jump in myself, I guess…
A very good compilation and as Jules said: Nixon is a best of Lambchop of it’s own. My favorite song on it is still ‘Grumpus’. Keep on doing this series JC. But is there any reason to put Nosferatu at the top?
Cheers, Walter
Read the description for ‘Sunrise’ for the Nosferatu connection Walter.
I saw Lambchop in Warwick in 2013, and one of the highlights for me was definitely ‘Your F***ing sunny day’, which I would have included, but great choices anyway.
Maybe Jim should OK double albums.
Don’t think so…..that would just be offering the easy way out for folk!!!! The torture in compiling these posts is narrowing the songs down to 10 in a way that makes the ‘prefect’ album which is rarely the best 10 songs ever recorded by a singer or band, especially if they’ve been going for some time and their sound has organically evolved.
Bonus EP?
I’ll go as far as a hidden track!!!!!
What! No National Talk Like a Pitate Day?
Maybe I should try second ica with more esoteric Wagner stuff ?
Don’t like the pirate that much though
Jules
Cool mixtape.
There’d definitely have to be that bonus EP now.
Loving both FLOTUS and the Basement tapes thing –
just when i thought they couldn’t sound any better with less sound, they prove me wrong! Beautiful, stripped glitch-country thing.
xo
The Decline of C&W Civilisation has a glitch, NVV. It should read from the ‘Damaged’ album. It’s a typo I know, but.
I have been into Lambchop for about a year and have plumbed much of the catalog. Your post is great and frustrating at the same time. There are so many greats left off. Thanks for the effort.