View Larger
Rate it!
Avg: 4.5 (181 ratings)
- Date Released: January 1, 1986
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Indie Rock
- Label: Bar None Records
The Feelies calm down a bit, murmuring and strumming to the skies
-
We Say...
Six years passed between the Feelies' debut and The Good Earth, during which time the band's singer/guitarists Bill Million and Glenn Mercer lost their rhythm section, drifted into a considerably mellower New Jersey band called the Trypes, and more or less absorbed them. The reconstituted Feelies, with the two-percussionist lineup that's stayed with them ever since, had the speed and rhythmic depth of their earlier incarnation, but put aside their old brittleness and tension for a new kind of pastoral calmness. Co-produced by R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, The Good Earth repurposes the frantic propulsion of Feelies heroes the Velvet Underground as a lithe, graceful celebration of their own natural strum-and-drum idiom. "Become what you are/Can't be too hard," they sing.
Not a lot of hooks jump out of the mix: as an album, it's more about flow than signposts or destinations, and most of Mercer and Million's lyrics are barely formed and barely murmured. But the simple three- and four-chord riffs that underpin everything here (even the experimental piece "When Company Comes") are the skeleton for warm, harmonious arrangements that speed forward frictionlessly. Even when the group revs all the way up, on the album's centerpiece "Slipping (Into Something)" (which the nascent Yo La Tengo must have studied like holy writ), they sound like they're willing themselves to relax. Extra points to the Feelies for ending the album with a song called "Slow Down" that speeds up. -
They Say...
After the various side projects and explorations the band got up to for most of the early '80s, not to mention switching some members around (with bassist Sauter and drummer Demeski now forming the rhythm section), the Feelies made a fine return with The Good Earth. With co-production from noted fan Peter Buck, the group exchanged some of the understated tense frazzle of Crazy Rhythms for a gentler propulsion without losing its trancy edge. Compared to the wispy jangle rock that passed for much of college radio at the time, the Feelies proposed a different path with the songs' steady pace and murkier feeling. Demeski's a more than fine replacement for Fier (his martial playing on "Tomorrow Today" is one of his many entertaining touches), Sauter's playing emphasizes controlled understatement, and the Million/Mercer guitar duo still nails it. The brisker jauntiness of songs like "The Last Roundup," which wears just enough of a country & western edge without seeming like a parody or half-assed, varies the calmer moods elsewhere very well. At the album's considerable best, such as the brief but really lovely acoustic/electric blend of "When Company Comes" or the title track, with an almost epic ending, Million and Mercer sound like they inhabit the same body playing two guitars, everything's that much in lovely sync. Their vocals ride low in the mix this time out, but thankfully the sometimes all-too-obvious hints of Lou Reed in Mercer's style have been replaced with a more unique, stronger edge -- not that the connection still isn't there on a track like the building groove of "Slipping (Into Something)." Reed would also love its concluding guitar solo! Perhaps the only criticism is a slight sameness between a few songs, but there's more sly variety on display to offset this gentle treasure.
“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”
Rolling Stone
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
We'll give you 10 additional free credits to download this album and start your paid subscription.
Get 10 bonus credits on us if you download this album. Sweet!
| 01. |  |
On the Roof |
2:59 |
|
| 02. | |
The High Road |
4:23 |
|
| 03. | |
The Last Roundup |
2:54 |
|
| 04. | |
Slipping (Into Something) |
5:58 |
|
| 05. | |
When Company Comes |
2:16 |
|
| 06. | |
Let's Go |
2:40 |
|
| 07. | |
Two Rooms |
2:36 |
|
| 08. | |
The Good Earth |
3:51 |
|
| 09. | |
Tomorrow Today |
5:33 |
|
| 10. | |
Slow Down |
3:16 |
|
10 Total Tracks, 36:26 Total Length
Loading...
Playlists If you like The Feelies, check out these member playlists
Credits
- The Feelies - Main Performer // Arthur Adams - Guitar // Roland Bautista - Guitar // John Baumgartner - Photography // Peter Buck - Producer // Stanley Demeski - Percussion // Stanley Demeski - Drums // Glenn Mercer - Guitar // Glenn Mercer - Arranger // Glenn Mercer - Guitar (Rhythm) // Glenn Mercer - Keyboards // Glenn Mercer - Vocals // Glenn Mercer - Producer // Glenn Mercer - Design // Bill Million - Guitar // Bill Million - Arranger // Bill Million - Guitar (Rhythm) // Bill Million - Vocals (Background) // Bill Million - Producer // Don Sternecker - Engineer // Dave Weckerman - Percussion // Brenda Sauter - Bass // Brenda Sauter - Violin // Brenda Sauter - Vocals // Brenda Sauter - Vocals (Background) // Brenda Sauter - Art Direction // Brenda Sauter - Photography
Choose from over 7 million
music downloadseMusic features legendary and emerging artists in every genre: classic rock to classical,indie to international, soundtracks to spiritual, jazz to country and many more.
MP3 downloads work on any digital media player
With eMusic, you OWN your music without any restrictions. Burn music to a CD, play it on your computer, mobile phone or any digital media player - including iPod®, Zune® and Walkman®.
Songs available for 50¢ or less
eMusic subscriptions start at just $11.99 a month for 24 downloads - that's just 50¢ per song! And it gets better from there - our plans go as low as 42¢ per song!
Music Discovery
eMusic is about discovery. We make finding new music fun again with music recommendations from our award-winning team of music experts, member playlists and new music features.
Cancel anytime
With all the great music and site features we're pretty sure you will love eMusic. If not, no problem. You can cancel at any time and keep the music you have downloaded.
© 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC