Spoon Message Board » Spoon News

Gimme Fiction

(5 posts)
  • Started 11 years ago by q_pid
  • Latest reply from Tyler Darling

  1. q_pid
    q_pid
    (33 Posts)

    So I know the album has been out for quite some time now, but I don't really see any discussions about it on this board.

    This is the album that defines Spoon for me. I suppose it also has to do with the fact that this is the album I discovered them by.. But I just love how weird and experimental and catchy it is. There is so many really neat sound effects and things going on in the background of the songs that you don't pick up on your first few listens. And the lyrics remind me of something that you would find in some old forgotten dusty novel in the back of a library..

    When I saw Spoon (the only time I've ever seen Spoon actually), they opened with The Beast And Dragon, Adored.. I was sort of near the front of the crowd and I was wearing that one Gimme Fiction shirt with the mexican dude on the front and Britt saw me and gave me a nod of acknowledgement.. I read somewhere that they come up with their setlists right before they play.. I believe they opened the show with that song because Britt saw me rockin' that shirt!

    What is the deal with the album cover? I think it is their coolest cover, just because it has so much mystery to it... Who is that woman? Why is she dressed in all red? Why is she wearing a cloak or whatever you call it? The face is so hidden, could it actually be a man?

    And then the album artwork (I own the vinyl), what is up with the bloody finger and the monster mask?

    This album is just too cool and too weird for words. And I love every bit of it.

    Sorry for the ranting... Just wanted to get some discussions going!

    Posted 11 years ago #
  2. User has not uploaded an avatar
    iamthekey
    (81 Posts)

    yea man. that was always my favorite one. i feel like its the pinnacle too. great bass and production. although theres a lot to be said for all their albums.

    i always thought the cover was little red riding hood. but with just a hint of a burka. when it dropped in 2005, it was right after (another) super contentious election. And britt being from texas it seemed like a lot of the songs were covertly political or about bush. (mathematical mind, beast and dragon, merchants of soul) So.. yea i agree its a great cover because it relates thematically so well to the album... it could be red riding hood or this woman from the middle east, like mathematical mind could be about a relationship or a rail against the president. I think the album is called Gimme Fiction because its either about how we need fiction to cope with some bad things in reality, or about these fairy tale type lyrics that represent real life menaces.

    (the inner sleeve i think the monster is the wolf, and the bloody finger is a cut finger, which is a reference to I Turn My Camera On but maybe also an allusion to a period and a loss of innocence. Little Red Riding Hood is sometimes interpreted as a girl's loss of innocence.)

    but yeah... as an album theres very few other ones that seem so thematically cohesive. All the songs have these fantasy-esque lyrics with maybe a hint of darkness and political edge. Strange characters, Valentine, The Beast and Dragon, The Infinite Pet, Sister Jack...and also these strange locations, the delicate place, the seawall, the park, it sort of reminds me of sgt. pepper sometimes but with a much darker, more realist sound. At the end the curtain falls down with the stark Merchants of Soul, and britt directly names Ralph Reed. Its like all the fantasy is pulled away, with a dire warning to "get wise"... that the beast and dragon are real, and they are very dangerous.

    Umm. Yea and also its great how even some guitar tones show up again and again. I always think that the noisy, squalling guitar tone from Beast and Dragon IS the Dragon. he shows up again in Mathematical Mind, They Never Got You.. many of the songs.

    Anyway. I've thought about and listened to this album way too much, haha!

    But yea I just think its brilliant as a covert concept album. Only some beatles and bowie albums come close. Once you start picking up on some lyrics, especially the fantasy aspect, its astounding to me how closely linked all the songs are, yet how different they are, and also how its not jammed down your throat, its all very natural and you can enjoy the songs in a very literal way too. It feels like a novel and very very few albums come close to feeling like that to me.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  3. Tyler Darling
    Tyler Darling
    (706 Posts)

    I have the exact same sentiments. I discovered them with that album after reading a Guitar Player mag. The 2005 issue with Paul McCartney on cover. Thats why I bought it. I remembered Britt's quote about Soul in music. He said about John Lennon singing so hard, then at the end in Twist and Shout he gave it his all. You can hear it in his voice.

    I always thought the exact same thing. As a huge beatles fan I had to check this band out. I will admit when I first heard it I was like okkkkk.....weird.

    I liked a few songs, then put it away for awhile.

    Then when I re listened I thought Beast and Dragon adored was such an incredible song. And the whole album just flowed together. It wasn't automatic for me. But as you may know now they are my fav band.

    Also they opened the time I saw them with Beast too. At summer fest in 09. I WAS front row. Can't believe that was last time/only time i saw them. Depressing.

    I own the album on CD and Vinyl. Depending on what day of week u ask me I will respond with a different Spoon album is my fav. But I think the first album you get from a band always has sentimental value.

    In conclusion, I love Gimme Fiction.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  4. TastyPrawn
    TastyPrawn
    (87 Posts)

    I just want to add that Gimme Fiction is still my favorite Spoon album, and one of my all-time favorite albums. I agree with a lot of what iamthekey said: "It feels like a novel and very very few albums come close to feeling like that to me." It feels the same way to me. This album was also released during a very weird and hard time in my life (I won't go into detail) and it seemed echo a lot of stuff that was happening to/with me, so it will always hold a special place because of that.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  5. Tyler Darling
    Tyler Darling
    (706 Posts)

    I have come up with a conclusive answer. Gimme Fiction might be my fav but Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is their best album. I explain it this way:

    Gimmme's first 7 songs are flawless. I believe we talked about the sequencing of that album before. And ending with Merchants of Soul is a bit weak. Also the Infinite Pet is a weaker song in my opinion. Make that a B-Side and sequence it differently, and it could be better.

    On the other hand Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga has the perfect sequence and the perfect closing track. Black like Me and Vittorio E are both GREAT closing tracks. Advance Cassette and Chicago at Night are both good too.

    I am just think to say an album is good the sequencing, along with the content comes into play.

    I am not trying to be argumentative or dissuade anyone from liking Gimme Fiction. You're an idiot if you don't think it's great. But if I wanna get someone into Spoon I start them with Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. That's all.

    As we all agree they are a great band and all their albums are great. Just conversing, and sharing my opinion.

    This week Girls Can Tell is my fav Spoon album.

    Believing Is Art sounded so so good today.

    Posted 11 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.