In The Aeroplane Over The Sea - Classic Album Discussion

[Shane]

So I know that I tend to push the boundaries with what gets considered a "classic". My thread on R.E.M.'s 1991 release "Automatic For The People" is proof that a classic album is one that stands the test of time, regardless of its release. This album is really pushing the boundaries, in that its release was in 1998, making it a scant 11 years old. However, those familiar with this album are well aware of its impact in the world of indie rock and rock music in general.

Jeff Mangum's band Neutral Milk Hotel had only released an EP ("Everything Is...") and another album ("On Avery Island") prior to releasing "Aeroplane". They were not what one would call a prolific band, but that didn't make them unimportant. The use of various instruments in "Aeroplane" is very impressive; there appears to be a brass band, musical saws, a bowed banjo, a zanzithophone (MIDI Saxophone), even Uilleann pipes, the national bagpipe of Ireland! Its musical creativity and wonder is equaled only by the dreamy, crazy and delightfully nonsensical lyrics of Jeff Mangum. One can decipher certain elements of sadness in a few of the verses, and they all almost sound like stream-of-consciousness singing at some point, but it manages to make perfect sense, especially against the background of such creative musicmaking.

Front Cover

Tracklist
1. King Of Carrot Flowers, Part 1
2. King Of Carrot Flowers, Part 2 and Part 3
3. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
4. Two-Headed Boy
5. The Fool
6. Holland, 1945
7. Communist Daughter
8. Oh Comely
9. Ghost
10. Untitled
11. Two-Headed Boy, Part 2​

If you haven't listened to it, all I can say is you're really, really missing out. Discuss!

 

[wundergussy]

Absolutely in my Top Five of all time. This is one of those records that I wish I could hear for the first time again. It is absolutely startling, and contains some of the most naked, honest, and even chilling moments ever caught on tape ("oh Comely"). And at the same time, it also has a few hair-raisingly anthemic moments as well ("Holland 1945", "Ghost"). Many have compared Mangum to Brian Wilson, probably because both are small-detail-geniuses who went crazy and disappeared for a while. If this is indeed the final musical output of Mangum's career (not counting the found-sound balkan-music festival collage-thing he did) his is still more creative, musical, and honestly amazing than artists with triple the output.

 

[marvin100]

I loved the music and production on this one back in the day, but for some reason Mangum's singing owed a little too much to Syd Barrett for my taste...could very well just be me, though.

Either way, no doubt this is a classic album that has had a huge influence and is spoken of almost in hushed tones barely a decade after its release.

 

[stobes21]

Awesome album. I was a bit surprised to see it here for sure, but within the indie/progressive rock world it is a hugely influential album. One of those rare albums from which I can't really pick a favorite song. Nice choice.

 

[stampeder]

Love this album. The musical saws give me the chills.

An interesting thing that I have herd about this album is that it is heavily influenced by / very loosely based on the Diary of Anne Frank. I cannot say much on this because I have never read the Diary, or really analyzed the whole album's lyrics. I have analyzed the lyrics to the title track and they evoke an emotional tapestry. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this matter or know anything more about this?

 

[masonjarjar]

A very polarizing album. Two camps. Classic Masterpiece of the late 90's.. or.. completely unlistenable.

I deflnitely lean towards the former, it packs quite an emotional whollop if you're tuned into the same alien frequencies as Jeff Mangum..

Should be on any top 10 list of low-fi indie rawk. And many top 10's of the 90's.

 

[marvin100]

low-fi

Really? This thing's pretty lovingly recorded with lush arrangements & a wealth of complex timbres...early Pavement it ain't...

 

[masonjarjar]

Really? This thing's pretty lovingly recorded with lush arrangements & a wealth of complex timbres...early Pavement it ain't...

yea, but.. Steely Dan it ain't either..

When I first heard "Holland, 1945" I thought that there was something wrong with the tape. maybe "mid-fi" is more appropriate? It's definitely a creative recording. It was nice to hear trombones.

(oh, and I do own several early Pavement and Sebadoh albums too.. I sort of see AEROPLANE as the culmination of music like that. By that point, I was kind of burned out on indie rock and didn't pay NMH the attention they deserved, I didn't hear AEROPLANE until a few years after it came out)


((yay, Chris Bell!))

 

[thanks]

Yes yes yes yes yes.

 

[zoom]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe this may be the first indie album that employed a musical saw.

Pretty influential album and a good listen. Little troubling when parts of the songs get stuck in your head - like Two Headed Boy.

 

[wundergussy]

Has anyone heard the Live at Jittery Joe's album? A lot of these songs are on there (just Mangum and a guitar) before this album was recorded.

 

[joshmpdx]

not only is this record a modern classic, but something that will continue to evolve. what NMH did here was seminal!

 

[masonjarjar]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe this may be the first indie album that employed a musical saw.

Pretty influential album and a good listen. Little troubling when parts of the songs get stuck in your head - like Two Headed Boy.

I know Mercury Rev used one on DESERTER'S SONGS (excellent, excellent album btw). However, that might have come out after AEROPLANE. I'm too tired to look it up now.

 

[marvin100]

Well, the music and production on this record (and everything from the Elephant 6 Recording Company, of which Mangum was a co-founder) is deeply (and audibly) influenced by the Beach Boys, who may not have been "indy" (whatever that even means), but I know they definitely used the singing saw's electro-cousin, the Theremin, on Pet Sounds (& possibly Smiley Smile?).

Tom Waits used the saw on most of his records from the 70's on.

Great instrument. I know some improvising musicians who double on saw, but nobody who specializes in it.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

It's a very great album. I wouldn't hesitate to call it lo-fi, or at least classify it as leaning heavily in that direction. Definitely in my top ten list from the nineties...it sits somewhere next to Last Splash between 5 and 8, I think. I've never actually figured out my top ten from the nineties. Not a top ten in my all time list.

Mangum is extremely talented.

 

[masonjarjar]

I've never actually figured out my top ten from the nineties.

I have.

Slint - SPIDERLAND
The Jesus Lizard - GOAT
Hum - DOWNWARD IS HEAVENWARD
The God Machine - SCENES FROM THE SECOND STOREY
Mercury Rev - YERSELF IS STEAM
My Bloody Valentine - LOVELESS
Pavement - SLANTED & ENCHANTED
Bark Psychosis - HEX
Massive Attack - MEZZANINE
Coil - LOVE'S SECRET DOMAIN
Cocteau Twins - HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS

 

[Walter Sobchak]

I have.

Slint - SPIDERLAND
The Jesus Lizard - GOAT
Hum - DOWNWARD IS HEAVENWARD
The God Machine - SCENES FROM THE SECOND STOREY
Mercury Rev - YERSELF IS STEAM
My Bloody Valentine - LOVELESS
Pavement - SLANTED & ENCHANTED
Bark Psychosis - HEX
Massive Attack - MEZZANINE
Coil - LOVE'S SECRET DOMAIN
Cocteau Twins - HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS

Mezzanine and Goat are great!

Why'd you strike Pavement?

 

[masonjarjar]

Mezzanine and Goat are great!

Why'd you strike Pavement?

cuz it's 11. I forgot about the Cocteau Twins.

the list could be 20, could be 50, could be 100.

Actually, I made a top 100 of the 90's list. Had it online even, then the host shut down and I lost all the code

 

[Walter Sobchak]

I can't count so good.

 

[Shane]

This thread is getting more replies than I thought it would! My discussion about "Talking Heads - Remain In Light" only got two responses!