Indie-rock bands come and go (sometimes very quickly), but few have developed such long and inventive careers as Yo La Tengo. Since the mid-1980s, Hoboken, New Jersey's finest have been perfecting their restless sound just across the Hudson River from the ever-fashionable music mecca of New York City. From this small distance, the group (founded by the husband/wife team of vocalist/guitarist Ira Kaplan and vocalist/drummer Georgia Hubley) started out appropriating the sounds of revered NYC bands, particularly the dreamy jangle-pop side of the Velvet Underground and the guitar noise of Sonic Youth. However, by 1993's PAINFUL, the trio (now rounded out by regular bassist James McNew) transcended their influences to beautiful effect.
The two-disc PRISONERS OF LOVE presents many of Yo La Tengo's best moments in non-chronological order, displaying the full range of the band. Here the trio veers from reverb-heavy rock ("Big Day Coming") to gentle pop (the utterly gorgeous "Our Way to Fall") to percussive funk (an entertaining take on Sun Ra's "Nuclear War"). Throughout the collection, the group's sense of adventure is clearly evident, whether running through a guitar freakout or settling into a sleepy vocal harmony. By 2005, Yo La Tengo had cemented their place in rock history as true indie greats, a status wholly affirmed by PRISONERS OF LOVE.
Liner Note Authors: Johnny Puleo; Byron Coley.
Photographers: Jutta Brandt; Bettina Weiand; Raphael Fuchs; Michael Galinsky; Fred Brockman; Michael Lavine; Matthew Salacuse; Mike Baehr; Mac McCaughan.
Yo La Tengo: Ira Kaplan (vocals, guitar); Georgia Hubley (vocals, drums); James McNew (bass guitar).
Personnel: Chris Stamey, Dave Schramm (guitar); David Henry (cello); Mike Tchang (saxophone); Chris Nelson (trombone); Allan Greller (upright bass); Dave Rick, Gene Holder, Stephan Wichnewski (bass guitar); Roger Moutenot (bongos).
Additional personnel: Mike Tchang (saxophone); Chris Nelson (trombone); Al Greller (double bass); Chris Stamey, Dave Rick, David Henry , Dave Schramm, Gene Holder, Roger Moutenot, Stephan Wichnewski.
Spin (p.109) - "[A] chummy best-of-plus rarities set - full of sweet, catchy, noisy pop..." Magnet (p.89) - "[T]hey got really good quite fast; Kaplan turned into an adroit feedback manipulator, Hubley became a marvelously crisp drummer, and McNew brought a rock-solid allegiance to the groove..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.115) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Witty, nerdy, and scarily smart....Shaken or stirred, YLT's songs sound wholly original."
(*) MP3 for this song is from a different CD. Listen to the sound sample to be sure this is the version you're looking for.
Prisoners Of Love: A Smattering Of Scintillating Senescent Songs: 1985-2003 Review
Prisoners Of Love: A Smattering Of Scintillating Senescent Songs: 1985-2003 Music Reviews
Guidelines Remember to focus your comments on Yo La Tengo - Prisoners Of Love: A Smattering Of Scintillating Senescent Songs: 1985-2003 CD. Check our review guidelines for specific details regarding customer review policy.
To submit your review, please fill out the above form and click "Submit Review." A staff member will then verify your review meets our guidelines. Upon approval, your review will be published within a few days.
Please do not use this form to comment on web site errors or for order related questions. If you have concerns of this nature, please contact customer service by filling out this form.
Buy Prisoners Of Love: A Smattering Of Scintillating Senescent Songs: 1985-2003 CD
Buy Yo La Tengo - Prisoners Of Love: A Smattering Of Scintillating Senescent Songs: 1985-2003 Posters From Allposters.com
Share this Product